Diamine Chocolate Brown: Ink Review

Diamine Chocolate Brown Ink splatter and LAMY AL-star

Diamine Chocolate Brown has such a rich hue! It feels like writing with a melted chocolate bar. Read on about this dark brown ink!

 

Diamine Chocolate Brown ink writing sample
Diamine Chocolate Brown ink writing sample
close up of Diamine Chocolate Brown ink writing sample

Supplies Used:

Smear Test (Dry Time):

  • Slow– This ink has a very very long dry time. When we tested it on non-absorbent Tomoé River paper, it took incredibly long to dry. You might want to go with a more absorbent paper to cut the dry time.

Drip Test (Water Resistance):

  • Low-You can still tell that there was ink there, but it spreads out and lines virtually disappear.

Saturation:

  • High– Basically not difference between the first swipe and the third! This ink is highly saturated and isn't going to give you much shading.

Ease of Cleaning:

  • Easy– It may take slightly longer than an ink with a lighter hue, but it will clean up quickly.

Shading:

  • Low-This is a dark ink, so it is harder to see shading. There is a small amount but when compared to others, the shading is low.

Flow:

  • Medium– While wet, it flows nicely from the pen.

Packaging and Aesthetics:

  • 30ml plastic bottle, and ink samples available!
  • The bottle has a skinnier opening than others, but it's still easy to fill a pen. If ink was low, it could be problematic.
  • Pleasing design but not necessarily a desk piece.
Noodler's Walnut, Private Reserve Ebony Brown, Private Reserve Chocolate ink swabs

Summary:

We think Diamine Chocolate brown is an ink you should check out. It was really fun to work with and is serious enough for workplace writing. While it does have a long dry time, it's not something that would make it unusable. It was fun to write and do some art with!

 

drawing made using Diamine Chocolate Brown ink

It's also great because it comes in a variety of sizes (and prices!). You can get a 30ml bottle or a 2ml ink sample