Waterman Mysterious Blue

[Sandy1]

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Figure 1.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/2b4aba17.jpg

 

 

Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

Paper: HPJ1124.

Depicts nibs' down-stroke width and pens' relative wetness.

IMG-Thumb:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_0729ee42.jpg

L → R: Somiko, Imperial, Duofold, PPP, P99, Carene.

Figure 3.

Paper base tints:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN%20Stuff%20-%202011/Ink%20Review%20-%20Private%20Reserve%20Chocolate/86f3378c.jpg

L → R: HPJ1124, Rhodia, G Lalo white, Royal, Staples 20 lb.

WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick

Ruling: 8mm.

 

Figure 4.

Paper: HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/79fd8cea.jpg

 

 

Figure 5.

Paper: Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/72161eaf.jpg

 

 

Figure 6.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/ace1f061.jpg

 

 

Figure 7.

Paper: Royal - 25% rag.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/79e6411b.jpg

 

 

Figure 8.

Paper: Staples multi-use 20 lb.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/76b8370a.jpg

 

 

Figure 9.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/2dbe15f7.jpg

 

 

OTHER STUFF

 

Figure 10.

Smear/Dry Times & Wet Tests ☂

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/190f186e.jpg

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

 

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Presentation:

• Bottle.

Availability:

• Available when Topic posted.

Daily writer?

• Possible.

A go-to ink?

• When a pleasant low velocity Blue-Teal-Blue-Black is called for.

USE

 

Business:

(From the office of Ms Blue-Black.)

• Suitable for general business use, has a bit of gravitas and less animation.
• Certainly not an ink that would raise an eyebrow or elicit a wink - unless the ink colour-shifts to Teal when no one's looking.
• Suits personal work product, for both writing and reading, though two-sided use of 'lowest bidder' copy paper seems unlikely from pens of normal wetness.
• Lack of water resistance should be taken into account.
• Not enough zip for mark-up or editing; not enough zap for error correction or grading.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Unsuitable due to risk exposure to unpredictable colour shift.
• Kindly select another similar ink that is of stable / predictable hue.
• That said, performance on all papers was very good, with high line quality throughout.

Students:

• Possible, but not a top pick.
• As mentioned, use of inexpensive paper gives good results, but two-sided use is not so likely.
• Lack of water resistance makes WMBl less desirable for those who do not safeguard their notes.
• Perfectly acceptable for written assignments.

Personal:

• Well. This is not The One for yours truly. It seems the mostly-full first bottle I had some years ago went walkabout when shifting the household, and its absence went unnoticed. This ink was recently acquired as a shared purchase - to do this Review, and to see if my taste has expanded to embrace WMBl. That said, I hope to keep some semblance of objectivity; perhaps I can pretend we've no shared history . . .
• Perfect for pro forma personal business writing when a bit of gravitas seems a good idea.
• I would be unlikely to use this one for personal 'personal' writing - just not enough charisma, and a bit too much of a business ink. (I use MBMBl, Visconti Blue, Cd'ABlN other 'business' inks for personal writing, but those have personality, yes?)
• If I were to receive a letter written with this ink, I would think that the author just used whatever was to hand, or may be using a pen with ye olde plumbing.
• Use of mono-line nibs from a wide range of widths and wetness seems possible, and the narrow nibs used did not submerge the colour.
• The colour and tone of WMBl will support the use of most any shaped nib, and it should be possible to use the wider 1.0+ nibs, though the emphasis would be on penmanship - not the ink. (Similar to DEdN in that regard.)
• Billets doux?
  

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• Just a bit wet.
• Controlled.

Nib Dry-out:

• Not noticed.

Start-up:

• Immediate.
• With confidence.

Lubrication:

• Very medium.
• Nib feedback was well conveyed, not muffled.
• Writing on the hard textured G Lalo was OK.

Nib Creepers:

• Not seen.

Staining [pen]:

• Not seen after three days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems very unlikely.

Bleed- Show-Through:

• HPJ1124: A bit from the Carene & P99.
• Royal - 25% rag: A bit from the Carene.
• Staples 20lb: A bit from the rather dry PPP. LINK

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• Not seen on papers used, though the Carene on Royal was a bit borderline for Ms Fussy.

Smell:

• Slightly inky.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not seen.

Clean-Up:

• Very fast and thorough with plain water, especially for a dark ink.
• Has a reputation of being suitable for pens that are tedious to cleanse. e.g. Vacumatics, Snorkies.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibitions.

Archival:

• Not claimed.

Smear/Dry Times & Water Resistance:

• Please see Figure 10.

 

THE LOOK

 

Presence:

• Default dark Blue-centric ink.
• Restrained, but has a Joker up its sleeve.

Saturation:

• Medium.
• Possible to achieve a solid line.
• Over-wrote feint lines on Rhodia.

Shading:

• Good potential.
• Unpredictable, but pleasant enough when it appears.

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used:
  • More than expected for a dark ink.

  [*]Papers used:

  • Less than expected.

  [*]Malleability:

  • Middling, but elastic.
  • Determined by selection of pen to a great extent: the P99 generated a Look quite different from other pens. (That pen also appears in the Review of R&K Alt Bordeaux, where it did not deviate greatly from the other pens used.)
  • The ability to run the ink at high enough density to avoid mingling of the papers' base-tint with the ink colour supports use across a wide range of writing papers.
  • Other than the usual cautions against bleed- show-through, WMBl can be used high densities without misbehaving.
  • Those characteristics make WMBl a contender for a daily writer ink, giving acceptable if not such uniform results across a range of writing papers.

Hi-Res Scans:

(Originals are 60x30mm.)

 

As I do not wish to be known as 'Reine des Bandits de Largeur de Bande', these are IMG-thumbs only. To view the images as intended, please click on the image.

 

Somiko on HPJ1124:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_5190e82e.jpg

 

Duofold on Rhodia:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_6396423e.jpg

 

PPP on G Lalo:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_c8998a47.jpg

 

Carene on Royal:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_3989b70d.jpg

 

 

FIDELITY

 

Is the name appropriate?

*

BITING MY TONGUE

*

Consistency with the marketing company's depiction/s?

• The Waterman site depiction of this ink, still named Blue-Black at time of posting, is fairly consistent with the swabs in Figure 1. LINK

Self Comparison - Colour Shift:

 

☞ I have no inclination to explore this matter at length, though at some time in the distant future may post fresh images from the Written Samples to show the influence of time. (Please do not hold your breath.)

• It is widely reported that this ink displays a range of colours, to the extent that some considered the colour to be a [muted] Teal. LINK
• The usual suspects were dragged over the coals: age of the ink and time elapsed since writing; pen hygiene; papers' constituents, pH and other characteristics; environmental factors; a range of pen+nib characteristics, especially wetness and nib width; and ink storage, including duration, contamination, evaporation / gaseous influences.
• I do not recall reading of a difference attributable to altitude (meniscus shape), location or packaging (bottle or cartridge.)
• Apparently the colour shift is not a wide-spread temporary incident, as would be expected if a bad batch entered the market, though rogue bottles occur.

OTHER INKS

 

This Review includes of some of the same pen+paper combos as my previous Reviews of Blue-Black inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported. That said, if you feel a specific aspect of WMBl deserves to be depicted/documented as a stand-alone Topic or Post, your PM will be welcomed.

 

Swab Swami:

IMG-thumb:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_8fa42610.jpg

 

L → R: Lamy Blue-Black (dye-based), Parker Quink Blue-Black, Herbin Bleu Nuit, Diamine Twilight Blue at densities from three, two and one passes.

PAPERS

 

Lovely papers:

• Whites.
• Cool whites.
• WMBl has good coverage/opacity, so even dirty whites are unlikely to degrade its essential appearance.

Trip-wire Papers: ☠

• Any that cannot suppress bleed- show-through.

Tinted Papers:

• Very much a matter of personal preference.
• Could be run at high density to generate contrast and a solidly inked line.

Pre-Printed Papers:

• Forms:
  • OK.

  [*]Charts & graphs:

  • No - potential for colour shift is too high.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Possible.
• While WMBl goes about its business offering little in the way of scintillation, I suspect that high-end papers may be worth experimentation, especially in the pursuit of attractive shading or a pale tone.

ETC.

 

Majik:

• Quite unlikely.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• The Duofold on HPJ1124.
• The line shows a bit of shading, and the density is just right for a narrow nib - keeping the ink well-placed relative to the plane of the paper.
• The paper has a fairly neutral base-tint and good brightness, which allows the subdued colour to be apparent and generates some contrast to add a muffled bit of snap to the page.

Yickity Yackity:

• Destined to be used from narrow nibs that don't emphasise the ink.
• I have embraced one 'sneaky' ink, (ESSRI), and have no inclination to invite a chameleon to the party.
• Ah kushbaby, not as if you have a hankering for a wow-less ink.

= = = =

 

NUTS & BOLTS

 

Pens

IMG-thumb:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2012/Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Mysterious%20Blue/th_834c9bb1.jpg

 

Written Samples:

• Sailor Somiko + TiAu-plated steel F nib.
• Sheaffer Imperial Sterling Silver Touchdown + 18K nib.
• Parker USA Duofold Vacumatic + 14K nib.
• Platinum President Purist + 22K B nib.
• Pelikan P99 Technix + steel B nib.
• Waterman Carene + 18K factory stock Stub nib.

Lines & labels:

• Diamine Eau de Nil from a Pilot Penmanship + XF nib.

Papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal, 25% cotton rag.
• Staples 20lb. multi use.
• Pulp. One-a-Day Calendar page.

Imaging

• An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce jpg files.
• Figures shown were scanned at 200 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Hi-Res Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photobucket & IP.Board s/w.

Densitometer Readings:

HPJ1124

• Red 92
• Grn 129
• Blu 181
• Lum 132

Fine Print

 

• The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used.
• Ink does not require labelling/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc.
• As always, YMMV, not only from materials, methods, environment, etc., but also due to differences between the stuff I used, and that you may have; and manner of working.
• Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

-30-

TAGS: Fountain pen ink review Waterman Mystery Blue Blue-Black Sandy1

Edited April 20, 2012 by Sandy1

[Calbei]

I find the colour shift is more attributable to Parker Quink Blue Black than Waterman Blue Black/Mysterious Blue. I used WM BB/MB a lot at uni because of its muted-blue appearance.

[Bigeddie]

Thank you for another superb review Sandy!

 

I have been curious about Waterman Blue-Black ink since receiving a letter from a friend. I was with her when she purchased a bottle from John Lewis and this came through the post within the next couple of weeks. I couldn't help feeling disappointed for her! Admittedly the box looked quite old, and it is a pleasant enough teal, but a blue-black it is not! It would be interesting to see if this new label ink differs.

 

Forgive the lack of colour correction; for comparison Montblanc Royal Blue (Pilot 823 - M), Montblanc Blue/Black (Pilot 74 - F), Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai (Reform 1745).

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6951113418_73a5142a7f_z.jpg

Waterman Blue Black comparison by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

Edited April 20, 2012 by Bigeddie

[saintsimon]

If one like one's ink to fade away over time, then use this ink.

 

I remember finding my university notes in WM BlBlk almost illegible after a less than a decade or so.

[Sandy1]

I find the colour shift is more attributable to Parker Quink Blue Black than Waterman Blue Black/Mysterious Blue. I used WM BB/MB a lot at uni because of its muted-blue appearance.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for letting us know more about the colour-shift relative to PQBlBk! And that you found it to be serviceable for university notes, etc.

 

When I usePQBlBk it is mostly for ephemera, so am unable to comment on the colour shift of that ink.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Thank you for another superb review Sandy!

 

I have been curious about Waterman Blue-Black ink since receiving a letter from a friend. I was with her when she purchased a bottle from John Lewis and this came through the post within the next couple of weeks. I couldn't help feeling disappointed for her! Admittedly the box looked quite old, and it is a pleasant enough teal, but a blue-black it is not! It would be interesting to see if this new label ink differs.

 

Forgive the lack of colour correction; for comparison Montblanc Royal Blue (Pilot 823 - M), Montblanc Blue/Black (Pilot 74 - F), Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai (Reform 1745).

 

✃ snip ✁

 

Waterman Blue Black comparison by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

How unfortunate that you found The Look of WMBl to be disappointing. Alas, so many times we really hope to find something a bit special in those bottles. Well, at least she must be pleased enough to use it when writing to you!

 

It seems the category 'Blue-Black' seems to be a jumble of inks, some of which are far away from the 'classic' Blue-Black of the I-G component inks, such as MBMBl, Salix, ESSRI. Perhaps Waterman actually improved the description of the ink during renaming.

 

Thanks for adding the comparison! You have a nice array of fine inks there!

Which one will be chosen for your next letter to your friend?

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

If one like one's ink to fade away over time, then use this ink.

 

I remember finding my university notes in WM BlBlk almost illegible after a less than a decade or so.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for letting us know about fading! I had not realised that this ink has such a problem. (Though Waterman's 'Serenity' [ex-WFBl] is widely reported as having some issues in that regard.)

 

Bye,

S1

 

- - -

 

Off-Topic: Perhaps your faded notes could be restored/recovered by manipulating the imaging software for a colour scanner.

[Bigeddie]

 

Thanks for adding the comparison! You have a nice array of fine inks there!

Which one will be chosen for your next letter to your friend?

 

Bye,

S1

 

MB:RB as it's a bit more personal. The blue black for research records (work), and the Ajisai I am still trying to work out... it's a new one to me, and I find it feathers a lot more than the current reviews would suggest. It's just moved in to the 1745 to see how it performs in a dry pen.

 

Alternatively Iroshizuku Kiri-same, as we are both enjoying our greys at the moment.

 

I have just remembered that I have a Mysterious Blue sample in my April Ink Drop, I may have to give it a spin later.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Bigeddie

[Sandy1]

Thanks for adding the comparison! You have a nice array of fine inks there!

Which one will be chosen for your next letter to your friend?

 

Bye,

S1

 

MB:RB as it's a bit more personal. The blue black for research records (work), and the Ajisai I am still trying to work out... it's a new one to me, and I find it feathers a lot more than the current reviews would suggest. It's just moved in to the 1745 to see how it performs in a dry pen.

 

Alternatively Iroshizuku Kiri-same, as we are both enjoying our greys at the moment.

 

I have just remembered that I have a Mysterious Blue sample in my April Ink Drop, I may have to give it a spin later.

 

Hi,

 

Can't miss with the MBRBl - an under-the-radar excellent ink.

 

Bye,

S1

 

- - -

Off-Topic:

ajisai can be a bit of a challenge (for me) to get it just right on the page. I tend to run it at a somewhat high density to keep it becoming too floral. Perhaps use an 8x10" / A5 sheet, or increase margin width on A4.

I've taken a look at ajisai: LINK

[lapis]

Nice review as always. Very extensive! Today, my 3 cents...

 

-- Thanks for saying "teal". That too is a confirmation of what our Good Captain also said recently. I.e. I'm apparently not alone here. The thing is however that my teal is more tealy than your teal. Here's an old scan of mine.

-- Maybe Waterman has indeed changed the colour so that it is not just a renaming as has been claimed.

-- Again, a crude estimation that Waterman's and Quink's blue blacks are one and the same ink. Often said, never proven, but IYAM I'd have to say that the similarity is breathtaking.http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu264/peli46/5Blue-Blacks_2.jpg

[Sandy1]

Nice review as always. Very extensive! Today, my 3 cents...

 

-- Thanks for saying "teal". That too is a confirmation of what our Good Captain also said recently. I.e. I'm apparently not alone here. The thing is however that my teal is more tealy than your teal. Here's an old scan of mine.

-- Maybe Waterman has indeed changed the colour so that it is not just a renaming as has been claimed.

-- Again, a crude estimation that Waterman's and Quink's blue blacks are one and the same ink. Often said, never proven, but IYAM I'd have to say that the similarity is breathtaking.

 

✃ snip ✁

 

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for your kind words! And for posting yet another set of swabs.

 

As ever, I leave it to the reader to make-up their own mind as to the naming of colours, especially as inks are often given names that are inaccurate, uninformative or fanciful.

 

As to 'How much Green can be in a Blue-Black ink?' is also up to the reader. I suppose it would be of interest to those whose employer / profession requires specific colour/s - typically Blue through Black. Yet I see nothing so unique/amazing in WMBl that would cause me to persist in its use even though it might ruffle some feathers, or cause work to be returned. That said, I think WMBl is sufficiently business-like to be accepted: "Certainly not an ink that would raise an eyebrow or elicit a wink . . . "

 

If WMBl has a tendency to colour-shift somewhat unpredictably, then doing any comparison would be limited to 'just another data point', which is fine.

• I do not have any of the WBlBk to compare to the WMBl, so I leave that comparison to those who are motivated to do so.
• A review of Parker Quink Blue-Black is on my To Do List, as is a subsequent comparison of WMBl to PQBlBk. The swabs of PQBlBk in the Review do show a difference, but are limited by the inaccuracies of swabs, so my usual approach will be to use the same pens on the same papers. Please let me know if there are any specific aspects that you feel should be added to my usual set - other than giving them a whirl in my cyclotron.

Bye,

S1

Edited April 22, 2012 by Sandy1

[Fabienne]

I am fussing away with two samples of Waterman South Seas Blue (or whatever they are calling it now) and am astounded at the variation in color I am getting from that. By no means is it the hard a$$ swimming pool blue that you got, it's more of the slightly wild cousin of Syo-Ro. I like that a lot about it but the point is the variation that we seem to be picking up with staid old Waterman ink. This is interesting.

[Sandy1]

I am fussing away with two samples of Waterman South Seas Blue (or whatever they are calling it now) and am astounded at the variation in color I am getting from that. By no means is it the hard a$ swimming pool blue that you got, it's more of the slightly wild cousin of Syo-Ro. I like that a lot about it but the point is the variation that we seem to be picking up with staid old Waterman ink. This is interesting.

 

Hi,

 

I can understand your concern about consistency of the WSSBl when its packaging was changed; and extend that concern to the other Waterman inks.

 

In my review of WSSBl, LINK, some posts addressed the subject of consistency - over a period of 20 years! I also posted comparisons of WSSBl to several other Turquoise inks. No one mentioned variance between what they saw on their monitors and the ink that they knew, so it would seem those images of WSSBl are good depictions of the ink.

 

There may be a call for more comparisons of the Waterman inks: old packaging to new packaging, despite the assurances from Vendors and the marketing Co. that only the packaging was changed. The Inky Thoughts Forum has a good thread on that: LINK

 

I think that as the 'new' ink finds its way onto paper, the general concern can be addressed case by case as Members post their samples. (Whether or not this has to do with any compliance-driven changes to ink formulas [in the EU] is open to speculation, and would depend on the original formula of each ink.)

 

Unfortunately, I don't think that single comparisons of WBlBk to WMBl would be definitive, as the colour shift / stability seems unpredictable. More likely the 'crunch' will come on the widely used Florida - Serenity Blue, especially as some practitioners consider Florida Blue to be a 'standard' ink, even if it might not be a great ink.

 

Bye,

S1

[torstar]

If one like one's ink to fade away over time, then use this ink.

 

I remember finding my university notes in WM BlBlk almost illegible after a less than a decade or so.

 

 

I guess I can't resist asking why you were direly in need of your school notes a decade later?

 

 

[torstar]

When I rinsed out my pens in a coffee cup of water, the WFB stain would disappear over the next 20 minutes.

 

Haven't seen that with any other ink, not sure what it means in other applications.

[Fabienne]

I do believe that your scan of SSB was accurate. I know you go through no end of trouble to make sure that you are presenting an ink color just as you see it on the page. I also noted that several other people got that intense and extreme blue from South Sea and I was astounded that mine looked like Syo Ro! I got my sample from another forumite and I suspected that maybe they got their samples mixed up so I bought one from Goulet. Got the same result. I will try to put up my scans of the various inks.

 

I suppose that we all have to sign up for the thought, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

[JimB]

When I rinsed out my pens in a coffee cup of water, the WFB stain would disappear over the next 20 minutes.

 

Haven't seen that with any other ink, not sure what it means in other applications.

I had that same experience. If you're clumsy and spill ink a lot, this is good news.

 

If you think your prose is deathless, then it is less good news- you'd be better off using ESSRI or Noodler's Black.

[torstar]

When I rinsed out my pens in a coffee cup of water, the WFB stain would disappear over the next 20 minutes.

 

Haven't seen that with any other ink, not sure what it means in other applications.

I had that same experience. If you're clumsy and spill ink a lot, this is good news.

 

If you think your prose is deathless, then it is less good news- you'd be better off using ESSRI or Noodler's Black.

 

 

 

My fear is I'd drink the water... it's just sitting there on my office desk in a coffee cup....

 

Still strange that it all disappeared, that kind of things amuses and captivates me.

[Sandy1]

I do believe that your scan of SSB was accurate. I know you go through no end of trouble to make sure that you are presenting an ink color just as you see it on the page. I also noted that several other people got that intense and extreme blue from South Sea and I was astounded that mine looked like Syo Ro! I got my sample from another forumite and I suspected that maybe they got their samples mixed up so I bought one from Goulet. Got the same result. I will try to put up my scans of the various inks.

 

I suppose that we all have to sign up for the thought, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for restating your concern. And taking the initiative to post the sample comparisons, especially as they are from different sources.

 

While I certainly agree with the quotation, I don't think that we should let gross inconsistencies go unremarked. (e.g. Visconti Purple, Noodler's 41, the width of a Pelikan M200 EF nib, Moleskine paper.) To me that's part of belonging to a community such as FPN - helping others navigate the vast array of choices, and identify risks along the way. 'YYMV' is a constant theme, but . . .

 

Bye,

S1

[LagNut]

Sandy1,

 

First, let me add my thanks for this review (as well as the amazing breadth of your reviews - to have such quality and quantity is astonishing, and very welcome).

 

This particular ink is my "I really don't want to take any chances with this pen" ink. It currently resides in a pen of my father's I just brought back to the writing state successfully. It similarly resides in one of my old P25's just revived. It holds this place with me after reading through books and also Mr. Binders notes as an ink that seems to be one that pen doctors go to as a safe ink.

 

That said, I'm really glad to know about it's lack of waterfastness. There are a lot of things I will not care about in 6 months, but others I'll get back to after years and still find valuable. What is scarier is that I'll be astonished that I wrote them, as I do not recall the details at all. This is also why the long term characteristics are of such interest to me, and waterfastness is one of them.

 

On this note:

If one like one's ink to fade away over time, then use this ink.

 

I remember finding my university notes in WM BlBlk almost illegible after a less than a decade or so.

 

 

I guess I can't resist asking why you were direly in need of your school notes a decade later?

 

 

 

I have notes I took 30 years ago that I am transcribing to PDF form. I also have some of this laserjet printed notes that have melded themselves together over time from the same era (mid 1980's). It occurs to me now that it is unlikely that anything I write from this point forward will need to last 30 years, but I do expect 20 is a possibility.

 

So, SaintSimon, I do appreciate your input. This particular ink is out for that reason on anything I think I might need later, but it does match my scatterbrained habits where I'll leave a pen for months w/o writing, and then happen upon it again.

 

Cheers all

Mike