Inktend / Ink library / Hanging Lake
Van Dieman's
Hanging Lake
Tasmanian small-batch inks that bottle the island's seasons, wilderness and night skies.
Specs
Paper & pairing
Blues and navies are the most broadly "safe" fountain pen colors — legible, professional, and unlikely to raise eyebrows in an office. Sheening inks need the right conditions to show off — a wetter nib and a coated, less-absorbent paper (Tomoe River and similar sheets are the community standard) let the ink pool slightly and separate into its second color as it dries. On cheaper, more absorbent paper the sheen effect will mostly disappear.
About Van Dieman's
Van Dieman's Ink is a small-batch artisan ink maker based in Tasmania, Australia, named after Van Diemen's Land, the island's colonial-era name. The family-run company hand-blends fountain pen inks inspired by Tasmanian landscapes, wildlife and weather, organised into themed series such as Tassie Seasons, Wilderness and Night. It has become one of Australia's best-known boutique ink houses, with a large catalogue spanning standard, shimmering and sheening formulas.
Storing and using the bottle
Bottled fountain pen ink has an effectively long shelf life when kept capped and out of direct sunlight — most inks remain usable for years. The main risk isn't the ink spoiling, it's a pen sitting inked and unused for weeks: that's what causes clogs, not the ink's age.
Frequently asked questions
Similar shades By colour distance
Color shown is a close digital approximation of a typical swatch, not a calibrated color match.