Lamy Fountain Pen Ink Cartridge - Red - Pack of 5

This is an interesting color. I have tested it out on many different papers and it performs well on all semi-descent to decent papers, with no feathering. Also, on my Lamy Safari EF, there is no ink creeping onto the nib like other inks do on this pen (for example, Lamy blue).

Now to describe the color. This is certainly not red, and loosely in the red hues at that. The range of colors I see, while testing on different paper colors ranging from extra white to off-white to yellow, varies from a light, bright highlighter pink to an orange-ish-pink. Personally, I love this color and am quite exited to use it on yellow docket pads for my work (math). However, I think this is highly subjective and can understand if people are upset with Lamy with misnaming their ink 'red.'

I would rate this a 5 but, seeing as there is no indication from Lamy that this is not a true red, I will take off one point.

I'm assuming that this is precisely the blue that comes with the Lamy Al-Star & Safari, so most people looking to use those with cartridges already know what they're getting here. However, as a sort of review for the pen kit itself or for those looking to pick up a box of refills along with the pen, I can say this: This is not a standard office pen blue. On regular paper it's actually a very pretty light blue with a tiny hint of lilac that shows up as it "sets" & lightens, as much as a day after writing. There is obviously a reason Lamy provides a blue-black option in cartridges. A pleasant surprise in my opinion, but something to be aware of.

Lamy violet is a medium to deep purple color with blue undertones. I find it very similar to Diamine violet but slightly more saturated. This is one of the colors that I keep in a pen at all times because it's a great purple that stands out but doesn't scream "look at me."

Good ink.. but be careful.. it's more permanent than washable. The ink is a darker blue than most washable ink, and thus when erased will leave a noticeable yellow mark.

Great ink nonetheless.. also runs out very fast though a long cartridge.

I really like this ink. It performs excellent on all the papers I have tried it on, from cheap printer paper to decent Staples yellow docket paper to nice Japanese notebooks. In my tests, it never feathered but, on my Lamy Safari EF, there was a tiny amount of ink creeping onto the nib. Seeing that I never touch the nib while writing, the nib creep isn't a bother for me.

Now to describe the color. I find the color shown on the box to be pretty accurate of how this ink write on white paper, although the ink is a tiny bit darker in hue. To some, it might not be dark enough, which is most likely why Lamy also offers a blue-black option.