Looking for Blue ink suggestions

[Chris H]

Hello one and all!

 

I’m looking for a blue ink to keep on hand for occasional use.

 

I don’t personally like blue ink and do all my writing in black. But occasionally I find myself wishing I could distinguish my writing from that of a printed text (as in filling out forms for example) and red or green or purple just don’t seem appropriate. Or needing some contrast and don’t want something in your face as red ink tends to be.

 

I’d appreciate recommendations for a true color blue of medium intensity which will work in fine or extra-fine nibs. I have an old blue Esterbrook which I might reserve for this use.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Chris

 

[BillTheEditor]

This is so subjective.

 

Which blue inks have you looked at, and why did you reject them? For those you haven't rejected outright, what do you not like about them that has kept you from accepting them as your blue ink?

 

That said, there's nothing wrong with Quink Washable Blue. It's cheap, it's easy to find (assuming you ever manage to use up a bottle of it), it flows well in fine and XF nibs, and it will never be mistaken for something written with a ballpoint or a Sharpie.

Edited October 27, 2008 by BillTheEditor

[lapis]

In this order ==> Herbin's ECLAT DE SAPHIR > Waterman's Florida Blue.

 

MIke

[playpen]

In this order: Aurora Blue, Aurora Blue, Aurora Blue......get the idea? :roflmho:

[Canoodler]

In this order: Aurora Blue or Herbin Eclat de Saphir. or the other way around. I haven't tried mixing them, but that might work too.

[Strang]

Another vote for J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir. It's a beauty!

[skipwilliams]

Medium Blue for me?

 

Non permanent: In this order: Quink Blue, Waterman Blue, Diamine Royal Blue, Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue (Quink is my #1 go-to ink)

 

Permanent: Noodlers: Luxury Blue (goes on blue, dries less blue) and Gulf Stream blue, somewhat less intense

 

Aurora Blue is more purplish.

Sheaffer Blue is a lighter, less saturated, more vintage looking ink.

 

 

[RayMan]

Visconti Blue, Aurora Blue, PR Lake Placid Blue

 

[jdboucher]

I find Eclat de Saphir, Waterman Florida Blue, and Aurora Blue to be too purply for me. I like a true blue. Thats why I use: Visconti Blue, Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue or Private Reserve American Blue.

[Beardy]

Visconti Blue seems to be be a pretty highly saturated ink. That's a plus for me, as I like dramatic color, but there was something about wanting "medium intensity" in the first post. Just something to take into consideration.

[Life2PointOh]

Hi Chris,

 

I've really been enjoying Private Reserve's Midnight Blues. It's a blackish blue, flows sweetly through both my old Esterbrook and new Pilot Custom 45. There are some complaints that it washes away easily with water. That may be, but it hasn't come up since I really try very hard to keep all paper products away from water. That's just me, but I'm a rebel...

 

Alan

 

Hello one and all!

 

I'm looking for a blue ink to keep on hand for occasional use.

 

I don't personally like blue ink and do all my writing in black. But occasionally I find myself wishing I could distinguish my writing from that of a printed text (as in filling out forms for example) and red or green or purple just don't seem appropriate. Or needing some contrast and don't want something in your face as red ink tends to be.

 

I'd appreciate recommendations for a true color blue of medium intensity which will work in fine or extra-fine nibs. I have an old blue Esterbrook which I might reserve for this use.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Chris

[Pippin60]

In this order: Aurora Blue, Aurora Blue, Aurora Blue......get the idea? :roflmho:

 

I'm a recent convert to Aurora blue . My blues were mainly J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir, DC Show Blue, and Pelikan Royal Blue. But I love how saturated and opaque Aurora blue is. I just picked up a bottle.

[sdcurnow]

I'm going to step outside the box slightly: Pilot Iroshizuki Asa-Gao. 2nd: Visconti Blue

[Pleroma]

I'll diverge just a little too and recommend Noodler's Manhattan Blue, an exclusive from Art Brown. I used to use Luxury Blue, but it never behaved all that well in the pens I tried it in although the color and permanence was fantastic. Manhattan Blue, a truly gorgeous blue-black (but bluer than most inks of that type), has really really grown on me.

[Chris H]

Thank you to everyone who has replied with your suggestions!

 

Bill, the reason I posted is that I don't really care for blue as a color and haven't intentionally used blue ink in probably 4 decades -- consequently I wanted to get the opinions of those who do like blue to help me decide on an occasional blue. You are right: it is very subjective.

 

I took all of your suggestions and went out on the net and did some additional looking at descriptions of the inks by some other folks.

 

The ones that shade to purple I am not interested in. Nor those that shade to cobalt as it seems Visconti Blue and Noodler's Luxury Blue do.

 

Also factoring in cost, I am thinking that probably Parker Quink or Sheaffer Skrip will do just fine. Especially the Sheaffer if it has a bit of a vintage look to it.

 

I'll mull over some of the other choices such as Diamine and PR American Blue. I'm not in a rush.

 

Thanks again, you all have been very helpful.

 

Chris

[dmmcf]

I've found Skrip blue seems to fade over time, while Quink starts out faded and tries to disappear. Both are nice medium blues, though, and easy on the eyes.

 

Myself, I've been on a Diamine Indigo and Prussian Blue kick this week. Either might fit your needs.

 

[Goodwhiskers]

Yes, the new Skrip Blue is vulnerable to sulfur, which is good if you like to use an eradicator marker and not so good if you're writing something to be read after your lifetime on most kinds of paper. I started trying it about two years ago, and it has faded some but remained easily legible in notebooks that are closed most of the time. This is like the blues from Parker Quink (which fades more, as dmmcf says), Montblanc, and Lamy. Aurora Blue is vulnerable to sulfur but so saturated that the amount of sulfur in paper won't fade it much.

 

New Skrip Blue sure does well on paper that lets most other fountain pen inks show through, print through, and/or feather out.

 

Another medium, cheery, almost-any-paper blue, one that isn't vulnerable to sulfur, is Namiki/Pilot Blue. It's water-resistant but not stain-remover-resistant. Like many fountain pen inks, it can be faded by sunlight.

[Bill Smith]

My suggestions in no particular order:

 

Pelikan Royal Blue

Aurora Blue

Diamine WES Imperial Blue

Waterman Florida Blue

 

 

[Chris H]

Just when I thought it was safe to venture into the ink store...

 

Thanks dmmcf and Steve for your comments regarding Parker and Sheaffer ink. I'll have to mull that over.

 

And thanks for your suggestions, Bill.

 

I guess I am looking for a straightforward blue; one that doesn't shade to purple as Aurora it seems does, nor one that shades to cobalt as some of the suggestions do.

 

Just a plain middle of the road true blue. From all of the suggestions made, it seems PR American Blue might be the one.

 

Thanks much one and all! And I thought buying fountain pens was difficult!!

 

Chris

[Calbei]

Waterman Florida Blue is a lurrrrrvely blue!

 

You might find this interesting: http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduc...k&subr=blue