Bright/Sapphire Blue Ink

[SweetieStarr]

Hi all,

 

Sorry if this has already been covered in another thread. I would like to get recommendations for a rich sapphire blue ink.

 

Thank you.

[Ann Finley]

My two favorites are:

 

Herbin Eclat de Saphir and Diamine Sapphire. Noodler's Baystate Blue (waterproof) tends to feather & have clean-up issues, but it's beautiful, too.

 

Best, Ann

[Jersey Diabolo]

I love Diamine Sapphire Blue [Aurora Blue and Diamine WES Imperial Blue too] but assuming you're looking for a blue that approximates the gemstone:

 

Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue

Waterman Florida Blue

 

 

Edited to say, gemstones do come in a range of colors. Check out the inks mentioned above in the Ink Review section.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Jersey Diabolo

[Jason Oliver]

I loaded up my Dupont Fidelio with Waterman Florida blue today....an incredible ink that has a rich blue color and excellent flow.

 

Jason

[rogerb]

Of course sapphires come in many shades of blue from almost white to almost black..... I would say that Diamine Sapphire is pretty close to how I think of the gem.

BSB is, IMO, a bit too 'bright'......although, having just checked it using a wet nib it is very sapphire-like.

Edited October 22, 2008 by rogerb

[DeaconKC]

Another shade to consider PR American Blue, very vibrant!

[JulioPB]

Diamine Sapphire Blue and PR Supershow Blue

 

[richardandtracy]

Diamine Sapphire Blue is identical to the dark blue sapphires you get from Malaysia.

Noodler's Baystate Blue is a very vibrant blue that works in some pens but not in others.

 

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Strang]

+1 for J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir - a nice juicy ink that stays bright after drying.

[SweetieStarr]

Diamine Sapphire Blue is identical to the dark blue sapphires you get from Malaysia.

Noodler's Baystate Blue is a very vibrant blue that works in some pens but not in others.

 

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

 

Thank you everyone for your help. I think I am looking for a brighter blue, as my Parker 45 uses a darker blue/black, similar to the FPN ink.

 

The new blue ink I will buy will be for my new vintage Vacumatic, arriving soon.

 

Richard, you mentioned that Noodler's doesn't work in all pens. What pens have a problem? Is there anything I should know about certain inks for my Vac?

[m00t]

Noodler's Baystate Blue is an incredibly bright blue - it's very saturated, and very, very blue.

 

The Baystate series is a departure from the regular Noodler's lineup in that it is NOT neutral in pH - it is slightly on the alkaline side of things, with a pH of 8-9 (and thus does not mix well with other inks). It's waterproof (not bulletproof) on paper, and stains many other materials, including some lighter colored plastics (not a good idea to put it in a pen with a visible clear window). It's also pretty persistent on skin, unless you wash your hands with bleach or an ink remover of some sort. Generally, the thinking is that if you use Baystate in a pen, you should always use Baystate in that pen, as residual traces of it can be difficult to remove.

 

It is also prone to feathering more than the average ink, so it's best used in a fine tipped or otherwise dry pen. One thing I've learned is that it's bad for using on thermal papers, such as for signing receipts as the ink interacts with the thermal dye somehow, making the line skip across the page. As long as you know its limitations and characteristics, it's a great, vibrant blue ink... it just does not play nicely with others. Try a search for Baystate to see what others think of the ink - it may be just what you're looking for.

 

So far it's one of my favorites. Feathering can be somewhat irritating, but in a fine nibbed pen it works fantastically, and is a very vibrant and unique dark blue.

 

Edit: just saw you might want to put it into a vacuumatic: please be advised that the clear barrel of that pen would likely be quite blue if used with Baystate. Other inks - browns, purples, and reds can also stain clear plastics, but the Baystate series is especially stain-prone.

Edited October 23, 2008 by m00t

[antoniosz]

Nah... Penman Sapphire is the only true one

[Martok]

I have both Diamine Sapphire Blue and J. Herbin Eclat De Saphir and I have to say between these two Diamine is darker and nicer IMO.

 

 

 

Martok

[lapis]

You already offered an answer to your own question:

Herbin's Eclat de Saphir is it! My favourite bright blue!!

 

Hugh

[richardandtracy]

...Richard, you mentioned that Noodler's doesn't work in all pens. What pens have a problem? Is there anything I should know about certain inks for my Vac?

As said elsewhere, BSB can stain. I don' know if it'll stain a vac, sorry.

 

What pens have problems with BSB?

I wish I could answer you. I really don't know. I have tried it in one P51 & it worked. In another it was so dry that I lasted 17 words before changing it. I cannot give any predictions for it. I half expected it to be awful in one cheap Chinese pen I bought, and it has been amazing. There really seems to be no Rhyme nor Reason why it works with one pen and not another.Once again, sorry.

 

BSB is an ink that seems to be outside the usual range of moderately docile inks. Think of it as a wildcard, an ink that is either amazing or awful, and you can't predict which. If it dislikes one pen, try it in another.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[tfwall]

I'm a big fan of Smythson's Royal Blue. It is a smooth and bright sapphire. It is not permanent though, so if you are looking for that trait I'd look at the Noodler's BSB that others have recommended above.

[jdboucher]

If your into mixing, I really like roughly a 1:1 mixture of PR Tanzanite to PR American Blue.

[SweetieStarr]

I got my ink today! My local shop didn't carry all the suggested inks, but after trying all the blues they had, I purchased Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue. It was really exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thank you everyone for your great suggestions.

[donwinn]

I am uncertain regarding the ink, but my wife has some sapphire jewelry, and some tanzanite jewelry, and they are very similar in color. You might check the PR Tanzanite, or the Binder Blurple, if a kind FPNer would send you a sample of the latter. I still need to get my Waterman FL Blue to complete what I need to brew my own Blurple.

 

Donnie