I think I got this scan into my other thread too late for it to be useful there. This is the blue as it comes out of my cheapo Pilot Varsities and I love it. What "real" ink come close to the color? I am leaning towards PR's American Blue at the moment, but is it dark enough. This ink is also quite saturated and opaque which does not come across so well in the scan.

i'd say PR American Blue or DC Blue.

have you gotten any vials to do ink trades?

Wow Robert, I can see why you would want it! I used to buy Parker Vectors when they were easy to get and I don't remember the blue ink being so vibrant. In fact I still have some carts around somewhere, I will have to get one out again. The other option, though not as appealing as buying bottled ink, is to syringe the ink from the carts into a bottle. I have done that with other ink that I like but only have in carts..

The only bottle ink I have at the moment is black Quink, pretty sure that is not adequate trade fodder.

If you don't mind a rather pricey ink, I like J Herbin Eclat De Saphir. It looks quite similar to your scan to me. Neither too violet or too green.

The smaller bottle does make it a higher $/ml though. It seems to be widely available.

I've read that J. Herbin inks are less saturated. Is that the case? One of the appeals of the above ink is that it is truky opaque with little if any shading. It looks so bold on paper that way, like it is saying, "yes, I am ink, and I am here to be read, I am not art, I am not decoration, I have a something to tell."

Looks like I've also got three Parker cartridges of blue left, I didn't like the color at all, though the blue-black Quink looks close to what I want.

I think I know just what you mean. I find Pelikan Blue too washed out.
You can try comparing the Herbin, Perlikan and Quink (but unfortunately not Namiki/Pilot) at the great
The Writing Desk: Ink Comparer

I didn't notice Parker inks listed there. Are they under a different company name that Parker also bottles for?

Your sample looks a lot like PR American Blue/DC Supershow Blue

ah... sorry - i should not assume that everyone has read the ink vial trading system.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=6426

I'd be glad to send you a vial of DC Blue to try (very close to American Blue). As I noted in my list of inks - in general I'm just trading inks for stamps at this point as I have too many inks on hand already.

Yes, I have not gained enough of an ink collection to have been considering trading vials as of yet. Is there else you'd be interested in? I don't have much in the way of collectible goodies as I sort of simplified myself before the recent move.

The Ink Colour Comparison tool (and also The Writing Desk "Col-O-Rama") compares the colours of the various bottled inks that we have in stock.

I'm afraid we don't stock Parker Quink therefore it is not included.

Martin

Using the handy Col-O-Rama (thanks for the link, hadn't found it yet) I am leaning towards giving PR's American Blue a try. Other contenders might be PR's Tanzanite, Diamine's Prussion Blue, Herbin's Sapphire Blue, and Waterman's Florida Blue and maybe their blue/black as well. Thanks for the input folks.

PR Tanzanite doesn't look like your blue (at least to me). It's really very purplish, nice color, but not just blue.

agreed. and a bit flat on the page to my eye.

I love Prussian blue... but it probably isn't as vibrant as what you're looking for either. It's sort of like Quink Blue on steroids. Saturated, smooth, non-fading...but a soft blue nonetheless

From the note you included with the shipment of notepads, I see that Diamine Prussian Blue is a delightfully legible, darker shade of blue, too, but not at all blue-black.

yes, to me I'd call it slate blue. Definitely blue, no green undertones.

If you can find a picture of a Levenger slate-blue leather anything, that's pretty much Prussian Blue.

In a drier writer it's softer of course. The sample you've seen is from a pretty wet writer so it is nice and opaque. In a medium-dry writer it shades beautifully.

But I am biased.

I've said this before WRT this ink - someday I may wake up and decide it's "just blue" - thus far, that hasn't happened.

As KCat (Hi there) pointed out, looks like PR American or DC Supershow. If you are interested, I have a bunch of blue inks (see list on Inks page) and could send scrawled samples of some if you wish. Then you could work up to getting samples or purchasing some. Let me if you are interested. Only problem is my e-mail is whacked at the moment and there is no one at the tech support line ...

Thanks for the offer. My local shop Daly's carries Private Reserve and I might as well get myself a bottle. The DC or American blues might not be an absolutely perfect match, but they are darn nice blues themselves.

BTW I had a funny thing happen in a dream last night. After I picked out my perfect blue I had to pick out which language I wanted it in....

I got out my Varsity last night and the PR inks. I think you'll find your match. Offer stands if there are other blues you ever want to see.
That dream makes me laugh! It just makes too much sense to me.
If they have Herbin Eclat de Saphir, you ought to give it a look. It's a great blue, and probably one of the densest Herbin inks. It always makes me feel cheerier.