Lamy Dark Lilac: Ink Review - The Goulet Pen Company

Purple ink splatter in LAMY Dark Lilac ink written with a LAMY fountain pen.

One of the most requested "release again please", LAMY Dark Lilac ink has something about it that you just can't find anywhere else. While it's no longer available, since it was so popular, we decided to review it anyway.

Handwritten ink review of LAMY Dark Lilac ink showing a smear test, drip test, and swabs.

Close up of LAMY Dark Lilac ink, written on Tomoe River paper with a fountain pen.

Supplies Used:

LAMY Al-star with medium steel nib (also EF and F nib)
Rhodia No. 16 dotpad, 80g white paper
Tomoé River white paper
Moleskine notebook

Smear Test (Dry Time):

Medium– Pretty standard dry time here. Under 30 seconds, so it should be good for notebook writing. If you are a lefty though, this might not be a good ink for you.

Drip Test (Water Resistance):

Low– This is not a water resistant ink, so keep it out of the way of sudden storms or spilled beverages. That being said, when water is applied, it goes from deep purple to a pretty pink. It would be great to use in ink washes!

Saturation:

Medium- We gave this a medium in saturation because the sheen didn't show up until the second swab. If you are basing it on the purple color alone, I'd give it a high rating.

Ease of Cleaning:

Easy– This ink washes quickly and easily out of your pen!

Shading:

Medium-You can definitely see some shading, especially in flex or stub nibs.

Flow:

Medium– Perfect flow. Not to wet, not to dry, the nib glides effortlessly across the page.

Unique Characteristics:

Sheen– You read that right! This is a purple ink with some sheen. Like other sheening inks, you'll want to lay out a lot of ink to see that extra glimmer. Tomoé River paper and flex or stub nibs will give you the best chance of seeing it. Watch Brian's video on his Top Sheening inks for more tips.