Efnir: De Atramentis Steel Blue

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: De Atramentis Steel Blue

 

This is review #5 in my series, with 100+ to go... Here's the YouTube video:

 

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

 

Screenshots also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

 

Previous Review: Waterman Mysterious Blue.

 

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

 

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[inkstainedruth]

Interesting. I had always been under the impression that DA Steel Blue was a lot more teal-leaning than what I'm seeing here (more like the color of the smear when you did the dry time test).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

Interesting. I had always been under the impression that DA Steel Blue was a lot more teal-leaning than what I'm seeing here (more like the color of the smear when you did the dry time test).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Unfortunately, the picture doesn't really do the color justice - it's not quite as dark as the picture would imply. The swatch card at the start of the video is pretty accurate - note how the finer line of the Metropolitan is darker, also the wet line of the stub - finer nibs seem to give a bit darker line.

 

I'm looking at the original page, but I don't really see any teal. If anything, it would be more toward turquoise than teal. Either way, yes, the smear from the dry-time test gives a better idea of the color.

[LizEF]

PS: Personally, my favorite part of the video is toward the end, the way the vehicle outside my widow sounds sort of like a complaining cow (due to speeding up the playback).

[amberleadavis]

Amazing how different the colors look in a huge nib compared to an extra huge nib like I use. Thank you for sharing.

[LizEF]

Amazing how different the colors look in a huge nib compared to an extra huge nib like I use. Thank you for sharing.

That's why I'm doing it! And you're very welcome.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the review...and the moaning cow!

 

I had a sample of DA Steel...I recall liking it a lot. Wonder if I still have it; might look nice in that new White Tiger Metropolitan you 'made' me buy.

[LizEF]

Thanks for the review...and the moaning cow!

 

I had a sample of DA Steel...I recall liking it a lot. Wonder if I still have it; might look nice in that new White Tiger Metropolitan you 'made' me buy.

You're welcome! (Though I can't take much credit for the cow.)

 

And yes, it would look lovely coming from that white tiger! Now you'll have to choose between being Inspired and being Steel.

[LizEF]

I was frustrated that my screen captures (and even the video sometimes) don't show the color accurately, so I decided to see if my USB microscope could do a better job of picking up the color, and it does. So from now on, I'll be including a zoomed in photo of the text so folks can see a more accurate representation of the color:

[PAKMAN]

I like the extra fine reviews as I am a ef user and so many inks don't look anything like most reviews when I use them. Thanks for these reviews!

[Misfit]

Another great video review Liz. I had this ink in a pen, and am sharing a photo.

 

[LizEF]

I like the extra fine reviews as I am a ef user and so many inks don't look anything like most reviews when I use them. Thanks for these reviews!

You're very welcome!

[LizEF]

Another great video review Liz. I had this ink in a pen, and am sharing a photo.

 

Thanks for the extra comparison point. Is it me, or does this Forest Green look the same as Steel Blue? (It is so hard to get colors to photograph correctly - and greens are the worst, in my experience.)

[Misfit]

The pen is Forest Green! I saw where I wrote it lower and worried it would be confusing. The ink was a sample I got of DeA Steel Blue.

 

I got the Conklin Duragraphs in Forest Green for my brother and me when the Chicago Lyric Opera staged Siegfried. We went to see Das Rheingold two years earlier, and while there visited Century Pens. That started the pen an opera even if we did not attend. Sadly Century Pens has closed due to the building owners wanting their space for seating.

[LizEF]

The pen is Forest Green! I saw where I wrote it lower and worried it would be confusing. The ink was a sample I got of DeA Steel Blue.

 

I got the Conklin Duragraphs in Forest Green for my brother and me when the Chicago Lyric Opera staged Siegfried. We went to see Das Rheingold two years earlier, and while there visited Century Pens. That started the pen an opera even if we did not attend. Sadly Century Pens has closed due to the building owners wanting their space for seating.

Aaaaah! That makes much more sense. Thanks for clarifying.

[DrDebG]

Thank you for taking the time to do this, LizEF. While I don't use EF very often, these videos have really helped to select inks that do work well in EF nibs.

 

DeA Steel Blue is one of my "mainstay" inks. It looks good in every nib size. The shading isn't seen as much in EF or F, but M, B or stub is where the shading really shines out.

 

The other thing I love about this ink is that it works well in any pen - whether a wet noodle or a dry nail.

[LizEF]

Thank you for taking the time to do this, LizEF. While I don't use EF very often, these videos have really helped to select inks that do work well in EF nibs.

 

DeA Steel Blue is one of my "mainstay" inks. It looks good in every nib size. The shading isn't seen as much in EF or F, but M, B or stub is where the shading really shines out.

 

The other thing I love about this ink is that it works well in any pen - whether a wet noodle or a dry nail.

You're very welcome! I'm glad they're helping as intended. And yes, this is one of those inks that just works.

[LizEF]

Here's the line width measurement. The line is one of those used for dry time.  Magnification is 100x.  The grid is 100x100µm.  The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each.  The line width for this ink is roughly 270µm.