Diamine Majestic Blue

[Sandy1]

I bought a bottle of Majestic Blue. It is nice. Just a shade or two darker than my original favorite blue, PR American Blue. I've been using Majestic, American, and Noodler's Ottoman Azure in three of my pens lately, and I have a difficult time deciding which is the best. Good news---I don't have to choose.

Hi,

 

The PRABl & NOA are two very nice Blue inks.

 

And to choose 'the best' is just not necessary: I like to think that 'the best ink' is the one that's in the pen I'm holding.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 15, 2011 by Sandy1

[Belles-lettres]

Sandy1-

 

In a reply above, you note it isn't your favourite Diamine ink either... just what IS your fave Daimine ink? Am assuming a blue or black here...

 

thanks,

 

Russ

[encremental]

It would be nice to think that the smudging may have been overcome in more recent batches (Diamine being what you might call an artisan ink maker).

 

Like a lot of people here, when it first came out, I was transfixed by Majestic Blue's beauty, but then as time wore on, reality set in and the smudging and the outrageous cleanout time (presumably the amount of pigment) got to me (never, ever use this ink in a '51' vac unless you are prepared to spend a morning over the sink, BTW).

 

Sandy1 - why is it, do you think, that it is seemingly so difficult to produce the absolute perfect sui generis dark blue ink? One would have thought this might be an easy one, but obviously not. The rich velvety blue that is not blue black, or black or anything else but a lovely very, very, very dark blue is so elusive ..... This one has performance issues, Midnight is not quite there, Sailor Blue .... almost, but too light, Noodler's FPN Starry Night - maybe just a little too dark, and so it goes on. I have had great results by mixing, but this is not quite the same.

 

In the 60's, I think Parker used to make something called 'Permanent Dark Blue', which in my mind is what I'm searching for, but this may just be fantasy. DuPont Blue Black looks just the thing, but is of course unobtainable.

 

Maybe one day ...

 

John

[Sandy1]

Sandy1-

 

In a reply above, you note it isn't your favourite Diamine ink either... just what IS your fave Daimine ink? Am assuming a blue or black here...

 

thanks,

 

Russ

Hi Russ,

 

Interesting question. :hmm1:

 

I really do not have a favourite Diamine ink! Nor do I have all that many favourite inks in general.

 

I think that the way I choose my pen+paper+ink makes the selection process not so clear cut as to ID favourites. Quite often I do not choose the ink first, rather I choose the pen+paper, then the ink.

 

However, at present, it seems that Damson and Denim are seeing more use than the other Diamine inks I have. And as I do not have a full array of their inks, my preferences seems to be of little relevance to others. Certainly with the Denim, it is interesting in that it is new.

 

Ask me again in two weeks - my reply may be different. (I am soooo fickle!)

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

It would be nice to think that the smudging may have been overcome in more recent batches (Diamine being what you might call an artisan ink maker).

 

Like a lot of people here, when it first came out, I was transfixed by Majestic Blue's beauty, but then as time wore on, reality set in and the smudging and the outrageous cleanout time (presumably the amount of pigment) got to me (never, ever use this ink in a '51' vac unless you are prepared to spend a morning over the sink, BTW).

 

Sandy1 - why is it, do you think, that it is seemingly so difficult to produce the absolute perfect sui generis dark blue ink? One would have thought this might be an easy one, but obviously not. The rich velvety blue that is not blue black, or black or anything else but a lovely very, very, very dark blue is so elusive ..... This one has performance issues, Midnight is not quite there, Sailor Blue .... almost, but too light, Noodler's FPN Starry Night - maybe just a little too dark, and so it goes on. I have had great results by mixing, but this is not quite the same.

 

In the 60's, I think Parker used to make something called 'Permanent Dark Blue', which in my mind is what I'm searching for, but this may just be fantasy. DuPont Blue Black looks just the thing, but is of course unobtainable.

 

Maybe one day ...

 

John

Hi John,

 

I share your hopes that the previously mentioned issue with smudging was taken care of, and I hope that other Members chime-in to add their experiences with current batches.

 

I too have found the clean-up time a bit excessive, but I am not impatient. It is common for there to be pens in the wash, so one more is just one more.

 

Not so sure about the "absolute perfect sui generis dark blue ink".

• I think that finding the paper+pen combo to get the best out of an ink is certainly a factor. Also, in most workplaces, the common paper is not designed for FPs, but for reliable processing through copiers & printers. Consequently, even the 'absolute perfect' Dark Blue may not have a chance.
• Then there is the need for a 'wow' factor. When I did the One Of The Ten series of Blue inks, it was apparent that there were absolutely stunning inks that had become so widely used that they were 'taken for granted' - our eyes saw nothing new, so take little interest. e.g. Pelikan Royal Blue from an older Pelikan by member piembi: LINK
  
• There is also the limit of making FP ink: FP inks are for the most part dye-based, so the range is restricted by the use of FPs: no pigments, or extreme pH or nasty interactions with pen materials or paper. So perhaps we see newly-minted colours, then want them in our FP inks. For some colours to be used, new delivery systems were required, leaving the FPs parched. Even Baystate Blue, or its visual equivalent, has been around for years - just not from an FP - it was a tour de force to produce that ink, yet no other ink maker has followed that example. (?)
• And economics: is there a profit in coming-up with the perfect ink? And what would that be? So it is unlikely that one person's perfect ink is everybody's perfect ink. And looking at all the Blue inks - can there be much more hair-splitting? (Well yes, but . . . )

My tuppence worth.

 

Bye,

 

S1

 

 

 

[Belles-lettres]

'tis engraved upon the daily diary for a fortnight: Inquire of Sandy1 what her favourite ink is at the moment...

 

Apologies in the last post for not beginning with: another marvelous, thorough and thoughtful review from Sandy1. Mayhap a Sandy1 fan club should be established...

 

Your wise statement regarding nib+ink+paper is of course the only lens through which to view the issue. Because my use is primarily flexy to wet-noodle nibs, my demands are somewhat different than yours, especially in the variables of drying time and bleed. Nonetheless, your assessments of colour and other attributes are infallible starting points for us lesser mortals.

 

Always in your debt.

[mstone]

why is it, do you think, that it is seemingly so difficult to produce the absolute perfect sui generis dark blue ink? One would have thought this might be an easy one, but obviously not. The rich velvety blue that is not blue black, or black or anything else but a lovely very, very, very dark blue is so elusive

 

I like Noodler's Midnight Blue for plain dark blue; it's a bit bluer than Diamine's.

[Phormula]

Thanks for the outstanding review, as usual

 

I have ordered Diamine Majestic Blue looking for a dark blue available in cartridges (yes, I know, I know, ... but I cannot afford to fiddle with ink bottles and converters on the go). So far I am using it in a Delta Scrigno (fine nib) and I find it perfect for note taking on 90g Clairefontaine paper, especially when I know that I will circulate photocopies of my notes.

[Sandy1]

Thanks for the outstanding review, as usual

 

I have ordered Diamine Majestic Blue looking for a dark blue available in cartridges (yes, I know, I know, ... but I cannot afford to fiddle with ink bottles and converters on the go). So far I am using it in a Delta Scrigno (fine nib) and I find it perfect for note taking on 90g Clairefontaine paper, especially when I know that I will circulate photocopies of my notes.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome, as always!

 

Many thanks for enriching this thread by mentioning the specific pen+nib+paper that is a good match for your application.

As DMBl is a bit slower than most to clean-up, please let us know if there is anything to watch for in the clean-up regimen that may be particular to cartridge use.

 

Bye,

S1

[Phormula]

Thank you Sandy!

 

I am no expert, but from what I have seen, Diamine Majestic Blue is no issue in a fine nib with good quality paper.

I like the richness of the color that allows clear photocopies of my notes. However, from my point of view it is not the kind of ink to be used in a general puropose FP, because using it on cheap office paper, maybe with a firehose nib, is a recipe for bleeding (aka disaster).

 

As far as cleaning up is considered, so far I am using it in one pen and my plan is to keep this pen inked. I found a little more difficult than average to remove stains from fingers, hence I believe that cleaning the pen will take some minutes more, but that's not a real issue.

 

The acid test for me is nib clogging. I had a really bad experience with Diamine Blue-Black, while I love the color (well, I love Blue-Black in in general) if I leave it in a pen for more than 2-3 days without using it, it clogs the feeding and water rinsing is not enough. I need to disassemble the feeding and clean up with ethanol. At the end I had to give up. I do really hope that Majestic Blue is a different league, because this is another color I love and I tend to keep one pen inked with one ink I like all the time and use it on a more or less regular basis. Time will tell.

[Sandy1]

Thank you Sandy!

 

I am no expert, but from what I have seen, Diamine Majestic Blue is no issue in a fine nib with good quality paper.

I like the richness of the color that allows clear photocopies of my notes. However, from my point of view it is not the kind of ink to be used in a general puropose FP, because using it on cheap office paper, maybe with a firehose nib, is a recipe for bleeding (aka disaster).

 

As far as cleaning up is considered, so far I am using it in one pen and my plan is to keep this pen inked. I found a little more difficult than average to remove stains from fingers, hence I believe that cleaning the pen will take some minutes more, but that's not a real issue.

 

The acid test for me is nib clogging. I had a really bad experience with Diamine Blue-Black, while I love the color (well, I love Blue-Black in in general) if I leave it in a pen for more than 2-3 days without using it, it clogs the feeding and water rinsing is not enough. I need to disassemble the feeding and clean up with ethanol. At the end I had to give up. I do really hope that Majestic Blue is a different league, because this is another color I love and I tend to keep one pen inked with one ink I like all the time and use it on a more or less regular basis. Time will tell.

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Thanks for emphasising that you are using a Fine nib with good quality paper, and that cheap office [copy] paper would likely be a poor match. That is consistent with my findings in the Review, which were also expanded above, in Post № 18 https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/207960-diamine-majestic-blue/page__view__findpost__p__2157289

 

How unfortunate that DBlBk clogged to the extent that you had to disassemble the pen and resort to an atypical solvent to restore the pen. Ouch! . . . Fortunately, my experience with that ink does not involve such effort, but I rarely leave ink in a pen, other than my daily writer, for more than a few days.

 

Bye,

S1

[Phormula]

Yes, I have 6 pens in use, each filled with a different ink, and the ink-pen combination stays the same for a long time.

I try to rotate the pens, but it happens that one gets not used for a week or so, and from this point of view Diamine Blue Black is the only ink that gave me troubles Now I am keeping Majestic Blue under examination, Diamine Prussian Blue, Kaweco Blue Black, Waterman Blue Black and Pelikan Blue Black are no issue from this point of view.

 

A possible explanation could be in the fact that I use cartridges and not bottled ink.

Actually I can see the deposits in the empty cartridge too.

[Joe in Seattle]

Nice review. The ink reminds me of that long lost Parker Penman Sapphire. I'm currently using it in a Delta oversized pen that used to have the huge feed get overly saturated with my favourite Private Reserve ink, but Majestic behaves perfectly.

[Sandy1]

Nice review. The ink reminds me of that long lost Parker Penman Sapphire. I'm currently using it in a Delta oversized pen that used to have the huge feed get overly saturated with my favourite Private Reserve ink, but Majestic behaves perfectly.

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliment, and for identifying the pen that is a great match for this ink!

 

To enable an ad hoc comparison PPS to DMBl through manipulation of browser tiles/panes, I've posted comparison exemplars for Penman Sapphire at Post № 29 : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/149556-parker-penman-sapphire-bottle/page__view__findpost__p__2135046

 

It may also be of interest to compare those inks to PR American Blue. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/174613-private-reserve-american-blue/

 

Bye,

S1

[georges zaslavsky]

thanks for the thorough and indepth review

[Painterspal]

I'd almost given up hope of finding a good match for my 1950s Parker Duofold Maxima until I tried it with Majestic Blue, an ink I'd not previously warmed to much. The pen has a .7 stub, but flow is a little reluctant (a touch of post-war austerity perhaps), so many inks end up looking rather insipid and charmless - think London on a grey November afternoon and you get the idea.

 

But it positively shines with Majestic Blue. Both pen and ink emerge with reputations enhanced and might now see more regular use. Drying time is a little excessive, but once dry it seems to stay put - I've found no sign of the problems others have reported (my bottle was a Christmas present in 2010). There's even a hint of shading on Rhodia, which I hadn't expected from one so saturated.

 

Thanks for all your great reviews Sandy1. I even read them for inks I've no intention of buying - and usually end up buying them!

[Sandy1]

thanks for the thorough and indepth review

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

I'd almost given up hope of finding a good match for my 1950s Parker Duofold Maxima until I tried it with Majestic Blue, an ink I'd not previously warmed to much. The pen has a .7 stub, but flow is a little reluctant (a touch of post-war austerity perhaps), so many inks end up looking rather insipid and charmless - think London on a grey November afternoon and you get the idea.

 

But it positively shines with Majestic Blue. Both pen and ink emerge with reputations enhanced and might now see more regular use. Drying time is a little excessive, but once dry it seems to stay put - I've found no sign of the problems others have reported (my bottle was a Christmas present in 2010). There's even a hint of shading on Rhodia, which I hadn't expected from one so saturated.

 

Thanks for all your great reviews Sandy1. I even read them for inks I've no intention of buying - and usually end up buying them!

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

I hope you' enjoy all the inks you have - even if you didn't intend to buy them!

 

I have two of the Black Maxima's: one in a narrow nib, and the other with a wet stub-ish B, which appears in my review of Sheaffer Turquoise. Those are excellent pens, and the 50 nibs are so very 'Parker'. I like the total absence of adornment on the barrel and section - the minimalist Big Black Pen.

 

The DMBl can easily handle lean 'austere' dry writers, and still retain its character and deliver a pleasent writing experience. Though I would be hesitant to use dilution to lower the density as a matter of course, especially as I write with a light brisk hand.

 

Bye,

S1

[Bhavna]

Dear Sandy,

 

Thank you for an incredible review :clap1: . I have ordered a batch of Diamine inks including Majestic, and I cannot wait to ink up and road-test them. So many people have mentioned Penman Sapphire - does anyone know why Parker discontinued , and what we need to do to bring it (and the exquisite Ruby) back?!

 

Thanks again,

Bhavna

[Sandy1]

Dear Sandy,

 

Thank you for an incredible review :clap1: . I have ordered a batch of Diamine inks including Majestic, and I cannot wait to ink up and road-test them. So many people have mentioned Penman Sapphire - does anyone know why Parker discontinued , and what we need to do to bring it (and the exquisite Ruby) back?!

 

Thanks again,

Bhavna

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Please let us know of your experience with the Diamine inks!

 

Ah, Penman Sapphire. ♥ IIRC it was discontinued due to problems with clogging in some pens, which caused an undue burden on the Parker repair depot. Some have speculated that the root cause was inadequate pen hygiene by users, who were used to simple inks with low dye-load / saturation. . . . I've posted a review of PPS, which now includes written samples that support ad hoc comparison to most of the other Blue inks that I've reviewed, Post №29 LINK. . . . I have no idea what could be done to bring about the return of PPS.

 

Bye,

S1