For years, I’ve been searching for that perfect dark green ink - something that’s dark enough to look almost black at work, yet has just enough of a hint of green to keep things interesting, especially when I use a broader nib. I’ve cycled through loads of green ink over the years, and have dozens in my personal collection. Have I found that “perfect” dark green? No, of course not - and it would probably take much of the fun out of the hobby if I did - but the two inks I’ll review today from Anderillium are pretty darn good: “Colossal Squid Dark” from their “Cephalopod Series,” and “Green Kingfisher Green” from their “Avian Series”.
Review writing samples were done with a Nahvalur Original Plus steel medium, and a Nahvalur Nautilus BB ground to a “Mini-Nag” by CY of Tokyo Station Pens.
Colossal Squid Dark is perhaps my favorite sleeper hit from the entire Anderillium lineup. Is it a black? Is it a green? Is it a blue-black? All of the above, and that’s what makes it interesting. If I had to peg this ink as a color I’d call it a “deep teal-black”, which will look almost pure black with hints of green and blue in finer nibs, with more of the teal shades showing in broader nibs and stubs.
Is it a green-black? Is it a blue-black? Both? You’ll probably have to decide for yourself, but either way, I love it.
Green Kingfisher Green, from the bird-inspired “Avian Series,” surprised me with how dark it was. Based on the label I expected a standard “hunter green,” but it’s actually more of a true green-black. If I had to pick out any undertones, I see some brown and maybe a hint of yellow in the thinner parts of the swab. In extra-fine nibs, however, this ink appears black.
If you angle the paper in a certain way and play with how the light hits it, you can see several different tones in Green Kingfisher Green. The writing sample here was done with a TWSBI Swipe, extra-fine nib.
Both Colossal Squid Dark and Green Kingfisher Green flow well in all pens I’ve used, dry relatively quickly despite being on the wet side, and neither bleed nor feather on most papers. I’d consider both to be good “workhorses” suitable for your everyday writing. What other inks would I consider comparable to these two, in terms of color? Based on my “Green Ink Comparison Project,” I would say that the closest three I currently have in my collection are 3Oysters “Black Moss,” Sailor Bungubox “Dandyism,” and Pilot’s 100th Anniversary Iroshizuku Ink “Hoteison”. Green Kingfisher Green is, of course, the more “true green-black” ink, while Colossal Squid Dark is more of a “teal black,” with hints of blue. Maybe even similar to Sailor Miruai (which I no longer own) but not an exact match?
This photo is probably the best representation of how these inks look in everyday use.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Colossal Squid Dark has become a surprise favorite. I currently have it inked up in two pens, one of which I’ve had to refill (a vacuum-filler, no less). “Teal-black” is less common than “green black,” or standard blue-black, and it keeps my work interesting even though non-fountain pen nerds won’t notice that I’m writing with a non-standard color. Neither ink, however, has given me any problems, and Green Kingfisher Green is accompanying me to the office today.
Yes, I’ll keep posting photos of this display because I absolutely love it.
You can purchase Anderillium Inks, including the two shown here, directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Anderillium was kind enough to send a full set of samples when I stocked the brand, and I’ll post reviews as I work my way through the colors in the various lineups (though I’ve already swatched them all). These inks are priced at $14.50 for 1.5oz (roughly 45ml) of ink, which represents good value, and are sold in a wide-mouth “jam jar” bottle that makes it easy to fill larger-diameter pens. The names of all Anderillium inks are nature-inspired. As i mentioned above, Colossal Squid Dark forms part of the “Cephalopod Series” - inks based on squids and octopuses - while Green Kingfisher Green forms part of the “Avian Series” - inks based on birds. Other Anderillium Inks I’ve reviewed in the past include “Cuttlefish Brown”, a classic sepia that looks brown when wet but dries more grey, and “Michigan Avenue,” another green released as a special edition for the 2022 Chicago Pen Show.
The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Anderillium Inks, as well as all other brands sold. This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or third-party affiliates.