Ink Review: NEW INK from Diamine: Oxford Blue

First of all I must apologise as this ink should have been launched at the same time as the other Diamine new colour: Classic Green, that The Good Captain launched in his excellent review.

However, due to me having been laid very low by a bacterial stomach infection, I'm late on parade with this review. Still, the show must go on, so I have written with this ink a few times and finally managed to get the review form done and scanned. So I'm back in bed with my trusty MacBook typing this.

As many of you will know, Oxford Blue has to be a dark blue. That is Oxford University's team colour, whereas Cambridge University's colour is light blue. This is a fabulous dark blue. When I wrote with it, I thought I knew of several dark blues that I could use as comparisons to it, but when I actually came to find similar colours, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Oxford Blue is more blue than Montblanc JFK Navy Blue, and it's darker than Diamine Midnight. It's a well saturated really dark blue, with plenty of shading. I'm sure it will be a popular colour. I really like it. I'm not sure of the exact launch date, but it's not too far away.

• This isn't a waterproof ink, but it has good water resistance. The water was on the grid for about 1 minute before being swabbed and blotted by kitchen roll.

• Bearing in mind the paper I use is thick with a shiny, smooth surface, and I used a Lamy F and 1.1mm nib, this ink took 12-16 secs to dry.

• It flows very well and lubricates the nib very well. I saw no skips or hard starts despite leaving the pen uncapped while I did all of the swab tests.

• I'm not 100% sure yet if it will be part of the standard range, but I think it will. If it is, it will be available in 80ml glass bottles and 30ml plastic refill bottles

• Diamine sell it directly to end-users on their web-site.

Attachment 24210

Wow.

That looks like a winner!

Goodness.

Really handsome out of that stub.

Papa LI-I-I-I-IKE!!!

That is a very pretty blue. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, Chrissy for the sharing.

Very classical. Vintage. But I find it banal.

That color looks nice. Is it saturated to the extent that it produces sheen. Bit disappointed with most Diamine blue blacks as they seem to favor sheen over shading. Though I'd like midnight blue and Twilight but both fall in the latter category.

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Originally Posted by top pen

That color looks nice. Is it saturated to the extent that it produces sheen. Bit disappointed with most Diamine blue blacks as they seem to favor sheen over shading. Though I'd like midnight blue and Twilight but both fall in the latter category.

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I didn't notice sheen, but I saw some shading.

How's it compare to Prussian Blue?

Definitely going to get the two new colors as soon as I can. Not sure what 3 others to get, as 5 bottles is the shipping-cost breakpoint to the USA. Majestic Blue, Prussian, and Dark Green perhaps.

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Originally Posted by radellaf

How's it compare to Prussian Blue?

Definitely going to get the two new colors as soon as I can. Not sure what 3 others to get, as 5 bottles is the shipping-cost breakpoint to the USA. Majestic Blue, Prussian, and Dark Green perhaps.

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Sadly, I don't have Diamine Prussian Blue, but Prussian Blue in pigment form tends to lean slightly more green.

As I said on FPN, a great review and a good ink which I'll get but it might not get a whole lot of use. I've a 'shed-load' of blue inks and think that Oxford Blue is a bit 'samey' so we'll just have to see.

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Originally Posted by The Good Captain

As I said on FPN, a great review and a good ink which I'll get but it might not get a whole lot of use. I've a 'shed-load' of blue inks and think that Oxford Blue is a bit 'samey' so we'll just have to see.

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I thought it was going to be same at first, but surprisingly I haven't yet found a blue in my collection that is the same, and I have a few. :facepalm:

How does this compare to Denim?

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Originally Posted by aardvarkbark

How does this compare to Denim?

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I don't have Denim but the swab on the Diamine web-site looks like it is darker and leans slightly less red than Oxford Blue

Chrissy, excellent review as always. Now this sounds like a color I'd like to try. I have to select one blue to put on the wish list. I had it narrowed down to 3. Now before I fully decide, I want to try the Oxford Blue, just to make sure. So far it is Sargasso Sea, Majestic Blue, or Midnight. I have to try the later two in a wider pen to know which of the 3 I prefer. Now I see I should get a sample of this Oxford Blue, so I won't have any future regrets...see what you've done? :help:

Lot's off 'Meh" over this ink on the interwebs but I think it looks smart and it is a color you could easily use at work without raising an eyebrow. I could not resist just diving in and getting an 80ml bottle. Goulet has this in stock. I am looking forward to it. It really looks like a nice high-chroma trouble free every day ink with a little pizzazz without the smearing issues and decent dry time. Can't wait for my bottle. I have an empty pen or three waiting in anticipation.

Thanks for this great preview.

Got it, tried it, like it.

Based on this review I got the 80ml bottle. I just ink-dropped a Plat Prep (M 05) and it's exactly what I want in a blue. It's dark but not too dark. It's very saturated, and I don't see a lot of shading -- just as I like it. I see a bit of feathering on lesser papers, but on Tom Riv it's perfectly crisp. Looks to be a wet ink so it should flow well in most pens.

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Brilliant Bill

Got it, tried it, like it.

Based on this review I got the 80ml bottle. I just ink-dropped a Plat Prep (M 05) and it's exactly what I want in a blue. It's dark but not too dark. It's very saturated, and I don't see a lot of shading -- just as I like it. I see a bit of feathering on lesser papers, but on Tom Riv it's perfectly crisp. Looks to be a wet ink so it should flow well in most pens.

Thanks!

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I saw shading with my Lamy fine nib, although admittedly not much with my 1.1mm nib. I'm glad you liked the colour though. :applause:

Did you get the new bottle? If so, what do you think of it?

Old bottle. No issue for me as I'm function over form; hence I want glass over those little plastic test tubes they sell!

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Originally Posted by Brilliant Bill

Old bottle. No issue for me as I'm function over form; hence I want glass over those little plastic test tubes they sell!

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Some of my review pens (Lamy Nexx) don't fit down into those plastic bottles, and it can sometimes be slightly annoying. The more stable glass bottles are much better, whether they are old or new. :)

Mine came in the old bottle. I have it in 5 pens right now. 3 Sheaffer school pens I am testing, a Sheaffer Snorkel and a Sheaffer TD desk pen. The ink, despite being really rich and deep and (& I imagine loaded with dye), does not have any of the smearing and drying issues some other inks in this ball park have. It has a good flow and lubrication but I was surprised to see so much green in it. I personally have a dislike for greenish blues (public housing/hospital teal paint, yuck) but at this extreme darkness and saturation i find it okay. It is still too new for me to make a judgement and I keep going back at forth on it but it strikes me as quite like a slightly greenish, slightly darker wetter Blue Velvet. It isn't love at first sight but I do like it so far. A really rich dark classy blue that pops even in F point pens. Actually would be an outstanding ink for finer pens generally.

Thanks to Chrissy for the heads up.