Franklin Christoph – Spanish Blue

[crahptacular]

Franklin Christoph – Spanish Blue

 

Of all the Franklin Christoph inks I’ve used, this is the only one I’d call a cheerful color, and I’m glad they have at least one of these happier inks amongst their line of solemn and serious options. I’ve been using this ink in eyedropper for the past four months or so, and have been very happy with its behavior (that pen gets used almost exclusively with terrible copy paper). The ink has rarely feathered and is a good color for marking up documents, as it’s bright enough to catch the eye, but still easy to read. It also looks great in a demonstrator.

 

Spanish Blue is a nice, moderately light sky blue. It’s not pale (see Kobe #42, the first comparison ink, which I think many would call pale), but it’s not intensely-saturated like Sailor Souten (fourth comparison ink). There is more green in it than red, which can be seen in the doodle; the washes take on a turquoise tone. In writing, though, I would still call this a blue and not a turquoise—more green than Kon-Peki, but less green than Edelstein Topaz. (I don’t have Ama-Iro, but based on images I’d imagine them to be pretty close). I’m generally into more depressing colors, but this color makes me smile . Depending on pen and paper, it’s just light enough that you can sometimes observe haloing, which I’m a big fan of. It also shades enough to add some variety, but not so much as to distract (my opinion, of course). All in all, I think it’s difficult for blue inks to really stand out, and there are certainly other colors which are similar to this one, but at the very least this could be in consideration as an affordable alternative to the premium prices of Edelstein or Iroshizuku. It's not the same color as either of those, but equally enjoyable in my opinion.

 

Notes on comparisons, which didn’t come out well: Topaz (2) and Navajo Turquoise (5) are both greener than Spansih Blue. Kon-Peki (3) is less green than SB. Souten (4) is more purple than SB. Rokko Island Sky (1) is the only accurate one in comparison to SB.

 

Flow/Lubrication: Moderate

Shading: Moderate

Sheen: Low (red sheen, but rarely visible, even on TR)

Water Resistance: Low (barely-visible faded line remains)

 

The following sample was done with a Pilot Falcon (Soft Fine) and a Franklin Christoph 31(Broad) on Tomoe River (68gsm, white, loose-leaf). Doodle was done with a Kuretake Menso brush (Small). Semi-flex writing was done with the Falcon (not a dip nib).

 

Inaccurate Image(s) Disclaimer: Two main discrepancies between the image and what I see on paper. First, I couldn’t get the green/turquoise to come out in the wash (the sky, for example, Is a lot greener in reality). The actual writing color and the big smear are accurate though—just couldn’t capture how the color changes with water. Secondly, the comparison inks all came out looking more similar than they are in reality, which is why I wrote a little extra to distinguish them.

 

Scan:

 

Photo: No photo this time. My phone isn’t cooperating with my computer and I’m having trouble transferring files.

 

 

Comparison inks from left to right (big smear is the featured ink):

Sailor Kobe #42 Rokko Island Sky, Pelikan Edelstein Topaz, Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Sailor Souten, Noodler’s Navajo Turquoise

 

Writing Samples (scans; some color correction; papers of increasing absorbency), from Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

 

Maruman Mnemosyne:

 

Tsubame Fool’s University:

 

Franklin-Christoph:

 

edit: forgot to credit the source of writing samples

Edited December 25, 2017 by crahptacular

[namrehsnoom]

Thank you for this lovely review. I quite like this type of blue - reminds me to fill up a pen with topaz again,

[KellyMcJ]

That's really beautiful!

[finnegans]

Great, thorough review - thanks!

[Jan2016]

Beautiful review.

I think this is a very nice blue for the ones who do not like sheen,

because most colors in this range will have a sheen.

[migo984]

Gorgeous, and informative, review. Thank you.

[Beechwood]

Superb review, and an enjoyable read.

 

Thank you.

[RockingLR]

loved this review. it sure is a beautiful blue I may have to check out this ink for myself. Thank you.

[Pravda]

I had to come back and say this:

 

What an incredible review! This is artwork. And what an amazing ink color I so wished they sold here. Wow!

[dapprman]

If I get another F-C I might have to try this (Duty and tax add a fair bit to the cost of a Frabklin-Christoph order over here in the UK). It looks simialr to Kyo-Noto Hisoku, which I really like but is too dry for a number of my pens I want to use it in, where as F-C Midnight Emerald is not in the key one.

[crahptacular]

If I get another F-C I might have to try this (Duty and tax add a fair bit to the cost of a Frabklin-Christoph order over here in the UK). It looks simialr to Kyo-Noto Hisoku, which I really like but is too dry for a number of my pens I want to use it in, where as F-C Midnight Emerald is not in the key one.

Spanish Blue and Hisoku are not very similar to my eye (I have a bottle of each, although I'm looking at their swatches as I write, as neither ink is in a pen at the moment). Hisoku is significantly more green, and is also noticeably more greyed out. Spanish Blue is more saturated and much more blue. To compare to some more commonly-referenced inks, Spanish Blue is in the neighborhood of Iro Kon-Peki and Edelstein Topaz, while Hisoku's hue is more in the direction of Sailor Yama-Dori or Iro Ku-Jaku (the saturation levels are quite different of course, but there's a similar level of green). I like both Hisoku and Spanish Blue, but I don't see them as close enough to be considered substitutes

[DrDebG]

Great review for a very nice ink. I have been using Spanish Blue ever since FC introduced it. I love it. I generally have a pen in my rotation loaded with it.

[fountainpagan]

Not my colour, but beautiful review. Thank you.

[Tas]

Again, wow !

[dapprman]

Spanish Blue and Hisoku are not very similar to my eye (I have a bottle of each, although I'm looking at their swatches as I write, as neither ink is in a pen at the moment). Hisoku is significantly more green, and is also noticeably more greyed out. Spanish Blue is more saturated and much more blue. To compare to some more commonly-referenced inks, Spanish Blue is in the neighborhood of Iro Kon-Peki and Edelstein Topaz, while Hisoku's hue is more in the direction of Sailor Yama-Dori or Iro Ku-Jaku (the saturation levels are quite different of course, but there's a similar level of green). I like both Hisoku and Spanish Blue, but I don't see them as close enough to be considered substitutes

 

Cheers, that will save me a mistake. I need a wet pen I want to use a lot instead