Diamine Eclipse

[DanielCoffey]

INK : DIAMINE ECLIPSE

 

PAPER : RHODIA #16 A5 white lined

 

PEN : Onoto Magna 261 Medium nib tweaked for wet flow by John Sorowka (Oxonian)

PEN : Onoto Magna Classic Broad Stub nib tweaked for wet flow by John Sorowka (Oxonian)

 

Scanner : IT8-calibrated Epson V600 flatbed

Colour Space : Adobe RGB

Matte : 50% grey and 100% white

Post-process : Unsharp Mask

 

 

I ran this one through two pens because in my medium nib it came across as a solid black with a hint of something blue/purplish in the drier areas. With the broad stub the colour underneath the black came out more. The scanner has brought out the purple a little more than I see it with my eyes...

 

http://www.dcoffey.co.uk/images/fountainpennetwork/ReviewEclipse.jpg

 

 

Here is a close-up of the swab. There was a slight metallic gold sheen to this ink when laid down exceptionally wet but I was unable to reliably capture it on camera...

 

http://www.dcoffey.co.uk/images/fountainpennetwork/ReviewEclipseSwab.jpg

 

 

And a close-up of the shading. In a wet nib there is little shading and I suspect with an ink this dark its strength will be in laying down a fairly solid line...

 

http://www.dcoffey.co.uk/images/fountainpennetwork/ReviewEclipseShade.jpg

 

 

Now, Diamine never says any of its regular inks are water resistant but there was something in this one that stayed on the paper. I saw a faint grey grid remaining in the soapy soak. If you dropped a page of Eclipse in the sink, while 90% of the ink would wash away, there would be enough behind to salvage what you had written. I did the same q-tip on kitchen paper test that I did for Macassar but I just ended up with a circle of purple/black with a slightly darker area left in the middle. I suspect there may be the same slightly water-resistant compound present in Eclipse too...

 

http://www.dcoffey.co.uk/images/fountainpennetwork/ReviewEclipseWater.jpg

 

 

DRYING TIMES : The writing tests above were done in a very wet medium nib that had just been cleaned. Drying times were longer than expected... Xerox 90gsm was around 15s. Rhodia, G Lalo Vergé and Clairefontaine Triomphe took a good 45s to dry.

 

SMEARING : None on any paper. This ink bonds nicely with the paper and does not sit on top, even on Clairefontaine Triomphe. A careless wipe with a damp finger, however, will result in the colour moving.

 

BLEEDTHROUGH : This ink showed less tendency to bleed through on copy paper than the other Diamines that I have reviewed recently. In fact I would say this ink is fairly tolerant to copy paper. Given the wet nib I used above, I recorded the following... Xerox 90gsm had slight bleedthrough and low feathering. Rhodia had no bleed through and no feathering. Clairefontaine Triomphe had no bleed through or feathering. G Lalo Vergé had no bleed through or feathering.

 

FLOW AND LUBRICATION : Flow for this ink seems to be medium. I suspect a dry fine nib might have issues but would we well worth trying. Lubrication was excellent in the pen tested (my medium above). The writing experience was very enjoyable.

 

CLEANING : There were no colour residues left on the converter and this ink washed out fairly nicely. It did cling fairly thoroughly to the inside of the converter so a more thorough wash was needed to get the pen clean. Dark dye and saturated ink means a little more work needed to clean.

[DanielCoffey]

After having had a look at my written sample in subdued lighting, I can see more of the purple now. I think the problem was that I had done the written sample in full sunlight and had frazzled my eyes so all I could see was the black.

 

I don't have any to test against but I suspect that if I put Eclipse up against Noodler's HOD, for example, I'd say "Oh, there's the purple!"

Edited May 28, 2012 by DanielCoffey

[The Good Captain]

This is what my scanner came up with.

[lapis]

Perfetto! Great review. Even it it weren't a good review, it stands a fantastic ink. MAN!

 

I use it everyday,all day in my M900. Nib = BB. Flow = very high. Colour = almost black, but otherwise aubergine. What more could I ask for? For me, a perfect ink !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DanielCoffey]

Thanks for the comparison scan, TGC - it is good to know the purple is actually subtle and that it wasn't my ageing eyes!

 

I must admit that going from Eclipse in the pen to Beau Blue was quite a shock... a bit too far of a swing the other way I think.

[Ad_Astra]

Wow, that looks fantastic; definitely another to put on the list of inks to get!

 

Any chance of a comparison with other blue-black-type shades?

[DanielCoffey]

Well I have already done reviews of Diamine Denim and Diamine Registrar's.

 

There were a couple more comparisons of other blues that The Good Captain added to the Diamine Sargasso Sea review.

Edited May 29, 2012 by DanielCoffey

[tawanda]

I, too, get a hint of purple in the right light, Daniel. Great review of a very interesting colour.

[alexander_k]

After having had a look at my written sample in subdued lighting, I can see more of the purple now. I think the problem was that I had done the written sample in full sunlight and had frazzled my eyes so all I could see was the black.

 

I don't have any to test against but I suspect that if I put Eclipse up against Noodler's HOD, for example, I'd say "Oh, there's the purple!"

 

True. It's an interesting ink that reminds me of old-fashioned ones I saw on pupil notebooks from the 1930s and 1950s. Thanks for yet another great review.

[DanielCoffey]

I have just inked up with Diamine Bilberry and the purple is significantly stronger in the Bilberry. It has more of a "fun" feel than the Eclipse.

 

To me, Eclipse feels like wearing brightly coloured toe-socks in an office where the dress code is strict... compliance but with hidden rebellion.

[alexander_k]

I have just inked up with Diamine Bilberry and the purple is significantly stronger in the Bilberry. It has more of a "fun" feel than the Eclipse.

 

To me, Eclipse feels like wearing brightly coloured toe-socks in an office where the dress code is strict... compliance but with hidden rebellion.

 

Excellent analogy. Eclipse is black suit with purple socks. Keep it up and you can become the Jilly Goolden of ink testing (not tasting, I hope, despite the IAA affiliation).

[arcadeflow]

I have just tried out this ink an old made in Germany school pen (branded Compactor, but made by another unknown company) with a somewhat fine/medium nib. Ink flow was great, not too wet, not dry. Lubrication was excellent. Maybe on par with Asa Blue which was also another ink I tried in this pen that made it smooth. This pen was not as smooth with Red Dragon and Ancient Copper. The color is very nice, a very serious dark purple. It is a dusty purple black in my opinion, not a blue black with violet hints. It is not a witch/vampiresque ink, nothing like wine/grapes/blood. It is probably a darker Poussière de Lune. Water resistance is on par with the rest of Diamine inks I tried washing away, none.