Ferris Wheel Press Granite Guardians — 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample

Hue: A mid grey carrying a dense rose gold shimmer. Ferris Wheel Press describe it as a cool stone grey; on my swatches on Tomoe River it reads warmer and less neutral than that — the writing line leans mauve-grey, and where the ink pools it separates out into plum and a distinct olive-green. The cool grey the official description promises is there in lighter passes, but the ink as a whole is more chromatic than "stone grey" suggests.

Shading: Strong. Light dove grey through to near-black in the heavier areas, with clear chromatic separation between the grey, the plum and the green in pooled ink.

Sheen: None.

Shimmer: Yes — rose gold, heavily loaded and duochrome, flashing pink through to green depending on the angle. Prominent even in ordinary writing, not just in swabs.

Flow: Medium.

The interesting bit: Granite Guardians comes from the Bestiary Series, part of Ferris Wheel Press's FerriTales universe, in which Princess Patch travels the realm documenting its mythical creatures — this one is the gargoyles. Ferris Wheel Press frame them as watchful sentinels holding centuries of history in their stony skin, which is the romantic half of the story. The practical half is that gargoyles were working architecture: carved waterspouts that throw rainwater clear of the walls, which is where the name comes from — the same root that gives us "gargle". Grey stone catching a rose gold light is a fair reading of both. Ferris Wheel Press is based in Ontario, Canada.

This is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.

Photos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.

I'm a collector and I'm always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.