Comparison: Pilot 'asa-gao' :: Visconti Blue

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust the brightness & contrast of your monitor to accurately depict this Gray Scale.

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

• Mac My link
• Wintel PC My link

Figure 1. Gray Scale.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/INK576-1.jpg

Figure 2. Swabs

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Pilot%20asa-gao%20TO%20Visconti%20Blue/721088e1.jpg

• Pilot asa-gao x3
• Visconti Blue x3
• Pilot asa-gao x2
• Visconti Blue x2
• Pilot asa-gao x1
• Visconti Blue x1

Figure 3. Other Stuff

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Pilot%20asa-gao%20TO%20Visconti%20Blue/9953419f.jpg

• Left Side: Pilot asa-gao
• Right Side: Visconti Blue

Written Samples - Moby Dick

 

Figure 4. Written Samples on Rhodia

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Pilot%20asa-gao%20TO%20Visconti%20Blue/611bd01d.jpg

• Left Side. Pilot asa-gao: Nine lines from the M200+EF; then ten lines from the 330+M; then ten lines from the Safari+1.1i .
• Right Side. Visconti Blue: Nine lines from the M200+EF; then ten lines from the 330+M; then ten lines from the Safari+1.1i .

Figure 5. Written Samples on HPJ1124

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Comparison%20-%20Pilot%20asa-gao%20TO%20Visconti%20Blue/5a302f84.jpg

• 1st Line: Pilot asa-gao from the 330+M
• 2nd Line: Visconti Blue from the 330+M
• 3rd Line: Pilot asa-gao from the Safari+1.1i
• 4th Line: Visconti Blue from the Safari+1.1i

 

High Resolution Scans

 

As I do not wish to have the sobriquet 'Queen of the Bandwidth Bandits', these are Links only.

• Pilot asa-gao from 330+M on Rhodia. My link
• Visconti Blue from 330+M on Rhodia. My link
• Pilot asa-gao from Safari+1.1i on Rhodia. My link
• Visconti Blue from Safari+1.1i on Rhodia. My link
• Pilot asa-gao and Visconti Blue from 330+M on HPJ1124. My link
• Pilot asa-gao and Visconti Blue from Safari+1.1i on HPJ1124. My link

Observations:

 

• These are the things which are not apparent from the Images.
• These observations may differ ever so slightly from the Ink Review/s that may be in place.
• My contribution was to generate enough reasonable samples, then capture the appearance of those samples.
• If you'd like more detailed information, please send me a PM; I'll do what I can. (Within reason - you naughty FPN boys).
• I leave it to each viewer to interpret what is seen, and/or to initiate discussion in the usual way.

Type:

• Both are dye-based FP inks.

Flow Rate:

• Both inks are higher than average.

Nib Dry-out:

• Both inks are OK.

Start-up:

• Both inks are OK.

Lubrication:

• Both inks are higher than average.

Nib Creeping:

• None for both inks.

Staining:

• None after 3 days for both inks.

Clogging:

• Not seen for both inks.

Bleed Through:

• None on papers used for both inks.

Show Through:

• None on papers used for both inks.
• Both sides of the sheet may be used.

Clean-up:

• Both cleaned-up within a reasonable time with plain water.

Densitometer Readings - From the Ink Reviews. (FWIW)

 

• Pilot asa-gao:
  • Red 91
  • Grn 119
  • Blu 226
  • Lum 135

• Visconti Blue:
  • Red 72
  • Grn 95
  • Blu 206
  • Lum 112

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MATERIEL

 

Paper:

• Written Samples:
  • Rhodia
  • HPJ1124
  • Glossy card

• Other:
  • Glossy paper
  • HPJ1124
  • Royal - 25% cotton rag

Pens:

• Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p steel EF
• Sheaffer 330 + steel M
• Lamy Pink Safari + a rather wet steel 1.1i

IMAGES:

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at 96 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans went straight to the file sharing thingy.

-30-

[Sandy1]

INK REVIEW LINKS :

 

• Pilot asa-gao My link
• Visconti Blue: My link

[geoduc]

Thanks, S1. Your samples from the Safari do a nice job of showing the difference between these inks. The color rendition is very accurate.

 

These are both on the top shelf in my collection - great colors and impeccable behavior. I've tried a number of other blues as well, but Diamine Majestic Blue is the only one so far that I'd put on the same tier.

[Sandy1]

Thanks, S1. Your samples from the Safari do a nice job of showing the difference between these inks. The color rendition is very accurate.

 

These are both on the top shelf in my collection - great colors and impeccable behavior. I've tried a number of other blues as well, but Diamine Majestic Blue is the only one so far that I'd put on the same tier.

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

As was mentioned, I have 'goosed' the wetness on the Safari by flossing between the tines, and a stroke with the shim / feeler stock. I do like the wider nibs simply because they show more ink, but to me an array of nibs (wetness & width) is required to really see what an ink is doing.

 

These two inks are indeed worthy of front & centre position in my ink array.

 

The colour is accurate to me as well - certainly not like having the ink-on-paper samples in one's hand, but more than fit for purpose.

 

Cheers!

S1

[dcwaites]

Sandy, your results mirror mine (to the extent that my comparison is one line of each written with the same dip pen (a Perry Iridinoid 105 reservoir nib with a folded tip)).

 

Now, when my asa-gao bottle is empty, I can refill it from a $6.00 bottle of Visconti Van Gogh Blue...

[fabrimedeiros]

Thank you, dear Sandy1!! Two modern, nice and famous blue inks to compare! I have a VB bottle: great medium to dark blue, with good behavour. Two critical in my oppinion: Drying Time is slow and it is not waterproof, even water resistent (most of FP inks also are not, though). Pilot Asa-Gao I've not tried yet, but looks like a tad lighter.

 

regards,

Fabricio

[Sandy1]

Thank you, dear Sandy1!! Two modern, nice and famous blue inks to compare! I have a VB bottle: great medium to dark blue, with good behavour. Two critical in my oppinion: Drying Time is slow and it is not waterproof, even water resistent (most of FP inks also are not, though). Pilot Asa-Gao I've not tried yet, but looks like a tad lighter.

 

regards,

Fabricio

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

The VB is very nice indeed. The experience of writing with VB certainly adds to its popularity.

 

Doing the Smear / Dry Time can be very tricky. I do them as consistently as possible, so the results are relative - not absolute. Also, even from the samples, one can see that there is a big difference between glossy and regular paper: sometimes longer; sometimes shorter! All that shows to me, is that each person needs to sample their ink on their paper, etc. YMMV

 

I think the water resistance is not so bad: once the excess (soluable) dye is washed away, what remains can easily be read and/or scanned, photocopied to recover the writing in a reasonable fashion. The biggest problem is when an ink washes away leaving nothing behind that can be used to recover what was written.

 

Bye,

S1