Ink Overview: Esterbrook Inks Part 2 (Aqua, Shimmer Aqua, Shimmer Lilac, Tangerine and Shimmer Tangerine)

November 5, 2021 Yagan Kiely

Recently, Esterbrook released their initial set of inks. This set of nine inks I have split into two overview posts. The first post had a rather traditional set of inks; they have a vintage feel and wouldn't be out of place in a vintage Esterbrook lineup. That first part had Cobalt Blue, Ebony, Evergreen, and Scarlet. This second part has some more modern feeling inks with Aqua, Simmer Aqua, Shimmer Lilac, Tangerine and Shimmer Tangerine. This is a long part 2!

Thanks to Desk Bandit and Esterbrook for sending in these inks for review. I received samples and a bottle of Cobalt Blue.

The bottle is fairly standard; it is similar to standard-line Pelikan bottles, Kaweco bottles. or Berlin Notebook bottles and others. This bottle should be familiar to many. The label is a very vintage style simplicity with red on white. the box has a similar design with off-white and red. You will want to keep the box for these bottles (as you should anyway) as the bottle doesn’t have any indication as to which ink it is. There is a coloured sticker on the box and a sticker with a barcode and the ink name but none of this is on the bottle itself.

Nota bene

With shimmer inks is that I was given samples of these inks and the ratio of shimmer to ink fluid may vary in a sample compared with a bottle. If it was shaken and immediately transferred then it would be pretty close, if it was allowed to settle however you could get too little particles or too many (depending on how deep the syringe was submerged).

Nib and Pen details

I used Lamy Safaris in Blue Macaron, Petrol, and Terracotta as well as a Lamy Vista, and an Orange Lamy Al-Star for these reviews and seven different stainless steel Lamy nibs on that pen. The choice of pen (be that Safari, AL-Star, Vista, Joy or Studio) will have little impact in the writing performance. I will not use a Lamy Dialog because there is the rare chance of the nib drying out slightly which might affect the writing performance.

Lamy 1.9 Stub: this is a very wet nib
Lamy 1.5 Stub: this nib is moderately wet to write with (this is used for the brand and ink name title);
Lamy 1.1 Stub: this nib is on the drier side;
Lamy Broad: this is a wet;
Lamy Medium: this is a very wet nib;
Lamy Fine: this nib is moderately dry; and
Lamy Extra Fine: this nib is moderately wet.

I also use a fine Glass nib pen for the comparison ink names. The nib can be either very wet or slightly dry and I try to find the middle area. This generally as the effect of reducing shading and luminosity, while increasing sheen and saturation. The possibility of feathering and bleeding is also slightly increased..

Aqua

Aqua is a moderately saturated, moderately dark neutral cerulean blue that leans slightly more teal than it does purple. The ink is decently wet and well lubricated.

52gsm Ivory (White) Tomoe River

Most of these Esterbrook Inks look fairly similar on both Tomoe River and Rhodia paper and this is mostly true with Aqua as well. However, as is not uncommon on Tomoe River, some inks when a condensed amount of ink is applied to the paper lose a lot of saturation and can have a bit of a tint to it. This effect also happens with Aqua with the condensed triangle-like part of the swatch (and not the written line!) loses some saturation and does lean a little more purple than the rest of the ink does.

Pilot Blue: is more purple leaning (outside the sheen) and a little darker;
Diamine Royal Blue: is more saturated and less teal leaning; and
Robert Oster Blue Water Ice: is more saturated than can be shown here (due to the way colours are displayed) but is much more saturated and much too teal leaning.

The shading isn’t too strong here with low frequency, low contrast and a smooth gradient. The driest nibs offer the best shading. There is a little bit of a halo which is nice. There is the tiniest amount of dull almost-red sheen that can be just barely seen on some parts of the wettest written lines but I’d argue that this shouldn’t qualify as a practical sheen. There is a little more visible on the swatch and logo but still very little.

Absolutely no water resistance, but a decent dry time and no smearing.

The chomatography is surprisingly plain with a slight very light pink=grey leaning to a blue that becomes more turquoise.

Diamine Royal Blue has the closest sheen in that it doesn’t really have any whereas both Pilot Blue and Robert Oster Blue Water Ice have some strong red sheens.

80gsm White Rhodia

The general colour is very similar on Rhodia but we don’t get that peculiar characteristic that Tomoe River sometimes get with the triangular condensed part of the swatch being just a darker variation of the same colour as the rest of the swatch! It is also a touch more saturated on Rhodia.

Pilot Blue: is slightly more purple leaning and a slightly darker;

Diamine Royal Blue: is a touch more saturated and less teal leaning; and
Robert Oster Blue Water Ice: is more saturated (even if it might not show on the screen) and much more teal.

The shading seems even less on Rhodia with the frequency and smooth gradient being mostly the same but the contrast being even less! There is no halo on Rhodia.

Sheen is also completely non-existent on the written line and the swatch!

Water resistance is slightly improved but still practically poor. There are very slight lines left though which might help you out if you are lucky after a mistake happens! Dry time is decent and there is no smearing.

Rhodia shows very little sheen and that’s no exception here with only Pilot Blue showing sheen and only on the swatch!

Shimmer Aqua

Esterbrook Shimmer Aqua (like Shimmer Tangerine below) is an identical variant of Aqua above but with, you guessed its, shimmer. There is little I have to say about this ink outside the shimmer for that reason; apart from comments about the shimmer itself, all my comments from above apply here.

Rewritten from above: one thing of note with shimmer inks is that I was given samples of these inks and the ratio of shimmer to ink fluid may vary in a sample compared with a bottle. If it was shaken and immediately transferred then it would be pretty close, if it was allowed to settle however you could get too little particles or too many (depending on how deep the syringe was submerged).

With regards to Shimmer Aqua I feel that this is probably a decent representation of how it would look from the bottle.

52gsm Ivory (White) Tomoe River

The shimmer does obscure some of the Tomoe River characteristics from above that apply to the condensed application of the ink forming the darker triangle. You don’t notice the colour shift or the lower saturation quite as much.

I have chosen different comparison inks for this, instead comparing with some shimmering inks.

Diamine Blue Flame: is darker, more purple leaning but slightly less saturated;
Diamine Blue Pearl: much darker, less teal leaning but a similar saturation level; and
J. Herbin Bleu Ocean: is darker, less teal leaning and more saturated.

I feel like the shading is slightly stronger here somehow with some sharper contrast and an increased frequency. I think this possibly could be because the shimmer makes the ink slightly dryer (even if more lubricated to carry the shimmer).

The sheen is showing slightly stronger! Again this is probably due to the lubricant that carries the shimmer.

Speaking of shimmer! The shimmer is low saturation gold coloured particles that leans more towards Electrum or pale greenish gold rather than a vibrant yellow gold.

These characteristics are identical to aqua above apart from the line of shimmer on the chromatography paper.

Both the diamines have a strong sheen (Blue Pearl being the more saturated) and of course with Blue Pearl being a white silver shimmer rather than gold. Bleu Ocean has a low saturated gold sheen (though quite weak) and both Blue Flame and Ocean Blue have a gold shimmer. The gold shimmer being a little more saturated and more yellow than the shimmer from Shimmer Aqua.

80gsm White Rhodia

I feel like there is a little less contrast on Rhodia with Aqua Shimmer mainly with the darker parts of the swatch and shading being a little less dark.

Diamine Blue Flame: is darker (but the lightest of the three), more purple leaning and on Rhodia, slightly more saturated;
Diamine Blue Pearl: darker (the darkest of the three), less teal leaning and more saturated; and
J. Herbin Bleu Ocean: is also darker, less teal leaning and more saturated.

Because there is less contrast overall it means the shading has taken a hit. The contrast of the shading isn’t that strong and the frequency and smooth gradient remains the same. There is a very subtle halo but you have to look closely!

There is no sheen at all and of course red shimmer is the same as on Tomoe River mentioned above.

Water resistance is quite messy but you can still barely see the lines below - it’s a weak water resistance but it might still be useful in a pinch. Dry time is excellent and there is no smearing.

There’s no sheen on these and the shimmer is the same as on Tomoe River.

Shimmer Lilac

Shimmer Lilac only has a shimmering version, interestingly. I’d very much like a non-shimmer version! Shimmer Lilac is a great name for the ink as it is a good lilac or wisteria colour. Possibly grape? It is a light neutral purple that doesn’t lean too much red or blue that is also somewhat lower saturation and with a bit of dustiness to it. The shimmer is the same shimmer, I believe, that it is all the shimmer inks here. The ink is fairly wet and well lubricated, especially with the wetter nibs.

With regards to Shimmer Lilac I feel that this is fairly decent representation of how it would look from the bottle if not a little too strong at times.

52gsm Ivory (White) Tomoe River

The hue of Shimmer Lilac is pretty similar regardless of whether it is Tomoe River of Rhodia however on Tomoe River the ink is both darker and more saturated. The hue also remains fairly consistent throughout the different levels of saturation.

Diamine Purple Pazzazz: is a similar hue but darker and more saturated;
Jacque Herbin Amethyste de l’Oural: is a little bluer and cooler as well as being darker and more saturated; and
Papier Plume Mardi Gras Indians Purple: obviously is shimmer less but is a similar hue (though a little cooler) and darker and a touch less saturated.

I should start by saying when I change nibs I have to prep the nib a bit. This usually involves tapping it lightly and shaking it a bit nib down but with shimmer inks I also rub the pen a little (like it was the piece of wood to start a fire with a hand drill). With the wetter nibs (especially the 1.9 in the title) I feel like this has produced a excess amount of the sheen early on in each writing sample.

The shading is very low with Shimmer Lilac with very little contrast, a smooth gradient and low frequency. There is a visible halo but it is a low contrast halo.

There is a very slight matte low-saturation green-gold sheen that is slightly visible in the swatch and the logo ring but it doesn’t really translate into the written line. The sheen appears to be the same Electrum or pale greenish gold (rather than a vibrant yellow gold) that is in Shimmer Aqua and Shimmer Tangerine below. I think it appears a little more gold here (than on Aqua) because of a higher content (possibly) and a warmer base ink colour..

The water resistance isn’t strong at all but it isn’t too messy. It leaves very light pink line behind. Dry time is decent for Tomoe River and there is no smearing.

The chromatography is fairly expected for this general colour with a pink that gradients to a purple before breaking out into a bright vibrant turquoise.

Only Diamine Purple Pazzazz has some gold shimmer and it is a little more yellow and saturated than Shimmer Lilac’s Shimmer. Purple Pazzazz also has a lot of sheen (though it is a similar coloured sheen)! Améthyste l’aural obviously has silver shimmer and there sheen is a sontrger yellow-green. The Papier Plume has essentially no sheen but what is visible is someone gold - it also has no shimmer.

80gsm White Rhodia

On Rhodia the ink is a lot lighter and a little less saturated but the hue is still pretty similar. There is very little contrast on Rhodia paper.

Diamine Purple Pazzazz: is a similar hue but much darker and more saturated;

Jacque Herbin Améthyste de l’Oural: is very similar hue but is darker and more saturated; and
Papier Plume Mardi Gras Indians Purple: is a similar hue but a touch darker, flatter, and a little more saturated.

The shading is a little stronger on Rhodia but it is still rather low frequency, contrast and mostly a smooth gradient. There is a nice but subtle halo.

There is no sheen whatsoever on Rhodia!

The water resistance is pretty similar to on Tomoe River, leaving behind a light pink line (most of the time) but it is a little messier on Rhodia. The dry time is quite decent and there is no smearing.

Only Purple Pazzazz shows any sheen (and that is limited).

Tangerine

Tangerine is a saffron or peach like orange leaning yellow ink. It has a bit of pink to it and has some strong colour shift depending on how saturated the line or swatch is ranging from a reddish orange to a pale yellow. A lot going on! The ink is fairly saturated but not particularly dark. The ink is decently wet and lubricated for this colour but is probably the driest from this set of ink in Part 2. I’d say it is moderately wet and lubricated.

52gsm Ivory (White) Tomoe River

Tangerine is pretty much the same colour range and look on both Tomoe River and Rhodia.

Diamine Marigold: Is more orange (and less red) and much more saturated;
Caran d’Ache Saffron: is browner, lighter and less saturated; and
Bungubox Sweet Potato Yellow: is similar to marigold but a little more red and much more saturated.

Esterbrook Tangerine is easily the strongest shading ink of the bunch and the shading really looks great! There is strong contrast (colour and tone), high frequency and a sudden gradient. Very nice. The contrast has a nice range of colours from pale yellow to a pinky red-orange. There is no halo and there is no sheen.

Water resistance leaves behind an extremely light pink line behind but I’d essentially say this has no water resistance. Dry time is pretty average for Tomoe River and there is no smearing.

Chromatography has a light pink that gets slightly darker and then abruptly turns into a yellow that also gets slightly darker.

Only Sweet Potato Yellow has any sheen which is a decently strong silvery-pink sheen.

80gsm White Rhodia

There is a slight decrease in the amount of the highly saturated and more red colours but they haven’t disappeared altogether on Rhodia. The range of colours is there but overall the average is a little more yellow.

Diamine Marigold: is much too saturated, orange and is darker;

Caran d’Ache Saffron: is too green leaning and flat; and
Bungubox Sweet Potato Yellow: is too saturated and too orange.

The shading takes a little bit of a hit on Rhodia. The gradient is often smoother and the contrast not as high. The frequency is pretty good still, however. There is no halo definitely no sheen.

Water resistance is very weak but slightly stronger than on Tomoe River. Dry time is very good and there is no smearing.

None of these inks show any sheen on Rhodia.

Shimmer Tangerine

Esterbrook Shimmer Tangerine (like Shimmer Aqua above) is an identical variant of Tangerine above but with… shimmer. There is little I have to say about this ink outside the shimmer for that reason; apart from comments about the shimmer itself, all my comments from above apply here.

With regards to Shimmer Tangerine I feel that this is probably exaggerates how much shimmer would come from the bottle. When I filled this ink I tried to let the shimmer settle a little as I could tell it was likely too much but I may not have done that enough.

52gsm Ivory (White) Tomoe River

Because of the golden shimmer the overall appearance of this ink (especially the writing) is much more yellow and gold with less red and orange. The red-orange still sparkles through on the written liens though!

Diamine Inferno Orange: is a little more orange (and less yellow) more saturated and a little darker;
Van Dieman’s Bonfire Night: is redder, flatter and more saturated; and
Jacques Herbin Cornaline d’Egypte: is much more brown and darker (and silver shimmer).

The gold shimmer in front of the pink-is red parts of the shading gives the ink a bit of a dirtier look which I quite like. As mentioned it also lightens it a bit. There shading isn’t as prominent as well, partly because the darker parts are lighted by the shimmer and also because I think the darker parts aren’t quite as dark! So there is decent frequency, but the contrast isn’t as intense. I believe the gradient is also a bit smoother at times. There is no convention halo even if the shimmer sometimes makes it look like there is (the shimmer moves to the centre leaving the outer edge looking more like the darker orange base ink in the shaded parts).

There is no sheen!

Water resistance is equal as poor as the non-shimmer version and dry time is a little better somehow. There is no smearing and the chromatography is the same.

Diamine Inferno Orange seems to have a similar shimmer colour being not quite as intensely yellow like Bonfire Night is. And of course Cornaline d’Egypte is a silver sheen. None have any practical sheen.

80gsm White Rhodia

As with the non-shimmery Tangerine on Rhodia the red parts of the orange are tempered a little and the shimmer makes the red even less noticeable on the written line. Over all the ink looks a lot more yellow here.

Diamine Inferno Orange: is much too orange, saturated and is a little flat;

Van Dieman’s Bonfire Night: is too orange and a little too saturated'; and
Jacques Herbin Cornaline d’Egypte: which isn’t quite as dark but is still too brown.

You can especially see how yellow this ink looks at an angle where the shimmer catches the light!

Again, like with the non-shimmer, the shading is not as strong on Rhodia here either. The contrast is much less and the gradient is more often smooth. I feel the frequency has also taken a bit of a hit here this time. Again no halo (apart from the apparent but not-real halo mentioned above on Tomoe River) and definitely no sheen.

Water resistance is very weak (the shimmer remains in some parts, however)! Dry time is very quick and there is no smearing.

No sheen here and the shimmer remains the same on Rhodia, obviously!

Final Remarks

The first part of inks had some old school colours in it which suites the brand which has so much history they are clearly playing on this history with a lot of the aesthetic of the company and its logos and designs. This second part of the release is much more modern. Aqua is a solid blue and the shimmering version is a nice subtle shimmery blue that doesn’t over complicate things. Shimmer Lilac is a lovely colour and I’d love to see a non-shimmer version (I’ve never loved shimmer, personally). Tangerines has some delightful shading that really stands out for me and the shimmer interacts with it nicely, especially on Tomoe River!

These inks are on the pricier side but unfortunately I feel like this is just now fountain pen prices are going lately. We're seeing a lot of pricing increases. Personally I’d like to see a slightly lower price. These inks are AU$49.65 at Desk Bandit in Australia (AU$45 for non-shimmering inks) and US$35 (US$30 for non-shimmering inks) from Esterbrook in the US. These aren’t the lowest of prices but value and cost are not the same thing!

Thanks again to Desk Bandit and Esterbrook for sending these samples in for review!

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I was not compensated for this review and everything here is my own honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review. I was sent these inks for the purpose of an honest review.