A couple of nights ago I happened upon a bottle of Pelikan blue, the bottle with a pen rest, that I have probably had stashed for several years. Looks just fine, and works marvelously in a Pelikan 215. Now, I also have a bottle of newer Pelikan blue (purchased less than a year ago). I don't have that ink in a pen right now, so I tried it with a dip pen as part of the comparison of blue inks I was playing with last night. I know that dipped ink looks different than ink from a pen, so I will try dipping the old ink tomorrow, but for tonight . . .

Does anyone have a guess on whether these two Pelikan blue inks happen to be different shades of blue? In other words, did Pelikan change the configuration of their blue as some point in the recent past?

Sharon in Indiana

Does anyone have a guess on whether these two Pelikan blue inks happen to be different shades of blue? In other words, did Pelikan change the configuration of their blue as some point in the recent past?

Sharon in Indiana
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No ink changes that I know of; just different bottles.

Juan in Andalucía

Thanks, Juan. That was my thinking, too, until this morning. i tried the "old" bottle with a different dip pen (both are glass, from the same company), and the color is identical to the ink in the Pelikan; i.e. it is different from the dipped ink in the "new" bottle! Maybe this has just aged oddly over time, but the color is definitely different.

Sharon in Indiana

How is the color different? A bit more rich, a bit darker, or actually a different shade?

Aaron

The older bottle contains a blue that is soft, matte finish, wanting to blend in with the paper, while the newer bottle is a brighter shade, more periwinkle. I don't think I could get a photo to show the difference or I would try it.

Sharon in Indiana

Hi:

this from the Pendemonium site Ink Facts and Reviews sections (due to internal navigation on site cannot figure out how to link):

Royal Blue - In early 2005 Pelikan changed the color formula of Royal Blue in bottles and cartridges to a more vibrant blue. For years, Pelikan Royal Blue had been your typical nice German blue, just not very vibrant.

I found this very interesting! The only Pelikan Blue that I own is pre-2005. Perhaps I should buy a bottle of the new formula and see if I like it better. Thank you for the information!

Now that is exactly what I see between these inks! This also helps me date that older bottle - it is before 2005, for sure!

Thank you for passing this ino on!

Sharon in Indiana

I do not use blue ink that much, so my Pel blue is older, too. I kind of like that matte look of this older ink on paper and I think I feel a little disappointed that the color has been reformulated. I will also have to try a bottle of the new stuff.

Or find someone who has it already and get a sample of it so you aren't stuck with a bottle you might not like.

Sharon in Indiana