thINKthursday – KWZ IG Turquoise

thINKthursday
KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

We explore our first iron gall ink with KWZ IG Turquoise.

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

KWZ is known for the extensive array of iron gall inks, and today we take a look at the particularly beautiful IG Turquoise. Iron Gall inks are a very old way of making ink, and instead of trying to explain it I’ll just link you to the Wikipedia page. What sets them apart is their waterproofness and how they darken with age. KWZ ink comes in a 60ml glass bottle, and the IG inks are only $1 more than the standard ones! This review was done with a Sailor 1911 F, Pilot VP B and on Rhodia blank no.18 paper.

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

I wouldn’t describe KWZ IG Turquoise as a turquoise, but it’s probably as close as you’ll get with an iron gall ink. The ink shades well and has a similar appearance in both a fine and broad nib. At its lightest, the ink is an aqua/teal color that is still fairly dark. From there it shades to a dark peacock before finishing as a near black denim hue. The ink is fairly matte, and did not sheen.

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

Iron gall inks are supposed to be waterproof, but I didn’t find this to be that case for IG Turquoise. I was so surprised by this that I replicated the water test, each time with similar results. A very faint outline of what was written remains, but not enough for me to consider it even water resistant. IG Turquoise’s other properties were good – the ink flowed well and there was no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. It had higher dry times at 25-35 seconds, but the ink shaded very nicely. I thought the ink cleaned up easily, but you do want to take more care cleaning your pens when using iron gall inks.

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

I really enjoyed the color of IG Turquoise. It’s close enough to a blue that you could probably use it at work, but is a unique color for any type of writing. I’ve had this review written for 3 weeks and I have noticed a slight darkening of the color, but nothing dramatic. While I’m a little disappointed about the water resistance, I am excited to try other KWZ iron gall colors.

thINKthursday KWZ Iron Gall Turquoise

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you.

Ink it Up!
Chris

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