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Thread: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

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    Default Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    I like vintage ink

    I like the idea that ink that was made in the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s HAD TO WORK

    It had to be relatively trouble free and it had to perform as expected. This was after all, a time when fountain pens were simply PENS. They were expected to write and write well.

    On that note, I recently bought a bottle of Waterman's Aztec Brown.
    The bottle is almost NOS. Using it, I found that I really like it. This is a problem as the stuff is getting expensive.
    So, I decided to get a bottle of the current Absolute Brown and compare them to one another.

    Here are the results:


    aterman's Aztec Brown
    2oz bottle, vintage (1940s-50s)
    Bought on eBay Jun 2020
    for $10 This brown leans
    only a little red-ish
    Ink has that vintage
    Waterman's smell (Phenol?)
    Flows great, no surprise
    there. No bleed or feathering
    except on the worst
    quality paper Good
    shading + lots of vari-
    ation depending on the
    pen used.

    (Dry Times)

    Would
    buy again?
    Yes

    Shading: Good/Medium
    Saturation: Good/Medium
    Feathering: Some/Low-ish
    Spread: Low-Nil
    Bleed: Low-Nil
    Cleaning: Very Easy



    Waterman Absolute Brown
    50ml bottle The Papery
    Jun 2020. This is Waterman's
    current brown formu-
    lation. It used to be
    called Havana Brown
    As a Waterman ink it
    flows well and behaves
    well. Like Aztec Brown
    there is a lot of difference
    from pen to pen. It is
    slightly redder + darker than
    Aztec Brown. That may be
    due to Aztec's age.

    (Dry Times)

    Would
    Buy
    Again?
    Yes!

    Shading: Good/Medium
    Saturation: Good/Medium
    Feathering: Nil
    Spread: Nil
    Bleed: Nil
    Cleaning: Easy

    Notes: Good but
    Slightly redder replacement
    for Aztec Brown


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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    Where might Waterman Havana Brown fit into all this?

    IMG_3228.jpg

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    Default Re: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    As far as i know, Havana Brown was part of the "great renaming" a few years back and simply became Absolute Brown in the way Florida Blue became Serenity, South Seas became Inspired and Blue Black became Mysterious.

    At least, that is my understanding of it.

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    Default Re: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    If you wanted to tone back some of the ruddy overtones in the Havana brown, you could experiment with adding a tiny amount of a soft, warm blue — like Serenity, or Diamine Royal, or any of the other “washable” blues from older manufacturers. Adding a blue will neutralize the orange you’re seeing. But you’ll need to go gently, as too much blue can darken and dull the color. And you might also benefit from adding a bit of distilled water, too. Aztec is a hair lighter in value than Havana.

    Just some observations from an old oil painter who spends her days trying to match unmatchable colors in the world around her...

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    Default Re: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    Quote Originally Posted by INeedAFinancialAdvisor View Post
    As far as i know, Havana Brown was part of the "great renaming" a few years back and simply became Absolute Brown in the way Florida Blue became Serenity, South Seas became Inspired and Blue Black became Mysterious.

    At least, that is my understanding of it.
    This is my understanding too. Havana Brown was merely renamed as Absolute Brown without changing the recipe.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Waterman Aztec and Absolute Browns Reviews and Comparison

    Quote Originally Posted by elaineb View Post
    If you wanted to tone back some of the ruddy overtones in the Havana brown, you could experiment with adding a tiny amount of a soft, warm blue — like Serenity, or Diamine Royal, or any of the other “washable” blues from older manufacturers. Adding a blue will neutralize the orange you’re seeing. But you’ll need to go gently, as too much blue can darken and dull the color. And you might also benefit from adding a bit of distilled water, too. Aztec is a hair lighter in value than Havana.

    Just some observations from an old oil painter who spends her days trying to match unmatchable colors in the world around her...
    Thank you, i had also noticed that i would have to dilute it slightly. For me, i think i'm ok with the Absolute Brown. My observations are that there is more variance in colour from one PEN to another with the same ink, than there is from one INK to another with the same pen!

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by INeedAFinancialAdvisor View Post
    As far as i know, Havana Brown was part of the "great renaming" a few years back and simply became Absolute Brown in the way Florida Blue became Serenity, South Seas became Inspired and Blue Black became Mysterious.

    At least, that is my understanding of it.
    This is my understanding too. Havana Brown was merely renamed as Absolute Brown without changing the recipe.
    Thank you, good to see i'm not totally out in left field and if i am, at least i have company!

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