Attached below is an image of a writing sample with PR Midnight Blues, and below that, the review proper. Regarding the image, "lorem ipsum" is a nonsense language used by printers to showcase a font/color (ie: it takes focus away from content and puts it on aesthetics). The water test was performed by submerging and agitating a sample swatch of the given ink in reverse osmosis water for thirty seconds, then letting it drip dry.

A key has been added, written on Clairefontaine paper, with a number of different inks for reference.

Standard Disclaimer: Image provided only to give a general sense of the color. The vibrance and nuance are typically lost when an ink is digitized.



Review

When I write a review, I first focus on color, and award an ink 0 to 100 based upon that alone, separate from other considerations. I then deduct points from the color score for defects (ie: lack of flow, creep, etc), to arrive at an overall score.

Color

PR Midnight Blues is a nice, perhaps prototypical blue-black. In my pen, it comes off as “powdery” and dull, but I imagine a broader gauge would improve things.

Color Score = 85

Deductions

Midnight Blues didn’t perform horribly on the water test, but it left quite a bit to be desired.
-2

Overall Score = 83

Nice review! Thanks for including the comparisons with the other inks in the lower left hand corner.

I just received a Pelikan 150 and a sample of this ink from JJ. What a great combination. But what was even better, was that it has really cured the skipping problem I had with a Waterman Harley Davidson FP I have. A writer with a very smooth nib, but fussy. This ink turned it into a superb writer.

The PR inks have excellent lubrication properties.

I loaded this ink in my Esterbrook with 9048 nib and I must say that I love the color!!

On the downside: this ink really feathers a lot in my moleskine and bleeds immensly through the pages...
I don't have any problems with Levenger ink. All my Noodler's ink bleed and feather a lot less then this PR...

This is one of my favorite blue inks, but I don't use it because of its low water-resistance. Ah well...

I really like the color of this ink, too. But I must also say that I've had some fairly gnarly experiences with it on a lot of different papers: major feathering; bleed through; smearing. On Moleskine? No way. Made a mess for me (even in my fine point Visconti Viscontina). I hardly use it any more because of all this, despite the fact that it's one of my absolute favorite blues.

Bummer.

I love the MS Wordesque sample of writing!
Looks like a ink might have to pick up. I love blues.

This ink feathers & bleeds on a lot of different papers. When it doesn't, it's pretty awesome.

If you want a Private Reserve Black with a little more character, try Black Magic Blue. It's a bit darker and writes very smoothly in all my pens, water test is about the same though . . .