Hi,

I'll first post a picture...

There's no way to describe the difference between a "normal" blue / blue-black ink and Parker Penman Sapphire. Even the scan above doesn't do it credit and I did my best to fiddle with it so it would look just like the what I can see before me on the actual paper.

I can only describe the difference as a difference in "strength and luster". The Sapphire comes alive on paper while many other blue-black inks seem to decide that coming out of their bottles is a bad thing. ;-)

I'm lucky, since I have a few bottles of Sapphire left. I hope that this post will enlighten some of those of you who've never seen this ink "in action".

Behold this endangered ink and be very carefull with what amount you may have left!

Best regards!

Thanks, HyperCamper !
Nice handwriting, too.

Just checking:
You wrote that the title and first paragraph were written with R&K Verdigris (nice blue-black!).
After each swabbed sample, were the words and sentences written with the ink of that sample?

Thnx for the compliment!

I've written the sentences beside and below the swabs using the same ink as the swabs themselves. Still think that the differences can be seen most clearly by comparing the swabs, though.

Best regards!

It's nice t see something written in Sapphire, thank you - but you are right that the scans don't really do justice to this ink 'on the page'.

When I go back to old notes written in Sapphire, they just look great - rich and blue. Every other ink, so far, has looked dull by comparison when viewed months or years later.

When will someone duplicate/copy/clone it for us?

Chris

And Emerald too, please.

I can't help but wonder if some ingredient in these inks was deemed "the bad guy" by "them" and that without this ingredient, any attempt at cloning will come close, but never quite make it.

but I still dream...

For a relative ink newbie (I managed OK on Quink and Skrip for 25 years before the advent of the internet and discovering a whole new pallette - but that's another discussion!) I know that penman sapphire and emerald are either the subject of loving reminiscence and hoarding of supplies or the object of criticism and ire (apparently the reason for it's demise). I've read a lot of the former but little of the latter and, while I'm sure it has been the subject of some debate, can anyone point me to a discussion on what was wrong with penman ink that caused such dischord and ultimately its death? I'm not trying to start a flame war or anything of the like, just interested in learning!

Go to alt.collecting.pens-pencils and search for "penman problems" (without the quotes) -- or just click here.

BTW, I have no view, one way or the other. I've never tried Penman...

Such an intriguing color. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if I'll ever get to try this famous ink. Have to keep an eye out on the 'bay!

Viseguy - Thanks for the informative link. It sounds like an interesting ink and I suppose is an example of the various tradeoffs we make in life as there is no free lunch - to attain the vibrant colors so treasured by fans there is some cost associated with that vibrancy which deters some who perhaps did not choose to assume those risks or knowingly choose those risks.

Something that controversial and "taboo", well, it's not surprising that given the fact that quantities are limited and the associated mystique prices are skyrocketing. Heck it's all I can do not to try to locate some just to see what the fuss is about (and load it into a converter filled pen and not a "51" or my duofold Vac filler!)....

I'm down to my last half-bottle of Parker Penman Ruby and I'll be very sad when it's finally all gone. I have never ever had a single problem with this ink in any pen I've used it in.

Petra

It seems interesting to me that of all the older inks, Penman occupies this unique love- hate niche. I can't think of any other ink that gets people going so intensly. all the modern inks people have opinions on sure but it's penman alone that seems to have this mythic status...

... I happen to love my penman inks (alas only 5 bottles left, sigh).