Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Montblanc Irish Green Ink

One of my all-time favorite green inks...

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 Canton Tea Co's Anxi Rou Gui

Utilizing one of my larger gaiwans and about a tablespoon of this tea, I rinsed the tea and got right down to the first infusion of 30 seconds.
First impressions:
Smells a bit fruity, a bit sweet, yet mellow and slightly grassy at the same time.
The liquor is very clear and bright.
The taste is a bit darker and more woody than I expected from the smell. Also, I noted the taste to be a bit more watery than expected Perhaps more than 30 seconds are necessary for the second infusion.
Continuing impressions:
The 45 seconds I gave the second infusion brought about a darker hue, perhaps not as bright, yet still clear.

It definitely improved the flavor.
Over the next three or so infusions I put these leaves through, this tea never grew very strong, but sipping it truly was a delight. The aftertaste of this tea is stronger than expected, composed of floral and fruity notes.
Overall, a thoroughly pleasant oolong that I would definitely recommend. On my personal scale, I give it an 85/100.

This tea is sadly no longer available from Canton Tea Co's website.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of Private Reserve Ebony Green Ink

This was a fun, dark ink with which to write. I definitely enjoyed using it at work, as an alternative to my typical array of blacks and blues.

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 TeaFrog's Fireside Flavored Rooibos

I was really excited to taste this tea. The ingredients of orange peel, cinnamon and cloves sounded wonderfully delicious. The directions recommended steeping 1.5 tsp per cup of water for 5-6 minutes. I was using a 2-cup teapot, so I doubled my amount of tea and steeped it, using boiling water, for five minutes. The smell of cloves and cinnamon wafted from the pot to my nose, enticingly. This tea is aptly named, as it reminds me of sitting next to a fire, perhaps during the Christmas season, where these smells were often common around my home, during my childhood.

Pouring myself a cup of this dark, red-orange tisane, cloves take the greatest part of its aroma, with edgings of cinnamon in that scent. Sipping this tea, it goes down smooth, the biggest flavor being the cinnamon and the rooibos (which is pleasantly not overpowered as in many rooibos blends I have tried). The orange aftertaste is quite appealing.

My overall impressions were that this tea has very well-balanced flavors and really does make for a very soothing beverage. I certainly enjoyed it and would rate it a 90/100.

This tasty rooibos is available from the TeaFrog website, here.
Photo credit to TeaFrog.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

Stained Fingers on Thursday - A Review of a Custom Blend, 1:1 - Noodler's Dragon's Napalm and Noolder's Red-black Ink

This custom, 1:1 ratio blend was mixed by a member on the Fountain Pen Network forums. I thought that it made for a nice, dark red blend with some solid tones and nice shading.

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 - Canton Tea Co's Lapsang Souchong

Steeping these leaves in a small, ceramic teapot, I would love to say that the smell conjured up old memories of camping trips and the like...but it did not. It was, however, a delightful aroma that wafted from my teapot to my nose. I steeped the leaves for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, a happy compromise when the website suggested 2-3 minutes. Based on my initial impressions of the tea, if you use the correct amount, then 2 minutes is good for a very light tea, and 3 minutes is good if you like your black tea stronger (as I do). Canton Tea Co's website says that they stored this tea for an extra year to enhance the smokiness and fruit flavors  and I would certainly agree that this has been successful.

The post-steeped leaves are twisted and curly, reddish brown in color  When I take my first sip, I notice that the smokiness of the tea has a certain subtlety, and the aroma is not overwhelming, as it can be at times with Lapsang Souchong. The tea has brewed a golden brown color  The forward taste of this tea is light and smooth, while the smokiness dwells in the aftertaste. The aftertaste also contains almost-fruity notes, following the smokiness. These then meld back into a mellow smoked black tea flavor, which is light, almost like a darjeeling.

I would give this tea an 85/100 on my personal enjoyment scale. It was truly a delectable treat.

This delicious black tea is available from the Canton Tea Co website, here.
Photo credit to Canton Tea Co.
This review was unsolicited and uncompensated.

A Review of the Bülow X450 "Wald" Fountain Pen

First Impressions (8)
From a distance, this pen actually looks black and gold, but upon closer inspection the deep, dark green swirl is evident and beautiful. Picking it up, it is hefty! This is not another cheap plastic fountain pen.

Appearance (9)
The Bülow X450 is such a classy-looking pen! I do not prefer gold trim on my pens (or pens in general), but on this pen I do not mind in the least. (There are only a few other pens for which that could be said, such as the Parker Urban - which I own and use frequently - or the Montblanc Meisterstück series - which I do not own but love using.) The gold trim rings and clip are mostly flawless, though after several months of use, I have seen the gold plating start to fade off/away, revealing a silver below it. It has also worn away on the section ring over which the cap snaps. As I mentioned, the green finish is quite striking and beautiful. Even though the grip is plastic, it too looks quite solid and not cheap.

Design/Size/Weight (8)
Like other Jinhao and Bülow pens I have used, this one has significant heft, which makes the writing experience heavy yet solid in feel. Despite the short length of the pen (not entirely short, just moderate), the nib is long and extends a good deal past the section. The moderate length means this pen just verges on being too short for my large hands, but it does fit, even without posting the cap. That said, the cap is postable, though not the most solid hold. Speaking of the cap, it snaps onto the section quite firmly, but it seems to be a bit difficult to remove. (It took a bit of effort to pull it off the pen.)

Nib (7)
The suspicion among many in the fountain pen community is that Bülow pens are rebranded Jinhao pens, and one of the primary differences in my experience is the nib. The Bülow pens are a good deal smoother than their Jinhao counterparts. They are by no means perfect or “glassy,” but the writing experience is pleasant. With a bit of smoothing, my Bülow is now a fabulous writer and does not sing, as it did (a bit) when I first got it.

Filling System (7)
The filling system for the X450 is the standard cartridge converter type, accepting standard international short or long cartridges. Mine came with a converter, for which I am pleased, as the use of bottled ink is far more cost effective.

Cost and Value (8)
I mentioned rebranded Jinhaos. To my knowledge, the rebranding and reselling is done exclusively by xFountainPens.com. Their website states that the list price for this pen is 49.99 USD, marked down to 12.99 USD. While that deal sounds great, I have never seen the pen being sold at the higher price point, and it is probably a marketing ploy. However, as the cost of Jinhaos and the rebranded Bülows is the same or nearly so, the Bülow pens are a much better deal. In fact, I think that for the cost, their price is fabulous, as one is purchasing an unpresumtuous, solidly-constructed, and decently-writing fountain pen.

Conclusion (8)
In conclusion, I think that there are many other pens with which a user could go wrong in searching for something inexpensive. While I personally would prefer to go for a pen, such as the Pilot Metropolitan, with a longer section and slimmer profile, the colors, weight, and feel of this pen may appeal to many. For the cost, it is a good purchase.