[dandelion]

It seems like I've been drawn to inks that remind me of summer the last six months or so. I think the thing that set me off on the bright-happy-ink-journey was when I got the first free 18 pack mixed cartridges when I ordered directly from Diamine and learned that there is so many inks to love out there. I'd never thought I'd love a dark pink like Claret or...this kind of bright, mediterranean blue with a distinct turquoise feel. I was all for muted, sombre inks, but I've learned that different inks have their different roles to play. Diamine's generosity with cartridges shows how much there is to earn by giving freebies - I've ordered a lot more ink than I should have done otherwise. It is often both profitable and clever to be generous.

This might well be the most well behaved ink I have ever used - it at least makes it to the top 3.
It makes the nib happy and lubes it into a near-divine-experience. It dries rather fast, doesn't feather even when used in a Moleskine. The bleedthrough - in the Moleskine - is minor and none on ordinary copy paper. It might not be the ink that one might use in more traditional office settings, but it is very good for margin notes - they stand out without being so bright that they are hard to read. The "readability" also make this ink a great ink for letters, journaling and other kinds of extensive writings. The drying time is very good - almost dry in 5 secs and dry around 7 secs. The only drawback - as usually with Diamine's inks - is that it is not the least water resistant.

So - if you already have the "conservative-everyday-use-blue-black-something-colour covered - this is a very good complementary ink. It is not so bright that it is usable only in very special settings, but it is enough bright to cheer you up while taking notes or writing a letter. I'd be very happy to get a letter written with this ink. The resemblance of the Mediterranean Sea is striking and with a little bit of imagination one can almost feel the smell of salty water, summer and sand. This will follow me during the autumn and winter as a reminder of the summer.

A good thing with Diamine ink is that they sell them in small 30 ml (approx 1 fl oz) plastic bottles for a very low price if you order straight from their website. That allows you to try different colours rather cheap and the plastic bottles makes very good travelling inkwells. For those concerned with the plastic bottles: I pour the ink to an empty glass bottle/ink well and use the empty for travel and trades.

Since it seems like my scanner isn't that good (we are at war at the moment) I've added a photo that captures the colour better.

This post has been edited by dandelion: 09 September 2009 - 07:33 AM

[Bipedallou]

Thank you for the review. This color is not what I would like to use myself, and seeing a sample confirms me in my opinion better than a squiggly line sample often used by ink sellers on-line. This of course is why I like to read through these ink reviews.

Thank you for taking the time to share; and it appears like you are pleased with your purchase which is always better than the disappointment of having to use ink you don't like.

Lou

[Ada]

I enjoy your reviews, and I particularly like your drawings of your namesake flower at the end. The Mediterranean Blue in your photo looks very close to Waterman South Seas Blue on my screen, so I'm wondering how similar the two are. Do you know?

[dandelion]

Thanks for positive response!

Ada, unfortunately I haven't tried Waterman South Sea Blue, but at TWDs colour comparison page the SSB looks a little bit lighter than the Mediterranean. I'm also happy to hear that you appreciate my little flower!

[tawanda]

Can anyone tell me how this compares to Irorhizuku Ku Jaku and Diamine Steel Blue? I bought Steel Blue hoping it would be the same as the Ku Jaku but its much greener, and 'in your face' - more akin to PR Blue Suede. I'd be grateful for a comparison.

Cheers
T

[wvbeetlebug]

Very nice review. I have this ink but I don't use it enough. Not sure why because like you said it is a very well behaved ink.

[Ada]

Ada, unfortunately I haven't tried Waterman South Sea Blue, but at TWDs colour comparison page the SSB looks a little bit lighter than the Mediterranean. I'm also happy to hear that you appreciate my little flower!

Thanks, dandelion.

[Ondina]

Lovely review. Diamine's inks exhibit a great behavior and qualities, all I have tried have been a very positive experience. Thanks to Rogerb, a comparison between WSSB and DMB will be possible in the coming days.

[Mauricio]

One of my favorite inks. Have this ink loaded on a Pelikan 100N Tortoise from the late 1930's, which has a medium flex nib ... very well behaved ink and gives an absolutely gorgeous shading with this nib.
Dandelion, thank for the review and for sharing your beautiful handwriting with us!