Parker Penman Sapphire (Photo Heavy!)

[mm1624124]

It may not be a perfect substitute, but I can get close with Levenger Cobalt mixed with Sailor Jentle Sky High. It has the saturation, the same hue, and the lovely reddish sheen. Yes, I would say it is "moody" as well--with lighting and angles.

 

Plus I love both inks on their own merits. I also get the added bonus of having two blues that can mimic Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa with a sheen depending on the ratios.

[papen]

A great color. Although, I do a little blending to reduce the sheen these saturated blues often exhibit. Having said that, some gravitate to the sheen...

 

Thanks for the review!

[Harlequin]

<snip>

 

PPS changes color depending on the type of light, the time of day, and the angle. None of the others have that.

 

How does Diamine Sargasso Sea compare to Penman Sapphire? Obviously, SS is a little darker, but it sheens quite well from what I've heard/seen.

[XiaoMG]

I've seen quite a frew folks say they can find inks that are similar, but I rarely ever hear anyone say they think another blue surpasses it.

[JonSzanto]

I've seen quite a frew folks say they can find inks that are similar, but I rarely ever hear anyone say they think another blue surpasses it.

 

1. It is possible that it may never be surpassed.
2. People don't like to rain on other people's parades.
3. To "surpass" it would be an entirely subjective judgement, as worthless as any other judgement.
4. I've used it, but have other blues I prefer, and yet... who cares what I think???
5. Penman Sapphire was the best blue ink that was ever made in the history of the human race and nothing, I say NOTHING, will ever hold a candle to it, and you should all quit whining, and accept some (bleep)-poor substitute of a blue ink and realize that all of your journals and poems and correspondence are remarkably lame using your puny other blue inks and that is how the world is.

[Chrissy]

I have sold my last new bottle of PPS and now only have the PP Emerald left to sell.

 

I haven't missed PPS because I haven't used it for years, although I used to use that colour years ago.

 

IMHO there are plenty of other blue inks around that I'm happy to use instead. I don't really care how they compare to PPS, I don't compare them. I just find a blue that I like and use it.

[The Good Captain]

IMHO there are plenty of other blue inks around that I'm happy to use instead. I don't really care how they compare to PPS, I don't compare them. I just find a blue that I like and use it.

Well put, in my opinion.

[Lloyd]

Have seen BSB? I'd say it out-glows anything short of U-235.

no other ink glows like Penman Sapphire.

[whych]

 

 

Have seen BSB? I'd say it out-glows anything short of U-235

The trouble is that the US inks like Noodlers and Private Reserve aren't readily available in Europe and when they are, are more expensive than some of the other top European brands.

[lapis]

The trouble is that the US inks like Noodlers and Private Reserve aren't readily available in Europe and when they are, are more expensive than some of the other top European brands.

l'll buy that! (no harm meant)... I mean if if Noodlers's and PRs are hard to obtain and expensive at that, then why not opt for Diamine, R&K, Herbin, MB......................

[The Good Captain]

l'll buy that! (no harm meant)... I mean if if Noodlers's and PRs are hard to obtain and expensive at that, then why not opt for Diamine, R&K, Herbin, MB......................

Absolument, mon ami.

[Joe in Seattle]

Really nice review, thanks. This is the first review of this ink that made me wish I had some.

[georges zaslavsky]

dcwaites:It appears that the problem with the Penman inks was mostly a combination of the then new Parker Sonnet with Parker Penman Ebony. Ebony had a higher concentration of dyes (as to most black inks, just to get a deep, intense black), and tended to dry out in pens if the caps didn't seal properly.

 

 

My Sonnet was a soon discared lemon, dried up with most any ink in seconds.

 

I don't recall huge troubles with ink the drying up in pens back in the day, but enough of a problem was issued to stop production.

My dealer Mr Mora told me of the numerous pens being clogged because of penman inks that he has stopped selling these inks some months after it was launched.

[bleair]

I doubt customer feedback makes one iota of difference... but the Parker website does have a feedback form.

It's easy to enter a brief message telling them they really ought to bring back PPS (and the other Penman inks, well maybe not Ebony) in some form or another.
http://www.parkerpen.com/en-US/contact-us

[bridgettt]

I got a bottle of this ink by accident. I won an ebay listing from the UK for a Parker Sonnet and it came in a presentation box with a bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire. I haven't had any issues with the ink. Oddly enough, I was so excited by the ink that I put away the Sonnet and never even used it. Since it was a price I was happy to pay for just a Sonnet, I was delighted to find the unlisted bottle of Sapphire.

[amberleadavis]

Thank you.

[Namo]

I will past in the comment I made on this topic, on FP Geeks. Saves the typing.

I just see an ink somewhere around Diamine Majestic Blue, Diamine Sargasso Sea, Akkerman Shocking Blue and Sailor Jentle Blue. AND I can get all four for less than the amount that PS is going for these days. A LOT less.[/size]But of course, it's just a matter of personal taste, after all.[/size]

And there you have it.

Thanks for the review! As said in an other post, I just found a bottle of this ink on a small shop in the easter coast of Sicily... Very different from Sailor Jentle blue IMHO, and I paid about 7$ (5€) for a 50ml bottle...:-D