Organics Studio Ernest's Vintage Writing Fluid Blue Merle

[yazeh]

I was really impressed the Ernest's Vintage Writing Fluid, Oscar's copper. I was intrigued by Blue Merle, and decided to give it a shot. From what I've understood, this is a recreation of one of Carter's inks. 

 

However, my sample does not reflect the original Blue Merle, a grey black colour but it's a delicious looking blue-black with a hint of teal:

https://www.penchalet.com/blog/organics-studio-ernest-hemingway-blue-merle-ink/

 

 

Let's start with the complex chroma:

Writing samples:

Note bleed though is because I was using a gusher of a vintage pen. 

Photos:

Paper is Mnemosyne - Pen is vintage wet noodle pen  

Comparison:

 

As usual an art work, inspired by the Old Man and the Sea:

The Sky, the sea and the marlin are all done by Blue Merle, diluted or concentrated. While not visible where the ink has pooled on the marlin, there's sheen. 

Other inks used: 

De Atramentis Artist Sepia (boat)/ Polar Brown

Platinum Carbon Black / Pentel Brush Pen

 

Paper is Canson Mixed Media paper. 

 

 

 

· Pens used: Pilot Kakuno, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub), Vintage Unic Wet Noodle, 

· What I liked: Classy ink, name.

· What I did not like: A bit on the dry side. 

· What some might not like: Lack of lubrication, doesn’t like copy paper. 

· Shading: Yes

· Ghosting: If you press hard. 

· Bleed through: If you use a gusher and insist on writing on copy paper. 

· Flow Rate: Wet

· Lubrication: On the dry side. 

· Nib Dry-out: No.

· Start-up: No.

· Saturation: Just enough. 

· Shading Potential: Yes.

· Sheen: Only in massive applications. 

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No.

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: No.

· Staining (pen): No.

· Clogging: No.

· Cleaning: Easy

· Water resistance: Decent.

· Availability: 55 ml

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

[LizEF]

Thanks, @yazeh!  Looks like an interesting ink, though probably too green-leaning for me.  Manganese looks more "up my aisle".   Meanwhile, kitty with a beard?   Klaw looked kind of like he had a goatee when I first got him, but his fur has evened out and now his chin looks "normal".

 

Love the artwork!  Great job on that marlin - though he might be a bit too much for our poor little fishers!

[lapis]

Thanks for this "New Introduction"... new in the sense that -- as you pointed out -- the colour is new, whereas the name isn't. It now has some teal in it which the oldie didn't. I'm not really into teals but since this one does have enough grey and blue in it, I might even try it myself. Whoa.... first, I'll wait a year or so and see if it, too, manages to conk out.

[txomsy]

I have to coincide, @LizEF beat me to the comment, verbatim: it looks like and interesting ink. I'd need to check its water resistance before deciding if it can become a substitute once I finish my current bottle of ESSRI. It is the kind of darkish I would like. But first I will force myself to finish the ESSRI bottle.

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh Thanks as usual for the comprehensive review.  

I was also disappointed in the change from the original version of Blue Merle, which was a lovely grey blue color.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

56 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks, @yazeh!  Looks like an interesting ink, though probably too green-leaning for me.  Manganese looks more "up my aisle".  

I thought so too

56 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Meanwhile, kitty with a beard?   Klaw looked kind of like he had a goatee when I first got him, but his fur has evened out and now his chin looks "normal".

I wanted to it a salty dog look 😛

 

56 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

Love the artwork!  Great job on that marlin - though he might be a bit too much for our poor little fishers!

Thanks! They'll prevail

[yazeh]

57 minutes ago, lapis said:

Thanks for this "New Introduction"... new in the sense that -- as you pointed out -- the colour is new, whereas the name isn't. It now has some teal in it which the oldie didn't. I'm not really into teals but since this one does have enough grey and blue in it, I might even try it myself. Whoa.... first, I'll wait a year or so and see if it, too, manages to conk out.

🙏

 I was a bit disappointed too. But then again who cannot resist sample an ink with such a long name

 

[yazeh]

20 minutes ago, txomsy said:

I have to coincide, @LizEF beat me to the comment, verbatim: it looks like and interesting ink. I'd need to check its water resistance before deciding if it can become a substitute once I finish my current bottle of ESSRI. It is the kind of darkish I would like. But first I will force myself to finish the ESSRI bottle.

I'll stick with Essri or try another IG ink. It's much less water-resistant than Essri

 

[yazeh]

9 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

@yazeh Thanks as usual for the comprehensive review.  

🙏

9 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

I was also disappointed in the change from the original version of Blue Merle, which was a lovely grey blue color.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Yeah, pity. The original seemed like a very elegant colour

 

[LizEF]

8 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I wanted to it a salty dog look 😛

You succeeded - Captain Kitty, ahoy!

 

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

They'll prevail

Of course they will! We couldn't bear to lose them!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I loved the ink's name, so it became part of my search for blue-blacks a while ago.  The color was good, and I still have my page of BB ink tests, but Merle developed a contamination in the sample vial, so I never got more than a single fill.

 

Blue Merle has an interesting chroma!  And the color's good.  As for the wonderful artwork, I'm sure our two little heroes will prevail.  Kittehs are notorious fish eaters after all.

 

@yazeh, thanks for another of your comprehensive and fascinating ink reviews.

[InesF]

Oh, the marlin! 😱

Who is the hunter in this scene? The cat looks scared ...🙀

 

Thank you @yazeh for another blue ink review. As discussed earlier, a lot can go wrong with blue inks. In this case (an ink I never have heard before) I love the colour appearance on Rhodia but I do not like how it looks on Midori and Tomoe. I think, I will stick with my usual greenish-greyish-blue inks.

[amberleadavis]

Wonderful review. Thank you.

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, amberleadavis said:

Wonderful review. Thank you.

Most welcome! Much appreciated 🙏