EFNIR: Diamine Indigo

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Diamine Indigo

This is review #66 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

 

Post-recording notes: Color is a little paler and shading less pronounced than in the zoom.  This ink likes to cling to the sides of things, so you may need a pen flush or something like a Q-Tip to do some rubbing, or maybe just some extra flushes - it wasn't hard to get off, but it did take extra work to get it to let go.  No sign of staining, just clinging.

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

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (puzzle paper like thick newsprint):

Screenshots also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

Previous Review: Kaweco Midnight Blue.

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

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[yazeh]

Great review LIz

The close up and the full page look miles apart. I like the close up better

Am I sensing ink review fatigue? I hope not. 

If sofa little booster, I hope.

 

While in the pyramid, searching for lost treasures, Quintus felt, the little sphinx trying to clamber on his shoulder. 

"What is you want sphinxy?" he muttered. 

"Is that all you could come up with, sphinxy?" little sphinx leered. 

"Well,I can't call you Liz, can I?" 

"Why not?"

"What about Ef?"

"Are you Ef-fing kidding me?"

"I'll think of something tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow?"

Quintus was exhausted. 

"Why don't you go and catch yourself a nice fat mouse?"

"If your name is said, four, how many worlocks do you need?" 

"Why do you have to talk into riddles all the time?"

"Duh,"

"I give up, four,"

The little unnamed sphinx chirped. 

"You give up easily,"

"I'm on a mission. So, is it four?"

"How should I know, go ask Liz,"

 

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, yazeh said:

Great review LIz

The close up and the full page look miles apart. I like the close up better

Thank you!  The close up is more accurate in this case.

 

5 hours ago, yazeh said:

Am I sensing ink review fatigue? I hope not. 

If sofa little booster, I hope.

 

While in the pyramid, searching for lost treasures, Quintus felt, the little sphinx trying to clamber on his shoulder. 

"What is you want sphinxy?" he muttered. 

"Is that all you could come up with, sphinxy?" little sphinx leered. 

"Well,I can't call you Liz, can I?" 

"Why not?"

"What about Ef?"

"Are you Ef-fing kidding me?"

"I'll think of something tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow?"

Quintus was exhausted. 

"Why don't you go and catch yourself a nice fat mouse?"

"If your name is said, four, how many worlocks do you need?" 

"Why do you have to talk into riddles all the time?"

"Duh,"

"I give up, four,"

The little unnamed sphinx chirped. 

"You give up easily,"

"I'm on a mission. So, is it four?"

"How should I know, go ask Liz,"

 

No review fatigue yet - or not really.  This ink just didn't inspire me.

 

Thanks for the fun episode!  I'm now realizing that having 2-3 reviews in reserve (in case there's ever a time when I can't do reviews) has a disadvantage in that I can't solicit ideas for what happens next - since next has already happened 2-3 times and you have no idea what happened in all those nexts...

[yazeh]

Most welcome. And thanks for indicating which is the correct colour. 

No worries for the other episodes. I was trying to add some holiday levity in times like this 🤶

Looking forward for the next adventures

 

[TheDutchGuy]

Thanks for the review! Diamine Indigo... in some pens, it’s bland. In others, whoa. It’s an understated ink for sure, but in the right pen there’s just something about it. Hard to put into words (or pictures). This is an ink I’d put in a rather wet pen.

 

Edit: decided to ink up an ‘80s Elysée M with Indigo and give it a try on Rhodia:

 

^—on Rhodia, white, coated, 80 g/m^2. The photo is very close to the actual look of the ink on the paper.

 

I rather like this ink.

 

[LizEF]

8 hours ago, TheDutchGuy said:

in some pens, it’s bland. In others, whoa.

Yes, that's why I said I like found it more interesting in broader and wetter nibs.  I haven't used it a lot in one, but I'm thinking this might be a good ink for my new "05" Platinum Preppy, which is very broad and wet.

 

Thanks for the additional photo and comments!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the review.  I have this color; seems wonderfully vintage-y.

[LizEF]

21 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks for the review.  I have this color; seems wonderfully vintage-y.

You're welcome! Yes, vintage-y does seem to be a good term for it.

[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 260µm.

 

[PithyProlix]

4 hours ago, LizEF said:

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 260µm.

 

 

I have been following your line width measurements with interest. I think it is very useful information. Thanks for adding it to your reviews! 

 

The width of a Pilot EF is supposedly 250µm (see the post linked below). It might be interesting to note that some of your measures are less than 250µm. Assuming your particular Penmanship nib is actually 250µm wide I don't doubt that the line widths could be less - perhaps the contacting surface of the tipping is significantly different from flat (I need to take a look at my one Pilot EF, a Custom 74 - it would also be interesting to know if/how Pilot's 'tipping' technology/process varies from model to model within the same labeled nib width), some inks do not spread themselves over the entire contacting surface of the nib, some inks may 'adhere' to themselves more than others, drawing themselves together into a smaller, more compact form, and/or you have a light touch. 

 

Are you compiling these measures into a spreadsheet or something else? It would be interesting to see how line width correlates with manufacturer, color, and various other ink properties. 

 

Thanks again! 

 

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

I have been following your line width measurements with interest. I think it is very useful information. Thanks for adding it to your reviews! 

You're very welcome!

 

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

The width of a Pilot EF is supposedly 250µm (see the post linked below). It might be interesting to note that some of your measures are less than 250µm. Assuming your particular Penmanship nib is actually 250µm wide I don't doubt that the line widths could be less - perhaps the contacting surface of the tipping is significantly different from flat (I need to take a look at my one Pilot EF, a Custom 74 - it would also be interesting to know if/how Pilot's 'tipping' technology/process varies from model to model within the same labeled nib width), some inks do not spread themselves over the entire contacting surface of the nib, some inks may 'adhere' to themselves more than others, drawing themselves together into a smaller, more compact form, and/or you have a light touch. 

Exactly.  And the tipping on Pilot nibs appears to me, after only casual inspection, to be round (unlike Sailor's which have a flat area, for example).

 

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

Are you compiling these measures into a spreadsheet or something else? It would be interesting to see how line width correlates with manufacturer, color, and various other ink properties. 

Yes.  When I'm done uploading (I believe I have 58 past reviews to go), then I'll make a read-only google sheet and publish a link so that folks can play with the data all they wish.  Right now, the range is 210 to 400.  And I'd guess 270 or so is average, but it might be a little higher, maybe 280.

 

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

Thanks again! 

Gladly!

[PithyProlix]

5 minutes ago, LizEF said:

When I'm done uploading (I believe I have 58 past reviews to go), then I'll make a read-only google sheet and publish a link so that folks can play with the data all they wish.

 

Yay! Looking forward to it.