Matching Ink Color In A Generic Cartridge

August 16, 2014

I am a complete newbie to the details of fountain pens and inks although when I lost my job years ago I bought a MB Slimline as a treat. Some time later I picked up a box of replacement cartridges--it was probably at the Walmart in Wichita, I know, I said I was a newbie--and I like the color very much. Through much googling I found more of the same cartridges with no brand name for the ink, just the appellation Summer Blue.

http://www.xfountainpens.com/collections/ink-cartridges/products/international-standard-summer-blue-ink-cartridges

It looks like a substantial blue leaning toward the green side. They say it's light blue but it's medium to me. The age of the cartridges may have something to do with it but the two remaining I like the way they are.

What's the best way to find a good ink close to this color? I've used the Goulet (thanks Brian) compare tool, but I get confused.

The Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku seems close (given the expectations that what I see may not be so realistic given monitors, scanners, cameras etc) but gee, at the rate I use up ink, I'll need to live another 100 years to justify that price. How about a nice $15-ish ink?

How do I match either of these inks?

Thanks for any suggestions. It's all a learning experience and a ploy to keep me from doing my work.

August 16, 2014

Hi,

Kindly consider Noodler's Navajo Turquoise. Here's an array of samples from seven pens on a 24lb laser copy/print paper taken from my Ink Review https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/220654-noodlers-navajo-turquoise/?p=2334742

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Navajo%20Turquoise/dcecf4c2.jpg

Also consider Pelikan Edelstein Topaz, which I think is so nice that should you live 100 years, you'll do so with a smile. IR : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/174538-pelikan-edelstein-topaz/?p=1751157

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pelikan%20Edelstein%20Topaz/cf066de5.jpg

Bye,

S1

August 16, 2014

What's the best way to find a good ink close to this color?

You've started the right way - Google, then Goulet, then ask for help from the experts (which doesn't include me, by the way!). My suggestion would be that once you've found some candidates, go to Anderson Pens, isellpens, or Goulet and get some samples, along with a syringe to refill your existing cartridges. You can sample maybe 10 different colors for the price of the one $15 bottle and you're not stuck with 50-90 mL of a color you don't like if you guessed wrong.

Since you've still got some of the original ink left, could you post a writing sample? That might help folks get closer with their suggestions.

Also, given that you might have purchased the cartridges at Wal-Mart, that would narrow down your possibilities (ie, no Noodler's, Edelstein, Organics Studio, etc). Have you looked at Waterman Mysterious Blue?

Good luck with the search!

August 16, 2014

S1, thank you for pointing me toward your review. I had seen Noodler's Turquoise and put it on my to consider list.

I started as a photographer and now work with Photoshop quite a bit.

I may be getting a little obsessive about this. I should try to be happy with close. If I had never seen "Summer Blue" I would have been happy with something else, right?

What do you think of Sailor Yama-dori?

August 16, 2014

Keo, I took my Jinhao Tower into the bathroom yesterday to clean it out to do a test. Because of the way my life is, when I turned on the water in the sink, the nib section was gushed out of my fingers and went down the drain. Good-bye.

My MB is with Shawn Newton for a tune-up while he makes me a Townsend. I have another Jinhao I can use (Year of the Horse LE) so I will do a sample, scan it and post it to help you nice people help me.

I did consider the Waterman Mysterious Blue! (Maybe I'm better at this than I think!) I also looked at the De Atramentis Adular and Steel Blue. A color that looked quite close was Dromgoole's Noodler's Blue Steel (I think it was)--special edition and doesn't look like it's in production anymore. I always fall in love with something as it's being discontinued. Hence the backup bottle of Sailor Grenade.

August 16, 2014

This is pretty accurate but another cartridge was a bit greener, it was also with a different pen which is not here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/dellareina/summerblue2_zpscdd1b719.jpg

August 16, 2014

Why don't you just buy more of the cartridges?? They are a very reasonable price. $7.99 for a bundle of 40 cartridges is pretty comparable to what that amount of bottled ink would cost. You could also buy an empty ink bottle and empty the contents of the cartridges into it using a syringe if you needed the ink for a piston filler or something.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Abner C. Kemp