Comparison: Caran D'ache Blue Night To Sheaffer Skrip Blue Black

[Sandy1]

Hi,

I did this Comparison after reading one Member's opinion that these two inks are very close. I didn't think so, so I decided to take a look-see and share the results.

Bye,

S1

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Please take a moment to adjust the brightness & contrast of your monitor to accurately depict this Gray Scale.

As the patches are neutral gray, the colour on your monitor should also be neutral.

 

Figure 1.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/INK576.jpg

Grey Scale.

 

Figure 2.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20CdA%20Blue%20Night%20%20Sheaffer%20BlueBlack/INK606-1.jpg

Swatches:

• Drawn with a Pelikan M200-series g-p M nib.
• Blue Night on the left, Blue-Black on the right; HPJ1124 on top and Rhodia on the bottom.

Figure 3.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20CdA%20Blue%20Night%20%20Sheaffer%20BlueBlack/INK605-1.jpg

Smear Tests:

• Blue Night on the left, Blue Black on the right; with HPJ1124 on top and Rhodia on the bottom

Figure 4.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20CdA%20Blue%20Night%20%20Sheaffer%20BlueBlack/INK607.jpg

Wet Tests: Soapy Soak & Splatter

 

Written Samples:

Moby Dick

 

Implement:

• Yellow Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p M nib.

Layout:

• The first layout shows the same text in left and right columns. Caran d'Ache 'Blue Night' is on the left.
• The other layout shows alternating lines of the same text, starting with Caran d'Ache 'Blue Night'.

Figure 5.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20CdA%20Blue%20Night%20%20Sheaffer%20BlueBlack/INK608.jpg

HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

 

Figure 6.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20CdA%20Blue%20Night%20%20Sheaffer%20BlueBlack/INK609.jpg

Rhodia lined.

 

 

AT A GLANCE:

 

On the basis of colour alone, these inks cannot be mistaken for each other.

 

WRITING:

• The Blue Night gave a more pleasant experience, largely due to the greater lubrication which allowed the nib to move smoothly yet very sure-footed - no slipping around; and the nib feedback seemed 'harmonious'.
• The Blue-Black was certainly no slouch, and is excellent - just not in the same league as Blue Night. Still a good experience, but at times the nib seemed 'muted'.
• Both inks provided different experiences on the different smooth papers. (For the sake of brevity, a textured paper was not included.) So even though the difference felt greater with the Blue Night, the Blue-Black certainly allowed the writer to feel the difference - always providing enough feedback for control - even if not so finely nuanced.
• In practical terms, providing feedback allows the writer to move the nib at the chosen pace and cadence; and to keep the nib positioned as they wish - usually on the nib's sweet spot.

THE AFTERMATH:

 

Two very different colours, as was mentioned. As I use these inks myself, they are not strangers to me. Indeed, the remnants of my Review of the Blue Night is still available online.

 

The Colours:

• Blue Night is far more colourful and not so 'greyed-out' as the Blue Black. And in the ongoing challenge of describing Blue Black, it seems to be predominantly a rich dark gray with the animus of a dark blue; no aureola of a green tint appears.
• The Blue Night is certainly dark and predominantly very dark blue, but the animus is a warm violet-purple tint that brings the ink forward on the page; the Blue-Black resides well behind the plane of the page.

Use:

• The Blue-Black is ideal for boring work, and one would not be amiss in describing it as the rich charcoal suit with a French Blue blouse. Reserved but no zip; works with the office door closed. Gold watch.
• The Blue Night is ideal for more interesting work, especially when done in groups, teams, committees, etc. It is far more social, to the point that it could be used for personal correspondence. The lustrous dark blue suit with a deep deep violet silk blouse; platinum bracelet.
• I would think it insensitive to use the Blue Black for personal correspondence - there is a 'distancing' - so for that ex-boyfriend then, the one who hasn't returned all the music he borrowed; but I'd still meet him for a 20-minute office hours coffee break, just to poke fun at his haircut.

Up Close:

• Saturation:

• Seems to be contrary to the nature of these inks. Perhaps a very wet writer and a thirsty paper might twist them, but the chances of also generating poor line quality are very real.

• Shading:

• Both inks demonstrate shading to a good extent. And the range of tonality unique to FPs paired with good ink.
• 

• Feathering:
  • Both inks didn't quite feather, but did show a somewhat 'wooly' character at times.

• Up-Close Comparisons:

• Link_1
• Link_2
• Link_3

Nibberish:

• I think that the Blue Black would be OK in nibs from a Western/European XF, but not much wider than a B. I love using a sharpish Cursive Italic M nib with this ink.
• The Blue Night loses character with narrow nibs, so I like it from nibs from a plump (Pelikan) F, to an Asian 'Music' nib. It is something special from a richardspens M200 series 1.0 Stub on blank Rhodia. (OoooLaLa)

Papers:

• If it's a writing paper, both inks will write on it.

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Images:

 

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figure shown were scanned at 150 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans were not adjusted other than cropping and straightening using iPhoto on a MacBook, but most went straight to the file sharing thingy.

-30-

EDIT - Expletives added, then deleted.

(Well Lloyd, so it goes. Sshheeesh.)

Edited July 1, 2010 by Sandy1

[rosey]

I would think it insensitive to use the Blue Black for personal correspondence - there is a 'distancing' - so for that ex-boyfriend then, the one who hasn't returned all the music he borrowed; but I'd still meet him for a 20-minute office hours coffee break, just to poke fun at his haircut.

Your analogy of the Blue Black ink and correspondence to an ex-boyfriend was very insightful! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your ink reviews. Normally, a review is kind of boring, you just want the information. I stumbled on one of your reviews the other day and was delightfully surprised and loved reading every word! Thank you for entertaining us as well as giving out very useful information.

 

Thanks also for the review of the Caran d'Ache Blue Night. I just purchased a bottle and I loved seeing it on paper. I agree with your opinion that the inks aren't close enough to be mistaken for one another. I must say that I do like the Blue Night much better than the Blue Black. It's also good to know that your experience of writing with it was a pleasant one.

 

I can hardly wait to try out this new ink!

[esterbex]

Cd Blue Night is definitely not similar to the Blue Black. Since I already have the Skrip, I need that Cd.

Thanks again S1!

[Sandy1]

Cd Blue Night is definitely not similar to the Blue Black. Since I already have the Skrip, I need that Cd.

Thanks again S1!

Hi,

I reckon that the Cd'A BN is one of those inks that one really needs to experience for themselves. In the full Ink Review, I wrote something like 'the majik starts before you get it home'.

As much as I try to show what the ink might be like "in the readers' pen", it's up to the reader to make-up their own mind if it's worth their time money & effort to run a new ink.

I've yet to get any rude PMs - erhmm - about my Ink Reviews anyway.

Bye

S1

BTW, I've nudged the Sheaffer BlBk with about 5% Herbin 'Bleu Azur'. Not quite there yet, but ...

[geoduc]

Thanks for this, Sandy1. I see a bottle of Cd'A Blue Night is in my future (as opposed to the R&K Helianthus).

Edited July 2, 2010 by geoduc

[Lloyd]

EDIT - Expletives added, then deleted.

(Well Lloyd, so it goes. Sshheeesh.)

 

Thanks for adding the expletives. 'Tis a shame to delete 'em.

[sallywally]

Is the Blue Night the one that turns gray after awhile? There was a thread on this, I think. I've been wanting to buy it but some people said it was gray right out of the bottle, and if not then, in a couple of months.

 

Anyone remember this? I wonder if it's been fixed.

[sallywally]

There are two reviews in the ink reviews section about this ink, and both have several posts about the nasty gray of the ink over time....

 

CdA must know about this, maybe it's been fixed by now. Sigh.

[Sandy1]

Thanks for this, Sandy1. I see a bottle of Cd'A Blue Night is in my future (as opposed to the R&K Helianthus).

 

Now I've got this goofy grin!!

Makes for a great start to the weekend!!!

:roflmho:

:roflmho:

:roflmho:

[Sandy1]

Is the Blue Night the one that turns gray after awhile? There was a thread on this, I think. I've been wanting to buy it but some people said it was gray right out of the bottle, and if not then, in a couple of months.

 

Anyone remember this? I wonder if it's been fixed.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

I am braiding my hair too tight! I'd put that on the 'dealt with' pile. The consensus seemed to be that there was a bad batch which 'somehow' reached the consumers. (Not as if it was a Toyota recall, OK.)

 

Sooooo, when Brian Goulet recently posted the Cd'A swatches, and mentioned the Blue Night was so similar to the Sheaffer BlueBlack, I thought 'Hmm', and it was worth doing this Comparison. (I'm not a stakeholder)

 

Consider this scenario: Brian thought the BN was similar to the BlBk because he was looking at a bottle from the bad batch of BN, (which grayed-out).

 

Plausible? The inks have similar shading potential, the wet tests have very similar results, the overall density (light - dark) is different, but not tremendously so.

 

A show of hands please.

 

Or have I totally lost the plot?

 

And I do have a reminder set to re-post some of the Blue Night Ink Review stuff, but that's in Nov. - 6 months away. But since you raised the issue, as of today the stuff looks 'as written' in May. But I'm still using the 2nd bottle purchased at the same time.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Bye,

Sandy1

[Sandy1]

There are two reviews in the ink reviews section about this ink, and both have several posts about the nasty gray of the ink over time....

 

CdA must know about this, maybe it's been fixed by now. Sigh.

Hi again -- Now I am motivated to re-post over time. (Ditto for other inks, mostly the i-g ones, which may well change as time passes.) -- Bye, S1

[Lyander0012]

Picked up a bottle of Skrip BB on account of this review. Reserved enough for office work indeed, but livelier enough than plain black )

 

I missed out on the expletive-riddled version though, which is a shame

[Sandy1]

Picked up a bottle of Skrip BB on account of this review. Reserved enough for office work indeed, but livelier enough than plain black )

 

I missed out on the expletive-riddled version though, which is a shame

 

Hi,

 

I'm glad to have helped you pick an ink.

 

I find SSBlBk just a big tooooo sedate, so often add a sprinkle of Blue - Sapphire aniline dye ink to enliven it just a bit.

 

Bye,

S1

[Lyander0012]

Hi,

 

I'm glad to have helped you pick an ink.

 

I find SSBlBk just a big tooooo sedate, so often add a sprinkle of Blue - Sapphire aniline dye ink to enliven it just a bit.

 

Bye,

S1

Haha, I've a Skrip bottle I use explicitly for mixing inks and quite a few samples of nice blues (and a bottle of Iroshizuku Asa-gao on the way!), so I may liven up this boring old ink eventually.

 

 

Thanks again, and cheers!

 

Kevin