Favorite Blue Ink

[KyleKatarn]

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.

Nice, I shall definitely be trying it! Thanks a lot for the suggestion

[dcwaites]

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...

 

Try diluting your Majestic Blue with 30% or 40% water. You get a much nicer blue, with much better behaviour.

[KyleKatarn]

Try diluting your Majestic Blue with 30% or 40% water. You get a much nicer blue, with much better behaviour.

Nice one dcwaites! Should I use distilled water or tap water does the trick?

[dcwaites]

Nice one dcwaites! Should I use distilled water or tap water does the trick?

 

That depends on your water. I live across the road from the area's water plant, and the local pipes are less than 20 years old. That means I have good quality water coming out of the tap. Other parts of Australia have water so hard you can use it as a building material.

 

If I was just experimenting with one fill's worth of ink, I use tap water. If, having found a dilution that made me happy, I was going to do 50 mls worth or more, I use distilled water (2 litre bottle is kept in the laundry).

[DOrion]

My favorite blues thus far are Asa Gao, Bung Box Sapphire, MB Honore de Balzac and Diamine Majestic Blue.

[Buzz_130]

The only color I write with is blue, and I try to use the correct ink for the work I'm doing.

 

New pen or valuable vintage: Waterman Serenity Blue or Mont Blanc Royal Blue

 

Favorite work ink: Iroshizuku Asa Gao

Work IG ink: KWZI IG Blue #2, KWZI IG Blue #3, KWZI IG Blue-Black, Diamine Registrar

 

Nano pigment: Sailor Sei Boku

 

Deep blues (great for work): Diamine Midnight, Iroshizuku Shin Kai, Diamine Blue Velvet, Diamine Blue Black

Dry Blues: Pelikan 4001 Koenigsblau, Akkerman 0

 

I use many others with my fountain pens, but the ones mentioned above get the most pen time.

 

Buzz

[Fuzzy_Bear]

I really like Texas Bluebonnet. It leans towards a turquoise. It's only drawback is it is a lighter blue and hard to read early in the morning on the school bus. In having to rewrite my seating chart in Noodler's Blue Steel. It is more of a black-blue.

[jkingrph]

Pelikan 4001 Koenigsblue (Kings Blue)

[tartuffo]

my favourite "standard" blue ink

diamine shimmering seas

it only twinkles if you twist it. : )

 

http://i.imgur.com/l0ENRQ9.jpg?1

[EKE]

Here's a favorite of mine that no one has mentioned yet: Diamine China Blue.

[mmg122]

My favorite blue inks (lately):

 

MB JFK Navy Blue LE

Blackstone Sydney Harbor Blue

MB Leo Tolstoy LE

BungBox 4B (blue black)

[goatgolfer]

Looking for some input on Blue inks to sample; and without a definition of what "Blue" is... OP = JBurchett asked a "Favorite" Blue Ink. Not defined by anything other than one's own definition of favorite, some posts came with explanation and comments, many with links to other reviews and swatches.

 

My summary of this highly non-scientific study:

 

71 posts as of now

64 inks are named; each naming as a favorite, not just a quote, earned one tic mark So, ...

 

10 tics - Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao

6 tics - Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki

4 tics - Noodler's Libery Elysium; Pelikan Edelstein Topaz; Visconti Blue

3 tics - Aurora Blue, Blackstone Barrier Reef; Akkerman Shocking Blue; Diamine ASA Blue; Bungbox Sapphire; Sailor Sky High; Mont Blanc JFK; Waterman Serenity Blue

Lots of others with less than 3 mentions.

 

This was fun and many of the contributors have substantial posts and ink reviews so generally it impressed me that people with broad experience would give a novice (me) and many other board members leads as to where to enter the blue sample game. Future fun to be had. Thanks to OP and contributors. Happy New Year.

[jburchett]

 

10 tics - Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao

6 tics - Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki

4 tics - Noodler's Libery Elysium; Pelikan Edelstein Topaz; Visconti Blue

3 tics - Aurora Blue, Blackstone Barrier Reef; Akkerman Shocking Blue; Diamine ASA Blue; Bungbox Sapphire; Sailor Sky High; Mont Blanc JFK; Waterman Serenity Blue

Lots of others with less than 3 mentions.

 

This was fun and many of the contributors have substantial posts and ink reviews so generally it impressed me that people with broad experience would give a novice (me) and many other board members leads as to where to enter the blue sample game. Future fun to be had. Thanks to OP and contributors. Happy New Year.

Thanks for tallying that up! I've certainly added some to my sample list, and appreciate all of the input!

[goatgolfer]

With a bit more time today to follow up on the top vote getters in Favorite Blue: Of the inks I noted above:

Noodler's Liberty Elysium - Goulet exclusive - samples and bottles

Blacktstone Barrier Reef - Exclusive to JustWrite.com.au - variety of sizes

Akkerman Shocking Blue - Difficult to tell who has samples since it's a protected brand: Maybe Anderson Pens but one must call. Vanness also carries Akkerman but you must call

BungBox First Love Sapphire- Vanness only - No samples visible.

Sailor Sky High - Discontinued 2014 per Anderson Pens

Mont Blanc JFK - Apparently one must obtain it from Caroline Kennedy only (joking) no current known source

 

Very interesting. May have to get Sherlock on this one....

[Shuggy]

Another vote for Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. I have been absolutely addcted to the stuff since I found some in a stationery shop in Tokyo last year. I wish I'd bought several bottles - it's so much cheaper over there!

[pepsiplease69]

With a bit more time today to follow up on the top vote getters in Favorite Blue: Of the inks I noted above:

Noodler's Liberty Elysium - Goulet exclusive - samples and bottles

Blacktstone Barrier Reef - Exclusive to JustWrite.com.au - variety of sizes

Akkerman Shocking Blue - Difficult to tell who has samples since it's a protected brand: Maybe Anderson Pens but one must call. Vanness also carries Akkerman but you must call

BungBox First Love Sapphire- Vanness only - No samples visible.

Sailor Sky High - Discontinued 2014 per Anderson Pens

Mont Blanc JFK - Apparently one must obtain it from Caroline Kennedy only (joking) no current known source

 

Very interesting. May have to get Sherlock on this one....

Sailor Sky High in deed has been discontinued.

 

They did come out with a replacement to it called Sailor Souten.

 

I'm unable to tell the difference between the two, but folks who are very particular about their inks do report some subtle differences between the two.

[AndyYNWA]

Sailor Sky High in deed has been discontinued.

 

They did come out with a replacement to it called Sailor Souten.

 

I'm unable to tell the difference between the two, but folks who are very particular about their inks do report some subtle differences between the two.

It's almost impossible to tell the difference between Sky high and Souten. The sheen of Sky high shall be a bit more pronounced, but it's really hard to tell from pictures.

[perfaddict]

MB Permanent Blue is my top ink.

 

Other favoured blues:

 

Graf von Faber Castell Cobalt Blue

R&K Konïgsblau

MB Royal Blue

PR American Blue

[aardvarkbark]

If BBs are allowed:

 

Noodler's FPN Starry Night

[amberleadavis]

I've been watching the action and I've added the link to the blue swatches, but now I'll pipe in....

 

Like my buddy Whichwatch, I'm a fan of blue inks. I have several pens inked with blue at all times.

 

I keep a pen inked with Dromgoole's Blue Steel (yes, it's a blue-black), but it's not fussy, it's water resistant, and it always works.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_748b.jpg

For signing contracts, I use Noodler's Luxury Blue - you can always tell it is an original and it's waterproof, but I also really like Midway Blue which is also fade proof.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Colors/Blue/slides/2012-08-20-washed_001.jpg

 

For daily doodles, I use Kobe Maya Lapis and Bungbox (or maybe it's Kingdom's Note) Lidth's Jay. They are both vibrant blues.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/album/Ink/2015-07-07-Ink_05.jpg

For a really nice blue ink that performs well, I like Visconti Blue - it was recommended to me by many FPNers when I first started and I have more than one bottle.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/INK/images/_nb_mediaFrames/60572012-02-25_02_Visconti.jpg

 

And for my work that needs water proof, yes, I have BSB, but really love my KWZI Blue #4.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2015-Inklings/2015-Ink_0096.jpg