KWZ Ink - Maroon

KWZ Ink Maroon - ink drop

This is Maroon from KWZ Ink, a small Polish maker with a big market footprint! They’re passionate innovators and produce some really lovely inks. Their inks often have a characteristic vanilla scent, but it seems less pronounced in Maroon than in other KWZ inks in my collection. Maroon is too simple a description for such a complex color and writing experience.

KWZ Ink Maroon - light and dark shades

KWZ Maroon is a deep, plum, cabernet red rich in grape tannins. There’s a subtle visual texture, a slight crunchiness to the coloration that helps make it so delicious to the eye. A rich, powdery, golden bronze sheen emerges in areas of pooling.

Written strokes on Rhodia 80g appear almost black, with visible sheening outlining the edges. This creates a slight bluriness on this coated paper. I didn’t have this problem on either the swatch card, or on HP BrightWhite 24 (90g) paper. On both, strokes retained the ink’s richness, and deep red coloration, but lacked the edge sheening and lack of focus. They were crisp and sharp, and highly readable.

KWZ Ink Maroon - ink swatch card

As a reader, I recommend staying away from coated papers with this ink unless you’re using very fine nibs. All-in-all, I really like what I see, and I enjoy this ink. This is an elegant red, and it performs well under most conditions. If you’re a fan of deep reds, like I am, I think this is a very nice option.

September 2020