Diamine Graphite Fountain Pen Ink: Life is only shades of grey.

This is the most "boring" ink I have. For some reason, though, I like it! Perhaps it's non-conformist nature is what entices me. It isn't black, but it's not a "color". Ooohhh, the mystery! A pen-friend wrote me with this ink, and well, I just fell in love! I purchased a bottle, but apparently Diamine had some issues with early batches of it. I got an early bottle. The suspension wasn't right, and my ink had separated into oily looking stuff and pigment, gross! So, my pen friend had sent me a sample, and that is what I used for this review. 

There's really not much to say about grey, other than I spell it with an "e" instead of an "a", because I like they way it looks better. Grey is, well, grey. This particular shade is dark enough to read, but not dark enough to be confused with black. That's what I like about it. At my desk, at night (which is when I am awake), it has just a HINT of green to it. That doesn't show up in this scan at all, so I am assuming it is just the lighting, and not the ink. The shading is pretty nice, and dry time isn't too bad. This ink did seem a little dry in my Medium-nibbed Safari, but I think it had kind of worked itself out with more use. The color seems to have darkened just a bit too. 

I really like this ink, but since my bottle was wonky, I think I am going to get Noodler's Lexington Gray as an exchange. I love this ink, but I could do with just a shade or two darker. As the rain has been frequenting Cincinnati, I am also finding that I need to break down and get a waterproof ink.

*I would like to sincerely thank fellow FPN'er and pen-pal tawanda for giving me this sample!*

EDIT to add comparison pictures to Noodler's Lexington Gray.


 

Shay.