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F-C Royal Blue: Under-Appreciated


chandelle

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I bought a 2 oz. bottle of Faber-Castell Royal Blue ink a month or so ago (for a touch under $5.50) and quite like it. There's nothing either remarkable or dislikable about it. The saturation is just right and flows very well; not sure whether it has any lubricating property.

 

The bottle curiously is a replica of the Pelikan 4001 and I wonder if the two source the ink off the same manufacturer? I hope not, because the Pelikan has (as I gathered from the posts here) notoriety for fading away completely...

 

Experiences of others who may have been using F-C RB for a longer duration would be welcome, thanks.

 

------------------------------------------------------

'Nothing' isn't impossible. I've done it all my life

http://fountainpenreviews.wordpress.com/

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lol, I thought you meant Franklin-Christoph from the title. I was unaware that they even had a royal blue, just denim blue.

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I haven't seen the ink either. We'd love to see a review.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I had understood Faber Castell fountain pen ink simply to be rebranded Pelikan ink. I'd be curious to hear if it behaves differently.

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... I also thought it was Franklin-Christoph... :P

 

would be a good idea to upload a scan of your ink test..

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I have no proof that Faber-Castell inks and Pelikan inks are made by one and the same manufacturer but I, myself, would say: "Yes, they are".

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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No harm meant, but I don't see a swab of your Pelikan Royal Blue here (for a direct comparison with the Faber-Castell Royal Blue).

Also, both bottles look the same -- and even have the same lids (although the Faber-Castell lid has no bird on it) -- but the Faber-Castell bottle is more than twice as big as the Pelikan bottle.

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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No harm meant, but I don't see a swab of your Pelikan Royal Blue here (for a direct comparison with the Faber-Castell Royal Blue).

Also, both bottles look the same -- and even have the same lids (although the Faber-Castell lid has no bird on it) -- but the Faber-Castell bottle is more than twice as big as the Pelikan bottle.

 

Mike

 

Wilco. Over the next weekend (Fri-Sat), possibly. That said, I've never done swabs earlier, but will look it up ere then :)

------------------------------------------------------

'Nothing' isn't impossible. I've done it all my life

http://fountainpenreviews.wordpress.com/

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Wilco. Over the next weekend (Fri-Sat), possibly. That said, I've never done swabs earlier, but will look it up ere then :)

Sorry, my reply was directed at hoppes no9, who -- along with those 10 swabs above -- had also said "The FC and Pelikan bottles are the same".

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Sorry, my reply was directed at hoppes no9, who -- along with those 10 swabs above -- had also said "The FC and Pelikan bottles are the same".

 

Mike

According to the specifications given for the FC bottles, they should be the same as the larger Pelikan bottles (62.5ml). They also happen to be the same shape...given pictures posted by I believe...you?

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According to the specifications given for the FC bottles, they should be the same as the larger Pelikan bottles (62.5ml). They also happen to be the same shape...given pictures posted by I believe...you?

I don't know of any 62.5 ml Pelikan bottles. Maybe our cap'n does since I recall seeing an old photo of a Pelikan true iron-gall ink bottle which I think he posted. It was at least 30 years old and may have had that shape too. In any case, the only Pelikan bottles available today which are larger than the usuial (4001) 30 ml bottles are those of the TG! series which are 50 ml bottles (available BTW only in Royal Blue or Brilliant Black):

fpn_1374415774__pelikan_tg1.jpg

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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I don't know of any 62.5 ml Pelikan bottles. Maybe our cap'n does since I recall seeing an old photo of a Pelikan true iron-gall ink bottle which I think he posted. It was at least 30 years old and may have had that shape too. In any case, the only Pelikan bottles available today which are larger than the usuial (4001) 30 ml bottles are those of the TG! series which are 50 ml bottles (available BTW only in Royal Blue or Brilliant Black):

fpn_1374415774__pelikan_tg1.jpg

They're actually widely available in 62.5ml bottles as well. I have turquoise, blue black, black and royal blue in those bottles. A quick look at ebay shows the 62.5ml bottles on sale http://www.ebay.com/bhp/pelikan-fountain-pen-ink (2nd item that pops up).

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Sorry, my reply was directed at hoppes no9, who -- along with those 10 swabs above -- had also said "The FC and Pelikan bottles are the same".

 

Mike

 

I did not say the INKS were the same. Since I don't own Pelikan Royal Blue, I didn't include it in the swab comparison.

 

I said the FC and Pelikan BOTTLES are the same. I own Pelikan Turquoise and FC Royal Blue, both 62.5 ml, and the bottles are essentially identical. These are not my pics but this is what my bottles look like. I mentioned the similarity of the bottles merely as additional info regarding the question "are FC inks sourced from the same supplier as Pelikan inks".

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81tFBMmy7LL._SL1500_.jpg

http://www.mojolondon.co.uk/a/i/products/250/82152alt.jpg

Edited by hoppes no9
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Hmm...I think the Diplomat ink is in that same bottle too.... Let me go look.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/rvbga.avcnm/v/vspfiles/photos/D20000324-2.jpg?1371547712

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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You are right, Mike. This one.

fpn_1342086936__pelikan_blue-black_ferro

And as others have pointed out, the 62.5ml bottles are available and are the same shape. I have 'one or two' of the Blue-Black, as you might have guessed.

On one of my small 4001 bottles that I now use for ESSRI, I noticed that one inside bottom corner was lower that the other and presume that this isn't just a one-off flaw but a design to allow last-drop filling. I don't know as I've no others to check at present.

The Good Captain

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

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I said the FC and Pelikan BOTTLES are the same....

 

I'll buy that. Figuratively and literally.

 

 

You are right, Mike. This one.

 

And as others have pointed out, the 62.5ml bottles are available and are the same shape. I have 'one or two' of the Blue-Black, as you might have guessed.

On one of my small 4001 bottles that I now use for ESSRI, I noticed that one inside bottom corner was lower that the other and presume that this isn't just a one-off flaw but a design to allow last-drop filling. I don't know as I've no others to check at present.

So, my guess was right!

 

Thanks, guys. We're getting closer. Hanover just told me that 62.5-ers are not manufactured here in Germany (only 30, 50 and 1000 ml). But I do see in internet (see above link and elsewhere) that the sellers also say "Country of Manufacture: Germany". BTW it also seems true according to http://www.cultpens.com/acatalog/Pelikan-4001-Ink-Bottle-62-5ml.html that all 8 4001 inks are available in 62.5-ml packs.

 

QUESTION NOW: Can anybody hand out a bar code number or two for any of those 62.5-ers?

 

TIA

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Thanks to my strange obsession with keeping bottled ink in the boxes they came in where possible...here goes.

 

Black: 4012700329141

Blue Black: 4012700329158

Blue: 4012700329134

Turquoise: 4012700329202

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Thanks to my strange obsession with keeping bottled ink in the boxes they came in where possible...here goes.

 

Black: 4012700329141

Blue Black: 4012700329158

Blue: 4012700329134

Turquoise: 4012700329202

First of all, thanks a million. Now I know what I can mail Hanover tomorrow. I wouldn't call that an obsession at all. I do that all the time. Throwing things out -- itself -- might be named a hobby. Inks themselves: yes, bottles: sometimes; boxes: never!

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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