I received my bottle of DC Supershow Blue today from Paradise Pens. My sister had given me a $10 gift card so basically all I had to pay was the shipping. It is soooo pretty! I can't wait to try it in one of my pens! Of course now I have to decide which pen.

DC Supershow Blue is probably my favorite ink! It's a vibrant blue with no hints of purple, and I've yet to find a pen that doesn't like it. Congratulations on your purchase, and I think that you'll be very happy if you like the ink even half as much as I do.


Dave

DC SS Blue is a beautiful color, it's one of my favourite blues. One slight problem: if you use a wet nib, you will have a long drying time and/or problems with smearing. I use and carry a blotting paper, so it's not an issue any more.

Cool. Thanks for the tip. I have some new blotters that are just waiting to be used.

Supershow Blue takes very well to dilution with water (3:1 ink: water works well), which greatly reduces the drying time and smearing problem.

Simon

Thank you for your suggestion. Does the ink still look saturated? Does it show shading when diluted?

I concur with Simon. Being a lefty means the smearing with this ink caused me to consider to throw it away, despite the fact that I really like the colour.
But now I just dilute it with water, and smearing is no longer a problem.
I tried 60% Ink 40% Water, but it is slightly too thin, so next up is 70% Ink 30% Water.
60/40 on Clairefontaine paper (very smooth) solves my smearing problems, so I'm hoping 70/30 will be alright as well (and bleed less on cheaper paper).
Saturation is about the same, and colour balance as well.

Hope this is useful.

I made a swab test of both mixes, I will scan this tomorrow and post it (I mixed it in the bottle so I am no longer able to swab the undiluted ink).

Best regards,

Jarno.

I saw another thread about watering down inks. What specific type of water would be best? I mean is bottled water or distilled water ok compared to say water straight out of the tap?

I used plain old tapwater (not chlorinated).

By the way the quality of the scan is abismal, I thought the document scanner at work was capable of more resolution (but apparently not).
The first line is PR Naples blue in my Tibaldi (F-stub nib).
The second line is Montblanc blue in my Pelikan M805 (F-nib)
Third and fourth 60/40 PR DC Supershow blue in Duofold (XF nib).

Best regards,

Jarno.

It's hard for me to even imagine being left-handed, writing left to right, and using a fountain pen. I can barely manage to avoid touching wet ink being right-handed. You have my admiration.

Well, it is a bit of a quest, finding paper that works, finding ink that dries quickly, finding a nib that puts down ink in all the crazy movements you make. But the experience of effortless writing makes it worthwhile!

Best regards,

Jarno.

Ditto. Thanks for the scan!

FWIW Swisher has some inks that were crafted by Noodlers to dry quickly on specified papers for the benefit of lefthanded writers.

It is entirely possible, writing left to right and still feel smoothness of the pen. And without smearing, not touching the ink with a hand.
However, in first four grades of primary school I was obliged to write with FP, there was time enough to find a way to write with a fountain pen without staining notebooks, tests and homeworks, thanks to my brutal teacher who sometimes would brought me to tears with her objurgations and FP drills, until a high school when I start enjoying fountain pens.

I just recommended those to a left-handed acquaintance, btw. Also, Baystate Blue has a fast drying time.

DC Supershow Blue is a greener blue than Baystate, and some people prefer PR inks.