Here's My Comparison Of Some Saturated Blue Inks

[lukeformosa]

As a follow-on from my previous post where I asked for recommendations (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/346153-can-you-recommend-a-blue-ink/), I am posting here a comparison of the samples I ultimately decided on from that thread.

 

All samples were written with a Brause dip pen (the blue-coloured shorthand nib).

 

To avoid contamination between samples, I washed the nib under running water for a few seconds and dried it with a paper towel.

 

All samples were written on the same sheet of 80gsm printer paper and scanned in one go. The first sentence is written in pencil to provide a control/reference.

 

There's honestly not a lot of difference between many of the samples. Most of the variation seemed to come about from the level of fill of the dip pen nib as opposed to the ink itself.

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by lukeformosa

[lapis]

Nice comparison! And thanks for including Parker's Quink and Waterman's blue. Both of those oldies and newbies haven't changed (except for any naming) and ASAIK they are all made out of one and the same recipe. At least chromatography indicates that and I haven't yet found any differences in their wetness and lube qualities.

[lukeformosa]

Indeed, it's impressive that there's no colour change in the first two lines. The first line is a bottle that's been on my desk for over a decade. The second line is a fresh sample of quink blue that I got this month. Also impressive is how little difference there is between most of these inks. The only ones that look very different are the Pilot Asa-Gao, Diamine Asa-Blue, the two diamine shimmer, the J.Herbin and the two Private Reserve Inks.

 

It could be that the fine-ness of the dip pen concentrates the dye into a small area and makes the colours hard to discern, or it could be just because fine nibs write lines that are physically smaller so there's less ink area to actually look at. But the Quink, Waterman, Diamine 150th and Visconti are almost impossible to tell apart. Likewise I can't see a massive difference between PR American blue and DC supershow blue (though maybe this last one will become clear when I ink a real pen as opposed to a dip pen).

[Eclipse157]

Thank you for the comparison, I love those when I'm an inky-buy-y mood. I used to use (can you say that?) glass dip pens for my personal ink evaluations, but I found out pretty soon that they give a somewhat biased version of the ink, specifically it's almost always oversaturated, good for sheen, bad for shading. It's still very good to get a general idea but I no longer use glass nibs for my tests.

 

So in the end on which one of the blues did you settle?

[lukeformosa]

Well, I started with the J Herbin blue (because they accidentally sent 4 sample vials of it instead of one), but a few days in realised I couldn't live with how pale and un-saturated it looked. So I washed out my Twsbi eco and loaded it with PR DC Supershow Blue. The colour is very nice. Zero shading, not too dark not too purple, it's a really blue blue. The only problem is that it feathers more than some of the other inks.

 

When that runs out I will wash the pen and probably try the pilot Asa-Gao. I'm curious what makes that ink sample worth three times the price of the other samples I have. Or PR American blue fast-dry. It looks like a nice colour but with the dip pen I can't discern the difference between it and the DC Supershow blue.

 

After all that I think I will try my first shimmer ink ;D

[arellano81366]

Well, I started with the J Herbin blue (because they accidentally sent 4 sample vials of it instead of one), but a few days in realised I couldn't live with how pale and un-saturated it looked. So I washed out my Twsbi eco and loaded it with PR DC Supershow Blue. The colour is very nice. Zero shading, not too dark not too purple, it's a really blue blue. The only problem is that it feathers more than some of the other inks.

 

When that runs out I will wash the pen and probably try the pilot Asa-Gao. I'm curious what makes that ink sample worth three times the price of the other samples I have. Or PR American blue fast-dry. It looks like a nice colour but with the dip pen I can't discern the difference between it and the DC Supershow blue.

 

After all that I think I will try my first shimmer ink ;D

 

J Herbin blue you mean Eclat de Saphir? This ink leans towards purple but in some pens looks really nice. My first blue ink.

[lukeformosa]

 

J Herbin blue you mean Eclat de Saphir? This ink leans towards purple but in some pens looks really nice. My first blue ink.

 

Correct, it was Herbin Sapphire Blue. Forgot to add that

[Robbi49]

Since the topic is Saturated blue inks, there are some really expressive a nd bright at the same time blues, like Noodlers Bayside or Elysium Blue.

Another ink to look to is Monteverde Horizon Blue, with very good flow characteristcs.

 

In comparison with these old classics look and feel rather unattractive..

[TSherbs]

 

 

So in the end on which one of the blues did you settle?

Yes, which did you choose? And I agree with the Monteverde suggesting. They make some startling blues now.

[alexander_k]

But the Quink, Waterman, Diamine 150th and Visconti are almost impossible to tell apart.

 

Many thanks for the comparison. In my experience, Diamine Blue Velvet and Visconti Blue are different in appearance on the page but I haven't used them in identical pens.

[lukeformosa]

Yes, which did you choose? And I agree with the Monteverde suggesting. They make some startling blues now.

 

My favourite so far is the Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue and American Blue. I'm planning to order another dozen samples based on the advice of this thread and others though, and add them to the page

[TSherbs]

 

My favourite so far is the Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue and American Blue. I'm planning to order another dozen samples based on the advice of this thread and others though, and add them to the page

yikes, that's a lot 🤘

[Eclipse157]

yikes, that's a lot

Nah it's a perfectly reasonable amount!

[lukeformosa]

yikes, that's a lot

 

Haha. Well, they only cost 90 cents per sample from thewritingdesk, so a dozen samples plus the dozen I already tested cost less than a bottle of Pilot ink. Plus, I barely ever write anything these days so it'll take me years to get through them all