This is my first ink series review! You can expect to see more of these in the future as I sort out my ink-testing setup.
I'm not reviewing the whole Cephalopod series (though I can't guarantee that I won't Catch 'Em All in the future). Anderillium inks sent me the three that most appealed to me - Spirula Green, Colossal Squid Dark and Flying Squid Blue.
First of all... look! Just look at these adorable baby 0.5oz ink bottles!! (The left and middle one are from a different collection, the Avian Series. More on that another day).
I know, I'm being very mean as bottles of ink this size aren't for sale on the website, as I'm a product reviewer I got earlier access so I could show my readers. But good news! I suggested to Anderillium inks that they start selling them, and it turned out that they already plan to roll out the smaller bottles, and they should be up on their shop soon, so keep your eyes peeled for them!
I'll focus on the green ink first, as green is one of my favourite colours. Spirula Green is a particularly bright, cheery shade that reminds me of the leaves of a young tree. It has brilliant shading, and what appears to be red sheen, but this only appears on Tomoe River paper. That's quite odd as sheen usually always appears on Tools to Liveby paper. I don't have any explanation for why it doesn't work, but it is a mild sheen so maybe it is somehow absorbed?
Throughout the article, the named swatches are Tools to Liveby paper, and the unnamed ones are Tomoe River. Also, ignore any shimmer - can somebody please tell me how to clean all the shimmer out of a pen without an ultrasonic cleaner?!
Flying Squid Blue has a stronger red sheen which really sets off the deep blue. It's a brilliant shade of dark blue with real depth and richness and the same brilliant shading as Spirula Green. It certainly makes you think of the ocean, and manages to be dark without being dull. The red sheen is a lovely surprise!
Finally, we have Colossal Squid Dark, which also sheens, though to a lesser degree than Spirula Green or Flying Squid Blue. It is a reddish-brown sheen, a gorgeous colour but I would be delighted if it was easier to see. Maybe it would show up better on another paper, but the Tomoe River seems to show it best - I coudn't see it at all on the Tools to Liveby paper, however it appears slightly on Kunisawa paper.
I'm sure you want some info on the colour, since you probably didn't come here for a sheen analysis, and I have to say that it is a brilliant dark ink. It isn't black, but rather a... grey-blue-green? Whatever it is I love it! It has a deep-ocean look to it, and is also reminiscent of squid ink. Anderillium Inks have really nailed the nautical theme!
All the inks perform nicely, they are wetter than I'm used to but they don't bleed or feather on the papers I've tried them on. I'm using Colossal Squid Dark in a vintage gold-nibbed Wahl-Eversharp right now, and it works beautifully with the flex-nib.
Based on the performance of these three, I'd love to try the other inks in the Cephalopod Series. The colours are deep and rich, which is something I look for in inks. I'm so glad that Anderillium Inks have decided to sell 0.5oz bottles, as you can try out the inks without committing to a full-size bottle. I recommend them!
Disclaimer: Anderillium Inks sent me these inks for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.