Jim P.

Father, geek, serial hobbyist.

I have mixed feelings about Endless Alchemy Candy Sea. It looks great, but it’s not very unique (there are many blue+heavy red sheen inks out there), and it sometimes has drying issues. For example, parts of the swatch were still tacky after a week. On top of that, it has a tendency to dry out pens faster than usual and gum things up, which leads to hard starts and clogs.

Scans

Scans don’t typically show much sheen, but this sheens so heavily it still makes an appearance, though not as prominently.

Scan of an ink swatch card made from Col-o-ring paper Scan of an ink swatch card made from Iroful paper Scan of an ink swatch card made from MD paper
Swatch Card Scans. Click to enlarge.

The scans do make it easier to see how it shades in some cases, and the areas with less ink have little to no sheen.

Video

This video was taken inside a light tent where the even light is not the best for showing off sheen, but even under these less-than-ideal conditions, it’s still easily visible.

Video of the swatch tilting to show changes in sheen

Photos

Iroful and MD show stark differences in the sheen depending on the angle of the light. Col-o-ring is more even.

Photos of swatch cards to show sheen. Click to enlarge.

Microscope

Microscope photos show heavy red sheen and a much lighter cyan where less ink has settled.

Microscope photo of ink on the Iroful swatch card. Paper fibers are visible. On the right the ink is dark blue with even darker blue on the paper fibers. Some have a slightly red tint. On the left is very reflective and varies between purple and magenta.
Ink under Magnification. Click to enlarge.

Writing Samples

Writing samples also vary by light angle, here are a few photos of writing in an Endless Storyboard spiral notebook.

Writing sample on dot grid paper First line reads "Endless Alchemy Candy Sea" followed by four "x" shapes and some swirls. The text is underlined with a variable-width line. The ink appears to be a dark blue color. Second line reads "Endless Alchemy Mystic Forest" followed by three trees, four "x" shapes, and some swirls. The ink appears to be a dark green color. Writing sample on dot grid paper First line is partially visible, reads "Endless Alch". The text is underlined with a variable-width line. The ink is blue and there is a noticeable reddish sheen on portions of the lines in the writing. Second line is partially visible, reads "Endless Al". The ink is dark green. Writing sample on dot grid paper First line is partially visible, reads "y Candy Sea" followed by an "x". The text is underlined with a variable-width line. The ink is blue and there is a noticeable reddish sheen on portions of the lines in the writing. Second line is partially visible, reads "my Mystic Forest" followed by a green blob. The ink is dark green.
Writing Samples. Click to enlarge.

Chromatography

The chromatography seperates out into sort of a blue-gray, cyan, and dark blue at the leading edge.

Photo of chromatography paper under UV light.
Chromatography strip photo under UV light

Nothing too noteworthy under UV light.

Uniqueness

I don’t think I have all that much ink in the grand scheme of things and even I have three other inks with similar properties, though one is just a sample vial:

Verdict

It has more than its share of drawbacks, but it is worth the trouble since it looks nice on the page.

As with similar problematic inks, either use a pen that seals very well, or use it fast before it can dry out and gum up the feed.

Based on a Mastodon Post

Updated:

Questions or comments? Contact me on Mastodon

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