Diamine Deep Dark Blue (Cult Pens Uk Special)

[greylag]

This is an exclusive to Cult Pens http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Cult-Pens-Ink.html. This is my first review so bear with me and apologies for the soft-focus photo quality - I seem to have smears on the lens [stares hard at offspring] so this is a bit more subdued than in real life.

 

 

This is a very pure blue with no teal or purple tones. It is very saturated, very wet and very "flowy", slow to dry, but once it is dry it doesn't smear. I've tested it both in a broad (TWSBI 580 1.1mm stub) and fine (Noodler's Ahab) nib and it seems very well-behaved, with no feathering or bleeding on Rhodia paper.

 

I've also compared it with the other similar colours I had to hand - it is less purple and more saturated than Herbin Bleu Nuit; much less purple though similarly saturated to Diamine Bilberry; bluer than Skrip Blue-Black, with no grey/black component; and has none of the teal/green of Waterman Blue/black.

 

I don't have samples of either Diamine Twilight or Midnight, but from comparisons with Goulet's swabs I guess it would be between them, less green than Twilight and less purple than Midnight.

 

This seems like a really nice, well behaved ink. It is very wet, and slow to dry, with not much shading due to the intensity. It's not water resistant at all, but doesn't smudge once dry.

 

I like this ink, and think it will be in regular use. Plus, Cult Pens are *really* fast at delivery - this arrived within 24 hours of placing the order!

[The Good Captain]

Fabulous review! I really want this ink and just had to have the confirmation that it isn't the same as some of the other Diamines I already have. I spoke to the lady at CP yesterday and she's raving about it - it's even turned her from using her usual 'black' ink which surely must be a good thing.

Good-old Diamine - another gem.

[lapis]

Great review. Nice ink. I like it, too, like I do all of Diamine's inks. But... to be honest... I by no way find it to be any "deep dark blue". Rather, a "quite light blue-grey".

 

Mike

[pansipotter]

Thanks for the review. My bottle arrived today but apart from dipping my little finger in to look at the colour, haven't had chance to put it in a pen!

[greylag]

Great review. Nice ink. I like it, too, like I do all of Diamine's inks. But... to be honest... I by no way find it to be any "deep dark blue". Rather, a "quite light blue-grey".

 

Mike

 

Mike - it's a lot deeper and darker than the photo would suggest. In practice it's really dark and intense. I need to keep my kids' sticky fingers away from my camera lens! I'll try and scan the page on Monday to get a better idea of the colour - it's definitely neither light nor grey.

[Karen Traviss]

I've tried it in a few pens from dryish rigid fine nibs to wet extra-flex and it's consistently a very saturated, very dark, almost navy blue when wet and dries to a deep blue-black with purplish overtones, as Cult Pens say on their site. I get a lot of bronze sheen with it on Midori MD paper. (Haven't tried it on anything else yet.) It's distinctly more purplish than Midnight but it's subtle -- nothing like Bilberry -- and visibly blue compared to Eclipse. For what it's worth, I wouldn't recognise it from that image, but Greylag describes it almost exactly the same way as it looks to me, except for the comparison with Midnight, which looks much less purple than DDB(CP) to me on the MD paper.

 

It doesn't have that slight greyish cast of Mont Blanc blue-black (any of the formulations) which was my fave dark blue (with Pilot blue-black) until I tried this. It washes off your hands pretty easily, too, which I wasn't expecting. I haven't compared it with PR Black Magic Blue yet, but it put me in mind of that, although that recollection might not stand up to scrutiny when I finally get around to comparing the two. If you're looking for a very dark blue that won't be mistaken for black, this is the one.

 

(And I second the comments about Cult Pens' service. I've been using them for years, and they're exemplary. I have no connection with them other than being a regular and satisfied customer.)

[rjbull]

Nice review, greylag (with much nicer handwriting than mine...)

 

If it's a good match to the blue of Cult Pens' logo, it could certainly be described as Deep and Dark. I've been on the lookout for a deep blue-black, more an off-black in the sense of Diamine Eclipse or Evergreen, but with a blue undertone in place of their respective purple and green. Deep Dark Blue might lean too far to the unalloyed blue, but looks good in its own right. I'll look forward to seeing more tests and comments.

 

Just read Karen's comment, which looks even more encouraging when compared with Eclipse.

Edited April 14, 2013 by rjbull

[lapis]

Great review. Nice ink. I like it, too, like I do all of Diamine's inks. But... to be honest... I by no way find it to be any "deep dark blue". Rather, a "quite light blue-grey".

 

Mike

 

Mike - it's a lot deeper and darker than the photo would suggest. In practice it's really dark and intense. I need to keep my kids' sticky fingers away from my camera lens! I'll try and scan the page on Monday to get a better idea of the colour - it's definitely neither light nor grey.

Well, that sounds good. I'll wait and see.

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

 

[Jared]

Very interesting. I wonder how it compares to other Diamine colors in a similar color range, such as Midnight, Denim, Majestic Blue, etc.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Really informative review.

Thanks for sharing this!!

[The Good Captain]

Very interesting. I wonder how it compares to other Diamine colors in a similar color range, such as Midnight, Denim, Majestic Blue, etc.

When I get some, I'll let you know!

[greylag]

OK, here's a scan of the image which shows the intensity much better than the photo in the OP:

 

 

I'd also love to see how it compares to other Diamine dark blues - none of which I have (yet...)

 

ETA: I can't see how to edit my first post to add a link to the better image - anyone know how I can do this?

Edited April 15, 2013 by greylag

[mjarman]

This looks very similar to Diamine Midnight, which is my standard dark blue. Interestingly, I have the remains of a 30ml bottle and an 80ml bottle of Midnight. The last fill from the 30ml bottle, which is older showed some of the reddish sheen that marks out Majestic Blue.

Edited April 15, 2013 by mjarman

[lapis]

OK, here's a scan of the image which shows the intensity much better than the photo in the OP:

 

 

I'd also love to see how it compares to other Diamine dark blues - none of which I have (yet...)

 

ETA: I can't see how to edit my first post to add a link to the better image - anyone know how I can do this?

Well, thanks! Now, we're getting down to brass tacks!!

 

Mike

 

[The Good Captain]

OK, here's a scan of the image which shows the intensity much better than the photo in the OP:

 

 

I'd also love to see how it compares to other Diamine dark blues - none of which I have (yet...)

 

ETA: I can't see how to edit my first post to add a link to the better image - anyone know how I can do this?

Well, thanks! Now, we're getting down to brass tacks!!

 

Mike

 

My bottle is due tomorrow. My Twisted Spire is at the ready as well. I anticipate a really good dip and scrawl, so just sit back and ponder.

[WOBentley]

OK, here's a scan of the image which shows the intensity much better than the photo in the OP:

 

 

I'd also love to see how it compares to other Diamine dark blues - none of which I have (yet...)

 

ETA: I can't see how to edit my first post to add a link to the better image - anyone know how I can do this?

Well, thanks! Now, we're getting down to brass tacks!!

 

Mike

I agree, this just became a "want"!

[alc3261]

OK, here's a scan of the image which shows the intensity much better than the photo in the OP:

 

 

I'd also love to see how it compares to other Diamine dark blues - none of which I have (yet...)

 

ETA: I can't see how to edit my first post to add a link to the better image - anyone know how I can do this?

Well, thanks! Now, we're getting down to brass tacks!!

 

Mike

I agree, this just became a "want"!

Fairly sure Cult Pens does International delivery.

[PS104]

Now if we could get it over to the colonies

[papen]

Thanks for your review. Looks like a nice navy blue. I've been looking for a replacement for the deep navy that Omas used to make. Unfortunately, their blue is a much lighter shade now.

[cybaea]

Now if we could get it over to the colonies

 

Cult Pens ship to the US for £10 (about $16) per order. http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Delivery.html

 

Just a satisfied customer.