Ink Review #806: PenBBS 130 FDR

About a year ago I became pretty interested in PenBBS inks and bought quite a few samples, but never got around to reviewing most of them so let’s take a look at PenBBS 130 FDR from PenBBS’s season 11. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

FDR is a pale, silvery grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs the ink has a strong blue undertone.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper the ink feathered and bled in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

FDR is darker than Bookbinder’s Ground Rattler, but not as cool-toned as Diamine Silver Fox. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-Sport Anthracite with a medium nib on Tomoe River paper. The ink had an average flow. In this pen the ink was so pale I could barely read it.

Overall, in some nibs the ink was perfectly readable and in others (like the Kaweco pictured above) it seemed almost transparent. It’s not an ink I think I would ever use again since the performance varies so much from nib to nib, but it’s an interesting color.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links, but this post is not sponsored in any way.