Just Bought A Bottle Of Parker Penman Sapphire!

[mirko]

I was on a short trip for a family holiday, and when the weather turned really rainy I went into the local bookshop.

They had a very small stationary section, in which they sold some bottled Parker ink.

 

One of the bottles was a slightly dusty but untouched Parker Penman Sapphire..... The till couldn't even read the barcode and it was priced in Guilders not Euro's ( which means it has been untouched for at least 8 years, and likely much more).

They sold the bottle to me for €3.50

I am over the moon! I filled my medium-nibbed Pelikan M605 with it and it is such a rich blue color!!

 

I know I need to keep a close eye on clogging, but the seals in the Pel are excellent, so I am confident they will make a beautiful couple!

Edited November 20, 2010 by mirko

[Skyppere]

I know what you mean! I just filled a targa stub with it yesterday and it is sooo pretty. I've never had any problems with clogging withit so I think you'll be fine!

cheers

skyppere

[Joane]

Congrats on the find! Penman Sapphire is a stunning colour and unique among inks I have seen. I used to use it and when I did, no other ink received as many compliments when people saw it as that one did. Use it in the best of health!

[lapis]

Where did you say the bookshop was?

 

Mike

[mirko]

It is in the town Rijssen, in the far East of The Netherlands....

[jsonewald]

Still the best blue ink. I put a cartridge in a Sonnet recently for old times sake. When the cartridge was about half full I topped it off with Waterman Florida Blue. The result was good; not as brilliant as Sapphire, but pretty bright.

[Joe in Seattle]

Score!!!

[SamCapote]

See....dreams do come true.

[KCat]

did they have Emerald?

 

man - that's a steal.

 

Just treat it with the care you would any saturated ink and it should be fine. I've never had a problem and I have been uh...less careful with mine. Pelikans (at least my 200s) have been particularly well-behaved on a steady diet of Penman Emerald. I wouldn't be as careless with it as I have been. But it's just never been a problem. I did a lot of rinsing to get dried ink out of the nib but it didn't clog or anything. Just took me a while to get it clean enough to try a different ink for comparison to Emerald as I tried to find a suitable replacement in case I ever run out (highly unlikely). I imagine my daughter will inherit the Emerald. Maybe I should write a note now and stick it in one of the boxes so she doesn't have to come here and ask "I have this ancient ink my mom left me in her will, can I use it in my Lamy Safari?" :roflmho:

 

forgive me - my head is pounding. I'm getting a bit goofier than usual. Maybe you can't tell.

[dsatco]

How about a scan, man.

[Gojira]

Congrats! I found my bottle of Penman Sapphire languishing in a display case messily strewn with Pelikan ink cartridges and various pen refills.

 

But I have yet to work up the courage to try it!

[freewheelingvagabond]

:clap1:

[SamCapote]

Congrats! I found my bottle of Penman Sapphire languishing in a display case messily strewn with Pelikan ink cartridges and various pen refills.

 

But I have yet to work up the courage to try it!

 

Take your time. Prepare to be seduced.

[mirko]

How about a scan, man.

 

I don't have a working scanner anymore, but I found this link to be quite good:

http://harmless-dilettante.blogspot.com/2009/04/parker-penman-sapphire.html

 

It really is a mesmerizing color. I thought Visconti Blue was good before....

The good news is that according to several sources Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue is a near perfect match.

 

But I have got a bottle of Penman Sapphire!!!

 

Thanks all!!

Edited November 22, 2010 by mirko

[Basset]

Congrats. I have a bottle left, so I know what you have.

 

For those feeling left out, DC Supershow really is pretty close, though....

[welch]

I find DC SSB to be close, but it lacks some of the quirks that make Penman Sapphire such a pleasure. I find that Penman varies in color from nib to nib, from paper to paper, and even by the time of day. When it is on the drowsy side, it is close to DC SSB, but Penman also has a glow. Penman varies more or less between DCSSB and PR American Blue, with that magnetic glow throughoput all the shades it displays.

 

I know that sounds that sounds like mystical baloney, but there is something extra to Penman Sapphire that I don;t find in any of the close matches.

 

Incidentally, Penman flows well, but dries quickly. Some of the PR and Noodlers close-match inks have the wetness, but take a long time to dry.

 

Use the ink. You'll see.

[KCat]

I find DC SSB to be close, but it lacks some of the quirks that make Penman Sapphire such a pleasure. I find that Penman varies in color from nib to nib, from paper to paper, and even by the time of day. When it is on the drowsy side, it is close to DC SSB, but Penman also has a glow. Penman varies more or less between DCSSB and PR American Blue, with that magnetic glow throughoput all the shades it displays.

 

I know that sounds that sounds like mystical baloney, but there is something extra to Penman Sapphire that I don;t find in any of the close matches.

 

Incidentally, Penman flows well, but dries quickly. Some of the PR and Noodlers close-match inks have the wetness, but take a long time to dry.

 

Use the ink. You'll see.

 

Not mystical at all. If you look at the crystals that dry on the rim of the bottle for either Sapphire or Emerald you will see very reflective shimmering dyes. On the Emerald, IIRC, it's a reddish or purplish shine. I'd have to go crank one open and look. Kinda not up to that right now with my head pounding (emerald is rather potent). Anyway. I believe this shimmer is very real and shows up on the page when the ink dries - just more subtly than on the rim of the bottle. So many have commented on it and my main objections to the two inks that came closes to Emerald's color was a flatness that just couldn't compete.

[Muncle]

How about a scan, man.

 

I don't have a working scanner anymore, but I found this link to be quite good:

http://harmless-dile...n-sapphire.html

 

It really is a mesmerizing color. I thought Visconti Blue was good before....

The good news is that according to several sources Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue is a near perfect match.

 

But I have got a bottle of Penman Sapphire!!!

 

Thanks all!!

 

Thanks for the link! That's really...wow. My favourite Blue is Visconti Blue too...

 

I'm going to guess that this is no longer in production?

[dsatco]

Ya...I picked up 8 bottles of PPS at a little stationery for $4. Hated the color and poured them all down the drain.

[PAKMAN]

One of my favorite inks!! My stash is down to 8 bottles. The one at work has sit for a long time and I need some purified water to rehydrate it. Great color!