Diamine Soft Mint: Ink Review
Jenni showcased Diamine Soft Mint in her beautiful Monday Matchup this week. Her drawing showed how this ink can appear green when used in certain nib and paper combinations. My review shows the lighter and brighter side of the same ink. That's one thing to note about ink, it can change quite a bit with different pens, nibs and paper!
Supplies Used:
- LAMY AL-star with medium steel nib (also EF and B nib)
- Rhodia No. 16 dotpad, 80g white paper
- Tomoé River white paper
- Moleskine notebook
Smear Test (Dry Time)
- This ink took 30 seconds to dry.
Drip Test (Water Resistance)
- Low. It really didn't hold up at all during the drip test. I'd be worried about losing my writing if any water came in contact with the page.
Saturation
- Medium. Soft Mint is pretty mild, but appeared fairly light when I was using it in my pen, especially with an extra-fine nib.
Ease of Cleaning
- Easy. I find most Diamine inks to be pretty easy to clean and this was no exception!
Shading
- High. This ink definitely offers a lot of shading, which you can see most when using a broad, stub or flex nib.
Flow
- Medium. Flowed well in the LAMY AL-star. However it was faint, and sometimes hard to read on the page.
Packaging and Aesthetics
- 30 ml bottle
- Comes in a protective box.
Inks Similar in Color
It's important to note that there are not a lot of inks super close in color to Soft Mint, which makes it a really unique offering in the fountain pen ink world!
Summary
Honestly, I was hoping to enjoy this ink more, but the fact that it showed up so light on the page made it difficult for me to see myself using it. I prefer inks that will stand out a bit more. However, if mint is your thing, I think it'd be worth picking up a sample to decide for yourself! For what it's worth, this is one of Rachel Goulet's favorite inks, so to each her own ;)
You can pick up a 30 ml bottle of Soft Mint or a 2ml sample at thegouletpens.com.
