Waterman Florida Blue

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Gray Scale linked below.

As the patches are neutral gray, their colour on your monitor should also be neutral gray.

• Mac http://www.wikihow.c...te-Your-Monitor
• Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/

Gray Scale. LINK

 

Fine Print:

The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of materiél used. Ink does not require labelling/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc. As always, YMMV, not only from materials, methods, environment, etc., but also due to differences between the stuff in the bottle I used, and that in bottle you may have.

Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

 

=|-|=

Figure 1.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/b343a8a4.jpg

 

Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/8bcdc4d4.jpg

 

 

WRITTEN SAMPLES: Moby Dick

 

Row Height is 8mm.

 

Figure 3.

Paper: HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/9ff9a875.jpg

 

Figure 4.

Paper: Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/df1cb584.jpg

 

Figure 5.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/5748f36c.jpg

Figure 6.

Paper: Royal, 25% rag.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/79e46ef7.jpg

Figure 7.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/a29a747a.jpg

 

OTHER SAMPLES:

 

Figure 8.

• 'HAPPY!' on Glossy Card.
• Smear/Dry Time on Glossy Paper.
• Smear/Dry Time on HPJ1124.
• Wet Tests on HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/OOTT%20Ink%20Review%20-%20Waterman%20Florida%20Blue/80ceb5d6.jpg

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

 

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

• Very possible.

A go-to ink?

• Evidently.

USE

 

Business:

• Easily.
• WFB can be used for internal correspondence without a problem, but seems to lack gravitas for external correspondence. (This is Ms Blue-Black speaking.)
• It lacks the eye-catching quality necessary for mark-up, editing, etc.
• This ink is short on animation required for error correction or grading.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Possible.
• Very much a transitional colour.
• WFB does not claim space on the page, so is more useful as a ground rather than a figure.
• The tendency of the ink to shade might make it unsuitable for narrow lines, crosshatching, etc.; but WFB does have a very crisp line quality, so from a wetter writer it might be do-able.

Students:

• No doubt.
• An easy-reading colour suited to routine notes; tolerates edits & mark-up without losing its bottle.
• Acceptable performance across a range of writing papers from diverse writers makes WFB a good choice for those who cannot always use their preferred pen and paper.
• It is not very robust, so may not be the best choice for the careless and/or in environments where water resistance is desirable.
• WFB is just the thing for hand-written assignments, but is not stellar; something with more ooomph may be preferred for papers deserving of a top mark.

Personal:

• I rarely use WFB for personal writing - only when I dare to be dull.
• WFB is ubiquitous, so seems impersonal, common.
• A too obvious default choice for pro forma writing; and no one in their right mind should be concerned that WFB might be unsuitable for such tasks.
• As WFB is produced in huge volumes on a routine, if not on-going continuous basis, it is very consistent and reliable, (perhaps more so than small batch boutique / bespoke inks), so I find it is very useful for generating written samples from pens. Also, it is fast to clean-up, so once the exemplars are generated, a more interesting ink may take its place in a trice. (Most welcome to visit, but not to over-stay the welcome.)
• If I were to receive a letter written in WFB from an adult, it is likely that I would overlook the ink altogether in hopes that the author has something extraordinary to convey, or has at least enclosed a sheaf of gold bullion certificates or similar goodies.
• WFB is dreadfully inappropriate for any sort of billet doux; but as WFB can be eradicated, it is suitable for crushes & puppy love.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• Very slightly on the dry side.

Nib Dry-out:

• Not noticed.

Start-up:

• Prompt.

Lubrication:

• Very nice.
• Allows one to be aware of the nib and paper in use; and keep those narrow nibs running on their tiny sweet spots.

Nib Creeping:

• None.

Staining:

• None after 3 days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed Through:

• Not seen on papers used.

Show Through:

• Not seen on papers used.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• Not seen on papers used.

Smear/Dry Time:

• Glossy: < 2 seconds.
• HPJ1124: 12 - 15 seconds.

Water Resistance: ☂

• HPJ1124 & Royal:
  • -2- on the 4S Scale:
  • "Over half is legible.
  • May provide basis for 'best guess' restoration. (Think Dead Sea scrolls.)"

• The lack of water resistance may be the trade-off to enable eradication. LINK Not a Pink Pearl.

Smell:

• Sharp esters.
• Reminiscent of new Pirellis.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not noticed.

Archival:

• Not claimed.

Clean Up:

• Faster than most with plain water.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibition.
• I imagine that WFB has appeared in all manner of mixes, but I see no particular need to mix WFB itself.

THE LOOK

 

Presence:

• Calm.
• Classic.
• Comfortable as a pair of old kangaroo-hide walking shoes, with many miles left in them.

Saturation:

• Rather less than one might think. (!)
• Requires an absorbent paper and/or a wet writer to generate a saturated line. (See the Safari on Royal, especially HiRes scan below.)

Shading:

• Soft shading announces that WFB is indeed an FP ink.
• Quite frequent on smooth-surfaced paper from all but the most narrow nib.
• (Passing strange that the M200+EF generated shading most appealing to me.)

Variance depending on pen+nib combos used:

• WFB gives very acceptable results from a wide range of writers and paper.
• WFB is not a malleable ink, so is suitable as a daily writer ink and for those situations that require a fairly similar Look across various writing papers.

High Resolution Scans:

 

• From 51 on HPJ1124. http://i783.photobuc...ue/f7d82736.jpg
• From 502 on Rhodia. http://i783.photobuc...ue/f5a3772a.jpg
• From Estie on G Lalo. http://i783.photobuc...ue/11e5ec1a.jpg
• From Safari on Royal. http://i783.photobuc...ue/52e511a9.jpg

FIDELITY

 

Is the name appropriate?

• I think not.

Are swatches accurate?

• Exceptionally so.

SIMILAR COLOURS:

Oh please ...

 

PAPERS

 

Lovely papers:

• White.
• White.
• Can manage on papers with optical brighteners.
• White.

Trip-wire Papers: ☠

• Papers which are too hard and of low absorbency.
• WFB appears rather wan on dirty white and even 'natural' papers.
  • (The G Lalo has both of those characteristics, yet WFB on the GL looks OK, but not at its best - GL is an outer marker.)

Tinted Papers:

• I would avoid paper with strong tints, especially those leaning into the warm yellow-orange tints.

PrePrinted Paper:

• Competent.
• Depending on the colour of what is printed, WFB might become entangled in ruled lines, grids, etc. In such cases, either a wet writer to give a darker tone or use of Whitelines, polka dot pads, etc. may be work arounds.
• On forms, etc. printed in Black ink, WFB is an excellent pick; and can easily manage tiny writing necessary on some poorly designed forms.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Not so much.
• More a matter of preference over performance.

OTHER THAN INK:

 

Presentation :

• 50ml bottle in a box.
• No HazMat warnings.

Country of origin:

• France.

Container:

• A faceted big-tummy bottle with a stable 35mm square base, soaring to a capped height of 63mm.
• After one quarter (25%) of the ink is used, the bottle may limbo low to rest upon one of the two the lowest facets. As ink volume diminishes, one may use a pen to draw a considerable amount of the ink directly from the bottle. (Combines some funk with function.)
• The centred circular opening is a comfortable 25mm ∅
• Ink level can be easily determined.
• Single tank, no sediment collector. Tsk!
• The screw cap has adequate height & grip.
• The cap seal seems to be some sort of plastic.
• The cap is not child-proof.

Box:

• 65x68x42mm
• Lightly coated card stock.
• The box acts as an excellent swatch, depicting multiple densities.
  
• Ink name is written on three sides, and in four languages.

Eco-Green:

• OK.
• All should be recyclable or benign.

Availability:

• One of the most widely-available FP inks.

ETC.

 

Majik:

• Hasn't happened yet, but it is not from a lack of effort by multitudes over decades.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• I like the Parker 51 on the HPJ1124.
• While that combo does not demonstrate shading, and seems a bit flimsy, I like the way what is written seems so lightly tethered to the page.

Yickity Yackity:

• WFB speaks the Inks' dialect of Esperanto.
• With its exceptionally good manners, WFB makes for a fine introduction to FP ink for new-comers to the Vortex. WFB may not become their 'chosen' ink, but it provides a star to steer by on their inky adventures.
• Ah kushbaby, is WFB on your top shelf too, just in the second row?

{=x*x=}~{=w◊w=}~(=-=+=-=)~{=w◊w=}~{=x*x=}

MATERIEL USED:

 

To be relevant to most Members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. For pens, I use those for which I paid $100 or less, new or used; and are 'factory stock' - not customised.

 

For the 'One Of The Ten' suite of inks, the same set of pens are used.

 

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/Pen_Scans/th_PEN836.jpg

 

A. Parker 51, Flighter^✩, Mark I + 14K XF nib.

B. Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p steel EF nib.

C. Waterman England 502 + some-flex 14CT 2A nib.

D. Sheaffer 330 + inlaid steel M nib.

E. Esterbrook J + 9968 firm steel B nib.

F. Lamy Pink Safari + steel 1.1i nib.

 

^✩ I cannot determine if this pen is a true 'Flighter' - set-up for use at low atmospheric pressure.

 

For lines & labels:

• Pilot Penmanship + steel XF with Montblanc Racing Green.

On these papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal, 25% cotton rag.
• Pulp.
• Glossy paper.
• Glossy card.

_________________

 

IMAGES

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at 96 & 150 dpi @ 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi @ 24 bit colour.
• Scans were cropped and straightened; no other changes were made.

_________________

 

DENSITOMETER READINGS (FWTW)

• Red 109
• Grn 129
• Blu 225
• Lum 144

===============

 

-30-

Edited February 15, 2011 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

The Waterman Florida Blue is the tenth ink to be reviewed in the 'One of the Ten' (OOTT) group of Blue inks.

 

When complete, the intention is to have the OOTT inks reviewed in the same manner, and compared in the same manner to the maximum practical extent.

 

Hopefully the OOTT reviews and comparisons will assist practitioners in choosing their lynch-pin Blue/s, and avoid unintentional purchase of equivalent ink/s.

 

Also, the OOTT results should give common ground for claims, rumour and scuttlebutt to be discussed. Or be considered irrelevant, and so be ignored.

 

Bye,

Sandy1

[mholve]

Nice review, as usual.

 

WFB is indeed a good, consistent and reliable ink - as with most Waterman inks. Works well in pretty much every pen. The color is a nice shade of blue (though perhaps not my favorite as a daily writer either) that's moderately bright.

[Sandy1]

Nice review, as usual.

 

WFB is indeed a good, consistent and reliable ink - as with most Waterman inks. Works well in pretty much every pen. The color is a nice shade of blue (though perhaps not my favorite as a daily writer either) that's moderately bright.

Hi,

 

Thanks!

 

I was a bit surprised that the WFB did not perform better in the Waterman 502 - an older restored pen with a 'some flex' nib. Perhaps I am not sufficiently experienced with such nibs to get better / more consistent results.

Yet if I were to take note of my own observations that "If WFB won't run well in a pen, then its the pen not the ink which has the problem", I should have some work done on the pen. But I shall not blame the pen for the results - I could have withdrawn samples from the 502, but chose not to do so.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited February 15, 2011 by Sandy1

[lapis]

Thanks for the review and fulfilling my demand to go the extra tenth...

... now hard to say... sorta a philosophy of its own...

When I/we recommend only one single great, pure, true, maintenance-free, inexpensive, and available-all-over-the-world blue, then it's usually Florida Blue. No hesitations. I do this all the time...

...but as for ten "best blues", IMO Florida has no real individual character of its own. Absolutely trouble-free, but not fantastic enough (taking into consideration lots of your other Big Tens and the other few hundreds of blues out there).

 

Still, all the best. Your idea of offering ten goodies plus dozens of comparisons thereof is overwhelming.

 

Mike

[handwriter]

Thank you very much for this extense and detailed review of my favorite ink.

I have only used a few inks, but I though this one was rather on the wet side, I am surprised to read you find it "slightly on the dry side".

[ImperialSheaffer]

WFB is like a someone who does not have to think. No balls. A door mat ink. Someone who's there for being there. If it was not there, it would not be missed not invented. Wooshy-wooshy blue. You wonder if the ink wants to be there on the page. Diluted, it seems to be. A castrated ink.

I have a bottle for few years now, and apart using it for notes which are going to end in a bin, it is useless. The other way to use it is to cut it with Diamine Midnight. But it's just a bit of make-up.

Or to be used with a very wet pen, to make it look like something else, but something which is not.

But I'm sure some people likes it. Inks reflect a lot of people personalities. The same way to find out people characters, play golf with them..

But that's only my way to view it.. Only my way.

[Sandy1]

Thanks for the review and fulfilling my demand to go the extra tenth...

... now hard to say... sorta a philosophy of its own...

When I/we recommend only one single great, pure, true, maintenance-free, inexpensive, and available-all-over-the-world blue, then it's usually Florida Blue. No hesitations. I do this all the time...

...but as for ten "best blues", IMO Florida has no real individual character of its own. Absolutely trouble-free, but not fantastic enough (taking into consideration lots of your other Big Tens and the other few hundreds of blues out there).

 

Still, all the best. Your idea of offering ten goodies plus dozens of comparisons thereof is overwhelming.

 

Mike

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

I just had to return from far away, before I could post the last IR of that series.

 

My intention from the start was to help people with their lynch-pin Blues.

 

Not "best blues": nope, not at all, never was. And there is no 'rank' in the 10: they are all 'One Of The Ten'. It's for people to pick their own or not pick any.

 

For me these days, WFB is an ink that I use as a 'standard' - a reference point, a thing used to measure/compare - not a daily writer. When I get a new pen/nib, or new paper, I'll go though a lot of WFB running samples. Then I flush the pen, and load a more interesting ink! (I am fickle!)

 

Cheers!

S1

Edited February 16, 2011 by Sandy1

[geoduc]

Thanks for completing the OOTT series, Sandy1. It has been a significant contribution to the community and has involved a lot of time and effort on your part. Much appreciated.

[Sandy1]

Thank you very much for this extense and detailed review of my favorite ink.

I have only used a few inks, but I though this one was rather on the wet side, I am surprised to read you find it "slightly on the dry side".

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

I was rather surprised at the results myself! And I used the same pens & papers as all the other nine Blue inks, so ...

 

The range of papers is telling: if there is little or no problem on the Royal, but the G Lalo is troublesome, then the ink is limited in its range. That usually indicates that the ink is dry - having trouble being absorbed into a paper. The GL is a challenge for many pen+ink combos, which is why I use it for samples.

 

As such, I do not limit or design my samples to show only when an ink performs at its best. (That would be dull - too perfect; and some might think I'm selling ink!) However, with the range of samples, people can pick the Look they like, and have an idea how to achieve that with their pen/s & paper/s.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Thanks for completing the OOTT series, Sandy1. It has been a significant contribution to the community and has involved a lot of time and effort on your part. Much appreciated.

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

But I need to do the Comparisons of WFB to the previous nine. There is no thrill factor in doing those, but once started a task, I prefer to finish.

 

For a Summary Post, I'm thinking of an Index of Links, and perhaps a compilation of my Personal Pen & Paper Picks, but not much else. Any other ideas that would yield a good return on time, etc. (No more samples, OK?)

 

Bye,

S1

[geoduc]

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

But I need to do the Comparisons of WFB to the previous nine. There is no thrill factor in doing those, but once started a task, I prefer to finish.

 

For a Summary Post, I'm thinking of an Index of Links, and perhaps a compilation of my Personal Pen & Paper Picks, but not much else. Any other ideas that would yield a good return on time, etc. (No more samples, OK?)

 

Bye,

S1

 

A summary post is an excellent idea. I would suggest a swab for each ink with a link to the full review, plus links to all of the comparisons. I know how you feel about swabs, but I think that having them all together on one page would provide a quick visual comparison of the ten. The reader can then look at the full review for any ink of particular interest.

 

Now how about those brown inks?

[Black Rose]

Anyone happen to have Quink Permanent Blue to compare this with?

 

Since WFB and QPB both come from "The House of Rubbermaid" and are both produced in France, I wonder if it's possible they are the same.

[welch]

Anyone happen to have Quink Permanent Blue to compare this with?

 

Since WFB and QPB both come from "The House of Rubbermaid" and are both produced in France, I wonder if it's possible they are the same.

 

They do not look alike. Not even close. It would make sense, of course, for Newell/Sanford Office Products Waterman and Newell/Sanford Office Products Parker to share ink-making, but QPB has more purple to it.

 

**

 

Meanwhile, another beyond-great Sandy1 ink review. Yes, I laughed several times, but I'm beginning to wonder about the shopping list. Boar's ribs and smoked goose (whole)? Are you running a small restaurant in one of those villages in Midsomer County where four - six people are murdered every so often?

[Sandy1]

Anyone happen to have Quink Permanent Blue to compare this with?

 

Since WFB and QPB both come from "The House of Rubbermaid" and are both produced in France, I wonder if it's possible they are the same.

 

Hello,

 

I have the QPBl, but it is ye olde style - with SOLV-X.

 

There is a recent IR of QPBl, https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/176780-review-parker-quink-permanent-blue/ , so that may answer your question; or you may ask the author of that IR to compare. (Perhaps he has a bottle of WFB tucked away somewhere.)

 

Bye,

S1

Edited February 16, 2011 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

...

Meanwhile, another beyond-great Sandy1 ink review. Yes, I laughed several times, but I'm beginning to wonder about the shopping list. Boar's ribs and smoked goose (whole)? Are you running a small restaurant in one of those villages in Midsomer County where four - six people are murdered every so often?

Hi,

 

Thanks!

 

Well, the Grocery List does seem to have worn thin over ten inks. As I proposed to one Member, if they have become tired of the fare, there's .22LRHP which are a means to add variety to the diet.

 

And no - not a restaurant, but when I am at the small house, all who make it passed the hounds are welcome at table.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited February 17, 2011 by Sandy1

[bossy]

CCI .22?

[Sandy1]

CCI .22?

yellow jackets

[coach0519]

Sandy1,

Would you marry me?

[Sandy1]

OOTT COMPARISON:

Pilot asa-gao

http://www.fountainp...e/#entry1877597

Edited February 21, 2011 by Sandy1