Love/hate Diamine Eclipse, What's A Good Replacement?

[terminal]

When I tried Diamine Eclipse the first time, I just loved the color. It was such a unique blackish purple. And it seemed to work pretty well in my pens. So I started using it in one of my daily carries.

 

Well, I've been using it for about six months now, and, while it certainly isn't the type of ink that would ruin a pen or anything like that, I just have gotten so I don't love the way it flows. In comparison to waterman or iroshizuku, it seems relatively 'dry' to me.

 

And, well, I'm tired of it. But I still love the color. Has anyone come across another ink with a similar color?

[lapis]

Actually, no, I too love the heck out of it and have until today not ever had any problems with any flow in any pens....

[alexander_k]

My only problem with Eclipse is that it's too dark. In many pens it appears just black. No flow problems either.

[alarickc]

I haven't used Eclipse, but from what I've seen of it on here it looks like Bung Box Ink of the Witch. BB is not quite as wet as Iro, but it's fairly close.

[stonezebra]

Have you checked out the comparison tool at Goulet Pens? It might help you find a substitute you like better.

[mtnbiker62]

My everyday blue-black and all around favorite ink is Iroshizuku Shin-kai. It doesn't have the purple overtones of the Diamine Midnight, but its a very professional, very well behaved ink.

[amberleadavis]

Did you try a tiny drop of glycerin? Or diluting it by 10%?

[terminal]

I haven't used Eclipse, but from what I've seen of it on here it looks like Bung Box Ink of the Witch. BB is not quite as wet as Iro, but it's fairly close.

Oh wow, this looks really close. I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. Of course the problem is getting it. For anyone looking, this is what the bottle looks like:

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/ink_of_witch.png

 

The official web page exists only in Japanese. The ink is roughly $21. Needless to say, it's sold out...

[amberleadavis]

Ebony purple is pretty, and PR is pretty easy to find in the US.

[terminal]

Have you checked out the comparison tool at Goulet Pens? It might help you find a substitute you like better.

 

You know... I did play around with it a bit. I feel like the only way to use it in this case is to open a different window and sort by purple, then try to go through them... I don't know, the workflow seems kind of difficult

[terminal]

My everyday blue-black and all around favorite ink is Iroshizuku Shin-kai. It doesn't have the purple overtones of the Diamine Midnight, but its a very professional, very well behaved ink.

 

Thanks! I too use shin-kai and I have it in my daily carry 3776 right now. I love it. But yeah, not purple.

[terminal]

Ebony purple is pretty, and PR is pretty easy to find in the US.

Oh, that's an interesting one... it seems a bit redder to me... maybe that's just the Goulet comparison tool

[terminal]

Did you try a tiny drop of glycerin? Or diluting it by 10%?

I was thinking it might make it lighter but, I'm sure with that little it wouldn't change it much.

 

It bothers me nobody else thinks it has a flow problem though. Maybe it just doesn't agree with the pen.

[alarickc]

Oh wow, this looks really close. I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. Of course the problem is getting it. For anyone looking, this is what the bottle looks like:

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/ink_of_witch.png

 

The official web page exists only in Japanese. The ink is roughly $21. Needless to say, it's sold out...

As a general heads-up the ink IS in stock. Google mistranslates it sometimes, I don't know why. The ink can be had two ways in the US; you can buy a single bottle of it from Cool-Japan on eBay for $40 including shipping, or you can order at least five bottles of Bung Box inks through White Rabbit Express forwarding service for around $31 a bottle including shipping. I prefers the latter myself.

[Gloucesterman]

Really like that bottle! $40.00 or even $31.00 is outside the current budget.

[stonezebra]

 

You know... I did play around with it a bit. I feel like the only way to use it in this case is to open a different window and sort by purple, then try to go through them... I don't know, the workflow seems kind of difficult

 

It's really not that hard to use. You can sort according to color (maybe blue or purple in your case) or you could just use the interactive tool and start with the DE and then add on other colors that folks suggest. BTW, I just tried PR Ebony Purple (as Amber suggested) and I have to say it looks pretty close. The colors appear on the same page next to one another with the interactive tool.

 

Seems like someone else recently asked for a substitute for DE and a search might turn it up. I have to agree with Amber's (?) suggestion to try diluting the ink first or adding a drop of glycerine though (I found mine at the drug store.) It's amazing the difference a little dilution can make. Good luck!

Edited June 7, 2014 by stonezebra

[amberleadavis]

I"d really consider adding a flow enhancer like glycerin before I changed an ink that I LOVE.

 

BTW, I'll have a sample of Ebony purple up in a few minutes at this location.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/index.html

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_584.jpg

[terminal]

Thank you all so much, you've been very helpful!

 

...or you can order at least five bottles of Bung Box inks through White Rabbit Express forwarding service for around $31 a bottle including shipping. I prefers the latter myself.

You have the ink shipped to an address white rabbit holds for you, then sent your way, right? I don't see the inks directly on their site. I've been using a shipping service called tenso which seems fine to me.

 

 

 

It's really not that hard to use. You can sort according to color (maybe blue or purple in your case) or you could just use the interactive tool and start with the DE and then add on other colors that folks suggest. BTW, I just tried PR Ebony Purple (as Amber suggested) and I have to say it looks pretty close. The colors appear on the same page next to one another with the interactive tool.

 

Seems like someone else recently asked for a substitute for DE and a search might turn it up. I have to agree with Amber's (?) suggestion to try diluting the ink first or adding a drop of glycerine though (I found mine at the drug store.) It's amazing the difference a little dilution can make. Good luck!

You're right I'm mostly just being lazy.

 

 

I"d really consider adding a flow enhancer like glycerin before I changed an ink that I LOVE.

 

BTW, I'll have a sample of Ebony purple up in a few minutes at this location.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/index.html

 

Thank yo uso much for doing that... it's very very close. Do you consider it a pretty 'wet' ink?

 

Actually I think I'll take a three pronged approach and try adding glycerine and also pick up some PR Ebony Purple

[77kath]

I was thinking it might make it lighter but, I'm sure with that little it wouldn't change it much.

 

It bothers me nobody else thinks it has a flow problem though. Maybe it just doesn't agree with the pen.

I just got a bottle and want very much to like it. I have it in my most reliable writer, an old Stipula Novecento, and it doesn't flow as well as Aurora or Montblanc black. So I'm a little disappointed.