I now understand why people enjoy Caran d'Ache inks so much. Like other Caran d'Ache products, the inks don't attempt anything crazy in terms of color range or special properties, but they are extremely solid quality-wise. I sampled three colors, Idyllic Blue, Ultra Violet, and Delicate Green, and had no problems with any of these inks. Of the three, Ultra Violet - a dusky purple - was my favorite, followed by the Delicate Green (reminiscent of Akkerman No. 28 Hofkwartier Groen), with the Idyllic Blue coming in third, just because I found it a touch plain.
The Ultra Violet made for a great work ink. For some reason, dusky purple inks always work well for me on cheap office paper. Maybe it's something about the combination of dyes?
My second-favorite was this grass-green color, which I used as an editing ink. The paper that I used for these ink swabs came from Ana Reinert's Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book!
It should come as no surprise that like other Caran d'Ache products, the possible tripping point is price. Caran d'Ache inks have never been inexpensive, although the price point now sits at a more palatable $32 for a 50ml bottle, as opposed to the $40+ that I recall these inks commanding when they were first released. I've noticed the price of ink creeping up in general over the past year, so I'm not sure Caran d'Ache is that far outside the "mainstream" of other imported inks such as Sailor Kobe ($30), Akkerman ($29); or Pelikan Edelstein ($26).
You can purchase the full range of Caran d'Ache Inks at Anderson Pens, and they're available in cartridges as well as bottles.
Disclaimer: Many thanks to the folks at Anderson Pens for sending me these ink samples free of charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.