Thursday, February 22, 2018

Colorverse Photon and Gluon Inks (#23/24)



I have a ton of ink in my collection and I will admit that I have become a tad more selective when looking at acquiring more. How many blue inks do I need? Colorverse is the new kid on the block here and seems to be gaining some momentum and popularity. A very good pen friend of mine obtained these 2 inks and has allowed me to borrow them and review them here. So let's have a peek.


I have to admit, I love the bottles here. These colors are from the Season 3 line of ink colors and come in a 2-pack. A 65mL bottle and a smaller 15mL bottle make it a fun idea. The small bottle is Gluon and is another shimmer based ink.


Seriously, the shimmer ink phase needs to stop already. 



The packaging is fun. I like the box that the two bottles are shipped in and the outer space/science theme is also a nice touch. The included items that come with the ink, however, is odd. This ink is not cheap at $36 + shipping which is why I am scratching my head here. There is a little pamphlet showing the other inks of Season 3 here, which is great. There are also some very small stickers from Season 1 ink colors...ok. But then the weird comes to play. A paper bookmark and a paper pen stand as well as a paper napkin. If I am paying this much for ink, why cheapen the experience with very cheap paper products? A cloth napkin would be nice for cleaning of a newly filled nib and the other items can be easily omitted.

Let's get to the ink itself. 


Photon is #23 and is a more blue-centric based teal color, possible an aqua. It is a nice color and on some paper, it is a dead ringer for Pelikan Edelstein Jade. 


Gluon is #24 and is a shimmer based ink and it is an odd off-yellow goldish color. With the bottle shaken, it has a subtle orange based shimmer and sheen to it but in my samples, it is very subtle. 

Unshaken

Shaken with Shimmer
The odd piece to this ink is that the Photon really changes its appearance based off of the paper used. Above is Rhodia but below are some other types and Photon shows a little different on each.

Clairefontaine Paper

Franklin-Christoph Paper

Tomoe River Paper

Apica Paper
The ink itself is highly saturated and has a tendency to be a little on the drier side which is odd as it is a fairly watery ink. It dries a little longer than I would envision but overall, is a well behaved ink. I noticed no bleeding, feathering or spread in any paper tried. 

These colors may appeal to others but they are not for me.

This review is based off of my experience and opinion. I am not representing Colorverse nor am I being compensated in any way.


Saturday, February 17, 2018

Analog in a Digital World

I have a day job and recently was part of a company gathering where the company president gave a speech. The speech really inspired me to make this post as it really fits right in my wheel house. Be analog in a digital world. What does that look like?

Nowadays, kids are tied to their phones as well as their parents. Whether it be for social media, email, cameras, shopping or texting, the digital age is here.

Being analog is what I grew up with and it is foreign to my kids. If we wanted to talk to someone, we would call them. If we wanted to buy something, we would go to the store. We played outside and read books. Notes were taken by hand with paper and pen/pencil. Letters were a part of everyday life.

I have seen us as a society become so enamored with the ease of the digital  lifestyle. I have also seen the small revolution happening that is bringing the analog back. Here is what I mean.

I grew up with the local mom and pop style business and I saw the birth of the giant conglomerates that ended many of those family businesses. I am now seeing the swing of the populace embracing the mom and pop business again and shopping more locally. I am seeing the resurgence of customer service and more writing being done. Heck, my son even takes notes by hand now.

Being analog is picking up the phone to work on a solution with a fellow co-worker rather than sending yet another email. Being analog is writing a thank you note to a customer or friend. Being analog is looking for more of the human contact rather than a computer keyboard or screen. Being able to call a customer service line and speaking with a person rather than traversing a maze of department options or talking to the computer voice lady who never understands what you tell her anyways.

At work I prefer to call a co-worker to work on a project or ask a question. I write letters and prefer to shop locally rather than a chain. Handwriting my notes while others type them in on a tablet is my preference and I love the analog ways even though I do enjoy the conveniences of the digital landscape. Do you?