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Dr. Ph. Martin's Ocean "edge Blue"


DrDebG

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Ink Sampler and Review for Dr. Ph Martin’s Ocean Edge Blue fountain pen ink:

 

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Background:

Dr. Ph. Martin's artist products are manufactured by Salis International, founded in 1934. Ben Salis, the founder's son, began to work for his family's business in 1936, at the age of 16. That year, in the height of the Great Depression, he was paid just $1 per week.

Ben Salis was given the honorific title of "Dr. Martin" after he invented many graphics and color products, and obtained several design patents. Although he was not a real doctor, products with the trade name of "Doctor" earned instant respectability in the patent medicine era, so the name was applied to his inventions. Dr. Ph. Martin's products are among a handful of "doctor" products that remain on the market today.

Ben Salis passed away in 1996, but his business and his legacy remain, and today his children continue to manufacture Dr. Ph. Martin's inks and color products. They are the third generation in a family tradition. (excerpt from http://www.dickblick.com/brands/dr-ph-martins).

 

Dr. Ph. Martin’s new series of brilliant Fountain Pen Inks are pigment base inks. Originally designed for TWSBI #580 & #700 fountain pens, they can be used in similar fountain pens. Dr. Ph. Martin’s claims that these are the only pigment base fountain pen ink that is lightfast and archival. These highly saturated inks are intense in color. The colors currently available are:

Ocean Edge Blue

Garnet Red Rose

Dark Matter Black

 

They are AP approved Non-toxic.

 

docmar9 kindly provided samples to test these inks, which is greatly appreciated.

 

Materials Used:

Papers used:

Xerox 24lb Multi-Purpose paper purchased from Costco

Tomoe River-like paper in Traveler’s Notebook refill 013

Staples Notepad paper

 

Pens used:

Jinhao 250x with medium nib

Jinhao 450x with Goulet 1.1 stub nib

 

Results:

 

1. Drop on paper towel.

fpn_1462572788__ink_spot_sm.jpg

 

2. Writing sample on Xerox 24lb Multi-Purpose paper using Jinhao 250x: The ink flowed nicely through the medium Jinhao nib onto the page, with little to no featherly, no bleedthrough or showthrough. The color is very saturated. It dried quickly (under 10 seconds) and did not smear, as would be expected on a relatively absorbent paper. My only complaint was that the ink also dried very quickly in the nib. It did not appear to leave any precipitate, however.

 

fpn_1462572773__edge_blue_on_copy_paper_

3. Writing sample on Tomoe River-like paper in Traveler’s Notebook refill 013 with Jinhao 450x: In this Jinhao 450x with Goulet 1.1 stub nib, the ink flowed very well with a nice lubricated feel. On this paper, the ink nicely accented the wider lines with nice shading and some red sheening. As expected, the ink took a great deal longer to dry - over 20 seconds to thoroughly dry without smearing. Overall, I was impressed with the color and the behavior of the ink.

 

fpn_1462570799__edge_blue_on_tr_013.jpg

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4. Test for water resistance: I prepared a brief writing sample on Staples Notepad paper (an unfavorable paper for fountain pens). The ink wrote very smoothly on the paper, with very little feathering and surprisingly no bleedthrough and little showthrough. I then placed this small sheet of paper into a bowl of water and left it there for 2 hours. The ink remained on the page. There was little if any fading of the writing. After 2 hours, I removed the paper from the bowl of water, blotted it and let it air dry. I expected some of the ink to remain on the blotting towel. It did not. I then compared the dried sheet to similar writing on another sheet not subjected to water. The intensity of color was the same for both. This suggests that the ink is very close to water proof.

In addition, I also poured alcohol on a writing sample and ammonia on another writing sample and let them sit for several minutes. In both cases, there was some smearing of the ink when wiped with a tissue. But, the majority of the ink remained. While I would not call this completely “bulletproof”, I would consider it clearly archival. I did not test for lightfastness, however.

 

fpn_1462134002__edge_blue_water_bath.jpg

5. Cleaning: Following my tests, I cleaned my pens using typical cleaning methods – cool, flowing water with a tiny amount of dishwashing soap. The nibs and converters were very difficult to clean. In spite of thorough cleaning, the converters are stained. In order to clean the nibs, I had to disassemble the nibs from the feeds to remove traces of the ink. This is far beyond my normal routine of simple rinsing nibs and converters, and thus is a disappointment (although not totally unexpected).

 

 

Impressions:

 

Bottle: The ink comes in very nicely weighted, stable, round glass bottle with an accompanying eyedropper. While the eyedropper would be convenient for many, it does not serve a useful purpose for me. I fill most of my converter type fountain pens using a separate syringe, but if I were filling a piston filler fountain pen or directly through the nib, the eyedropper might be a bit of a nuisance.

 

Color: Edge Blue is a highly saturated medium blue with a slight lean towards turquoise. It is a pleasant color, shades nicely with a wet nib, and has a slight red sheen to it on my Tomoe River-like paper. I also used the ink on Clairfontaine writing paper, and the shading and sheen are clearly evident even with a medium nib. It is, however, an average color that is eclipsed by other similar colors such as DeAtramentis Steel Blue. The advantage of Edge Blue, however, is in its archival properties.

 

Formulation: The ink is fairly dry in flow and needs a wet nib to show its true beauty. When I used the ink with a medium nib, once started, it flowed nicely. But the ink dried quickly in the nib despite being capped. Thus, the flow was difficult to get started at the beginning of each writing session. This was not the case in my wet stub nib.

 

Overall: Let me preface my final comments with the fact that I generally do not use pigment inks. I have never really cared for the formulation, and by and large prefer less water resistant inks. In addition, I generally prefer inks that are less saturated in color.

When I received the samples kindly provided by docmar9, I was initially not impressed. They appeared to be so saturated that they were opaque. But after testing the ink on towels and using a dip pen, I began to appreciate the color more. Then, after writing with the ink, I found it to be smooth and flowed nicely. I also appreciated that it does not feather or bleed through except with my stub nib on cheap paper. But I was most impressed with the resistance of this ink to water and other substances. Clearly, this ink has archival qualities. Perhaps the only criticism I have is that it is very difficult to clean from the nib and converters using normal methods. Otherwise, I find Edge Blue to be a very nice ink indeed.

In conclusion, this is a highly saturated, archival quality ink that would be an excellent choice for someone who needs a “bulletproof” ink that shows limited feathering and bleed through even on cheap papers, but still maintains nice shading and sheen qualities on qualities papers.

Edited by DrPenfection

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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My apologies to anyone reading this review. I realize it is way, way too long and the photos are way too big. In my desire to post a fair review, I went a little overboard.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Excellent review. On my monitor the ink looks like another that has a Parker Penman Sapphire type color. Finding a real water resistant ink in tru blue color can be tough. I was thinking "I've got to try some of that" until I read your comments about staining and especially about difficulty in cleaning. I like to change colors a lot, and difficulty in cleaning makes it a non-starter for me. So your review saved me some money and some annoying time at the basement sink.

 

Great job! Thanks for an excellent review!

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its not too long and the images are just right :) how about the other 2 colors?

Thank you for comment! I am in the process of evaluating these right now. Work has gotten in the way. My initial results are that they have the same properties as Edge Blue. I hope to have the written review sometime this week.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Excellent review. On my monitor the ink looks like another that has a Parker Penman Sapphire type color. Finding a real water resistant ink in tru blue color can be tough. I was thinking "I've got to try some of that" until I read your comments about staining and especially about difficulty in cleaning. I like to change colors a lot, and difficulty in cleaning makes it a non-starter for me. So your review saved me some money and some annoying time at the basement sink.

 

Great job! Thanks for an excellent review!

Thank you for the great comments.

 

I have used Edge Blue in two of my pens, and both have been difficult to clean, and I haven't found a good way to clean the staining from the converters yet. I may have to buy some Sailor Doyou to get the blue out.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Thank you for the great comments.

I have used Edge Blue in two of my pens, and both have been difficult to clean, and I haven't found a good way to clean the staining from the converters yet. I may have to buy some Sailor Doyou to get the blue out.

Update on cleaning: I have used the Edge Blue as well as the other Dr. Ph. Martin Ocean inks. They are difficult to clean with water. But, Goulet's Pen Flush seems to do a good job of cleaning both nibs and converters.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Dr.Penfection, I've inked up with the Edge Blue and Garnet Red Rose. I haven't tried the black yet, but considering they are pigmented, I"m quite pleased. They are currently part of my CRVs and are part of the 366+ inks this year.

 

Edge Blue has been a pain to clean out. Dr. Martin's listened to your thoughts and they have created a pen flush.

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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Dr.Penfection, I've inked up with the Edge Blue and Garnet Red Rose. I haven't tried the black yet, but considering they are pigmented, I"m quite pleased. They are currently part of my CRVs and are part of the 366+ inks this year.

 

Edge Blue has been a pain to clean out. Dr. Martin's listened to your thoughts and they have created a pen flush.

I am glad that you are enjoying the inks! They really are quite nice. I have been using the Garnet Red Rose and I really like the ink.

 

I am impressed that Dr. Martin's heard my comments and have made a pen flush. That will make using the ink so much nicer.

 

I must say that when I need a permanent ink, these will be my preferred inks. I love, love, love the color of Edge Blue.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hey, Amazon has it on sale for $5 with free shipping for Prime members. At this price, buy it.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Ph-Martins-Ocean-Fountain/dp/B0143CRLN4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1470685609&sr=8-13&keywords=fountain+pen+ink

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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Thanks so much for reviewing this lovely blue ink. I hope you'll also review the red and black inks in this series.

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I'm surprised to read that the dry time was so short. I didn't have too much of a problem with it drying in the nib. If left for a couple of days it would hard start, but a dip in water cured it instantly. It is hard to clean out though. What I found was the real issue was the dry time. Now it may have been the paper I was using (I think it was Clairefontaine) but I had a dry time of well over one minute. For me that was a big downer as it was easily on the road to becoming my all time favourite blue. The shading is beautiful and the sheen is incredible.

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Hey, Amazon has it on sale for $5 with free shipping for Prime members. At this price, buy it.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Ph-Martins-Ocean-Fountain/dp/B0143CRLN4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1470685609&sr=8-13&keywords=fountain+pen+ink

THANK YOU for including the Amazon link & kind notice about the price for this ink. I have avoided pigmented inks except for one bottle of Rohrer & Klingner Document ink but I did purchase a bottle of their "cleaner" after they released it so I should be covered for cleaning up THIS ink. I am NOT a big fan of Blues but after reading our friend HalloweenHJB/ aka Herbert's post about them, "how could I pass this up?"

 

Between you & Chrissy, for HER gracious post regarding Engeika's having the "soon to be New/ used to Older Sailor Four Season's inks, I have a REASON to live!

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Did you see that they also had the red for $5? I would suggest that too.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143CRS78/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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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Love the color, thanks for the review!

PAKMAN

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Did you see that they also had the red for $5? I would suggest that too.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143CRS78/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Well after receiving the blue today, I have now ordered the red. I admit the disclaimer on the bottle,"May not be suitable for all fountain pens," IS a bit off-putting; I didn't feel THAT brave today so I decided to utilise that handy eyedropper that came with the bottle. LORDY, LORDY, the SHEEN when you apply this ink with an EYEDROPPER!

 

We can quit worrying about stubs, double or triple broads or oblique anything, just use the eyedropper for "Martin & Charlie" in a BIG way! The second "J" I wrote was 95% SHEEN! I don't know if I would ever need to make a yard sign for any purpose, BUT if I did I will have 2 colors to use; it sure smells better than stinky ole magic markers. It is FUN & the blue is certainly searing, a thing I wouldn't have thought possible.

 

Thanks again for your recommendation; I will now be writing with my eyedropper!

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I am so glad! I think you will have fun with it.

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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  • 4 weeks later...

My apologies to anyone reading this review. I realize it is way, way too long and the photos are way too big. In my desire to post a fair review, I went a little overboard.

 

 

Sorry to disagree, but I think it's a great review. Thank you so much.

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Sorry to disagree, but I think it's a great review. Thank you so much.

 

Indeed -- it sold me on the ink, that's for sure. I've got a bottle on its way even now.

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