The first ink, Van Dieman's Azure Kingfisher, delights me. Not only because I adore the colourful plumage of kingfishers, but because of All The Shiny! Using a gorgeous dark blue as the background, Van Dieman's has tipped in the whole vat of gold-green shimmer. Not enough to clog up your pen (though I am using a broad-nib pen) but enough to take your writing to the next level.
First, I tried using it in a cheap supermarket notebook. Hardly any feathering, which surprises me, as some Van Dieman ink I was gifted a while back tends to feather on a lot of papers, so I stick to using it in good notebooks. But this one didn't really pull any undesireable stunts at all.
Next, I used it on some high quality paper. Zero bleeding or feathering (the paper, by the way, is superb). The shimmer shows up gorgeously, and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying a bottle of this ink as soon as possible.
Flash photography highlights the shimmer:
Be aware that if you accidentally place your hand on your writing, it will get shimmerfied. Want to have a gold hand? Go ahead. Luckily, it wipes off very easily, and the ink itself dries quickly. Again, this is different from what I've experienced with their earlier inks, which had a tendency to be a little on the wet side, resulting in feathering. It would seem that Van Dieman's have refined their inks since. This one is a pleasure to write with, and it an easy way to make your handwriting more decorative.
A big thanks to Izumi Pens for stocking it for those of us in the United Kingdom!
Link to product: https://www.izumipens.com/products/van-diemans-azure-king-fisher
Disclaimer: Izumi Pens sent me this ink for reviewing. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.