Pelikan Edelstein 2015 Ink of the Year – Amethyst

There you stood in the doorway. You didn’t have eyes, because you’re an inanimate object, but I could tell you were looking at me

I don’t believe in love at first sight. Not between humans, anyway. Between a human and a bottle of ink is an entirely different story. As soon as I saw a sample of the Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst, I publicly declared my love. And lo, like an inky cupid, Tom Oddo of Goldspot Pens offered to send me a complimentary bottle for review. Thank you, Tom.

Love is pure

The ever-so-slightly oddly shaped box (it’s not an exact rectangular prism; there’s an extra almond-shaped concave plane colored to match the ink within. Not cool enough for a picture, though) notes on the back that this is “extra soft ink.” I didn’t know that “soft” was an adjective that applied to ink. Wet, maybe. Colorful. Finger-staining.

The ink may be extra soft, but an actual amethyst falls about at a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Actual gemstones not included with purchase

The glass bottle is designed to be viewed. Is it a pleasure to hold in the hands, as is claimed? It’s heavy. Its four vertical faces curve ever so slightly inward. I think it’s more of a pleasure to hold a pen in the hand and use the ink rather than sit around clutching ink bottles, but that’s just me.

Also thanks to Tom for this InkJournal! Review eventually forthcoming

I’ve tried the Edelstein Amethyst in 3 pens so far (Pelikan M205, Sheaffer Lifetime Imperial IV, and my Lamy 2000), and I’ve loved it in every one so far. When an ink is well-behaved, there’s little to comment on. It flows perfectly. Though in the InkJournal the dry time was around 15 seconds or so, in practical use I haven’t smudged it up any yet. It doesn’t lend itself to fuzzing, feathering, or other ill effects on the page; even with crappy copy paper it keeps it pretty well together (excepting some bleedthrough, which, what else can you expect with crappy copy paper?)

I love my Leuchtturm1917 notebook, but trying to accurately represent cream-colored paper using subpar equipment is quite the headache

The color itself is a warm sort of purple, containing more red than blue—it’s the warmest purple ink I currently own. Combined with the darker shading, it’s a beautiful ink. If it weren’t for the darker aspect, it might almost border on magenta. It almost matches a baggallini I’ve got, and if I could remember the actual model and color name that might help. But I can’t. Sorry. You’d know it if you saw it. Lovely color.

Every purple is a lovely color

If you’re looking for a warm purple with decent shading, then you too can find true love.

Pelikan Edelstein 2015 Ink of the Year – Amethyst – at Goldspot Pens