Baystate Blue Alternative

[Ptreemover]

Hi all. I am new to this, but I am seeking help on the best alternative to Noodlers Baystate Blue. My Namiki Vanishing Point's flow became quite slow and the nib damaged according to Pilot. After receiving my pen, they called and asked if I was using BSB. They probably knew from the stained converter and underside of the nib (not sure what that is called). Confirming this fact, they sent me a nib replacement with the recommendation not to use that ink in the new one. BSB is absolutely my favorite, so bright and vivid. Does anyone know of the best replacement ink? Thanks in advance for your constructive comments.

[pmsalty]

Visconti Blue is a bright and vibrant blue, not on the scale of BSB but it is a benign ink and one of the prettiest blues, in my humble opinion.

PMS

[orangezorki]

Hi all. I am new to this, but I am seeking help on the best alternative to Noodlers Baystate Blue. My Namiki Vanishing Point's flow became quite slow and the nib damaged according to Pilot. After receiving my pen, they called and asked if I was using BSB. They probably knew from the stained converter and underside of the nib (not sure what that is called). Confirming this fact, they sent me a nib replacement with the recommendation not to use that ink in the new one. BSB is absolutely my favorite, so bright and vivid. Does anyone know of the best replacement ink? Thanks in advance for your constructive comments.

 

Hi there,

 

Great to see another member come online. The black plastic part on the underside of the nib is called the feed - it's what has the tiny channels that allow the ink to flow at the correct rate. I suspect that it is this that has become clogged or eroded by the harsh BSB - I don't have any personal experience with the stuff, so would suggest you check out one of the many threads that have been posted over the years as how to handle BSB and which pens to use.

 

Having said all that, I'm very impressed with Pilot's service on this one. Too many companies would have used this as a reason/excuse to sell you something.

 

David

[Desfeuilles]

My personal favorite is J. Herbin's Éclat de Saphir, a rich, bright blue that has behaved well in all my pens.

 

- Christian

[KCat]

Hi all. I am new to this, but I am seeking help on the best alternative to Noodlers Baystate Blue. My Namiki Vanishing Point's flow became quite slow and the nib damaged according to Pilot. After receiving my pen, they called and asked if I was using BSB. They probably knew from the stained converter and underside of the nib (not sure what that is called). Confirming this fact, they sent me a nib replacement with the recommendation not to use that ink in the new one. BSB is absolutely my favorite, so bright and vivid. Does anyone know of the best replacement ink? Thanks in advance for your constructive comments.

 

I'd recommend connecting with Pear Tree Pens or Goulet Pens for samples of some of the blues available through them. Take a look at their online "swabs" (Goulet's "swab shop" is good as is The Writing Desk's in the UK which can help you narrow down your choices) then try some samples of what looks promising. I imagine you'll get some good suggestions here as well. I'm not at all familiar with Visconti so can't comment on that. I like Diamine inks and one of my favorite bright blues is Diamine's Mediterranean. It's not blinding bright like BSB but is a bright, cheerful blue. Noodler's Eel is also a bright, true blue (IMO) without the issues of BSB but again, nothing will have the shocking blue of BSB.

 

so - take a look around and with the suggestions you get here you can also look at the Ink Reviews forum on the board and learn more about the inks that might interest you.

[Possum Hill]

Hi all. I am new to this, but I am seeking help on the best alternative to Noodlers Baystate Blue. My Namiki Vanishing Point's flow became quite slow and the nib damaged according to Pilot. After receiving my pen, they called and asked if I was using BSB. They probably knew from the stained converter and underside of the nib (not sure what that is called). Confirming this fact, they sent me a nib replacement with the recommendation not to use that ink in the new one. BSB is absolutely my favorite, so bright and vivid. Does anyone know of the best replacement ink? Thanks in advance for your constructive comments.

Did Pilot say what the nature of the damage was?

[Thornton]

I'd recommend connecting with Pear Tree Pens or Goulet Pens for samples of some of the blues available through them. Take a look at their online "swabs" (Goulet's "swab shop" is good as is The Writing Desk's in the UK which can help you narrow down your choices) then try some samples of what looks promising. I imagine you'll get some good suggestions here as well. I'm not at all familiar with Visconti so can't comment on that. I like Diamine inks and one of my favorite bright blues is Diamine's Mediterranean. It's not blinding bright like BSB but is a bright, cheerful blue. Noodler's Eel is also a bright, true blue (IMO) without the issues of BSB but again, nothing will have the shocking blue of BSB.

 

so - take a look around and with the suggestions you get here you can also look at the Ink Reviews forum on the board and learn more about the inks that might interest you.

 

This is very good advice. For bright blues, I like Noodler's Eel Blue and Ottoman Azure. Diamine Majestic Blue is also a blue I like very much. It's not bright, but very rich.

 

Pilot definitely earned some brownie points in my book for their excellent customer service.

[Ptreemover]

Possum - no, I sent it through my local fine pen store. I really didn't pay much attention to what they said because I got a new one. Sorry.

[jowe]

How about Diamine Sapphire Blue?

I found it by chance a few years ago, and the clolour is so vibrant that I think of it as a good alternative for BSB.

[watch_art]

I'm sorry, that's BS. Did you have other ink through the pen before the bsb? If so, then it mixed with the older ink and clogged the feed. I'm sure the nib was fine. BSB DOESN'T eat gold. How ridiculous. I think if you get the brand new nib unit, and run ONLY bsb in it, you'll be just fine. bsb doesn't mix with other inks. It turns to sludge if you do that. I'm sure that was the problem with the old nib unit.

[Ptreemover]

You are probably correct and I didn't hear the comments directly from Pilot, but from the sales rep. He had spent a some time trying to clean it before "sending it off" and remarked about hating BSB ink. After reading other posts about BSB, I definitely didn't clean it correctly before trying to get it to work again.

[watch_art]

then when you get your new nib unit, ink it with bsb. you'll have no problems. unless it's been tested before you got it. flush it real good and use whatever ink you please. a mild ammonia rinse should be plenty.

[jBeckett]

The Iroshizuku blues are all incredibly vibrant, pictures don't really capture them well but read some reviews to figure out what shade you want.

[Dark Side]

I agree with watch_art on this one, even though I don't even own a bottle of BSB (yet!). Any damage to the nib is more likely going to be physical, not chemical. Nathan may watch his back with warnings on some of his inks, but he's not going to allow an ink out the door that would eat a nib.

[tonybelding]

Nothing else is going to look like BSB. It's unique. However. . .

 

Noodler's Blue (and the lubricated version, Eel Blue) and Ottoman Azure are attractive blues that should be trouble-free.

 

Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue (AKA Supersaturated Blue) is dark and intense. It's almost like ink concentrate.

 

Noodler's Cactus Fruit is an eye-catching (or some might say eye-searing) hue that I think rivals BSB, but Cactus Fruit is not blue -- it's a magenta or fuchsia color. It's another "eel" type lubricated ink that I think is unlikely to cause any problems.

[watch_art]

but eel blue is far from waterproof. it's one of my favorite inks and I can't use it at work (in case of those dreaded coffee spills!)

 

but that private reserve dc ss blue is AAAAmazing! I got a letter in the mail yesterday written in part with that, and DANG what a jaw-dropper. I had never even considered it before based on reviews. Buy yourself (or ask for) a sample of this stuff. It's on my short list for sure.

[TMA]

There is no other fountain pen ink the colour and brightness of Baystate Blue. Others have said that the only ink that is like it is Sharpie Blue, but you have to use a Sharpie to get it.

 

My favourite, well-behaved, bright blue, blue, standard blue is Visconti Blue.

 

If you want to continue using your BSB, but are unsure about using it in a 'good' pen, then get a couple of Platinum Preppy ultra-cheap pens from Jetpens, get a converter from ebay seller engeika, and use it in them.

[OPG4711]

Gold is an inert metal (along with a few others like platinum) and does not react chemically.

 

If anything, BSB may have stained the converter and/or feed to the point they needed replacing - I had a similar incident happen to an expensive and sentimental Waterman I own. A new converter and a good, solid cleaning, 3 Our Fathers & a promise never to use BSB in any pen more expensive than a Lamy Safari and all has been right ever since.

 

And the New Noodler's pens ahould be used too! Just like the now famous BSB video, I've had no issues with pen or BSB.

 

I strongly suspect the Salesperson was giving you the sales pitch for their inks. MB is famous (infamous?) for this. And yet, I've walked into MB Boutiques (they hate to be called 'stores' - so pedestrian!) and had people coming out from the back to see and compliment the ink I was using - Noodlers Bad Kingfisher at the time.

 

In the end, it comes down to who you are dealing with. If I'm getting the sense that I'm about to be interrogated by the Snowflake Police, I immediately feign ignorance and act like a dumb FP owner who somehow aquired this pen, then begin to show interest in whatever they're pushing -- even if I know it's utter baloney. Time is too precious to waste on the ignorant who are only interested in what you will be purchasing so they can meet their quota and get their due commission.

Edited February 20, 2011 by OPG4711

[Northwoods]

It's easy for someone who has no stake in your pens to tell you that all will be fine. That's you call, not theirs. They have nothing to lose, you do. If you go back to BSB and you have another failure, for whatever reason, can you expect another replacement? Likely not. Weigh your desire to use that ink against the possible outcomes, make a choice, and live by it.

 

No ink is exactly like BSB in color and intensity. Look at various swatches and get samples if you want to try other alternatives. There are (as previously mentioned) some beautiful blues available. They're not BSB, but neither do they have the maintenance issues of BSB.

 

And if you really want to use BSB, it's best to dedicate a pen to it and it alone. Thoroughly clean it first. You don't want any old ink left in it. Even a little left over in the recesses of the feed can cause sludge when BSB interacts with it. New pens and nibs are not necessarily clean. They may (likely) have been tested and may contain a little left over ink. Be careful.

[Ptreemover]

After reading your posts, I met with the owner of the store about the situation today. He indicated that their "new" salesperson actually tried his "own" cleaning methods to increase flow including inserting a razor blade to open the nib. In the process, he damaged the nib. The owner apologized for the "misplaced" comments and ordered a nib replacement for me. Also note that my company is a very large client of his store as a corporate account.

 

I wanted to thank you all for your comments and recommendations. It seems that I was misinformed by the store and with my new knowledge gathered by your posts was able to confront the owner. Thanks again.