Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Dragonwell Green Tea

A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Dragonwell Green Tea

Opening the package, the dry leaves smell grassy and have a perky sweetness about them that I am eager to try (too much time spent drinking roasted and musty green teas has drawn me from teas like this). Two teaspoons of leaves, two cups of water, and three minutes later, I had a pale green brew with a much deeper aroma than the dry leaf had. Deeper, yet still as sweet, the grassy notes linger as well.

Deliciously smooth. The grassy flavor does not overwhelm, as some greens are apt to do. For such a lightly flavored tea, the brew seems to carry a moderate amount of thickness to the mouthfeel. However, even those light flavors are complex by themselves, making each sip a lingering pleasure, if left to settle on the tongue.

The sweetness and delicacy of the brew leave one with a very refreshed feeling, and it is a very enjoyable tea to drink. I gladly give it a 77 out of 100 on my personal enjoyment scale and would certainly recommend it.

Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Dragonwell can be purchased from their website, here.
Photo credit to Mark T. Wendell Tea Company.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Experiments with Tea - Making Oatmeal

In recent days, I have been experimenting with a new use for tea. I enjoy a good bowl of oatmeal on a semi-regular basis, and my typical additions include fruit, nuts, honey, peanut butter, or...brown sugar. Now, the brown sugar, while partially for taste, acts as the primary sweetener in this case. While a tablespoon or two of brown sugar is not too unhealthful, I had been contemplating ways in which to reduce my processed sugar intake.

Thus did I arrive at the idea to utilize a naturally sweetened tea, rather than water, as the base for my oatmeal. Hopefully, the tea would infuse the oatmeal with its flavors and extra sweetening would not be necessary.

Over several days, I tested this theory, using four different teas. The results of these trials follow:

• The Secret Garden Organic Herb Shop's Organic Peach Rooibos - Utilizing a flavored rooibos was the first specific idea that I had in regard to modifying the base of the oatmeal. The result was good but very subtle. The peach flavor and the rooibos flavor were both very much present, but they primarily resided in the aftertaste.

Peach Rooibos Oatmeal - Uncooked

Peach Rooibos Oatmeal - Cooked

• Vital Tea Leaf's Royal Pu'erh - I am uncertain as to what drove me to utilize this fifteen year old, cooked pu'erh as the base for oatmeal, since it is very decidedly the opposite of a sweet tea. The oatmeal itself tasted slightly bitter with typical pu'erh earthy tones. It was quite reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa.
• Vital Tea Leaf's Lychee Black - The strong, sweet lychee flavor made an excellent addition to the oatmeal. It was not as subtle as the rooibos, but not in-your-face lychee flavor, either.
• Vital Tea Leaf's Coconut Red - While the smell was more prominent with the coconut, I noticed that the taste was very light. In fact, it mostly just had a light touch of coconut aftertaste. This was a bit disappoint, as I find the coconut red tea to be just as strong as the lychee black tea, while drinking them.

Lychee Black Tea Oatmeal (Left) and Coconut Red Tea Oatmeal (Right) - Both Uncooked

There you have it, folks! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for other oatmeal-tea combinations, let me know in a comment, below.

TWSBI Diamond 530 Ink Capacity Expansion

When the TWSBI Diamond 540 came into production, as a replacement for the Diamond 530, one of the most noticeable improvements was a 30% increase in ink capacity. However, if you have a TWSBI Diamond 530, now, and want to achieve a larger ink storage, it is possible to modify your Diamond 530! Read on for details...

Warning! This modification has the potential to cause the piston mechanism to not function properly! Built from Ink and Tea assumes no responsibility for any issues in your pen, resulting from this or any other modification.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way...the photographic guide!

The process of expanding the ink capacity is simple. First, I recommend disassembling (and cleaning, if necessary) your Diamond 530. Fully disassemble the pen, so that you can remove the piston rod and seal. If you have a TWSBI Diamond 540 or 580, laying the piston rod from the Diamond 530 alongside the Diamond 540 or 580 will show you just how extra long it is (as also shown in the picture, below).

As you can see, using the rod of this length diminishes the capacity of your Diamond 530.

The simple, hack way to fix this is to utilize wire cutters or the snips in a pair of needle-nose pliers to remove a short amount of the end of the piston rod. This will allow the rod to move back farther in the pen. I highly recommend, if you are going to attempt this modification, that you remove a small amount at a time, rather than a large amount to begin.

Here, you can see the resulting amount that was removed, as well as the extra capacity. Unfortunately, because I removed that large amount, there are some issues with the piston rod fitting into the mechanism. Take it off a small amount at a time!

I wish you the best, if you attempt to increase the capacity of your TWSBI Diamond 530. If you would rather have increased capacity out of the box, I recommend taking a look at the new TWSBI Diamond 580!

Enjoy! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.



This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Yet Another Writing Sample (YAWS) - Montblanc Inks

Today, I thought that I might share a writing sample of some Montblanc inks, which I currently have in a few of my pens. While these inks are by no means the ultimate inks for fountain pens, I do find that the colors can be very vibrant and full of character.

This post was unsolicited and uncompensated. Feel free to post questions or comments, below!

Update and an Event! (FPGeeks Nib Tuning and Smoothing Webinar)

Hello to you all! I hope that the recent hiatus of the Fountain Pen Network did not through too many of you into a depressed, downward spiral. (I myself just finished climbing out of said spiral by browsing my now-available favorite threads with a cup of tea...just kidding.)

I wanted to let you all know about a live online seminar on Nib Tuning and Smoothing, being hosted by FPGeeks, this morning at 10:30am PST. More information can be found here at their website, including downloadable notes, to which I have directly linked, here. My apologies for not getting this information to you, sooner. I hope that it proves beneficial!

PS - This morning's tea is Vital Tea Leaf's Lychee Black Tea, pen is Pilot's Metropolitan, and ink is Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noodler's Midnight Blue Ink

Noodler's has crafted a beautiful ink, here! The shades are quite pleasant, and it is worth trying this ink in multiple pens.

Edit 10/2/13: Re-scanned and added more comparisons.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Drink The Leaf's Hong Tao Mao Feng Black Tea

A Review of Drink The Leaf's Hong Tao Mao Feng Black Tea

Noticing that the last tea I drank that had "Mao Feng" in the title was a green tea, this made me curious, so I first went and looked up what "Mao Feng" meant. According to the "wonderful source of all knowledge," Wikipedia, Mao Feng "is a term in tea manufacture denoting the picking of a bud and two leaves of equal length." It goes on to tell about their broad, curved shape and the desirability of this design.

Dry, these leaves are long, thin, and wiry. The aroma is mild and a bit malty. After steeping for the recommended time, the aroma really opens up, revealing delicious smelling honey tones.

Taking my first sip, the flavor explodes across my tongue, drenching it in much the same flavors as were smelled in the completed liquor: a bit of a malt, with sweet, dark honey tastes.

What seems to be a simple tea actually contains a myriad of experiences for the senses, all coming together to make this a nice tea experience and a delight to drink. I rate it a 75 out of 100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

Drink The Leaf's Hong Tao Mao Feng is no longer available on their website.
Photo credit to Drink the Leaf.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

The Grand TWSBI Review - Part 2. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 530 Fountain Pen

Background
This first review in the Grand TWSBI Review series harkens back to the early days of TWSBI, when their Diamond series was just being developed for the first time. The goal with this series was to craft a well-built fountain pen, piston-filler, that had superb engineering, good looks, and a longevity to match the aforementioned. However, TWSBI wanted to take the challenge one step further: They wanted to be able to offer the pen at a very affordable price. Without further ado, I present to you the TWSBI Diamond 530.

First Impressions (8)
I will admit to not having become familiar with the TWSBI brand until after the Diamond 530 had been replaced by the Diamond 540. However, the sight of this 530 definitely made me smile and get very interested. The shape looked simple and elegant in a hardy, “I am made for daily use”-way. Then, subtle complexities, like the diamond pattern, caught my eye. The Diamond 530 appeared to be a solid pen with decent looks and a lack of any presumptuousness. I cannot say that I was immediately wow-ed by the pen, but that came later...

Appearance (9)
Though this review attempts to be as unbiased as possible, I must say that I find the cyan Diamond 530 to be the most attractive of the 530 options. The 530 can be found in cyan, red, blue (now called sapphire), pink, orange (now called amber), and green. The other colors, especially the blue and green, fit very well with the look of the pen, but the cyan has a color that seems to go quite well with the silver fittings. Set into the end of the cap is the TWSBI logo, surrounded by the silver fitting that holds the clip. The clip itself has a simple and clean ridge, running its length. The cap band, then, is a wide piece with the TWSBI logo engraved on one portion and the words “Diamond 530 Taiwan” on the opposite portion. Standard scrollwork accompanies the TWSBI name and logo on the nib, which is also conveniently engraved with the nib size. As previously mentioned, the barrel is not round but rather multi-faceted with elongated diamond shapes, yet the design is very subtle and not pronounced.

Design/Size/Weight (10)
Lightweight pens are pleasant in my opinion, as they make holding them and writing with them feel much less like using a tool and more like gliding ones hand across paper. However, if a pen is too light, I can sometimes feel awkward, writing with it, as though I might accidentally drop it. The Diamond 530 has a perfect amount of weight for me. I write with the cap unposted, and it seems, as though there is a lot of weight in the cap, so those who post the caps of their pens, while writing, may find the weight and balance to be very backheavy, if they attempt to do so. In fact, the design of this pen and cap is not suited to posting, as the cap only fits over a small portion of the piston knob.
Between the cap insert that shields the nib (and prevents ink from getting all over the inside of the cap) and the o-ring, at the base of the grip and section threads, which helps to seal the pen tightly, when capped, this design strives for maximum enclosure and containment. I hazard a guess that these features also serve to limit, if not dispel entirely, any evaporation of ink.
The grip, which tapers toward the nib before flaring out slightly, is very comfortable, and the barrel is neither too thin or too fat for holding in my hand, while writing. At the end of the pen, the piston knob sits flush with the rest of the barrel, narrowing slightly. While I love the fact that this demonstrator is a piston filler, it has another secret to its filling mechanism! This special “no-mess” filling method was designed specifically to work with the TWSBI Diamond 50 and Diamond 50P inkwells, though the Diamond 50P did not exist at the time, when the Diamond 530 fountain pen was on the market. The nib and section may be unscrewed from the body of the pen, revealing an opening and fittings to mount the pen on the inkwell. After filling the pen, as one would a standard piston-filler, the nib and grip section are replaced on the pen and no clean up is necessary. The ability to improve the ease of use through the inkwell accessory is a fantastic addition, and I appreciate that TWSBI has designed their pen to be able to use normal ink bottles, too, in the case that the user does not want to invest in a TWSBI inkwell. (However, I highly recommend the inkwells for reasons that shall be forthcoming in my reviews of them.)
The TWSBI Diamond 530 does not have obvious flaws in the design, at least to my eye; however, the most-reported problem lies with cracking parts, especially on the grip section. Typically, this is a result of the grip not being fitted over the nib unit, properly, when the user is resetting the nib and grip assembly on the body of the pen. The Diamond 530 that I am using for this review has this very issue, and it came to me this way (from another fountain pen user, not from TWSBI). Despite all of the reports of cracking, I have never experienced or witnessed it in other TWSBI pens that I have used. Additionally, I know that TWSBI has been working to remedy this problem. The rating is 9.5/10, actually, on account of the cracking issues that have been experienced.

The crack in the grip of this Diamond 530

Nib (10)
My previous experiences with medium nibs have been both good and bad. Foremost, it is important to note that the TWSBI nibs follow Western conventions in nib sizing. Thus, this medium is probably comparable to a Lamy medium or a Parker medium for size. In my mind, the biggest difference is how gliding this nib is. It slides across the paper without any hang-ups, skipping, or snags. The medium nib in a Montblanc Meisterstück 146, which I once had the pleasure of trying at a boutique, was smoother, but that comparison is hardly fair. Overall, it is a nice nib with good feedback, which I appreciate in smooth nibs, as it makes them more manageable.

Filling System (10)
I love piston-filling systems. The engineer inside me really enjoys turning the knob, watching how the assembly moves, etc. It is worth mentioning again that the Diamond 530 has the special setup for “no clean up” filling from a TWSBI Diamond inkwell, but it can be used normally, too. I had no problems with the piston assembly. Everything turned and moved well. TWSBI included a bottle of silicone grease and a wrench for disassembly and maintenance, if ever things stop moving smoothly.

Cost and Value (10)
It should be mentioned from the start that the Diamond 530 has been out of production for some time, now. Its successor, the Diamond 540, also just went out of production to be replaced by the Diamond 580. As such, 530s can no longer be purchased from any online retailer that I have found. However, as some of their parts, like the grip section, are interchangeable with the 540, TWSBI still provides service for a number of 530 issues. Finding a Diamond 530 that is for sale may be a great challenge. Many used 530s will sell for much less than their original retail price. In fact, I recently saw a 530 sell for 20 USD and it had no cracks and only minor wear on the body. In my opinion, that price was a steal for a Diamond 530. If handled well, it should serve its owner for a long time with no problems. Even based on just my experience with the Diamond 530, these pens are fantastic values.

Conclusion (10)
(9.5/10 actual score)
If you can find one, buy one. If you would rather get a new pen, buy a Diamond 580 (that is another review, entirely). While their piston-filling mechanism may not suit them to be starter pens, the TWSBI Diamond 530 is a great fountain pen investment for the new and the experienced.

Feel free to post any questions or comments you might have!
This post was both unsolicited and uncompensated.

The Grand TWSBI Review - Part 1. Introduction

Today, I have a fantastic endeavor for you - a multi-part review series! This multi-part series will attempt to encompass as may different aspects of TWSBI, as I can personally review. Additionally, further installments may be added later, based upon what products I have the chance to try. While I make this sound so very technical and precise, a fair disclaimer is that I believe I have been fully indoctrinated to the Cult of TWSBI, and there is no returning. (The Cult of TWSBI is the tongue-in-cheek name for enthusiasts and lovers of TWSBI products.) That being said, I shall keep these reviews as unbiased as possible, though forgive me, if I begin to sound like a TWSBI sales pitch.

Posts in the Grand TWSBI Review series, thus far:

1. Introduction
2. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 530 Fountain Pen
3. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 540 Fountain Pen
4. A Review of the TWSBI Tri-Tech iSmart Multifunction Pen
5. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 540 ROC 100 Fountain Pen (Coming soon!)
6. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 580 Fountain Pen (Coming soon!)
7. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond Mini Fountain Pen (Coming soon!)
8. A Review of the TWSBI Vac 700 Fountain Pen (Coming soon!)

(Click the titles to be taken to the post.)

I hope you enjoy this new content. I welcome your comments and suggestions!

Yet Another Writing Sample (YAWS) - Sufficiently Advanced Technology

Just a favorite quote of mine, packed full of meaning. For the interested, the first and second laws of prediction by Clarke are as follows: 

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

This post was unsolicited and uncompensated. Feel free to post questions or comments, below!

Stained Fingers on Thursday - Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses Ink - Re-uploaded again!

I am uploading this review yet again to show the addition of a TWSBI Diamond 580's broad nib into the mix. It is a wet writer, and the shading with this ink is beautiful.

This review was scanned at 600dpi on an HP Deskjet F4280.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Diamine Royal Blue Ink

Not a bad ink, though I think that I like Noodler's Baystate Blue or Montblanc Royal Blue a bit better.

Edit 10/2/13: Re-scanned and added more comparisons.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong

A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong

I love oolong, and I love finery, especially in the tea world. So when the chance to try this tea came up...an oolong, mind you, that is supposed to be one of the finest available, and available only in limited quantities, I jumped at the opportunity.

The dry leaf holds light, vegetal notes that are, surprisingly, reminiscent of a few white teas that I have tried.

The steeped liquor is a brilliant gold, with excellent clarity (the benefits of utilizing a glass vessel for steeping). It also has a darker aroma, more akin to darjeeling. Ah, but the first sip was nothing like drinking darjeeling. Light and fruity (what specific fruit flavors - I cannot quite place), the liquor slipped over the tongue easily. Incredibly soft mouthfeel combined with a surprisingly bold, yet not overwhelming, aftertaste to provide a wonderfully pleasant drink.

Steeping the tea again, for a few minutes longer (five this time), led to a brew of much the same strength and character as the first. I was pleased at the resilience and quality of this tea. I most definitely enjoyed drinking this and would certainly keep this on my list of teas to keep in stock. I give it a 90/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Extra Fancy Formosa Oolong can be purchased from their website, here.
Photo credit to Mark T. Wendell Tea Company.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

TWSBI Vac 700 Nib Swapping - Knox and Nemosine Nibs

After the unfortunately failed attempt at swapping a Knox K35 1.1 stub into a Nemosine Singularity, I got the idea to try the nib in my TWSBI Vac 700. Truly, there was nothing to lose, since buying a TWSBI 1.1 stub would have been an extra investment, and I had been interested in trying a stub with the Vac 700. Unfortunately, the same issue, as had occurred in trying to use the Knox nib with the Nemosine Singularity, once again reared its head, and the trial of the Knox nib in the Vac 700 was over. However, this lead to an idea: If the Nemosine Singularity and the TWSBI Vac 700 both had the same issue with using the Knox nib, would their own nibs be interchangeable? After some more experimenting, I present to you...

The TWSBI Vac 700 with Nemosine 0.8 stub nib!

And some writing samples!

While the Nemosine nibs may not be at the same quality level as the JoWo nibs used by TWSBI in their Vac 700, Nemosine does provide the options for a 0.6 and a 0.8 stub, which are not available for the Vac 700. Side note: I believe that the nib size number for the Nemosine nibs, the Knox K35 nibs, and the TWSBI Vac 700 JoWo nibs is #6. Now, if one of this companies would just make a double broad, life would be even better...

Showing the fit of the Nemosine nib on the TWSBI feed:

 And one last shot of the newly fitted nib:

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to post them!

Yet Another Writing Sample (YAWS) - Nemosine Nibs and Australian Roses

Regular readers of this blog may remember the below writing samples from a previous post on line comparisons. I felt that I should repost it here, as part of this series for the sake of reference. Thus, I hope you all enjoy the line comparisons of these Nemosine Singularity nibs, again, written using Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses ink.

This post was unsolicited and uncompensated. Feel free to post questions or comments, below!

Awesome Pen Mods - The Kaigelu 316 Vacuum-Plunger Conversion

Recall, if you will, the awesome modification that was performed at the end of last year by Flounder from the Fountain Pen Network. He had successfully converted a Hero 616 fountain pen from an aerometric filler to a vacumatic filler. Now, he has returned with another awesome conversion of an inexpensive Chinese pen. This time, he converted a Kaigelu 316 from a cartridge converter to a vacuum-plunger filler, much like a TWSBI Vac 700. This pen received an impressive boost to its ink capacity!

I highly urge you to go check out his blog for pictures, videos, and details, all located right here! That post links to a great number of other posts about this project, and I hope you enjoy them.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Noodler's 54th Massachusetts Ink

If you like blue-black inks, I highly recommend this one!

Edit 10/2/13: Re-scanned with more ink comparisons.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Reminder! Monteverde Artista Crystal Fountain Pen Giveaway - Ending Soon! EDIT: Ended!

Hi all, I just wanted to remind you that the giveaway for the Monteverde Artista Crystal fountain pen is ending soon. If you have not read the review and entered with your comment, you can do so here at this post! I look forward to choosing a winner.
Enjoy!

Also, coming soon will be a new post on traveling with fountain pens, based on my own experiences (good and bad)! Look for that in the near future.

EDIT: The giveaway has now ended! A big thanks goes out to all of you, who entered to win the Monteverde Artista Crystal. There were 26 entries in the Rafflecopter, but it was also necessary to post a valid comment, answering the question ("What is your favorite demonstrator pen?"). From the entries that were valid, a random number generator in the Rafflecopter tool chose from the numbers that it has assigned to each of the valid entries, and the winning entry was from... SETH! Seth's favorite demonstrator was the TWSBI Vac 700, which is a pen that I will be reviewing on this blog, very soon. Congratulations, Seth! I will be contacting you shortly.

I cannot wait to host another giveaway, and I hope that you all enjoyed this review and the chance to win. Thank you again!

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Imperial Gold Oolong

A Review of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Imperial Gold Oolong

The shape of these rolled oolong leaves was reminiscent of an Alishan oolong I once had - small, compacted clumps of leaf. They carry quite a vegetal smell, almost more like a green tea than an oolong. I started out by steeping two teaspoons of leaves in two cups of water for three minutes.This resulted in somewhat of a weak brew, so I put the leaves back in for another minute or so (I like my oolongs stronger).

This completed brew is delightful. Light and creamy oolong scent with just a hint of that original vegetal strength with a bit of peppery smell too. The liquor is a very bright and clear light brown, and the taste....ooooh my. Light and soft, it caresses the tongue while still putting out moderately bold flavors including floral, vegetal, and peppery notes all wrapped into one tasty package. If this oolong went to school, it would be said that it was a very well-rounded individual, as this is a very well-rounded tea, encompassing a variety of different flavors that all serve to complement each other.

The second steep brought out the floral notes in the tea to a much fuller extent. The taste overall mellowed out a lot and brought out a bit more of the vegetal side as well. I could easily see this tea going for at least one or two more steepings. I really enjoyed this tea, and am giving it an 80/100 on my personal enjoyment scale.

Mark T. Wendell Tea Company's Imperial Gold Oolong can be purchased from their website, here.
Photo credit to Mark T. Wendell Tea Company.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Yet Another Writing Sample (YAWS) - Random Pens and Ink on Rhodia Dotpad

For a few weeks, I was testing out various pens and inks on a piece of Rhodia dotpad paper.

A note about this first sheet: The top writing with the Vac700 was using the extra-fine Bock nib that came installed in the pen. The lower Vac700 writing, as stated, used the extra-fine Jowo nib, which was included with the Vac700, as TWSBI has been in the process of changing all Vac700 nibs to the Jowo brand. 

In this second writing sample, all of the listed pens are fitted with their respective medium nibs, except for the rotated writing along the left side, which was all done with several dip nibs. Be sure to check out the Stained Fingers on Thursday post series for reviews of some (and eventually all) of the inks used here.


This post was unsolicited and uncompensated. I welcome your comments and questions, below!

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Oyster Grey Ink

The opportunity to try this ink was very unique, and I quite enjoyed testing it in multiple pens. 

If anyone has recommendations for additional grey inks to try, please do not hesitate to post them in a comment.

This scan was done on an HP Deskjet F4280 at 600dpi.
Note: Because these scans are done with a light emitting printer, actual colors will, more likely than not, be slightly darker than they may appear, here. The colors shown, here, are probably a bit more reminiscent of what the ink would be like under a bright light or if it were held up and viewed with a light behind it.

Tea Review Tuesday - A Review of Daude's Skala Rooibos

A Review of Daude's Skala Rooibos

Wow, what a delicious medley of fruit scents that is being held in the dry leaf of this rooibos blend. Sweet and juicy notes mix together with a slightly tart undertone. Steeped, it remains fruity in smell, with some nutty scents mixed in. The liquor is bright and clear and light red in colour.

For all the intense smells, the taste of this tea is very much muted. Regardless, it has an all-around fruity flavor that is strong, but does not overwhelm the taste of the rooibos. This alone was a welcome change from many other rooibos fruit blends I have tried. The tea also manages to keep the tartness to a minimum (again, very much appreciated).

I quite enjoyed the fact that the ingredients were so well balanced. None of them seemed to overwhelm the complete flavor of the tea, leading to a pleasingly blended finish. This was a great drinking experience, for which I give this tea an 80/100. I am really glad I tried this tea.

Daude's Skala can be purchased from their website, here.
Photo credit to Daude.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.