Robert Oster - Opal Green

Robert Oster Opal Green - Ink drop

Originally introduced in a mini-series inspired by the styles of the 1980’s, Opal Green has been part of the standard line from Robert Oster ever since. The seven 1980 inks include several that are particularly popular. Opal Green is a a little more complex than many of the classic emerald greens that you find, and I think this makes it a great alternative for an everyday green.

Robert Oster Opal Green fountain pen ink color range

Opal Green is seemingly simple, but difficult to accurately categorize. It remians a green at all times, but varies widely in color based on the nib-width and paper-type that you choose. As the chromatography shows, there is a strong blue influence in what is sometimes a minty green, and sometimes more emerald. In all cases, you feel the blue camouflaged within the green, but it’s not always clearly visible.

Ink Swatches on Cosmo Air Light and Tomoe River

This is a very nice shading ink on coated papers, and shading becomes more dramatic in medium and wider nibs. Light areas show off the ink’s delicious, minty green. In darker, more saturated areas, we get something closer to an emerald, but that subtle blue quality makes it unusual and appealing. On uncoated papers, shading is more gentle and gradual, but there is still variation from medium to dark.

Writing sample on Cosmo Air Snow paper

In general, I’d maybe call this a slightly wet ink in feel and flow. However, for a Robert Oster ink, it’s definitely wetter than many. I didn’t find feathering on any of the papers tested. There’s some minor spread on cheap copy paper, but it isn’t extreme. Show-through is moderate on uncoated papers, and there are some spots of bleed-through at saturated stroke ends. On coated papers that isn’t a problem, and stroke profiles are crisp and clean. There’s a nice, darkened stroke edging, as well. Drying times were all of the place. It was fairly fast on some, but slower than expected on others. Overall, this is a nice writing ink, especially on good quality papers both coated and uncoated.

Robert Oster Opal Green ink writing samples

Great shading, and the subtle blue undertones really set this ink apart from many classic greens. I particularly liked the results on Cosmo Air Light and Cosmo Air Snow. I think many people will like what they find.

Robert Oster Opal Green - Swatch Card

Robert Oster Opal Green - Comparisons

Robert Oster Opal Green - 50 ml Ink Bottle