Diamine Majestic Blue Vs. Private Reserve Electric Dc Blue

[Nam Nguyen]

I'm looking for a blue ink (first and probably only blue) and after surfing the forum for hours, I've narrowed it down to these two: Diamine Majestic Blue and Private Reserve Electric DC Blue

Can anyone that has experienced both of these please compare the two for me?

I know that the Majestic Blue has crazy long dry time but seeing that the Electric DC is just as saturated, I can't imagine it drying that much faster?

Also, is there any tint of purple at all in either one of these?

I've come across a couple of pictures showing the writing of the Majestic Blue and it is so dark that it looks as though it's a blue-black color???

As far as shading is concern, which one shades more? I don't like my ink to shade very much, I like the same color through out the words. (If it helps, I only use x-fine and fine nibs for all of my pens)

And last but not least, the usual stuff, how does each write? Smoothness, wet or dry, clogging, etc

I can get a 50mL glass bottle of Electric DC for $8.40 (shipping included) and a 80mL GLASS bottle of Majestic Blue for $15.95 (shipping included)

Thank you for your help!

[Nonsensical]

They are BOTH very very dark. I wouldn't say that either of them have a tinge of purple- Majestic Blue has a reddish sheen when coupled to some pen/paper combinations.

 

Both inks are very saturated, but I'd have to say PR Electric DC is more saturated. In fact, I can dilute it 1:1 and still get approximately the same colour, as long as the pen is not a dry writer. I have not tried diluting Majestic Blue as of yet.

 

Dry times are, as expected pretty insane for both inks, but in my personal experience (not a fair comparison, given that I used different pens), Majestic Blue actually dried faster than PR Electric DC.

 

Both are very smooth and lubricating- PR Electric DC might just beat out Majestic Blue. Feathering might be an issue to consider, though. I haven't compared the feathering properties of the inks as of yet.

[TWRDO]

I find both inks to be very similar. I'd say they're both on the darker side of medium blue, with Majestic Blue leaning every so slightly more toward purple. Both are very saturated, with little to no shading. Both are fairly slow drying, and both have good flow and lubrication, with little feathering.

 

Either would be a good choice if you don't mind slow drying; they're very comparable.

[The Good Captain]

It isn't so much the long drying time of the Majestic, it's the smearing that results. Good colour, I grant you. I prefer the Diamine Midnight but I did try a 1:1 dilution of the Majestic with distilled water. The colour stayed virtually the same but it dried really (comparatively!) quickly with no smearing. A bit of bleed-through on cheaper papers. I'm going to try a 'stronger' dilution; maybe 2:1 or 3:1 ink:water to see what happens as I shan't be wasting the ink. Maybe I'll 'cut' it with Prussian Blue which might just beef-up that one in the process.

I haven't used PR inks at all.

[snowblink]

I have the Majestic Blue in an italic and there is no shading. Not had problems with dry time. The only PR I have is Sherwood Green and that takes a few days to dry.

[alexander_k]

Diluting Majestic Blue takes off most of the purple sheen.

[The Good Captain]

Diluting Majestic Blue takes off most of the purple sheen.

That's true; I forgot to mention that.

[Dimitrios_P]

Both are amazing colors.

 

PR is what I use lately. Ink is very saturated and I trully adore the deep rich color.

 

Diamine is a little lighter blue tone than the PR IMO.

[Nam Nguyen]

Does diluting means adding distilled water to it to lighten it up a little? Because I intend on using the ink as is, with the color and effects as it should be. I've heard a lot of good things about the Majestic Blue and that the Electric DC Blue is almost the same except two things: drying time is even longer, and clogging/dry in the nib?? Can someone please confirm this?

At the moment, I'm leaning toward the Majestic Blue...

Thank you guys for the input!!

[Dimitrios_P]

Does diluting means adding distilled water to it to lighten it up a little? Because I intend on using the ink as is, with the color and effects as it should be. I've heard a lot of good things about the Majestic Blue and that the Electric DC Blue is almost the same except two things: drying time is even longer, and clogging/dry in the nib?? Can someone please confirm this?

At the moment, I'm leaning toward the Majestic Blue...

Thank you guys for the input!!

 

 

Yes but be careful to do not lose color tone.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Dimitrios_P

[Sunbird222]

I prefer DC Electric Blue myself - both are saturated, although I think the DC is a little darker, and has that reddish sheen which I like. Drying times are not a problem for me - I write with the DC every day on mostly Clairefontaine notebooks with mostly a Parker 51 fine-medium or a Lamy with a 1.1 mm nib. Both are wet writers, and I've not had smearing unless I intentionally smear it right after writing.

 

The other posts are also right re: variation - there really aren't any. I haven't diluted either so can't add much to that.

 

Get a bottle of each and try it out!

[Nam Nguyen]

I know that even though both are dark but which one is bluER?? Sometimes when you get to this end of the spectrum, the blue tends to go into blue-black territory. I think the Majestic Blue supposed to have just a little bit of purple to it but what about black? How about Electric Blue?

I like a very saturated color but still a true blue, not blue-black. And as far as the red sheen is concern, I believe both of them have it but does the Electric Blue have more of it than the Majestic?

[mrjustice]

Regarding both inks. I have diluted them 1:1 with waterman blue. ColOr remained the same with much better drying properties. I like both.

[betsypreston]

Wow. I just looked at my samples of both, and I can't say one or the other is "bluer". They're both magnificent (sorry to gush, but they are both stunning blues). I really think you can't lose.

 

Can you pick based on price?

[Nam Nguyen]

I thought about the price but since I don't even use my fountain pen that much, a 50ml or 80ml bottle will probably last me a long time so price doesn't really matter, I think.

I am leaning toward Diamine Majestic Blue. Something about it is just more appealing to me. Maybe it's the history of the brand, being British and all. Annndddddd, a more beautiful looking bottle!!

[Lazarus Long]

I don't have DC Electric Blue, but I do have Majestic Blue. The red sheen can make it lean a little purple in the right light on the right paper. As far as dark blue vs blue-black, I consider it to be a dark true blue.

 

I have a couple blue-blacks (Noodler's Midnight blue and Bad Belted Kingfisher). They look more like a bluish grey than a dark blue. I don't see any black in the Majestic Blue, it is a very rich, intense blue.

[th3]

Have you made your call on which blue yet?

 

I went through this same search a few weeks ago, looking for the blue which would be perfect for me, a dark deep blue but without blackness. PR DE Electric Blue was a finalist, I liked it but something just drew me to Majestic Blue plus I liked that I could get a 30 ML bottle from Diamine for less than $4.00 delivered. If I didnt like it I wouldnt be out too much.

 

I received it yesterday and I LOVE IT! Its such a rich vibrant color and blue blue blue. No blackness at all. I look at it and I can say "thats blue!" PR DEEB may be fine too, I am sure it is.

[Nam Nguyen]

Wow, can you please tell me where you get that a 30mL bottle for that price?? I haven't make an order yet, I'm still waiting for my next purchase of a pen to add in the ink with it. But I'm glad that you found it to be BLUEEEE because when you get to this end of the extreme spectrum, sometimes it goes either a bit black or a bit purple! Thank you for the update and hope you keep on liking it!

[th3]

I ordered from Nordic Pen Imports at

Nordic Pens

 

Enter the coupon code "Friends" for a 10% discount.

 

They are located in Sweden. Shipment time to me in the USA took about two weeks.

 

 

I paid 2,56 euros for my 30 ml bottle of Majestic Blue, which is about $3.63 USD.

Edited October 27, 2011 by th3

[Nam Nguyen]

I just placed an order!! Thank you so muchhhhhhh for the info. Plastic as it may be but $3.63 for a 30mL bottle is a steal!!

And yes, just like you, I found the Majestic Blue more appealing also, even though I'm sure the Electric DC Blue is just as beautiful.