The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Sydney Lavender
Maker: Robert Oster
Color Family: Purple
Properties: Shading
Purchased at: Goulet Pens
What’s in a name?
This ink debuted at the Sydney Pen Show in 2018 (Robert Oster is based in Australia), so I assume it was named for the pen show. Why lavender, specifically? I couldn’t find any actual information on that.
Swatches
A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it?
The above was written on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a Fountain Pen Revolution Himalaya V2 fountain pen with an Ultraflex nib.
Of course, for maximum effect you want to see it in light and in motion. The following video shows the ink swatched on Skylab Letterpress 160gsm cards.
Thoughts
This purple has a lot of grey tones in it, which comes through especially in writing with a smaller nib (or where the ink is lighter). It hovers somewhere around Robert Oster’s Summer Storm in terms of hue, though more Grape Kool-Aid purple saturation exists in Sydney Lavender. I was surprised at how dark it was in those thicker downstrokes!
In terms of writing, it’s on the dry side. Not terribly so, but noticeably enough that I hesitate to use it in a Fine nib for fear of the dreaded scratchies (also known as feedback). It’s got some nice shading, in any sized nib, and I think it’s saturated enough to be legible in any sized nib as well. For that reason, it’s an approachable ink for a beginner, and lovely in both writing and doodling.
*All pics and vid were taken using a Google Pixel 4a and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
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