Kala - Blue Lagoon Vapor

Kala Nostalgia - Blue Lagoon Vapor - ink drop

Today’s ink, Blue Lagoon Vapor, is from Taiwan’s fascinating Kala Inks. I don’t think any company has explored the grey palette more extensively than Kala! Blue Lagoon Vapor is from their Nostalgia Abstraction series of pigmented, water-resistant inks. From my tests, I’d call it waterproof! I’d have no concerns trusting my most precious documents to its permanence.

I don’t know the backstory to the name Blue Lagoon Vapor, but this ink certainly isn’t lagoon blue! That said, it’s a very appealing warm, powdery grey. The lighter shade is a chalky, cement grey with a tiny hint of yellow. It’s soft and comfortable. The darker shade reveals a slight greenish-yellow influence on the much deeper, tarnished-silver, mouse grey.

Kala Nostalgia - Blue Lagoon Vapor - swatch card

In writing, it’s a smooth flowing ink. I prefer it in nibs that are on the finer side, and wet, but not too wet. In my tests, it performed best on Rhodia and Kokuyo papers. With little or no feather, it produced a crisp, well-defined stroke. There was some shading, but it wasn’t dramatic. Drying times were 15-20 and 35 seconds, respectively. Performance on Mnemosyne was less inspired, and much worse on Apica. Compared to many, it performed fairly well on office copy paper, with only mild feathering and very fast drying times. Aesthetically, Rhodia was best for me, but I wouldn’t hesitate to use it on office copy paper.

I happily recommend Kala Inks, and the Nostalgia Abstraction series. Additional options in the water-resistant category are always a good thing, and Kala inks are priced right! Which Kala grey is right for you? Personally, I prefer the slightly creamier shades of Kala Winter Dawn, but that’s purely subjective. Take a look at the Kala greys; their obsession will soon wear off on you. Choose your favorite and start writing!

October 2020