PenBBS - 397 Breakfast Time

PenBBS - 397 Breakfast Time - Ink drop

Today’s ink is No. 397 in the PenBBS catalogue, Breakfast Time. I normally look to PenBBS for unusual colors, and dazzling shimmers. Breakfast Time is neither of those, but it isn’t trying to be. Where Breakfast Time gets it right, it gets it very right!

PenBBS - 397 Breakfast Time - Light and dark shades

Visually, Breakfast Time is a clean, powdery baby blue. Connecting with the name, the color brings to mind clear, spring or summer morning skies. It’s a moderate shader. Light areas add cottony wisps of clouds to the pale early morning sky blue, while darks deepen the clarity and tone of the blue. Despite a subtle rust sheen atop thin, dark edging on the splatter, there is no sheen in writing. However, on premiums a timid halo remains inconspicuous, but adds definition. Surprisingly, this ink is quite water-resistant, which is always a nice trait. This is a very attractive powdery blue.

PenBBS - 397 Breakfast Time - Ink swatch card

As a writing ink, Breakfast Time is wet, smooth, and performs well on premiums and office copy. Strokes were clean on all six papers tested. Shading was visible on all papers tested, as well, but was slightly more prominent on coated papers. I preferred Kokuyo for both shading and halo. Overall, haloing was minimal, but was absent from office copy. Drying was fast at 5-15 seconds on premiums, and under 5 on office copy. This is a no fuss, comfortable writing ink.

When searching for a good, powdery, light blue ink, I never think to check PenBBS. They come to mind more for the flashy and unusual, and I need to change my thinking. This is a very nice powdery blue, and that’s a category of color that I always have inked up. There’s no reason this can’t be a go-to blue in my collection or yours, and I definitely recommend it!