Rather than hijack someone else's topic in which people started reminiscing about the childhood joys of mimeos, I thought I should ask my question in a new topic: what currently available FP ink comes closest to that fondly-remembered color?

"Fondly" remembered? Aaaaaacccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

J Herbin Violette Pensee

"Violet" and "purple" inks that look more blue than red and do not "pop off the page" would be good candidates.

Some inks with fitting hues:

J Herbin Violette Pensee
Sheaffer Skrip Purple (new, from Slovenia)
Diamine Violet
Noodler's Iraqi Indigo
Caran d'Ache Blue Night (?)
Namiki/Pilot Purple

Fitting if diluted with water: Noodler's Purple Wampum (?) and Violet and La Couleur Royale, PR Purple Mojo and Black Magic Blue

Too reddish for this purpose (but good for plenty of other purple purposes): Waterman Violet/Purple, Pelikan Violet, Diamine Imperial Purple and Lamy Violet.

What I loved was the smell of mimeograph ink. Didn't everybody?

Oh yeah

"I never inhaled." Ha!!!

My closest is 50/50 Waterman Violet and Waterman Florida Blue (aka "Blurple"), which is spot-on for what my mimeos looked like in school. This ink flows very, very well, too.

If your mimeo-memories are a little lighter, you can always add a some South Seas Blue or PR Tropical Blue to lighten it up a touch. Fiesta Red (TINY drops at a time) can redden it if necessary.

~~King