PenBBS - 137 Wisteria Sinensis

PenBBS - 137 Wisteria Sinensis - Ink drop

Today’s ink is Wisteria Sinensis, PenBBS ink number 137. Named for one of the most popular ornamental flowering vines. Wisteria flower blossoms in beautiful blues, violets, pinks, and whites, and the ink matches its namesake very well. The sinensis variety is native to China, but popular worldwide.

PenBBS - 137 Wisteria Sinensis - Shading and edge

Visually, this ink is a real extrovert! It’s a seductive, electric purple-pink. There’s a hint of violet within, and that is what I think makes it so addictively striking. Any more violet, and it would change the face of the ink, but here it stays nearly hidden, and the purple blends perfectly with the pink. It remains a purple-pink, but glows with the subtle influences of violet. This is a nice shading ink, too, with light areas of a purer pink, and darks that scream nightclub neon purple. The splatter shows dark edging, and this becomes a strong halo in writing on premiums. It adds depth and makes the ink pop!

PenBBS - 137 Wisteria Sinensis - Ink swatch card

As a writing ink, Wisteria Sinensis performs very well, across a wide range of papers. Strokes were mostly sharp on both premiums and office copy. There was slight feather in areas on Mnemosyne and Apica, but it was clean on all others. Shading was seen on all, but it was strongest on premiums. Halo showed on all premiums, but was particularly nice on Kokuyo and Fabriano, and they were my favorites. This ink flowed smoothly and consistently, with drying at 15-20 seconds on premiums, and 5 on office copy.

I don’t have anything quite like Wisteria Sinensis, and I really like it! It’s a bit shocking at first, but you quickly appreciate the qualities that make it interesting. It’s a great writer, surprisingly easy on the reader, and a very beautiful ink!