Waterman Florida Blue Vs. Pelikan Royal Blue?

[haziz]

Both are favorite blues of mine, though it seems I don't have any pens currently inked with Pelikan Royal Blue. That has to be remedied!

 

What do people think of the two inks?

 

Is it just me or do I get the impression that Pelikan Royal Blue is not as dry as most Pelikan inks. Seems to me to be more middle of the road in the wet to dry range. Pelikan Brilliant Black and certainly Pelikan Blue Black seem more dry to me compared to the Royal Blue (the Blue Black much more so).

 

How do you compare the relative flow of Waterman Florida Blue to Pelikan Royal Blue in your pens/nibs?

 

What do you think of both colors?

[Trebster]

A friend of mine is enamored of Pelikan Royal Blue and it is his baseline ink. Yet I have not ever been swayed to his view. He is equally unimpressed with the Waterman Florida Blue and Sheaffer Blue that are my workhorse inks. We declared a truce of sorts when I gifted him with a bottle of Aurora Blue, which he concedes is fabulous - it's just not his vaunted Pelikan. He is also unimpressed by Montblanc Royal Blue.

 

Funny old world.

[Laura N]

I find the colors similar enough, and since I'm not a medium blue fan I consider the two colors relatively interchangeable. Along with medium blues from other brands. But I do find Waterman Florida/Serenity Blue a slightly wet ink, and Pelikan Royal Blue a dry ink.

 

I have the Pelikan only to use in some vintage Pelikans with nibs in the OB or OBB range, because it tempers the heavy flow of those nibs. It's not the driest ink available, but it's definitely dry for me.

 

I use Waterman Florida Blue to test new pens, but otherwise I rarely write with it anymore because I prefer more unusual colors. But it used to be my only ink, years ago. And I use it when testing problem pens, because it has such nice flow.

[lapis]

I find Florida wetter, even more maintenance-free, but at the same time somewhat less vivid/striking. I don't think anybody can go wrong with either of them.

 

Mike

[jonwat]

I have never tried Waterman Florida Blue ( have to remedy that one day; I LOVE Havana) but I have both Cross Blue (rebranded Pelikan Blue) which I use almost daily in my Journal, and MB Royal Blue which is used rarely (too purple for me). The Cross is the better ink for me, the MB has the better bottle.

[The Good Captain]

For the record, here's my comparison.

I've been concerned that some notes I made a while ago in 4001 Royal Blue have faded but I've nothing to really compare that with as yet.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

There's this:

• Comparison - Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue : Waterman Florida Blue https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/192314-comparison-pelikan-royal-blue-waterman-florida-blue/

and these:

• Pelikan 4001, Royal Blue https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/167834-pelikan-4001-royal-blue/
• Waterman Florida Blue https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/185343-waterman-florida-blue/page__gopid__1869915#entry1869915

Bye,

S1

[Laura N]

...

I've been concerned that some notes I made a while ago in 4001 Royal Blue have faded but I've nothing to really compare that with as yet.

 

I'm very interested in this. I've noticed that Waterman Florida Blue definitely can fade, even after a few days. It just seems to lighten a bit, even in a closed notebook. It's still legible, but the color is lighter. This is more pronounced with fine or medium pens for me.

 

Does the Pelikan do this as well? Does it remain legible?

 

I haven't noticed it myself, but I'm only using the Pelikan Royal Blue in very wet broad pens, so there's a lot of ink there.

[The Good Captain]

...

I've been concerned that some notes I made a while ago in 4001 Royal Blue have faded but I've nothing to really compare that with as yet.

 

I'm very interested in this. I've noticed that Waterman Florida Blue definitely can fade, even after a few days. It just seems to lighten a bit, even in a closed notebook. It's still legible, but the color is lighter. This is more pronounced with fine or medium pens for me.

 

Does the Pelikan do this as well? Does it remain legible?

 

I haven't noticed it myself, but I'm only using the Pelikan Royal Blue in very wet broad pens, so there's a lot of ink there.

I've looked at some stuff I wrote last June and although paler the 4001 Royal Blue is perfectly legible, although whether it makes any sense is a matter of opinion! I'd written in a Moleskine with my usual nib at that time, a Pelikan F. That particular paper seems to make some colours look paler and less 'true' than white papers anyway. It's still an ink I use but not as often and have made quite a reasonable blue-black with it and 4001 Brilliant Black.

[ThirdeYe]

...

I've been concerned that some notes I made a while ago in 4001 Royal Blue have faded but I've nothing to really compare that with as yet.

 

I'm very interested in this. I've noticed that Waterman Florida Blue definitely can fade, even after a few days. It just seems to lighten a bit, even in a closed notebook. It's still legible, but the color is lighter. This is more pronounced with fine or medium pens for me.

 

Does the Pelikan do this as well? Does it remain legible?

 

I haven't noticed it myself, but I'm only using the Pelikan Royal Blue in very wet broad pens, so there's a lot of ink there.

 

I have some writing that is over a year old using Florida blue that hasn't really faded at all. Some of it has been exposed to some sunlight, the other is in a notebook/journal... strange. I've used a lot of Florida Blue and haven't really noticed any fading. Maybe I'm just not very observant.

Edited February 21, 2012 by ThirdeYe

[haziz]

...

I've been concerned that some notes I made a while ago in 4001 Royal Blue have faded but I've nothing to really compare that with as yet.

 

I'm very interested in this. I've noticed that Waterman Florida Blue definitely can fade, even after a few days. It just seems to lighten a bit, even in a closed notebook. It's still legible, but the color is lighter. This is more pronounced with fine or medium pens for me.

 

Does the Pelikan do this as well? Does it remain legible?

 

I haven't noticed it myself, but I'm only using the Pelikan Royal Blue in very wet broad pens, so there's a lot of ink there.

 

No fading with either ink in my experience.

[wpb]

But I do find Waterman Florida/Serenity Blue a slightly wet ink, and Pelikan Royal Blue a dry ink.

 

+1

 

I was surprised. Florida Blue was wetter than I expected. However Pelikan Royal Blue was about as dry as expected.

 

Bill

[handwriter]

Two great blues, love them both. A difference?. To me the Pelikan is more like Carolina Blue if you know what I mean

[haziz]

Two great blues, love them both. A difference?. To me the Pelikan is more like Carolina Blue if you know what I mean

Not really. If this is a sports analogy, note that I am the only guy in America with zero interest in sports. The more recent incarnation of Pelikan Royal Blue in a wet nib, to me gives a rich royal blue with mild hints of purple. In a wet pen it is a slightly richer color compared to the Waterman Florida Blue. I have some Pelikan Level ink bottles that I believe are pre 2005, and the ink in them is a more washed out greyish blue, not bad but certainly less striking. I believe Pelikan did reformulate the ink in 2005.

[Alexandra]

I really like Pelikan Royal Blue but it fades too quickly. It's not exactly eternal.

[dragos.mocanu]

I'm very interested in this. I've noticed that Waterman Florida Blue definitely can fade, even after a few days. It just seems to lighten a bit, even in a closed notebook. It's still legible, but the color is lighter. This is more pronounced with fine or medium pens for me.

 

Does the Pelikan do this as well? Does it remain legible?

 

I haven't noticed it myself, but I'm only using the Pelikan Royal Blue in very wet broad pens, so there's a lot of ink there.

I've just bought a bottle of Waterman Florida Blue (or Serenity Blue as it's called now) and I am a tad disappointed...from the reviews I was expecting a medium blue, and a bit more intense than the Pelikan Royal Blue (at least from what I've seen in Sandy1's comparison between the 2 this should have been the case). The interesting fact is that I get exactly the issue described above: I write a few lines/pages, the ink looks nice and decently saturated, but after a couple of hours, if I check it again, it's a very pale blue, almost like Parker Washable Blue, which is a hideous ink... it's still readable but... Anyone else experienced this issue with more recent batches of 'Serenity Blue'?

[Bo Bo Olson]

About 4 years ago, when Waterman Florida Blue was still considered a 'wet' ink. I bought a bottle. After getting DA Royal Blue I got rid of the Waterman ink to a school kid.

I had a couple of dry nibbed pens....one needs them...in case one buys a real wet ink.Just like one needs a wet nibbed pen for dry inks.

.

I find DA to be 'wetter' and much darker than either Waterman or Pelikan 4001 Royal blue. DA is tinged towards purple...ie Royal.

[NHsueh]

I've just bought a bottle of Waterman Florida Blue (or Serenity Blue as it's called now) and I am a tad disappointed...from the reviews I was expecting a medium blue, and a bit more intense than the Pelikan Royal Blue (at least from what I've seen in Sandy1's comparison between the 2 this should have been the case). The interesting fact is that I get exactly the issue described above: I write a few lines/pages, the ink looks nice and decently saturated, but after a couple of hours, if I check it again, it's a very pale blue, almost like Parker Washable Blue, which is a hideous ink... it's still readable but... Anyone else experienced this issue with more recent batches of 'Serenity Blue'?

I have this issue. When serenity blue first dries its a darker shade of blue but after leaving overnight it fades to a lighter blue.

Edited November 26, 2013 by NHsueh

[ac12]

My Waterman ink is fine, but I have fading problem with Cross/Pelikan blue.

But in this case the fading is part of drying (ink soaking into the paper). It writes wet very nice, but after about a minute, it has faded to a lighter blue.

My guess it the combination of pen (Parker 51, M nib), ink and paper (made in Brazil comp book). The Parker is a WET pen.

But when I write with a different pen (Esterbrook, narrow M nib), the ink does not fade as much.

So I am puzzled.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I've looked at some stuff I wrote last June and although paler the 4001 Royal Blue is perfectly legible, although whether it makes any sense is a matter of opinion! I'd written in a Moleskine with my usual nib at that time, a Pelikan F. That particular paper seems to make some colours look paler and less 'true' than white papers anyway. It's still an ink I use but not as often and have made quite a reasonable blue-black with it and 4001 Brilliant Black.

 

I find both Waterman's Florida Blue and Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue to be just too pale and not interesting. They are both "school" inks, made to be washable so that parents don't have grief when their kids spill ink all over their clothing.

 

Mixing them is, IMO, the best use of them. Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black is one thing to mix it with. I have mixed Noodler's Black with some similar blue inks, like Pilot Washable Blue, at about an 8 : 1 = blue : Noodler's Black, and it's been a decent looking blue/black ink mixture which will leave readable text if it gets wet.

 

One thing I know, a single drop of water could erase an entire page of those two inks. Of course it would need to not be a day of very low humidity that would evaporate the drop of water before it could get to the entire page.

 

I have also noted that after these inks dry they are even more pale. I just like a more intense ink.