Suggestions For Deep, Vibrant Blue Ink

[sirgilbert357]

Visconti blue is blue to my eyes. No sign of purple or any other color.

Thanks for the recomendation about no dip testing. I wonder how do you know.

 

Sorry, I must have missed this...

 

I've experienced it myself with many of my own pens. It's pretty easy to test for yourself. Hooded and semi hooded nibs seem to show the greatest difference between dipping and writing normally (filled converter) in my experience...

[tonybelding]

After spending what seems like days and days gazing at Noodler's Blue, Blue Eel, and Liberty's, the Liberty is looking too turquoise-y (-ish? LOL) to me. I want a deep true blue, but one with some pop to it. After reading your replies, I think I'll mark the Eel off.

 

Which is a deeper blue (when written), the Noodler's Blue, or the Liberty? Sometimes even when the swabs look like a medium blue, the writing samples look very dark.

 

Does Liberty have a touch of turquoise?

 

 

IMHO Liberty's Elysium is a true, pure blue. It's slightly less dark but more vivid blue than Noodler's Blue. However. . . That's really splitting hairs.

 

More than we often realize, ink color is about the quirks of human perception.

 

In my experience, your perception of hue will vary depending on how dark the ink is, and how dark it is will depend on how wet your pen is. These are all connected. You can take any of these blue inks and write with a wet pen, then with a dry pen, and you'll perceive the drier, lighter writing as slightly more "turquoise" or cyan-ish, and you'll perceive the darker writing as slightly more purple-leaning.

 

However, when not comparing inks side-by-side, many of these subtle differences just vanish. For example. . . My favorite of all blue inks is Texas Bluebonnet, which looks like a true, pure, lovely blue color -- right up until you start comparing it side-by-side with other blue inks, and then the teal tint suddenly becomes visible!

[crescent2]

Yes, good point. Reviews of inks and even replies here indicate the differences we each see.

 

I talked with Goulet Pens today, and their stock of Noodler's ink is mixed, plastic and glass bottles; no choice which. I'm going to wait on the Noodler's for now. Interestingly (and another example of what you said), they said Liberty's E. is "more muted" than the N. Blue, and has no turquoise to it. They also said it is very close to their trademark blue splotch. Looking at their swab, it doesn't look it to me. Oh well!

 

I'm going to order samples of Blue Velvet, DC Supershow Blue, and Visconte Blue and see whether I'm even on the right track. I doubt I could go wrong with any of them, though.

 

Thanks again, everyone, and thanks, Eric, for your PM.

[sirgilbert357]

Yes, good point. Reviews of inks and even replies here indicate the differences we each see.

 

I talked with Goulet Pens today, and their stock of Noodler's ink is mixed, plastic and glass bottles; no choice which. I'm going to wait on the Noodler's for now. Interestingly (and another example of what you said), they said Liberty's E. is "more muted" than the N. Blue, and has no turquoise to it. They also said it is very close to their trademark blue splotch. Looking at their swab, it doesn't look it to me. Oh well!

 

I'm going to order samples of Blue Velvet, DC Supershow Blue, and Visconte Blue and see whether I'm even on the right track. I doubt I could go wrong with any of them, though.

 

Thanks again, everyone, and thanks, Eric, for your PM.

You're welcome. It goes back to what tonybelding said -- it depends partly on the pen. I must have gotten 10-15 different blues in my hunt for my favorite blue; there were some surprising differences between what hit the paper and what I thought it looked like online! And yeah one color in two different pens can end up looking like two different colors! It can be very frustrating actually, lol. This is part of the reason my pens have dedicated inks...

[tonybelding]

I talked with Goulet Pens today, and their stock of Noodler's ink is mixed, plastic and glass bottles; no choice which. I'm going to wait on the Noodler's for now. Interestingly (and another example of what you said), they said Liberty's E. is "more muted" than the N. Blue, and has no turquoise to it.

 

More muted?? That's weird. I thought Liberty's Elysium was the most vivid blue ink that I've seen anywhere this side of BSB.

 

 

 

I'm going to order samples of Blue Velvet, DC Supershow Blue, and Visconte Blue and see whether I'm even on the right track. I doubt I could go wrong with any of them, though.

 

IMHO you could "go wrong" with DC Supersaturated Blue, for reasons I've already expounded. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but. . . If you open the vial and immediately get an odor of mildew, don't use it!

[crescent2]

 

IMHO you could "go wrong" with DC Supersaturated Blue, for reasons I've already expounded. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but. . . If you open the vial and immediately get an odor of mildew, don't use it!

 

Somehow I missed the mildew thing. Please tell me about it! I placed my order for samples today (B. Velvet, DC SS, Visconti B, plus Ancient Copper and Amazing Amethyst--which I've used and love).

 

But I certainly don't want mildew!! Please enlighten me (and others). THANKS

[ac12]

Note that how an ink looks on your monitor may not be like how it looks like out of YOUR pen on YOUR paper.

There are several reasons for this.

- Most monitors are not color calibrated.

- You have no idea if the company that has the online color samples properly calibrated their equipment. So even with a color calibrated monitor, the source image could be off.

- You have to consider the room lighting and environment around the monitor, as that affects how the color looks.

- The pen that the sampler used could be wetter or dryer than your pen, and that can made a BIG difference.

- The paper that the sampler used could make a significant difference in how the inks look.

 

As above, your pen and paper has a great deal to do with how the ink looks.

 

If the pen writes WET, IOW puts down a lot of ink, the ink will tend to be darker.

Conversely if the pen write dry, IOW puts down less ink, the ink line will tend to be lighter.

Example, Goulet's Noodler's Liberty's Elysium will write from a medium to a DARK blue, depending on how wet my pen writes.

BTW, if the pen writes WET, the ink could also bleed through to the other side of the page. So there is such a thing as 'too wet.'

 

If the paper is absorbent, the paper will absorb some of the ink into the paper, where you can't see it, and the ink will look lighter/faded.

If the paper is HARD and not very absorbent, the ink will sit on the paper and be darker, but it will also take a longer time to dry, because the ink has to dry by evaporation rather than absorbtion.

 

I use PR DC SuperShow blue regularly, and have a pen inked with Libery's Elysium.

- I have the PR DCSS blue in a Parker 51, for LONG TERM use. I am happy with it.

- Liberty's Elysium seems to be a wet ink, so my medium flow pens will write wetter with it. And my pens feel more scratchy with it than some of my other inks.

Edited February 2, 2016 by ac12

[tonybelding]

 

Somehow I missed the mildew thing. Please tell me about it! I placed my order for samples today (B. Velvet, DC SS, Visconti B, plus Ancient Copper and Amazing Amethyst--which I've used and love).

 

But I certainly don't want mildew!! Please enlighten me (and others). THANKS

 

 

A bottle of Private Reserve ink -- and I think it happened to be either DCSSB or American Blue (which are very similar) -- was the only new, un-opened bottle of ink I ever received with SITB (slime in the bottle!) already developed in it. The moldy odor was distinct as soon as the cap came off.

 

On the other hand. . . I've also had many bottles that were OK. It's just an experience that stuck with me, especially in light of the other various headaches PR has given me over the years.

[missuslovett]

Just a quick shout out for Sailor Yama Dori. It's wet, it shades and sheens. I'm not normally into blues but this one's lovely.

 

 

 

 

[crescent2]

Yes, that is a beautiful blue! It looks a bit teal on my laptop (?), but it's very pretty.

 

SLIB =

Oh my. I'll look carefully! So far, I've never had any trouble with inks.

 

My bottle of Levenger Cobalt Blue arrived today, and I've been writing with it in my new Platinum 3776 and Parker 51 Demi. It does have a touch of purple, but it's a lovely blue. I could be satisfied with it for both pens! We'll see how I like my samples of other blues when they arrive.

 

When comparing writing samples of the Cobalt to the Midnight, the Midnight has a teal touch. Both are nice deep colors, but I like the Cobalt better.

 

Thanks all~

[Perdendosi]

I know you've already put in your order, but I'm another newbie going through similar growing pains.

I really like Diamine Royal Blue. It was a color Goulet chose for a couple of my "mystery" inks when I bought (~30?) samples a few weeks ago. It performs just as well as Liberty E, or even better. (Coming out of the pen, it's darker and more intense, which I imagine would stay on better paper than I'm currently using).

 

Here's a sample of it, LE, and something I just tried for the first time, Noodler's Baystate Blue. Wowza is that a color! It may be a tiny bit purple for you, and I don't think I'd put it in anything thicker than a fine nib, but it's breathtaking!
EDIT: I guess it has a reputation... for staining everything, for drying out, for being hypersaturated. For being awesome. :-).

Assuming that it doesn't dry out in my Pilot Metropolitan, it may be that pen's ink "for life".

 

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr327/perdendosi/1191FD95-3361-4C94-A625-5C1A9790AE64_zpsln0xfqhv.jpg

Edited February 4, 2016 by Perdendosi

[crescent2]

Yes, I've heard about the infamous BSB and think I'll stay far far away from it. From reading many reviews of different Noodler's inks, they seem to have some problematic quirks. However, I own bottles of Heart of Darkness and Q E 'ternity, and they've worked fine so far. I've not used the QET very much, however.

 

Of the above samples, I like the Royal Blue best. I own more Diamine inks than any other brand. For some reason, I just wind up buying Diamine more often than not. I've never really had a problem in any of my pens (except one that makes every ink look dull) with any of the inks and samples I have. The next time I order samples, I might include the Royal Blue!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yes, that is a beautiful blue! It looks a bit teal on my laptop (?), but it's very pretty.

 

SLIB =

Oh my. I'll look carefully! So far, I've never had any trouble with inks.

 

My bottle of Levenger Cobalt Blue arrived today, and I've been writing with it in my new Platinum 3776 and Parker 51 Demi. It does have a touch of purple, but it's a lovely blue. I could be satisfied with it for both pens! We'll see how I like my samples of other blues when they arrive.

 

When comparing writing samples of the Cobalt to the Midnight, the Midnight has a teal touch. Both are nice deep colors, but I like the Cobalt better.

 

Thanks all~

Levenger Empyrean lacks the purple undertones, but it's by no means vibrant: a deep, somber navy blue.

[crescent2]

Thanks. I was looking for vibrant (but not necessarily neon ), so I think the Cobalt will work for me. I love navy, but I was looking for something with some pop to it. Looking forward to my three samples.

[inkstainedruth]

Here's a couple that no-one has mentioned yet that I've just tried (just to, um, muddy the water a bit):

Sheaffer Skrip Blue. Slow drying (even on cheap paper) but it's a darkish medium blue. No teal, no purple. Just... blue. Has some shading on cheap paper like the Piccadilly sketch books I use for testing and reviewing ink.

De Atramentis Robert Louis Stevenson (South Seas Blue). A tad purple when it goes down, but seems to dry bluer. Much faster drying than Skrip Blue, and a slightly darker color, but there is some feathering and spread, though, on cheap paper, and slightly more bleedthrough than the Skrip (OTOH, the Skrip is slightly more water resistant).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruthruth

[crescent2]

Thanks, Ruth. Sheaffer is one brand that I've never even tried a sample of. I'll also take a look at the R. L. S. (I have some Alex H., purple leaning toward the red.)

[missuslovett]

Yes, that is a beautiful blue! It looks a bit teal on my laptop (?), but it's very pretty.

 

<snip>

 

 

You're right. Yama Dori is a dark Prussian blue on the bottom end with teal in its highlights. Its variation is one of the reasons I like it. Good luck with your hunt!

[tonybelding]

Here's a couple that no-one has mentioned yet that I've just tried (just to, um, muddy the water a bit):

Sheaffer Skrip Blue. Slow drying (even on cheap paper) but it's a darkish medium blue. No teal, no purple. Just... blue.

 

 

Uhh... At the beginning of this thread we were looking for a "deep, vibrant blue ink". You realize Sheaffer Skrip Blue is basically the exact oppose of deep and vibrant, right? It's one of those old-fashioned, weak-and-watery, pen-maker inks that used to turn people away from even wanting to use fountain pens.

 

IMHO the entire industry of saturated, vibrant inks -- from Parker Penman to Private Reserve and Noodlers and beyond -- emerged as a reaction against those watery, dull and lifeless inks that used to be all you could get from pen makers: Sheaffer Skrip Blue, Parker Quink, Waterman FL Blue, etc.

Edited February 5, 2016 by tonybelding

[Arkanabar]

My bottle of Levenger Cobalt Blue arrived today, and I've been writing with it in my new Platinum 3776 and Parker 51 Demi. It does have a touch of purple, but it's a lovely blue. I could be satisfied with it for both pens! We'll see how I like my samples of other blues when they arrive.

 

crescent2, my experience with a (gifted, perhaps concentrated) bottle of Cobalt Blue was less than happy. It was slow to dry, prone to feathering, and smudgy. This was before I'd learned that dilution often reduces or even resolves these issues.

 

I know you've already put in your order, but I'm another newbie going through similar growing pains.

I really like Diamine Royal Blue. It was a color Goulet chose for a couple of my "mystery" inks when I bought (~30?) samples a few weeks ago. It performs just as well as Liberty E, or even better. (Coming out of the pen, it's darker and more intense, which I imagine would stay on better paper than I'm currently using).

 

Here's a sample of it, LE, and something I just tried for the first time, Noodler's Baystate Blue. Wowza is that a color! It may be a tiny bit purple for you, and I don't think I'd put it in anything thicker than a fine nib, but it's breathtaking!

EDIT: I guess it has a reputation... for staining everything, for drying out, for being hypersaturated. For being awesome. :-).

Assuming that it doesn't dry out in my Pilot Metropolitan, it may be that pen's ink "for life".

Perdendosi, you'd be surprised at how many blues are not very lightfast. Fortunately, there is an excellent, if only partial, resource: Amberlea Davis' Summer Sun Fade Results.

 

As for BSB, yes, it's amazing in ways unmatched by any other blue. Two which I find problematic enough not to use it are:

• If mixed with non-Baystate inks, very nasty precipitates may form. As a result, extreme hygeine is called for when switching a pen to or from BSB.
• It is one of the worst inks around for fading in sunlight. Fade resistance is one of the primary considerations for my Six Essential Inks.

[dvalliere]

Private Reserve American Blue. Not really a shader but vibrant true blue.