I had an older friend years ago who had the most beautiful dark blue ink I'd ever seen: in the ink container, it looked like a very very dark, rich dark blue, and on the page, it came out as an extremely dark blue, almost black but with a hint of red/burgundy where the ink was thinner. I guess it was kind of like a royal blue, but a thousand times darker. It didn't have the kind of deadening or grey tone that a lot of blue-blacks have. I do like blue-blacks, but I've always wanted to have a really, really good real dark blue. My friend's ink was in an inkwell, but there was a bottle of Montblanc on his desk, so when I started looking for this colour, I first looked into Montblanc, but none of their inks were at all similar. I would ask him what it was, or what it was a mix of, but he sadly passed away four years ago.

It couldn't have been an ink that was terribly old, because it was only about 5 years ago that he was using it.

Does anyone have an ideas what it might have been? He was using a Shaeffer Valor, with a medium nib, I think, if that helps. Colours change so much with each pen....

Even if you have no idea what ink I'm trying to find, I'd really love suggestions for a really rich dark blue to put in my Lamy Safari for taking notes at Uni. I have several of blue-blacks (Lamy, Waterman, Pelikan), and blues (Lamy, Pelikan, American Blue by PR, Pelikan Royal blue, Aurora Blue, Herbin Pervenche and Bleu Nuit), but I'm sort of hoping for a much richer, darker blue. Something like American blue, but darker and a warmer shade of blue without being as purple as Aurora blue. I was thinking maybe PR Black magic blue. Any ideas?

Thanks!

PR Black Magic Blue is a blue-purple ink similar to, but darker than, Aurora Blue. A better bet would be PR Midnight Blues.

I won't guess as to the ink he used, but I would recommend you try a couple of Private Reserve inks, DC Electric Blue and Black Magic Blue; both are very dark blues, the latter with somewhat more of a hint of purple than the former. (The similarly dark Midnight Blues, another marvelous colour, has no purple at all.) If you're concerned about drying times, dilute them a bit with water (the colour will barely change). Levenger's Cobalt Blue is much as you describe too, but needs diluting with water or mixing with a better behaved ink if you want it to perform well (it takes for ever to dry when used in a wet pen and goes very syrupy when left in a pen for more than a few days).

Simon

It looks like I'll be investing in some more PR ink

I really like DC Electric blue - strange how it's so dark, but it's called "electric."

Thanks for those suggestions

My vote would be PR Electric Blue as well. I've not used Midnight, so I can't comment. But comparing Electric Blue with DC Supershow, Lake Placid, and Aurora Blue, I believe the Electric Blue fits what you're looking for the most of these inks.

I like platinum blue-black. Writes well and is waterproof (to some extent): http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=41268

Diamine Prussian Blue or, my new favorite, Pilot's iroshizuku tsuki-yo.

Then new FPN Starry Night Blue is an extremely dark blue that is nearly black.

S-H-H-H
Dupont Bleu Nuit
If you ever find two bottles I'd love the other one
gary

DC Electric Blue and Midnight Blues are pretty much the same color, the way DC Supershow and American Blue are equivalent.

Check out some Noodler's Ellis Island. I can't add much concerning the red undertones, though. I vaguely recall reading something about an ink like that recently, but for the life of me I don't remember what it was.

Best,
Summer

My experience with Private Resserve DC Supershow Blue has been unsatisfacory.
It's sad because its colour is for me the most beautiful and intense of all the blue inks.
But I found it to feather on many papers, takes hours to dry and washes away completely if wetted.

Thinking this might have been ink from a faulty batch I bought it both in Europe and the USA. But all my results were the same.

My alterantive choice is Namiki Blue but Sheafer Blue is very nearly as good and is very easily washed from hands and quickly cleaned from pens (this is important for people who work with pens).


PR Lake Placid Blue is good and so is the Ostrich (Chinese) Blue.
Waterman South Seas Blue is my stand-by ink for any pen that stops, starts or skips. But it is rather like turquoise in colour and so is PR Naples Blue, Diamine Mediterranean Blue and the Herbin Periwinkle

Waterman Florida Blue is thin, so is Pelikan Royal Blue; and Parker Penman Sapphire no longer manufactured
Diamine did a WES Imperial Blue which is slightly purple and only sold in the UK but Diamine Sapphire Blue is attractive.

As we all know ink performance is bound up with the nib, the feed and the paper. My experience was personal and I don't claim it as definitive.

Hope it helps someone

Solitaire

Another vote for PR Midnight Blues, closely followed by DC Supershow Blue.

Thanks for sharing your findings with these inks.

Diamine WES imperial blue is available at Pendemonium in the US

I'm coming in late, but I would recommend Noodler's Manhattan Blue. It's a very deep blue. There are no red notes in it, but if you run water over it there is an indelible olive-green component that stays when the blue is washed away. The green is not visible at all otherwise--the ink is a deep rich blue.

PR American Blue is a really rich blue thats towards the darker side. I just picked it up. Its a vibrant blue in my pilot 78g (f nib = EF western nib), but in my other pens with regular F and M nibs, its a dark rich blue.

I second PR Electric DC Blue,

Julio

I'll guess that the old ink was Parker Penman Sapphire. No longer in production but vintage bottles can be found from time to time. I have half a bottle left and love it.

For a currently available ink that is bluer than blue, I suggest Levenger's Cobalt Blue. It is sometimes a bit slow to dry but the color is very, very, very blue with a certain brightness.

Andy

Ding ding ding... This one is a big winner for me! I love the way this ink behaves as well.

Hi,I agree totally. My favourite blue,ahead of PR DC Supershow Blue and I never thought I would say that..

Ronin