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Thread: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

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    Senior Member Kulprit's Avatar
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    Default Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    I finally got around to buying a Custom 912 with an FA nib. The pen is the be used primarily for jotting quick notes in court and signing documents - both on standard copy paper. No feathering, minimal bleeding, even when flexed. The ink needs (well, I want it) to be a nice, vibrant blue.

    Based on my experience with my Konrad and Ahab, I bought a bottle of Noodler's Liberty's Elysium as I'd had good luck with samples I'd tried. It met all my criteria. Unfortunately, when the Pilot arrived, that combination of pen and ink proved to be too wet. No joy.

    After cleaning out the pen I decided to try out some samples I had while the search continued. When I inked it up with Diamine Prussian Blue I was floored by its performance in the Pilot. It's dry enough to give me a nice, super-fine line with no feathering or bleeding, but viscous enough to maintain an unbroken flow when flexing the nib.

    Unfortunately, it's not the shade of blue I'm looking for. So that brings me to the point of this thread: what blue inks would y'all recommend that have all the properties of the Prussian Blue but come in a more vibrant shade?

    To give you an idea of where I'm looking on the spectrum, Asa-gao and Serenity Blue are too purple and Tsuyu-kusa (on copy paper) is too pale. I want a saturated blue, but it still needs to be blue, not violet.

    TIA!


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    Senior Member sgtstretch's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Diamine Oxford Blue maybe?

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Diamine Majestic Blue has similar qualities to Diamine Denim while being a brighter blue. Also look at Diamine Cornflower or Blue Velvet that are in the same colour range without being "Blurples"

    Blue Swabs3.jpg

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Just an aside. I love these big comparison sheets.

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    Senior Member Kulprit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Thanks for the suggestions thus far. I had looked into brighter Diamine Blues (like Oxford and Majestic) but the reviews always suggest that they're on the wetter side, while Prussian Blue seems to often be reported as being on the drier side.

    I have quite a few Diamine samples yet to try out, but unfortunately they're all in the blue-black range as I bought them to try in a different pen.

    Thanks for the suggestions so far and, by all means, keep them coming!


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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Parker Quink Blue-Black has good properties, but it's a bit more green than Diamine Prussian Blue. Montblanc Permanent Blue is a little on the pale side, but very permanent for legal documents. I have used it on cheap copy paper out of a medium cursive italic. Not the greatest performance in that case (for signatures), but I suspect it's a better performer out of an EF nib with less ink on the page. Diamine Blue Velvet was the ink I bought when looking for a very vivid, attractive blue.

    I just dripped water on some notes written with the Parker and Diamine inks. Neither one appears to be very permanent, though the Parker is the better of the two. Wiping up the water droplet with a napkin pretty much removed all of the Diamine ink from the page. The MB Perm Blue is bulletproof, hence its ISO standard / certification for use on legal documents.


    Edit: Trying to find some non-intellectual property notes written in MB Perm Blue to share and drip water on to show permanence.



    Edit2: Here you go. MB Permanent Blue out of a Lamy 2000 EF. Paper is a company-supplied notebook which isn't stellar. You can see the show-through of things written on the back side of the page. Area circled in green is where I used an eye-dropper and placed 5 drops of water. I waited 5 seconds and wiped down the page with a napkin. Also, I write with a pretty heavy hand, so this is enough ink to make an EF look like an F.

    Last edited by Scooby921; March 15th, 2018 at 07:28 AM.

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    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    GvFC Royal Blue?


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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    I don't know about everyone else, but I can't recommend that which I haven't used . Perhaps I too should give it a try, though I'm not sure I need more inks.

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    Senior Member grainweevil's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Scooby921 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    I don't know about everyone else, but I can't recommend that which I haven't used .
    I have used it, and still wouldn't recommend it - I don't care for its staining habits.

    Given that I am utterly floored at anyone describing Serenity Blue as even slightly purple, I'm of no use to the OP - we clearly see the world quite differently.

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    IMHO a few inks may be close to what you want specially the "dryness issue"
    Parker blue or blue black
    Waterman mysterious blue
    Lamy blue or blue black
    Diamine blue black (similar to prussian blue in characteristics but a bluer color)
    Unix is user-friendly ; it's just picky about who it's friends are -

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by SIR View Post
    GvFC Royal Blue?

    Thanks. I'll look into that. The two GvFC inks I've tried were indeed on the dry side and seemed to work fine when "flexed" (though that was in a SF 3776, so we're talking about a nib that's both finer and less flexible than the FA).


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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    You know, I've used quite a bit of Namiki Blue and didn't bother to buy more when I ran out because it was rather "blah" in regular pens (on Rhodia; office-supplied printer paper it was almost identical to Tsuyu-kusa) and it had a habit of staining my converters. I don't recall if I ever tried it with a flex nib.

    This is a good suggestion, though, because the FA will be used almost exclusively on office-supplied printer paper and I could care less if it stains this Con 70 since I'm looking for a dedicated pen/ink combination. I'll have to get a sample to try out to see if it flows well when flexed.


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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Given that I am utterly floored at anyone describing Serenity Blue as even slightly purple, I'm of no use to the OP - we clearly see the world quite differently.
    Well, not *grape* purple....more like *violet* purple, with a tinge of indigo. I just don't like saying "violet" because to me that conjures up light colors, like the actual flower, which would be much more similar to an Iroshizuku Ajisai. And of course no one would confuse Serenity Blue with Ajisai.



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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    I recently finished a pen with Pilot Blue and thought it was a fine ink but not vibrant at all. It's a nice option when I need a waterproof blue but it's rather bland otherwise.

    Have you considered Monteverde Horizon Blue?

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    Senior Member grainweevil's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Kulprit View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Given that I am utterly floored at anyone describing Serenity Blue as even slightly purple, I'm of no use to the OP - we clearly see the world quite differently.
    Well, not *grape* purple....more like *violet* purple, with a tinge of indigo. I just don't like saying "violet" because to me that conjures up light colors, like the actual flower, which would be much more similar to an Iroshizuku Ajisai. And of course no one would confuse Serenity Blue with Ajisai.
    I knew what you meant, I just, I dunno, don't see it. But now you mention Ajisai, you get quite a nice blue when blended with Kon-peki. I go 2:1 A:K-P, but obviously that can be tweaked to taste. Not nice enough to deliberately go out and buy them, but if you have them.

    Yes, I am that weird person who routinely tries mixes of Iroshizukus together. I know no fear. Or is that shame...?

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Kulprit View Post
    You know, I've used quite a bit of Namiki Blue and didn't bother to buy more when I ran out because it was rather "blah" in regular pens (on Rhodia; office-supplied printer paper it was almost identical to Tsuyu-kusa) and it had a habit of staining my converters. I don't recall if I ever tried it with a flex nib.

    This is a good suggestion, though, because the FA will be used almost exclusively on office-supplied printer paper and I could care less if it stains this Con 70 since I'm looking for a dedicated pen/ink combination. I'll have to get a sample to try out to see if it flows well when flexed.
    Aha, well, at least you've already tried it. I have to confess that I haven't personally had any problems with staining, but that could be dumb luck. I've also never had a good answer nor picked up a sample of plain "Pilot" blue to compare if they are the same inks. The ink I am specifically referencing comes like this:

    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    I don't have it and have never had the opportunity to try it. On the other hand, as you can see, I already have a few blue inks. I adore that beautifully shaped bottle.

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Where on Earth in these lists is Pilot/Namiki Blue? It has become my hands-down, go-to blue, not only for looks and behavior but because you get all those good qualities and waterproofness to boot. This is, IMHO, the most unhearalded blue ink available today.
    I don't have it and have never had the opportunity to try it. On the other hand, as you can see, I already have a few blue inks. I adore that beautifully shaped bottle.
    I was semi-swooning over your lovely sheet... until I remembered all those bottles of blue I have, too!

    Maybe I'm just imagining the mythic properties of Namiki Blue, but it happens to be one of the few inks that I have simply settled on and go to on a very regular basis.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Recommend a Blue with these Properties

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    Just an aside. I love these big comparison sheets.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post

    I was semi-swooning over your lovely sheet... until I remembered all those bottles of blue I have, too!

    Maybe I'm just imagining the mythic properties of Namiki Blue, but it happens to be one of the few inks that I have simply settled on and go to on a very regular basis.
    You're both welcome

    Dreck thank you for the reputation you gave me.

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