Nahvalur - Dark Forest
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Ink drop
Nahvalur introduced their first inks at the end of 2022. The Explorer Inks series consists of four inks (more to come later this year) in colors inspired by the Explorer Plus pens that first launched the company on to the market just a few years ago.
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Color range
This is Dark Forest. Nahvalur describes it as a mossy green, and that’s true in more ways than one. It’s a deep, pine forest green with a textured, matte appearance that’s almost mossy in a very attractive way. As you can see in my images, stroke color varies based on nib and paper. In finer nibs, it’s darker with less variation. In broader nibs, there’s nice shading, and the color is much lighter and cottony. The stub nib on Mnemosyne image really shows the ink’s personality. I really like this ink.
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Shades and edge
Writing performance is excellent. It’s wet and smooth on the page. I didn’t have any problems with feathering, and strokes were sharp on all six test papers including office copy. This is a pigmented ink, and as the chromatography reveals, it’s very water resistant. Drying ranged from fast to about average, and was never a concern. All of this makes Dark Forest a very usable, very versatile ink, and I always appreciate that in an ink.
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Writing sample (Rhodia)
I really like Nahvalur Dark Forest, and I think you will, too. Of the four in the series, I was drawn to it the least, and it’s really surprised me how quickly it changed my mind. When I tried it in a stub, I knew it was an ink for me! Water-resistant inks in interesting colors are something we all need, and this is a good one!
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - writing sample on Mnemosyne
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Ink swatch card
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Ink swatch comparison
Nahvalur - Dark Forest - Ink bottle and box
Note: Nahvalur sent me all four Explorer inks to try, but that doesn’t influence my review. As always, I present my honest opinions, both good and bad.