The Inky Box is an art pen subscription box that was suggested by Virginia, one of our readers! Lettering and calligraphy fans, take note—this subscription sends you tools to create all kinds of unique lettering work each month. They also share tutorial content for the month’s products on their social channels!
There are two subscription levels to choose from—The Inky Box (lettering tools, supplies, and hand-lettered greeting cards for $39.95 per month) and The Inky Box Mini (3-5 of the lettering tools that were featured in the larger box for $14.99 per month).
This is a review of The Inky Box Mini subscription, which costs $14.99 per month.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About The Inky Box Mini
The Subscription Box: The Inky Box Mini
The Cost: $14.99 per month. Save with longer commitments.
The Products: 3-5 lettering/calligraphy tools
Good to Know: They also offer a larger box (The Inky Box) that includes much more product for $39.95 per month. New to lettering? Follow @TheInkyBox on Instagram or subscribe to The Inky Box’s channel on YouTube for tutorials, tips, and more!
Ships to: US and worldwide. International shipping is $15.95.
Important Note: This month there was a mix-up where some Mini subscribers received a full-sized Inky Box and some full-sized box subscribers received only a Mini box. They emailed to notify subscribers of the mix-up and those who paid for a full-sized box they didn't receive were offered either a refund for the price difference or the option to have the missing materials included in the next month’s box. No one wants to have an error like that with their order but I think the company handled it very well.
The Inky Box Mini March 2019 Review
Here’s the info card for this month’s box, which includes links to digital handwriting practice sheets you can download. This month they also emailed subscriber-only links to tutorial videos.
Prismacolor Premier Brush Tip Marker - Retail Value $3.99
This month’s orange brush tip maker puts last month’s similar pen to shame, I have to say. The ink has an almost paint quality to it and is very richly pigmented and opaque. It took several tries to get the ink flowing, and I was worried the pen was already dried out, but once the ink started working correctly it wrote like a dream for orange lovers (like me!!).
Kuretake Zig Brushable - Retail Value $3.68 (found here for $2.99)
In contrast to the Prismacolor pen, this dual tipped brush pen produces a much lighter, watercolor-like pen stroke. Both ends are a lovely lavender shade and one end has fifty percent of the pigment of the darker end, something I’ve never come across before. This makes the Zig a great pen for shading and layering and I think it would work particularly well in coloring books.
Sakura Micron 05 Black - Retail Value $2.50
This black ink pen has a fine nib, .45mm, and is great for detail work, outlining, and regular old handwriting. I use an even smaller version of this same pen currently as my everyday pen of choice so I was already a fan of the brand. If you write with a heavy hand it might not be your favorite to work with, otherwise, I think this is a good staple to have.
Zebra Funwari Brush Pen - Retail Value $2.80
I like the simple coloring and design of the pen itself! This pen has a firmer brush tip than the others, although with a bit more use it did seem to soften slightly. There is a plastic sheath around the base which is supposed to help when you’re learning how to vary pressure for different strokes.
Here is how each of the pens shows up on paper.
March Practice Sheets
It’s great to have downloadable practice sheets and this month it features work by The Pigeon Letters. You’ll need your own printer and paper in order to make use of them.
The Verdict: I remain a fan of The Inky Box Mini! Three of the four pens this month were completely new to me. I would absolutely buy more of the Zig Brushables in a range of colors and would be happy to get a full set of the Prismacolor brush pens as well. The box cost $17.48 ($14.99 + $2.49 shipping), but I estimate a retail value of $12.97 not counting the downloadable practice sheets. I wish there had been a fifth pen included to get closer to the value of the box.
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No. New subscribers will receive their box the first week of the following month, according to The Inky Box’s FAQ page.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $14.99 + $2.49 shipping, which means that each of the 5 items in the box has an average cost of $3.50.
Check out all of our The Inky Box reviews and more writing subscription boxes in the Artisan Subscription Box Directory!
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What do you think of The Inky Box Mini?
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