Parker Sapphire Blue

[penned_in]

There is a NOS bottle of Penman Sapphire ink, in its box, now on ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160766153823?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_500wt_1156

 

These don't come up often. Curious to see what it sells for...

[welch]

There is a NOS bottle of Penman Sapphire ink, in its box, now on ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/...9#ht_500wt_1156

 

These don't come up often. Curious to see what it sells for...

 

Interesting price at 2 days from full-time. About two years ago I bought three bottles for about $100...this one is already above that price. (My rationalization: I like it more than I like Asa-gao, and Asa-gao is among the best)

[penned_in]

There is a NOS bottle of Penman Sapphire ink, in its box, now on ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/...9#ht_500wt_1156

 

These don't come up often. Curious to see what it sells for...

 

Interesting price at 2 days from full-time. About two years ago I bought three bottles for about $100...this one is already above that price. (My rationalization: I like it more than I like Asa-gao, and Asa-gao is among the best)

 

Having had no prior experience with this ink, I almost didn't buy any of the cartridges that recently came up for sale on eBay from Pokydady. I already have enough blue inks and didn't need any more. Well-liked, discontinued, scarce, but what was the fuss all about?

 

I picked up 100 cartridges, opened enough of them to fill up a small bottle, stashed the rest. Now I know what the fuss is about.

 

This is one very nice and beautiful ink. Duplicating it will probably remain a challenge for some time.

[inky]

That eBay seller has not been very active, the last sale was in 2007!

[FarmBoy]

Contact lsmith42 via email through the board.

[SamCapote]

There is a NOS bottle of Penman Sapphire ink, in its box, now on ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/...9#ht_500wt_1156

 

These don't come up often. Curious to see what it sells for...

 

Interesting price at 2 days from full-time. About two years ago I bought three bottles for about $100...this one is already above that price. (My rationalization: I like it more than I like Asa-gao, and Asa-gao is among the best)

 

The days of $35 PPS for a new bottle are gone. I'm glad so many were able to score the ink cartridges from the Greek seller and PokyDaddy.

[Chrissy]

I recently phoned up several vintage pen suppliers in the UK to see if any of them had a bottle of PPS.

 

One of them was also a pen restorer and said that he has spent hours trying to clean out clogged up pens that have been filled with it, so he wouldn't recommend that I use it.

[Freddypipsqueek]

Quite a few parker Sonnets were shipped with PPS in a gift set. I have 2 bottles of PPS purchased on ebay with a Sonnet; generally a bargin if you want both or are willing to sell the Sonnet on.

[AndyLa]

Quite a few parker Sonnets were shipped with PPS in a gift set. I have 2 bottles of PPS purchased on ebay with a Sonnet; generally a bargin if you want both or are willing to sell the Sonnet on.

 

I was contemplating getting another sonnet, PPS would be an added bonus! Where did you purchase yours, if you don't mind me asking?

[Freddypipsqueek]

Both on ebay. Took a couple of weeks to find a Sonnet with the ink as a set. Both were bought about a year ago. The sellers don't pick up on the value of the ink and 'advertise' the pen only. I find Sonnets undervalued. Having tried it, I do think PPS is a bit overrated.

[The Good Captain]

I've a Sonnet I was thinking of putting on eBay but no Sapphire to go with it, I'm afraid.

[radellaf]

The eBay bottle sold for $47. Yikes. I guess I'll hold on to my unopened bottle. The other is pretty full, maybe 10ml down and most of that was a sample I sent. It's nice ink and the red sheen was unique at the time but yeah, I think in some ways it's a case of people wanting something more because it's hard to get. If you want a rich blue with a hint of violet, it ain't hard to do. May be a nicer color, even.

I wonder what Asa-gao is like when it evaporates down halfway. I have a pen of kon-peki that keeps going down on its own and I keep adding more ink instead of water, and I love the color now. Flows fine, too, which ain't so about some other inks that could be called "liquid ink concentrate" (I jest... sorta). I would not want "condensed" PR DCSSEB.

[inky]

I guess my 2 bottles had better last a long time, and then there is all the carts that I have. Love the ink. Might sell a bottle if the price keeps going up.

[dcwaites]

The original recipes for Faux Penman Sapphire were mine.

 

Having obtained a newer, better sample, I have revised the recipe (see elsewhere on the FPN)

 

My preferred substitute for Parker Penman Sapphire is now simply PR American Blue with 15% water.

[welch]

If the current market price for Penman Sapphire is near;y $50 a bottle, Parker could make some decent money if they began to sell it again. Probably could price Penman inks around the same as the Iroshizuku line.

 

It would be interesting to see some numbers on ink sales and pen sales. I wonder what the revenue and profit is on pens and inks. Thinking...I could buy five bottles of Asa-Gao for the price of a Sailor 1911M, and five bottles of Asa-Gao will last a long time. Still, Diamine, Private Reserve, Noodlers, Herbin, and De Atrimentis can exist just selling inks.

[radellaf]

The original recipes for Faux Penman Sapphire were mine.

 

Having obtained a newer, better sample, I have revised the recipe (see elsewhere on the FPN)

 

My preferred substitute for Parker Penman Sapphire is now simply PR American Blue with 15% water.

 

Musta missed the update. Well I'll try the other first as I have the two PR inks on the way, but next time I get some other inks I'll have to add American blue to the list.

[Freddypipsqueek]

I agree about the PR inks being close (American & DC Supershow) but they smear such that when used at work my hand ends up blue. Does the 15% water help with that ?. Recently started using Diamine Magestic which has the sheen of PPS. For regular work use, Visconti remains the king.

[danahn17]

If you're really curious, Paperskater on this forum has some samples of the PPS that she reconstituted from dried out cartridges. The price and details are on her signature I believe

[radellaf]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/6879377312_b588b6ba39_c.jpglink

Blues on Rhodia

 

At the moment, I'm thinking Nathan was right with his story about a blind test where people couldn't tell his (I think) regular blue from PPS. Here's the real thing compared, and it seems closer to regular Noodler's Blue than it does to two faux penman mix recipes. I'm still waiting for some PR American Blue. No sheen on any of these, btw. Cool, didn't think they'd be so close (I really can't tell them apart, even looking in different lights/angles).

Edited March 29, 2012 by radellaf

[mcbender]

I found another recommendation to use 2:1 Noodler's Blue to La Reine Mauve. I've tried that and it's extremely close (a tad darker than PPS, and much less shading), plus it's partially bulletproof (the LRM component stays, but the blue washes off). It's not bad; I actually think I like it better than the original.