Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 4

Day 4’s ink is Diamine Smoky Tobacco. It’s a scented sepia ink and I loathe it with every fiber of my being. I hate that it’s named after tobacco, I hate that it’s a scented ink, I hate that it stinks to high heaven, I don’t like the ink’s flow and I’m not a fan of the colour. I have no idea what Diamine were thinking naming an ink after Tobacco and then having it reek of stale Tobacco but it’s a terrible idea and a terrible ink. It went straight to the trash can after this review, and the pen is about to be thoroughly cleaned out.

Col-o-ring swab

The issue is that this ink stinks so much that it actually made my whole notebook smell like it had been in a smokers house for the past few years. I am considering ripping the page out and throwing it to the garbage. If it still smells this badly in a day or two that’s what I’ll do.

Writing and sketching sample

Today’s bear is one of the prettiest in my collection. Her name is Zelda and she’s a Charlie Bear. Her body is so, so heavy but her mohair fur is as soft as it looks. It’s like stroking clouds.

Today’s bear

I am so angry at Diamine for naming an ink after Tobacco, and then going out of their way to give us the full Tobacco experience. Here’s hoping that tomorrow’s ink is better, and that this is the last of Diamine’s scented inks, at least for this year’s Inkvent. Otherwise we might be getting a “dead rat carcass in the chimney” ink, or a “rotting wreath” one.

20 thoughts on “Diamine Inkvent 2025 Day 4”

  1. Chris's avatar

    Chris

    I can’t say I agree with you on this one. I struggled with the name, too, and I was afraid it would smell like a dirty ashtray. But then I thought of fragrant pipe tobacco — Old Saint Nick does smoke a pipe, doesn’t he? Then it made more sense for the season.

    I know it’s de rigueur to hate scented inks and to do so vociferously in reviews: I’ve yet to read any review that said anything good about scented inks. However, this one smells to me like a men’s cologne. It isn’t too strong (IMO) and I find the fragrance delightful.

    My problem with many scented inks (aside from their often cloying, too-strong scents) is that they’re horrible to write with. Last year’s Cinnabun feathered and spread on TR paper with an EF nib and could not be used in any pen on any paper, rendering it completely useless to me (I don’t sketch). This one, however, behaves pretty well, at least for writing.

    I’m not disappointed in this on at all, but I know that scented inks aren’t for everyone. However, I think this one is well-executed, with a mild, pleasant fragrance and adequate writing qualities. Give this one a chance.

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    2. Mark's avatar

      Mark

      I agree with you Chris! I like the colour, to me it smells more like pine than tobacco, and if it was called something like “Cabin in the Woods” I wonder if it would be slightly more generally likeable?

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  2. Jane's avatar

    Jane

    I was so looking forward to this post!

    I share your hatred of the scented inks. When I saw Carousel, I really hoped the pigment inks would replace the awful scented inks. But the very next day, lo and behold, a scented ink. But not just any scent. Tobacco. Tobacco???!

    I can’t even imagine how that conversation went down at Diamine HQ. What are they smoking there? Maybe they were trying to make an ink even worse than Fruit Cup (or was it Fruit Punch?)

    I don’t even understand why they still include scented inks at all, but maybe they sell well. The thought of a full size bottle of Smoky Tobacco makes me sick.

    A shame, because I quite like the colour.

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    2. Chris's avatar

      Chris

      I think you may be thinking of Fruit Cocktail, which is precisely the ink I had in mind when I mentioned cloying, too-strong scents. That one is an example of how NOT to make a scented ink!

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  4. Jean Wilcox's avatar

    Jean Wilcox

    I usually do my own review before I read yours, but today, I was late getting to my desk and saw yours. Oh dear … I opened the bottle with trepidation. I actually like the color, but the smell? Oh no. If you must have a scented ink, and I don’t understand why you would want one in the first place, why tobacco? For me, anything that smells like tobacco is unattractive. If you insist on the smoky smell, how about fireplace or yule log? Better yet, why not chose something more festive … cinnamon? nutmeg? mince pie?

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    1. Gegard's avatar

      Gegard

      Tobacco is quite a popular scent, tobacco scented candles are fairly common and it’s also often found in men’s cologne and aftershave (often combined with wood or leather).

      Pipe smoking is also something often seen in Christmas imagery (or used to be), so I can certainly see their reasoning.

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    2. Chris's avatar

      Chris

      It’s interesting (perplexing?) that they call this one “Smoky”: it doesn’t smell the slightest bit smoky. If anything, it smells like tobacco leaves, which is a very different aroma. Again, it reminds me most of pipe tobacco or a men’s cologne. It smells nothing like cigarettes, thankfully!

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  5. Emily Alice Dunn's avatar

    Emily Alice Dunn

    Long time reader, first time commenter. I always so enjoy your reviews of the Inkvent each year!

    I agree with Chris, I love the tobacco scented ink. When I opened it up I actually said, “Really?!?” out loud, I was so prepared to loathe it. But lo and behold, the ink is pleasant to write with and the scent isn’t, to me anyway, actually all that redolent of cigarettes. My family’s old West Virginian farmhouse burnt down before I was born but the barn survives and still smells like tobacco leaves — the ink reminds me of childhood memories of climbing up in the loft. I want to know how they got it right this time — not oily, not feathery. I wish they’d managed that with Cinnabun, which would’ve been a pleasant color if the ink wasn’t so hideously ill behaved.

    I knew you’d probably hate it though! I do entirely understand. That’s why I like the Inkvent, and love doing it with friends — there’s an ink to suit everyone’s taste, and something else for each person to love to hate.

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    1. writingatlarge's avatar

      writingatlarge

      Thank you for the kind words! Yes, I agree there will be those who love this ink – just like there are those who will hate my favourite inks. Smells are particularly powerful memory evokers, so if you have positive memories tied to a particular scent, then of course you will love it.

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  6. Jan Cornelis's avatar

    Jan Cornelis

    I really like this one! ust like colour, smell can be an intense experience. Last year the included Forest Gateau, a scented inkt I used for letters. — I am happy Diamine takes risks — even when I don’t like it (like that fruity punch thing of last year that smelled as a check air freshner).

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  7. zoesctodd's avatar

    zoesctodd

    I understand why this one is so polarizing, but for lots of First Peoples in the Americas, tobacco is a sacred plant and this really comforts me when I smell it for this reason. There’s a First Nations soapmaker in Canada who makes a tobacco scented soap that is really lovely.

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