Visconti Blue

[Chris]

I know I said it would be a couple of weeks before I got to reviewing this ink, but yesterday my pen ran out of Diamine Prussian Blue so I rinsed well and filled with Visconti Blue.

 

I have not seen many comments on this ink before, though there have been older review articles that list Visconti Blue as one not tried. However, looking at the great colour chart on the website for The Writing Desk, I decided to 'go' for it. It was not an easy decision - have you seen the price? £9.50.

 

Actually, it comes in the greatest bottle (which is where much of the cost must go) that is like a mushroom in shape, allowing you to get the last of the ink up into your pen. Very neat, and in a sturdy box that holds the bottle upright - you don't want it to tip over. This looks great on any desk.

 

The nicest thing is the same ink is available in plastic (refill) bottles for a modest cost (£3.50 for 50ml ). So, when the nice glass bottle is empty, just top it up from the plastic one, or use the plastic one for travelling or to pour into whatever other bottle takes your fancy.

 

Well, what can I say about this stunning blue blue? It reminds me of Waterman Florida Blue (which I have only just tried, and am not that happy with) but more intense and with none of the wateriness of the Waterman. The colour is between Wm FB and Aurora Blue without the slight purple tone that some see in Aurora. Absolutely lovely.

 

As a confirmed Penman Sapphire lover, this blue is a delight to have found. It even makes Sapphire look a little grey when viewed side by side!

 

OK, so I like the colour (which is just as well as I bought both a bottle and a refill at the same time ), but what about its performance?

 

It flowed from my MB Chopin (medium nib) with a sense of liberation, providing a good, wet, non-spreading, non-feathering line on a variety of papers from photocopy/printer paper to cheap journalists spiral notepad. No problems.

 

There was also a smoothness about the writing that comes with some inks, but not all. Maybe it is the Italian influence . My writing had a little understated shading, to distinguish this from a fibre-tip or gel pen or some other utilitarian tool but without major colour fades that I get with the Wm FloBlu and some other 'thin' inks (like blues from Sheaffer, Cross, Montblanc and Quink).

 

It is not the fastest drying ink, but that probably has something to do with the great flow and the wet line. As a leftie, it did not cause me any problems though.

 

When dry, it resisted any smearing when rubbed with a dryish thumb (hot day) and also resisted the tap-soak test. After a good sluice under the cool tap, the remaining writing was still clearly legible (Wm FloBlu had gone as too had Pm Sapphire ).

 

I wish I could post a sample of this colour - I think it is great.

 

Any problems? Only that a lot of it on a page might seem to be a little too blue against stark white for someone more used to less bright colours, but on blue stationery, this should look stunning.

 

In case you can't tell, I like it

From my long list of inks in the cupboard, this moves to an ink of choice straight away.

 

Chris

[london]

An interesting review. Thanks Chris. I think you've convinced me to give it a try.

 

The next on my hit list was to try the Diamine Prussian Blue - so even more interesting to me that you'd just emptied your pen of it!

 

An additional comment to add to the review....just for those who use new (and newish) pens. Visconti produce these inks in cartridge form too. They come in a fantastic little bakelite container - again colour coded to match the ink. Just the ideal little thing to pop in your briefcase or bag. In fact when I first saw them my thoughts were I'd have to get myself a modern cartridge pen, so that I could buy the Visconti cartridges.

 

- Mark

Edited August 3, 2006 by london

[RichardS]

Chris, I think Visconti Blue is one of the great "sleeper" inks. Hopefully after your fine review, that will start to change. I see it as Aurora Blue, without the slight purple cast; a really classic navy blue ink.

 

BTW, any visitors to London may like to know that all the Visconti cartridges in their cute containers that London mentions above (erm ... this is getting confusing ) are available at Selfridges in Oxford Street.

[Chris]

I'm stuck now because I have Diamine Prussian Blue as a great ink that I love as a daily use darkish blue, and along comes Visconti which must be a must have too.

So I neeed a new pen - right?

 

I'm learning this game - though it means my pockets are empty

 

I like the term 'sleeper ink'. I think that applied a little to Diamine too untill recently when I see the name more often.

 

Has anyone tried Visconti black?

 

Chris

[Goodwhiskers]

Thanks, Chris ! You've convinced me to go buy some soon. It's available in shops around here. It sounds like another candidate for my "champion performer" ink list.

 

Has anyone tried a sulfate/sulfite eradicator pen (Pelikan Super-Pirat or equivalent product) on this ink? I will after I get some.

 

From Chris' description and the digital swatches at Pendemonium and The Writing Desk, it appears that this ink is not the "Visconti Lapis Blue" in the 2006 edition of Clark's Sampler.

[James P]

I've used the Visconti Black in my Van Gogh Mini in cartridges and was surprised to find that I liked it very much (I'm not much of a black-ink guy). The pen only came with one cartridge, which is long gone, and I never reviewed the ink, but perhaps now that I carry Visconti ink, I'll "fill 'er up" again and see if I still like it as much as I remember.

 

James P.

[RichardS]

Here's a quick pic of Visconti Blue, straight from a Stipula 991. Rich, wet and very blue!

 

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/870/viscontibluestipbn0.jpg

[sonia_simone]

Wow, I'm not a blue person but that is really tempting. Gorgeous ink, pen, and handwriting!

[southpaw]

Nice review. Maybe one day I'll have to snag me a bottle of this stuff. But right now I need another blue ink like I need another . . .

[Chris]

Just keep saying it...

I need another bottle of blue ink...

I need another...

 

 

Chris

[Betty]

I brought a bottle of it today after reading your review. I love blues! I couldn't find the plastic bottle refill you mentioned. I am perhaps the only person who does not like the Visconti bottle at all. I would have prefered the simplier plastic bottle.

 

I can't wait to try it at home! Will post update!

[sonia_simone]

'paw, that's why you need to do the ink swap!

[southpaw]

'paw, that's why you need to do the ink swap!

Yeah, but then if I like it . . . .

 

 

(BTW, I've got a sample vial on my desk from James at Pear Tree Pens)

[Roger]

Very attractive blue, for sure! Looks much like PR DC SS Blue, PR American Blue and Noodler's Blue.

[sonia_simone]

Plate 'o Shrimp, Southpaw, I also just received a sample of the Visconti Blue from James. Can't decide which I want to try out first, that or La Couleur Royale.

[Stephen-I-am]

Here's another picture of Visconti Blue ink. I found it interesting to see how the color varies in a dry writer (cheap Pelikan) to a wetter writer (vanishing point).

 

Stephen

[Chris]

Stephen,

 

That is a good illustration of something we all find sooner or later - that the ink stays the same but the impression will vary depending on the pen and paper.

 

If you have a 'dry' pen, you may miss the intensity of this colour (and others too I expect).

 

Chris

[Flere-Imsaho]

There was also a smoothness about the writing that comes with some inks, but not all. Maybe it is the Italian influence  . My writing had a little understated shading, to distinguish this from a fibre-tip or gel pen or some other utilitarian tool    but without major colour fades that I get with the Wm FloBlu and some other 'thin' inks (like blues from Sheaffer, Cross, Montblanc and Quink).

 

It is not the fastest drying ink, but that probably has something to do with the great flow and the wet line. As a leftie, it did not cause me any problems though.

As far as I know the Visconti ink contains some sort of lubricant (oily?), which makes the writing smooth and the drying long. Also if you have a pen without proper seals you can have ink creep.

I have used the Visconti ink myself in the past and I have noticed the first 2 points, but did not experience the ink creep myself.

Enjoy,

/:) Hans.

[ampatb]

When you add up what I have spent on pens in the last 20 years, the price of ink is not such a big deal. My real test of a new ink is how it flows and looks on the page of my journal. Visconti blue is beautiful and bright. There are days that just looking at this wonderful blue changes how I feel about things. I have always used Aurora blue as my "go to" blue - all my pens just love it. But I might just have to rethink that issue. Someone said it might be too much for a whole page on solid white stationary. I might have to agree with that assessment, but it is just right for a very light cream stationary or my moleskin daily journal.

[piembi]

I have lots of blue inks - and a number of pens. Visconti is the only ink that gives a good blue line with nearly every pen.

No purple hues, no grey or green. It's a true blue. For me it's THE blue and I always come back to it.