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Diamine Sargasso Sea


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Diamine Sargasso Sea

 

Diamine’s Sargasso Sea ink is one of the company’s newer released colors. It’s a deeply saturated blue color that’s striking, but professional. The color has no hint of green or violet. It’s not too dark as to be confused with black. It looks good on white paper without calling attention to itself.

 

My first thought was that it could replace Parker’s Penman Emerald Blue, a discontinued ink that is still prized among collectors. I paid $50 for my bottle of Penman. Sargasso Sea is much cheaper.

 

Unfortunately, this is an ink that is trying to find a pen, not the other way around. I was constantly trying to find the right pen that would accommodate the ink. Nothing seemed to work well. I initially loaded up a Conway-Stewart 77 with medium nib. I was immediately disappointed. Sargasso Sea feathered terribly. I actually dumped the ink back into the bottle. I filled a modern Waterman with extra-fine nib, but was again disappointed in the performance. The ink tended to flow briskly, and then dry out quickly, what I call “burp-and-skip.” Other inks in these pens did not exhibit this performance. A TWSBI Diamond 530 with modified nib (Pencraft 14K gold) wrote very well on high-quality writing paper (shown below) when I dipped the pen.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/Diamine_Sargasso_Sea_writing_sample.jpg

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/Diamine_Sargasso_Sea_writing_sample_small.jpg

 

To be fair, I decided to give it a head-to-head comparison with Parker Penman Sapphire Blue using the same pen, in this case a steel nib and holder. I found that Penman ink flowed better, more evenly. It feathered less on the same paper than did Sargasso Sea. I tried this experiment several times, yielding the same results. Sargasso Sea poured out of the nib quickly, feathering much more than I wanted. It ran out quickly and I had to re-dip the nib. It wasn’t a night-and-day difference, but it was definitely noticeable.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/Diamine_Sargasso_Penman_Saphire2_comparison.jpg

 

Commentary on color: This color-swab sample was scanned at 300-dpi on an HP scanner. I am viewing the scanned version to my original copy. Compared to the original, the scanned version of Sargasso Sea is nearly identical. Penman Sapphire Blue has a slight hint of green/hazel. It’s a very unique color. Noodler’s Baystate Blue appears on this scan to be identical to Sargasso Sea. However, Baystate has a slight violet tone. Private Reserve Tanzanite and Bilberry are almost identical on paper, with Tazanite appearing more blue on the paper.

 

 

Conclusion:

While I was initially enamored with the deep blue color of Sargasso Sea, I found its handling characteristics difficult to deal with. At first I thought it was just the wrong pen for the wrong ink. But when I compared it directly with Parker’s Penman Sapphire using the same nib and holder, I found the Penman ink much easier to work with, yielding much more satisfying results. Sargasso Sea may work with an extra-fine nail-nib, but then you lose the expression of its color. It’s not a horrible ink. But it fell short of my go-to blue ink. For inkophiles, this may worth searching out, especially if you like the blues. The 30ml plastic bottle is good for several months of continuous writing. For those who want a daily-use go-to ink, you may be disappointed.

 

What do I look for in ink? I am a collector of vintage inks and bottles. While modern writing inks offer a variety of designer colors never heard of in their predecessors, there is something special about filling a 60-year-old pen with a 60-year-old Carter’s Red Ink. I still love modern ink, and love the color varieties. I am trying to find a daily-use ink that writes well on any grade of paper or in any type of pen. I’m not interested in sun-proof, water-proof or laser-proof inks. Most of the paper that I use is a cheap-grade company stationary that gets scanned and electronically stored. I may write on carbon paper, thermal paper, and standard printable writing paper, all within a span of 15 minutes. I despise feathering and bleeding. I never use a ballpoint pen. I may use different fountain pens with different nibs depending upon the paper or my mood. I love smooth flowing inks that don’t fill the pen cap when it’s not in use.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/pop.jpg

 

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Great review, and good to know. I also fell in love with the color, but I'd love to find that "perfect go-to blue" so this clearly won't be it. It sure looks nice though.

Blogging at GourmetPens! Oh, and cat herding on a daily basis.

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Nice review of a not so nice ink. A pretty color if it was better behaved. I'll pass on this one.

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Nice review, nice color, shame it didn't handle well...

So when and where are we meeting for coffee... looks like there will be at least three of us... ;) :roflmho:

Edited by WOBentley

This post contains 100% recycled electrons

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I really like this ink and on my usual Clairefontaine or Rhodia papers I use (apart from letters) I've had no trouble.

fpn_1338718321__diamine_sargasso_sea.jpg

It even behaved really well on the extra-thin Ryman's 45gsm.

fpn_1340102807__ryman_bank_paper_45gsm_diamine_sargasso_sea.jpg

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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Thank you for a great review and lovely handwriting. I love this ink, it is one of my favourites. I have it in a Cross ATX with a M nib at the moment and it behaves well (mostly..) on quite a few papers. I want to try it in a broader nib to see the shading and lustre!

If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in character. If there is beauty in character, There will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, There will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world. Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Baba

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I really like this ink and on my usual Clairefontaine or Rhodia papers I use (apart from letters) I've had no trouble.

fpn_1338718321__diamine_sargasso_sea.jpg

It even behaved really well on the extra-thin Ryman's 45gsm.

fpn_1340102807__ryman_bank_paper_45gsm_diamine_sargasso_sea.jpg

 

what pen are you using with it?

Colour is its own reward - N. Finn

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I have a bottle of this, but haven't put it in a pen yet. I think I'll be saving it for one of my dryer writing M or B nibbed pens!

 

Let me know the next time your near Reno, and we'll go for coffee.... :roflmho:

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
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My guess: A Sailor Sapporo ;-)

That's right. the top bit was written using my Lamy Safari M, dipped, which I use for the initial note when I buy a new ink or am doing a comparison or something. The second was using a Sapporo, Broad nib when I had Sargasso in it for a fill and was testing out the Ryman's paper. Hence the enlarged 'crop' to show the lack of bleed!

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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My guess: A Sailor Sapporo ;-)

That's right. the top bit was written using my Lamy Safari M, dipped, which I use for the initial note when I buy a new ink or am doing a comparison or something. The second was using a Sapporo, Broad nib when I had Sargasso in it for a fill and was testing out the Ryman's paper. Hence the enlarged 'crop' to show the lack of bleed!

 

I tried it in a Safari medium nib and it went straight through the page!! (Leuchtterm A5 Journal)

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pinks-bottle_200x159.jpg

My Pen Wraps are for sale in my Etsy shop

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Great review! I have a sample of SS and have yet to write up a review on it, but I haven't really had any trouble with its behavior (though I haven't tested it extensively yet).

 

On a side note, I nearly melted when I saw your handwriting. Truly beautiful script. :notworthy1:

fpn_1451747045__img_1999-2.jpg

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Okay, so I got 12 coffees with cream, 8 with sugar and 4 with sweetener. Anyone else?

 

Not saying it's a bad ink. It's just not an ink for neophytes. I absolutely love the color. It's a beautiful blue that doesn't burn the retinas. As alc3261 noted, there may be a bit of manipulation with water that may be needed. I thought about that. It's not a bleeding ink as long you find the right pen and the right paper. I found the flow to be inconsistent, especially when compared to other inks. Just not a grab-and-go ink that works in all pens.

 

I was disappointed. When compared to Diamine's Royal Blue or even their new Bilberry (purple) ink, there's no comparison.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/pop.jpg

 

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Great color, great flow, no bleeding, no shading.

 

 

Okay, so I got 12 coffees with cream, 8 with sugar and 4 with sweetener. Anyone else?

 

Not saying it's a bad ink. It's just not an ink for neophytes. I absolutely love the color. It's a beautiful blue that doesn't burn the retinas. As alc3261 noted, there may be a bit of manipulation with water that may be needed. I thought about that. It's not a bleeding ink as long you find the right pen and the right paper. I found the flow to be inconsistent, especially when compared to other inks. Just not a grab-and-go ink that works in all pens.

 

I was disappointed. When compared to Diamine's Royal Blue or even their new Bilberry (purple) ink, there's no comparison.

 

 

 

Still seeking the One Pen to Rule Them All...

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I'm not a big fan of blues, but SS does look good in your sample written with the TWSBI. It's a pity that it's so poorly behaved, although it seems that there are feathering problems with several of the newly released Diamine inks (not brand bashing -- Diamine inks in general tend to be well-behaved). I may need to fiddle with my monitor settings, though, because in your comparison all the inks except the Salix look very similar, and I know better because I have some of them. Thanks for the very thorough review, though. Oh, and I'll have mine with half-and-half and two splendas, please. :thumbup:

Edited by funkypeanut
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nice warm color

A people can be great withouth a great pen but a people who love great pens is surely a great people too...

Pens owned actually: MB 146 EF;Pelikan M200 SE Clear Demonstrator 2012 B;Parker 17 EF;Parker 51 EF;Waterman Expert II M,Waterman Hemisphere M;Waterman Carene F and Stub;Pilot Justus 95 F.

 

Nearly owned: MB 149 B(Circa 2002);Conway Stewart Belliver LE bracket Brown IB.

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nice warm color

A people can be great withouth a great pen but a people who love great pens is surely a great people too...

Pens owned actually: MB 146 EF;Pelikan M200 SE Clear Demonstrator 2012 B;Parker 17 EF;Parker 51 EF;Waterman Expert II M,Waterman Hemisphere M;Waterman Carene F and Stub;Pilot Justus 95 F.

 

Nearly owned: MB 149 B(Circa 2002);Conway Stewart Belliver LE bracket Brown IB.

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Thanks for the review. I bought a bottle as soon as it became available but haven't tested thoroughly yet. I love the colour so much that I'll try to find the perfect pen for it. Isn't this the case for most attractive inks?

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