Favorite Blue Ink

[jburchett]

OK, now then...

I personally love Noodler's Liberty's Elysium. It's my main blue. But I also have and love Iroshizuku Asa gao and Pelikan Edelstein Topaz. I'd recommend any and all of them.

I have and love Libertys Elysium, but I have some vintage pens that I am hesitant about putting it in. Probably for no reason, really.

[mhm802]

excellent selection of samples! You might love them all!

[jburchett]

excellent selection of samples! You might love them all!

Thank you! It was a tedious decision because, of course, I want to try them all!

[dcwaites]

If you have both Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire and Topaz, and mix, say 10 mls of each, you get a lovely Royal Blue.

 

Thanks to FPNer whichwatch, I have a sample of Sailor Bung Box Hatsukoi/First Love/Sapphire.

It seems to me to be PPS on steroids, just that little bit more blue, little bit more sheen, little bit more shading, than the original. It is a lovely ink, but unrealistic for me to get at this stage.

 

I will stick with FPS#9, NIS and Noodler's Liberty's Elysium.

[GregZillgitt]

Currently, my favorites are Diamine ASA Blue and Iro Kon-Peki.

[brattpitt]

noodler's bad belted kingfisher / midnight blue (both are similar shades of dark blue. just that midnight blue isn't waterproof.)

noodler's blue eel (love the vibrant shade of pure blue)

noodler's starry starry night (if only because its so exclusive)

 

akkerman shocking blue (flow problems in all my drier pens though. needs to be diluted with distilled water. love the bottle design)

 

bungbox sapphire blue (smooth lubricated blue)

 

Sailor sky high (lovely vibrant shade of blue)

 

Iroshizuku Kon Peki (nice color, well behaved ink. but very expensive. all time favourite ink bottle design)

[DrDebG]

You may even want to contact Vanness Pens, and try some samples of L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio inks. They are known for their blues. Some of my favorites are Bleu Azur, Bleu Ultramarine, Bleu Mediterranee,and Baikal (a dusty blue-grey). If you like turquoise colors, you could try Bleu Pacifique and Bleu Atlantique. Ink by the mL also sells samples of Callifolio inks (as well as a bunch of others). Both Vanness and Ink by the mL give you a generous 5mL sample at a very reasonable price. Good luck with your quest.

[jburchett]

Thanks for all the suggestions! My list of inks to sample/look at is growing!

[AndyYNWA]

I thought the question was only about blues. I excluded the blue-blacks (my favourites).

 

Some blue-blacks I really like:

Sailor Nano Sei-boku

Bungbox 4B

Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai

Noodler's 54th Massachusetts

 

 

Regarding Iroshizuku Asa-gao. I like the colour of it, but it looks a bit too much like the color you get out of any ordinary rollerball pen and I think that's boring. I want it to show that I'm using a fountain pen.

[sirgilbert357]

I thought the question was only about blues. I excluded the blue-blacks (my favourites).

 

Some blue-blacks I really like:

Sailor Nano Sei-boku

Bungbox 4B

Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai

Noodler's 54th Massachusetts

 

 

Regarding Iroshizuku Asa-gao. I like the colour of it, but it looks a bit too much like the color you get out of any ordinary rollerball pen and I think that's boring. I want it to show that I'm using a fountain pen.

Use a stub/italic nib then. I think the purple undertones in Asa gao really pop in a wide, wet nib.

[Coop]

Iroshizuku Asa-gao is still my favorite, color, shading, sheen, well-behaved, this ink has it all...

 

But Diamine Sargasso Sea is a close second. Nice deep dark blue color, beautiful sheen, and a lot cheaper than Iroshizuku.

[Danny Kaffee]

Iroshizuku Asa-gao is still my favorite, color, shading, sheen, well-behaved, this ink has it all...

 

But Diamine Sargasso Sea is a close second. Nice deep dark blue color, beautiful sheen, and a lot cheaper than Iroshizuku.

 

These are two of my favorites as well. Asa-gao is top shelf. I mix Sargasso Sea with 3 parts SS and 1 part water to get a shade that is nearly identical to Asa-gao, but a lot cheaper.

 

I also really like Diamine Blue Velvet.

[amberleadavis]

And for this second page, my favorites are:

 

DeAtramentis Hyacinth: Great flow and lubrication, but it is scented.

 

DeAtramentis Steel Blue: Again, great flow and lubrication.

 

L'Artisan Pastellier Calli folio Bleu Pacifique: Wonderful flow, shading and lovely sheen

 

Waterman South Seas (now Inspired Blue): A wonderful turquoise - perhaps my favorite of all

 

L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Bleu Mediteranee: Lovely medium blue with nice shading and sheen

 

 

These aren't the best pictures, but perhaps they can give you a sense of the color. You can get samples of the L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio inks from Vanness Pens.

 

Great picture, don't forget to post those here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/278212-inky-t-o-d-color-swatches-blue-please-post-your-pictures-and-tell-us-your-thoughts/

 

Also, OP, please look at the blue swatches.

[jmccarty3]

Da Atramentis Hyacinth and Diamine Cornflower (from the Flower Set) are bright blues that resemble Platinum Mix-free Aurora Blue. I need to do a comparison of them someday, if I can ever get my new scanner set up properly. Darker blues I like very much are De Atramentis Sherlock Holmes, Diamine Blue Velvet and Diamine Regency Blue. The best blue I know of is Montblanc JFK

[J85909266]

Right now:

Iroshizuku Kon-Peki

 

I was all hipster about this ink based on reviews. I bought a 30ml sample size to compare to my other cerulean blues: Noodler's Blue and Edlestein Topaz. Just to be fair.

 

It performs better than both, for me. It shades and sheens like Topaz but is not as dry and feathers less. It's more vibrant, shades better, and doesn't feather on bad paper like Noodler's blue.

 

Basically, it's well worth the premium and is more well-rounded than the other two.

 

That said, Noodler's Blue is a great, low cost alternative to Kon-Peki. Unfortunately, I don't have Topaz inked right now to compare.

 

Both samples are written with unaltered, medium steel Jowo nibs:

 

Paper is Clairefontaine.

[Joban]

As noted earlier, Iroshizuku Asa-Gao (morning glory).

[pepsiplease69]

Namiki Blue

Iroshizuku Asa Gao

Iroshizuku Shin kai

Sailor Jentle Sky High

Kaweco Royal Blue

Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire

 

All free flowing, most have a delightful sheen.

 

R&K Salix for cheap paper. Can't go wrong with that.

[Barkingpig]

Next to black, Blue is my least favorite ink color ; but Montblanc's JFK was the blue that "won me over to the Blue side." I have since enjoyed others of similar hue (BB's) but am grateful I have an "extra" bottle of JFK.

[KyleKatarn]

A few days ago I was updating my inks inventory just to realize that I already have 18 bottles of blue and there are many more that I crave... Damned adiction! My favs at the moment are:

 

Iro Kon-Peki

L'Artisan Pastellier Bleu Mediterranée

Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris

Montblanc Midnight Blue (the permanent stuff that was discontinued)

Diamine Royal Blue (I love this one, surprised no one mentioned it)

 

I would also love Diamine Majestic Blue, if only it was better behaved...

Edited December 26, 2015 by KyleKatarn

[The Good Captain]

I would also love Diamine Majestic Blue, if only it was better behaved...

Try Akkerman's Shocking Blue instead. Great shading and a similar red sheen but really well-behaved and it doesn't have the drying and smearing issues that Majestic Blue can exhibit.

And; it's not the same ink either.