Diamine Prussian Blue

January 12, 2008

Diamine Prussian Blue is quite a popular color, and I've read some very positive reviews about it. The following review registers a limited dissent from the consensus on my part. While I can see the virtues of this ink, I found it nothing to rave about.

Color:

Diamine Prussian Blue is a rendition of the old color known as "Prussian Blue". The color dates back at least to the 18th century, when it was popular as an interior paint for trim among those who could afford it. Diamine's Prussian Blue is a dark blue that has gray as its secondary color and some green tones. This is indeed proper for traditional Prussian Blue. I have no complaints about the color- it's a nice color indeed.

Color Change:

The color remained the same on most of the materials I wrote on- a dark blue and gray mix with green undertones. However on the Norcom Standard Edition (not the "Basic" edition) notebook paper I tried it on I saw significant fading to pale gray as it dried. The color dried with weak contrast against the white of the paper. It did this in two different Norcom notebooks I have. This fading on some papers makes this a secondary complaint for me- I tend to like an ink that will stay true to color and strong in flow on any paper.

Flow:

I found the flow to be just a bit on the dry side of average. By this I mean that it didn't exhibit signs of clogging or skipping on the papers I used. The flow worked fine and the pen started right up. The flow was less than that of my Waterman or Sheaffer inks, but better than Private Reserve Sonic Blue. The flow depends on pen very much- but I did notice that even my very wet writing Sheaffer Balance was drier than usual with this ink. I prefer richer flowing inks- I wasn't keen on the dryness.

Drying:

The dry time is reasonable. I've found that Waterman Blue-Black and Florida Blue both dry faster and are not as smudge-prone. I'm a lefty, myself, so I notice dry time a lot- dry time was slower than Waterman or Sheaffers inks I've found, but not as bad as Private Reserve or Levenger. I would call the dry time average on this ink- no complaints, but nothing to rave about either.

Lubricity:

This is my primary complaint- I found the lubricity of Prussian Blue to be sub par. On my smoothest nibs (Pelikan M400, Sheaffer Touchdown) this made little or no difference. But on some of my other pens that are finer and not quite as smooth (Sheaffer Balance) the lubricity did not help the pen across the page at all. With my decidedly not smooth pens (Waterman 52, Mabie Todd lever fill) the ink lent no help to the ride. If you have a very smooth nib that has a rich flow, I think this won't be much of a worry. But if you're looking for a blue that will help smooth the ride out- this isn't it.

Other Comments:

-I've heard people rave about this ink, and I actually can see why. In some pens that have smooth nibs and rich flow to begin with, it would be just fine. On decent paper it probably holds its color quite well. But I found that as I left those optimal conditions, that the ink's limitations started to become apparent in the realm of fading, flow, and lubricity.

-This is one I wouldn't buy again, though I won't dump this stuff out either. I have many situations where it works quite well. I just will avoid using it in my pens that aren't quite as smooth, or where I'm using sub-optimal paper.

-the Diamine packaging and bottle are wonderful

-I found no signs of crud, slime, or fungus

January 13, 2008

Thanks for reviewing this ink. It was one that has interested me for some time, although I have not yet bought it.

Lately I've enjoyed Noodler's Eel (American Blue) precisely because its lubricity is so good. And the change from dark blue to bright blue depending on the light is an additional great effect.

January 13, 2008

I love Prussian Blue (and have posted in support of it before), but I'll admit that I've noticed that it does flow a bit slow when compared to other inks. On the other hand, in a Lamy 2000, that's not a bad thing.

January 13, 2008

Thank you for a thorough review which brings out some points not covered previously. It does once again lead me to wonder if gremlins don't get into ink bottles. Diamine Prussian Blue is one of my most free-flowing inks. But then, I've had problems with Waterman Florida Blue, from burping behavior in my hooded pens to high sensitivity to skin oils and a distressingly pale color in most of my pens. Perhaps only my house is gremlin-infested ...

January 13, 2008

Thanks for the review. Your experience mirrors mine. I was using Prussian Blue in some of my newer pens, and I found them to be tough to use. Specifically, I was writing with a Danitrio Tac Carry II (medium nib) and the FPN LE (fine nib). In both pens, I felt like the ink didn't lubricate well, and I ended up flushing the pens before I'd use the entire converter.

I recently gave it another try using the FPN LE with a Greg Minuskin medium stub nib, however, and it was heavenly. I'm glad to know that I have at least one pen that will behave well with the Prussian Blue. I'm thinking that I should try it in my Pilot VP with .9mm Binder stub or with one of the nibs that I've tweaked myself to be on the wet side.

It's a great color, and a treat to use when you match it to the right pen.

Don

January 17, 2008

I love the stuff but often ask myself (as I do with most blue inks) - is this really a beautiful, subtle color or is it just another blue?

Thanks for the review. I have mostly generous writers and love how this ink looks in them. I imagine in a dry writer it might be a bit pale. I think of it as a bit like Quink Washable blue on steroids.

Don, I have it in my stock VP Medium which has good medium-to-wet flow - very nice and good lubrication. I think you'll like it in the Binder stub. I had it in my .6 mm Binder stub for a long time and loved it in that nib. Only changed because I fell for Diamine Umber which "matched" the White Tortoise body perfectly.