Blue Chaos

[DDP1]

I don't really like to make my first posts full of questions, but I don't have much to post about FPs yet.

Please, excuse me.

 

As I posted in my introductory thread I have a Waterman Hemisphere, fine which I have used occasionally with blue-black cartridges.

It turns out that I 'm not the only one who doesn't really like that colour. It's neither black, blue or blue-black. In most papers it s strange teal-like.

 

I 'm looking for ink bottles. Diamine is the cheapest around.

There's Waterman blue for a bit more and also Cross which I assume is rebranded Pelikan, but I understand that they are rather 'weak' colours.

 

I ve seen the excellent thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/250366-all-diamine-inks-compared/

but I don't really have a reference point with other common pens like a BIC ballpoint or a Pilot VBall.

 

If I could get a colour similar to that royal blue I d be happy: (scroll down the page to see it)

http://www.gourmetpens.com/2013_10_01_archive.html

 

I 'm looking for a strong blue with high contrast, it can be dark or vivid (preferably), but not pale, watered of fainted. No turquoise I guess.

I don't mind if they fade over time, but when writing and for a couple of days it must keep it s high contrast as much as possible to make reading easy and speedy.

I m writing on both 80 and 60gsm, absorbent and non. Pretty much what you d expect from common office paper.

 

Having a look at cybaea's thread, majestic blue and sargasso got my attention, but I read that they are temperamental and might not be ideal for an all around daily and trouble free ink.

Beyond that there's the sapphire one, but could that actually be purple and not blue?

 

Then there s the group around royal blue, but I cannot really tell how strong and vivid they are. Can any of those match the ink used in the Kaweco above?

 

Should I forget the idea of a blue ink and look to other options all together?

 

I 'd be grateful for any help/ideas.

Thank you

 

[senzen]

Well... You need to find a blue you like, then you need to find a pen from which it comes out saturated, which also depends on the paper, and how much the pen evaporates... Diamine has a humongous lineup so it's highly probably you'll find what you need.

 

My true blue is Iroshizuku Tsuyu Kusa, Sailor Souten is a close second. Asa Gao looks more purple, then I have a bunch of gorgeous green blues: Kon Peki, Équinoxe 6. I mention them because we all probably have a different idea of what "blue" is, plus they look different in each computer, phone or tablet display: to your eyes Souten might be perfect and Tsuyu Kusa too purple, for instance. You might want to to look for Diamine equivalents of Tsuyu Kusa and Souten, see if a vendor like Goulet can send you small vials so you can try them before you buy a bigger bottle.

 

Ink also looks very different under sun light and interior lights... If seen by the cost of each sheet, HP laserjet 32lbs is good (if thick) paper at a reasonable price.

[KellyMcJ]

If water resistance is not important to you, check out Monteverde Sapphire. It sells for $15 for 90mL (3 oz)

 

It's a deep, dark royal blue (at least in a wet pen). The same shade as navy, but a brighter hue. (I want to post a pic but I'm having technical difficulties at the moment). Somehow somber and eye catching at the same time, probably perfect for business use.

 

It doesn't seem like it will be that well behaved on common office paper, but that depends as much on the pen as it does the ink and I don't have any of that here to test it on.

[tamiya]

When it has to be blue not turquoise for a 'serious' document, I head for Watermans Mysterious Blue(Black) or Serenity Blue. Lamy blue is also very nice.

 

For a strong blue with real cerulean punch, Iroshizuku Konpeki is it!

[senzen]

With Fabriano Traccia paper.

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by pseudo88

[DDP1]

no option to delete a post?

Edited December 12, 2017 by DDP1

[DDP1]

Well... You need to find a blue you like, then you need to find a pen from which it comes out saturated, which also depends on the paper, and how much the pen evaporates... Diamine has a humongous lineup so it's highly probably you'll find what you need.

 

My true blue is Iroshizuku Tsuyu Kusa, Sailor Souten is a close second. Asa Gao looks more purple, then I have a bunch of gorgeous green blues: Kon Peki, Équinoxe 6. I mention them because we all probably have a different idea of what "blue" is, plus they look different in each computer, phone or tablet display: to your eyes Souten might be perfect and Tsuyu Kusa too purple, for instance. You might want to to look for Diamine equivalents of Tsuyu Kusa and Souten, see if a vendor like Goulet can send you small vials so you can try them before you buy a bigger bottle.

 

Ink also looks very different under sun light and interior lights... If seen by the cost of each sheet, HP laserjet 32lbs is good (if thick) paper at a reasonable price.

Interesting. I d have picked AsaGao as it seem richer at least on screen, but I don't really want to go there. They are on the expensive side.

That s why I wrote Diamine. They cost 3.5 euros

 

When it has to be blue not turquoise for a 'serious' document, I head for Watermans Mysterious Blue(Black) or Serenity Blue. Lamy blue is also very nice.

 

For a strong blue with real cerulean punch, Iroshizuku Konpeki is it!

Florida, Sea, Blue-Black (teal), Obsession (turquoise) available. I can't seem to find what you propose at comparable cost to Diamine.

 

Is there a post here with something like a Diamine Royal blue or similar colour and a plain pen for comparison of colours?

It s almost impossible to tell from the screen. From there I could work my way to an acceptable shade I guess.

 

Much obliged for the speedy replies

What about that ink used in the Kaweco, any guess for the Diamine equivalent?

Edited December 12, 2017 by DDP1

[Carrau]

Like KellyMcJ, I’d recommend Monteverde Sapphire, or a similar Diamine ink Blue Velvet. Both have been well behaved for me in a variety of pens, and are vivid blues.

[DDP1]

Like KellyMcJ, I’d recommend Monteverde Sapphire, or a similar Diamine ink Blue Velvet. Both have been well behaved for me in a variety of pens, and are vivid blues.

Blθe Velvet seems awesome and I had noticed it already, but they don't stock it.

Maybe I should email and ask them.

[Noihvo]

[Jan2016]

You already mentioned it

 

Majestic Blue

 

It is a great blue and I use it for everyday. Do not know what you mean with temperamental exactly, but for me the ink behaves very good. It has a beautiful sheen, which you will only see on non absorbing papers, and it is absolutely not disturbing to me. I guess most people who are not aware of this kind of ink characteristic will not even notice.

 

You can try samples (as Goulet offers) and Diamine also has smaller bottles.

[sthp]

If I presume correctly the place where you intend to buy from, I can suggest two inks that are available in this shop:

1. Diamine Mediterranean Blue, which is quite similar to kon peki (at least for my eyes), and

2. Diamine Sapphire Blue.

 

I have used both of them and they have been well behaved.

 

PS. I have not any connection to this shop. I am only a happy customer.

Edited December 12, 2017 by sthp

[welch]

Diamine Sapphire Blue is the closest non-luxury ink to Asa Gao.

[lapis]

no option to delete a post?

No, you can't (a moderator can) but you can always edit your own post within 24 h.

[DrDebG]

Vivid, royal blue with a very slight lean towards purple, is my very favorite color. I have several very nice blues, but I am always on the hunt for lovely blues. The following are some of my favorites. They are all probably more expensive than Diamine. But what I have found is that when it comes to ink, buy samples first to find the color you love, then just buy a bottle even though it may cost a few dollars more than something you aren't as satisfied with. I hate to tell you how much I have spent on ink that is "acceptable" but really isn't what I love. Remember, your ink will last quite a while depending upon how much you use it. When I only used Waterman South Seas (now Inspired Blue), a bottle would last almost an entire year.

 

My favorites are:

 

Aurora Blue (probably one of the very best inks made); made in Italy I believe)

J. Herbin Eclat d'Saphir (just a wonderful blue in a great formulation; made in France)

DeAtramentis Sapphire Blue (made in Germany; very nicely lubricated with wonderful full color)

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu Kusa (made in Japan; spendy but you can sometimes find for less on Amazon)

Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao (bold, purple leaning blue; great formulation)

Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai (softer, purply blue)

 

Check out Goulet Pens swab comparison webpage ( It is quite useful. Then find 5 or 6 colors you like, check out the reviews here on FPN about them, then order samples. Narrow it down to one or two and buy a bottle. Then, ENJOY!

[Runnin_Ute]

My current selection of blues - straight blues is a bit limited, but I have Waterman Serenity Blue, and a couple from Blackstone (an Australian company) Sydney Harbour Blue and Barrier Reef Blue. BRB is a bit brighter and SHB is a bit more blue blackish. Both sheen on good papers. I do have some Akkerman Shocking Blue,but haven't used it in a while.

[Fuzzy_Bear]

Noodlers Blue Steel. Its exclusive to Dromgooles in Houston. Our Texas Blue Bonnet. It did lean a bit towards turquoise, bit those are my favorite blues. And kon-peki.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Fuzzy_Bear

[ErrantSmudge]

You are right to dislike Waterman's Blue-Black. I have a bottle of it that I keep mainly for testing pens, but it is not very dark and has a greenish hue to it that I don't care for.

 

I just wanted to make another vote for Diamine Blue Velvet for your ideal royal blue. Monteverde's Horizon Blue is another close match for Blue Velvet, but again it is another ink that is easy to find in the USA but is probably difficult for Greece.

[displacermoose]

I don't know how much it costs in your part of the world, but I have recently found Visconti Blue to be quite lovely. It is a lovely rich color and has been quite well behaved in my pens.

[DDP1]

wow!

I didn't expect so many replies. Too much info.

Unfortunately, some suggestions would be hard to get over here at reasonable cost.

 

I was probably looking for an impossible answer. I couldn't find an answer myself, but it seems that I couldn't because there isn't a definite one.

 

I think I 'll just order Diamine Sapphire Blue, which seems to be in the middle of our blue options and hasn't caused special problems to others.

I guess I have to start somewhere in order to see and decide for myself what path I ll take next.

 

Being equivalent to Asa Gao is an additional benefit if I want to move to that group of inks.

 

I ll let you know how it turns out when I receive it.

 

BTW, they 've replied to my email. Early next year they will restock Diamine inks. Maybe Blue Velvet will be included in the shipment.