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Review: Diamine WES Imperial Blue.

Bill Smith

By Bill Smith
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Bill Smith Vintage

Bill Smith

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2972424856_2af91abebd_b.jpg

 

Note the true colour is not quite as bright as this, blame the colour shift on my scanner.

"Life moves pretty fast, if you do not stop and look around once and a while you might just miss it."

Ferris Bueller

 

 

 

Bill Smith's Photography

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xena Extremely Rare

xena

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It's a great ink. Dries a little slow for my taste, but it is a slight bit more saturated than Waterman Florida Blue, and equally well behaved.

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Idiopathos Extremely Rare

Idiopathos

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Diamine WES Imperial Blue has become my daily blue ink, just as Diamine Ultra Green has become my ... er ... green.

 

Both perform as I think inks should. Good through the pen and good on paper.

 

 

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memphislawyer Vintage

memphislawyer

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Can you compare this to a Private Reserve Ink, DC SUpershow or American Blue? I am thinking it is one of those or this ink for me as a daily blue.

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Peter from Sherwood Park Collectors Item

Peter from Sherwood Park

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Can you compare this to a Private Reserve Ink, DC SUpershow or American Blue? I am thinking it is one of those or this ink for me as a daily blue.

 

On my monitor, WES Imperial Blue looks very close to PR American Blue, which I routinely use.

 

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memphislawyer Vintage

memphislawyer

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Peter, thank you. Couple of quick questions

 

I tried to use the writing desk's color comparison and they did not show a Diamine WES Imperial Blue but they did show a TWD Imperial BLue. Are these the same?

 

Is Visconti blue in the inkwell the same as the Visconti Van Gogh blue they show in the 50ml plastic bottle? Just another name?

 

If so, I am down to PR Super Show, Electric Blue ,DIamine Imperial Blue, price decides), Visconti Blue

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SMG Collectors Item

SMG

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Funny, to me the WES blue has a much more purple tint to it. I would not rate it as vibrant as PR Electric, DC Supershow or American blue. I use all of those inks as well, and honestly like the Diamine better. I am a lefty overwrighter and find that the PR inks are way to saturated to dry fast. They all smear a bit on me, whereas the Diamine does not.

 

Cheers,

Sean

PenRx is no longer in business.

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andybiotic Vintage

andybiotic

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I think the ink is a whole lot more purple than in the image above... my first impression of the ink is... wow... why do they call it blue? it is bright purple! But hey I used it to blend with my other ink to make a ink colour I really like... hope I can blend it again when I used it up!

 

Be warned potential buyers of the imperial blue, it is purple!

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Writing%20Samples/P1020494j-1reversedcolour.jpg
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Sandy1 Donor Pen

Sandy1

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I think the ink is a whole lot more purple than in the image above... my first impression of the ink is... wow... why do they call it blue? it is bright purple! But hey I used it to blend with my other ink to make a ink colour I really like... hope I can blend it again when I used it up!

 

Be warned potential buyers of the imperial blue, it is purple!

Hello,

 

This Review is of the Diamine WES Imperial Blue, which I believe was a bespoke ink of the UK-based Writing Equipment Society, WES.

 

The current (March 2011) version is named 'Diamine Imperial Blue'. (WES has left the building.) Perhaps the formula changed between the WES and the non-WES versions.

 

I have recently done a Review of the DIB, current version, sourced directly from Diamine. That Review may be seen HERE. Amongst the Replies are links to comparisons with a few other inks.

 

I certainly will say that colours of this sort tend to be on the cusp of Blue : Purple, where colour vision and ambient light play a significant role. Is it Blurple?

 

Bye,

S1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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Ipno Tizer Extremely Rare

Ipno Tizer

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I find that Imperial Blue to depend heavilly on the pen.

 

In some pens, the Pelikan M800 obviously bring one of them, Imperial appears as a rich blue/purple. But in others, it comes out as just a very ordinary blue.

 

Chris B.

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andybiotic Vintage

andybiotic

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I think the ink is a whole lot more purple than in the image above... my first impression of the ink is... wow... why do they call it blue? it is bright purple! But hey I used it to blend with my other ink to make a ink colour I really like... hope I can blend it again when I used it up!

 

Be warned potential buyers of the imperial blue, it is purple!

Hello,

 

This Review is of the Diamine WES Imperial Blue, which I believe was a bespoke ink of the UK-based Writing Equipment Society, WES.

 

The current (March 2011) version is named 'Diamine Imperial Blue'. (WES has left the building.) Perhaps the formula changed between the WES and the non-WES versions.

 

I have recently done a Review of the DIB, current version, sourced directly from Diamine. That Review may be seen HERE. Amongst the Replies are links to comparisons with a few other inks.

 

I certainly will say that colours of this sort tend to be on the cusp of Blue : Purple, where colour vision and ambient light play a significant role. Is it Blurple?

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Oh I didn't realise that sorry, wonder why they changed the formula... and wonder why I couldn't find the newer imperial blue review on the ink review index.... If the old imperial blue is what it seems in the review here then I think it is rather nice, nice than the new version anyway...

 

Sorry for the confusion.

Edited by andybiotic
http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Writing%20Samples/P1020494j-1reversedcolour.jpg
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lapis Museum Piece

lapis

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Hi Bill and thanks for the review. However much your scanner and/or my screen may be wreaking any tiny ol' bit of havoc, this blue looks similar to my WES. Imperial Blue. A dark, intense blue with just a hint of purple. Also very similar to Omas Blue and Levenger's Cobalt. A glimpse at today's version of Diamine's site still says that they sell this ink and that there is no other Imperial Blue (although an Imperial Purple is also to be seen). FWIW this ink comes in a box with a big blue label on the top, quite different from all other non-WES inks, which have a tiny silver or gold label.

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Sandy1 Donor Pen

Sandy1

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Hi Bill and thanks for the review. However much your scanner and/or my screen may be wreaking any tiny ol' bit of havoc, this blue looks similar to my WES. Imperial Blue. A dark, intense blue with just a hint of purple. Also very similar to Omas Blue and Levenger's Cobalt. A glimpse at today's version of Diamine's site still says that they sell this ink and that there is no other Imperial Blue (although an Imperial Purple is also to be seen). FWIW this ink comes in a box with a big blue label on the top, quite different from all other non-WES inks, which have a tiny silver or gold label.

 

Mike

Hi,

 

I'll wait for Diamine ...

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/179174-diamine-imperial-blue/page__view__findpost__p__1927213

 

Bye,

S1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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twdpens Collectors Item

twdpens

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I think the ink is a whole lot more purple than in the image above... my first impression of the ink is... wow... why do they call it blue? it is bright purple! But hey I used it to blend with my other ink to make a ink colour I really like... hope I can blend it again when I used it up!

 

Be warned potential buyers of the imperial blue, it is purple!

 

In my experience, in a dry-writing pen, it will appear more purply. Try it in a wetter pen and compare the colour.

 

Martin

The Writing Desk

Fountain Pen Specialists since 2000

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Sandy1 Donor Pen

Sandy1

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Hi Bill and thanks for the review. However much your scanner and/or my screen may be wreaking any tiny ol' bit of havoc, this blue looks similar to my WES. Imperial Blue. A dark, intense blue with just a hint of purple. Also very similar to Omas Blue and Levenger's Cobalt. A glimpse at today's version of Diamine's site still says that they sell this ink and that there is no other Imperial Blue (although an Imperial Purple is also to be seen). FWIW this ink comes in a box with a big blue label on the top, quite different from all other non-WES inks, which have a tiny silver or gold label.

 

Mike

Hi,

 

I'll wait for Diamine ...

 

http://www.fountainp...ost__p__1927213

 

Bye,

S1

 

... and Christine responded HERE

:happyberet:

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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twdpens Collectors Item

twdpens

Posted
Posted

 

This Review is of the Diamine WES Imperial Blue, which I believe was a bespoke ink of the UK-based Writing Equipment Society, WES.

 

The current (March 2011) version is named 'Diamine Imperial Blue'. (WES has left the building.) Perhaps the formula changed between the WES and the non-WES versions.

 

I have recently done a Review of the DIB, current version, sourced directly from Diamine. That Review may be seen HERE. Amongst the Replies are links to comparisons with a few other inks.

 

I certainly will say that colours of this sort tend to be on the cusp of Blue : Purple, where colour vision and ambient light play a significant role. Is it Blurple?

 

Bye,

S1

 

The original Imperial Blue ("WES Imperial Blue") was a limited edition ink made by Diamine to celebrate 25 years of the Writing Equipment Society in late 2005. For a period of just over a year the only way to buy this ink was through the WES. In 2007, the colour was included in the "New Century" ink range by Diamine and available for general sale. Whereas the original release had a silver commemorative label on the bottle opposite the normal Diamine label, the first release on general sale replaced this with a blue label on the cap that bore the WES logo.

 

More recently (I'm sorry I can't remember when) the WES label was dropped and outwardly the packaging is identical to any of the other 79 colours currently in the Diamine range.

 

I have just compared a swab of 2005 limited edition WES Imperial Blue with new stock 2011 Imperial Blue. There is no noticeable difference.

 

HTH,

 

Martin

The Writing Desk

Fountain Pen Specialists since 2000

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