Private Reserve Sonic Blue: an Uncharacteristic PR Ink

[QM2]

PRIVATE RESERVE SONIC BLUE

Review with Comparisons

 

electronic text follows the handwritten review

 

http://queenmargot.com/pr_sonicblue1.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/pr_sonicblue2.jpg

 

I had expected Private Reserve Sonic Blue to be an unusual colour, but in fact it is a classic blue-black. Sonic Blue flows

remarkably well, and I would rate it as a 5/10 on the wetness scale: Wetter than Pelikan Blue-Black, but drier than

Waterman Blue-Black.

 

Sonic Blue dries almost instantly and does not smear. It is somewhat water-resistant.

 

The most notable thing about this colour, is that it is considerably less saturated, and is more subdued, than any other

Private Reserve ink I have owned or tried. This conservative colour is uncharacteristic of the usual PR colour palette.

 

The handwritten review was written with a fine-nibbed Waterman Carene on Clairefontaine Triomphe paper. Here is a

closeup of the writing:

 

http://queenmargot.com/pr_sonicblue3.jpg

 

And here is a comparison between Private Reserve Sonic Blue and three popular blue-black inks: Pelikan Blue-Black,

Waterman Blue-Black, and Montblanc Blue-Black (cartridge).

 

http://queenmargot.com/blueblacks_comp.jpg

 

Hope this is useful,

QM2

Edited January 2, 2009 by QM2

[MDI]

From the 4-ink comparison above, I like that the MB cartridge Blue-Black is the closest to a desaturated black, in my view. Too bad this ink is not the same in bottles.

[QM2]

Out of the 4 colours I posted, Private Reserve Sonic Blue is the ink I see myself using more often. The Waterman is too wet for most of my pens, the Pelikan too dry (and the colour is a bit plane-Jane), and the Montblanc only comes in cartridge in the non-iron-gall version. That leaves PR Sonic Blue.

 

Of course I am talking specifically about classic blue-blacks here. My personal preference is for green-tinted blue-blacks, such as Noodler's Legal Lapis and Private Reserve Ebony Blue.

[CharlieB]

Nice review! I have never owned a bottle of Sonic Blue, and I would not have thought to group it with blue black inks. After seeing your review, I have to agree that it is indeed a blue black.

 

I'm surprised to hear that it dries quickly. I've owned 10-12 Private Reserve inks over the years, and every single one of them has dried too slowly for me, a left-handed over-writer, to use.

[QM2]

Nice review! I have never owned a bottle of Sonic Blue, and I would not have thought to group it with blue black inks. After seeing your review, I have to agree that it is indeed a blue black.

 

I'm surprised to hear that it dries quickly. I've owned 10-12 Private Reserve inks over the years, and every single one of them has dried too slowly for me, a left-handed over-writer, to use.

 

Thanks, CharlieB. That's right -- both in drying time and saturation, this ink differs greatly from other PR inks I have experienced. I have about 12 other PR inks myself, including two other blues (Midnight Blues and Ebony Blue), and Sonic Blue behaves nothing like them.

[PenTieRun]

Thanks for the review QM2. Sonic blue was one of the first bottles of ink I ever bought. I initially wasn't crazy about it, but in the last few weeks I've rediscovered it, and now really love it. Not sure why. Either it's aged well or I have. It forms a nice brighter blue-black in comparison to Montblanc and Sheaffer blue-black. The SB has been put in a new light; perhaps that's where the change lies.

[Maja]

Thanks for the great review, QM2!

I like my Sonic Blue ink, but I have to admit I was a little surprised at how subdued a colour it was; when I think of "Sonic", I think of something *loud*---ie. a bright ink...

[Goodwhiskers]

How well does Sonic Blue perform on bad paper?

[QM2]

How well does Sonic Blue perform on bad paper?

 

What do you consider "bad paper"? So far, it has been fine on Moleskine, printer paper, and on paper from a cheap random notebook that I have lying around for testing.

[MDI]

How about composition notebooks?

[Goodwhiskers]

"Moleskine, printer paper, and on paper from a cheap random notebook that I have lying around for testing"

 

"composition notebooks"

 

Those are exactly what I had in mind.

 

More bad paper:

 

newsprint, homework and notebook paper for students in the USA, writing pads

[limesally]

Nice review and your scan looks true to what I've seen of this ink.

 

I only have it in cartridges, and though I really like the colour, this is a very bleedy ink for me, bleeding through my Quo Vadis Habana - granted, this is one of the thin versions - but other inks did not bleed the same way. However, it was in a very wet, medium nibbed pen. Your review encourages me to try it in something else. I do love the colour.

[QM2]

Nice review and your scan looks true to what I've seen of this ink.

 

I only have it in cartridges, and though I really like the colour, this is a very bleedy ink for me, bleeding through my Quo Vadis Habana - granted, this is one of the thin versions - but other inks did not bleed the same way. However, it was in a very wet, medium nibbed pen. Your review encourages me to try it in something else. I do love the colour.

 

I have definitely not seen any bleed-through or feathering.

If you like the colour, I encourage you to try the ink in a different pen.

Edited January 2, 2009 by QM2

[lovemy51]

thanx, QM2, for a review of one of my fav BBs!!!!!

[DanF]

A nice ink by itself, it also plays well with others --- can be mixed with others for interesting toned down greens, blues, and burgundy/violets.

 

Dan

[diplomat]

So, I guess I am lucky! The Sonic Blue is my only BB and my only PR, and judging from your considerations and your comparison scan, it was a good choice. The Pelikan looks too dark and the Waterman too blue: is that right?

 

Thanks for the review, the comparison scan makes it excellent!

 

Andre

[QM2]

So, I guess I am lucky! The Sonic Blue is my only BB and my only PR, and judging from your considerations and your comparison scan, it was a good choice. The Pelikan looks too dark and the Waterman too blue: is that right?

 

For me, the Pelikan Blue-Black is not so much too dark (it is lighter than MB blue-black), as too un-interesting. It is sort of a middle-of-the-road blue black that I associate with school assignments and accounting work. And I agree that the Waterman is too light to be called a blue-black.

[fuchsiaprincess]

So, I guess I am lucky! The Sonic Blue is my only BB and my only PR, and judging from your considerations and your comparison scan, it was a good choice. The Pelikan looks too dark and the Waterman too blue: is that right?

 

For me, the Pelikan Blue-Black is not so much too dark (it is lighter than MB blue-black), as too un-interesting. It is sort of a middle-of-the-road blue black that I associate with school assignments and accounting work. And I agree that the Waterman is too light to be called a blue-black.

 

 

The first time I inked a pen with Waterman BB, I thought I'd made a mistake and inked it with blue. I now just think of it as a blue - it doesn't really deserve the title of BB in my opinion.

 

Sonic Blue is my fav BB!

Edited January 2, 2009 by fuchsiaprincess

[QM2]

The first time I inked a pen with Waterman BB, I thought I'd made a mistake and inked it with blue. I now just think of it as a blue - it doesn't really deserve the title of BB in my opinion.

 

Yes, Waterman BB is pretty light for a blue-black. But if you look at the regular Waterman blues (Florida and South Seas), those are even lighter, so it makes sense. I actually like the colour of Waterman BB and I know that a lot of professional repairpersons swear by this ink; I just wish it weren't so wet.

[Eccentric]

Looks great! I'll have to remember this color when I'm looking for a nice blue.