Graf von Faber-Castell - Cognac Brown

Graf von Faber-Castell - Cognac Brown - ink drop

Today’s ink is Cognac Brown from Graf von Faber-Castell. I’ve long been a fan of the darker, Hazelnut Brown, and was caught off-guard by how much I like this lighter color. It’s definitely my favorite from of the many inks Graf von Faber-Castell offers!

Graf von Faber-Castell - Cognac Brown - color palette

Cognac Brown is a gorgeous, buttery, caramel brown. In some ways, it reminds me of beautifully supple leather. In others, all I can see is an illuminated glass of cognac or whisky. It definitely matches the complex colors of its namesake! Across all six test papers, there was moderate shading, but it was a bit stronger on coated papers. A nice, defining halo was seen on everything except office copy. The splatter shows a generous, blackened edging, with flashes of silver-blue sheen. In general, coated papers bring out its creamy qualities, while uncoated papers accentuate the caramels, and add a powdery quality that’s lovely. It’s gorgeous on anything!

Graf von Faber-Castell - Cognac Brown - ink swatch card

As a writing ink, it thoroughly lives up to the expectations that come with Graf von Faber-Castell’s more than 250 years of pedigree. It’s a beautiful ink in the pen and on the page. Predictable, well-behaved, with a smooth, wet flow, there’s nothing to fault. Strokes were sharp and clean on everything. Drying was 15-25 seconds on premium papers, and 5 seconds on office copy. I think I preferred it on Kokuyo (coated) and Fabriano (uncoated), but it performed very well on all six test papers.

This is a gorgeous ink, and a great writer, and obviously, I definitely recommend it! The only thing that I think holds back Graf von Faber-Castell inks is the price. Yes, the bottles are a huge 75ml, but the standard price online is around US$32. I think at US$20 or $25 for a 50ml bottle, you’d see a lot more of these inks in posts. Then again, a 75ml bottle will last for a long, long time, and for an ink like Cognac Brown it just might be worth spending $32. If you’re buying a Graf von Faber-Castell ink, I’d make Cognac Brown your first choice!