Inky T O D - Color Swatches - Blue/black - Please Post Your Pictures And Tell Us Your Thoughts

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Check out how different Diamine Midnight is here. The first raw is done with a no-name nib, very wet, while the second row is done with a Lamy Z50 nib. The sheen's almost completely gone and even the base color looks completely different!

 

Diamine Midnight in No-Name Chinese piston filler <F> & <LAMY Z50 F>

Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue in Wing Sung 3008 (LAMY Z50 F)

Diamine Shimmertastic Shimmering Seas Pilot Pluminix (F)

Paper: Clairefontaine 90g/m

 

[Jared]

I do love Diamine Midnight, and can tell you a story about that ink. When Diamine was relatively new in the US market, and was looking to expand their ink line, I recommended that they copy ST DuPont Blue Black, which was previously manufactured in Austria but no longer available. In 2008, Phil from Diamine sent me a sample, and asked what I would recommend for a name. I chose "Midnight" as I thought it fitting, but forgot that Noodler's already had an ink by that name & color (sometimes I wished I'd picked another name related to the sea). However, it was a well behaved ink, in a color I love. I hope you enjoy it!

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

I do love Diamine Midnight, and can tell you a story about that ink. When Diamine was relatively new in the US market, and was looking to expand their ink line, I recommended that they copy ST DuPont Blue Black, which was previously manufactured in Austria but no longer available. In 2008, Phil from Diamine sent me a sample, and asked what I would recommend for a name. I chose "Midnight" as I thought it fitting, but forgot that Noodler's already had an ink by that name & color (sometimes I wished I'd picked another name related to the sea). However, it was a well behaved ink, in a color I love. I hope you enjoy it!

Bravo for suggesting the color. I love the heck out of it, though my bottle smells a bit strange, the ink is well lubricated and saturated, and of course the sheen is out of this world.

It's a good name, concise, effective, easy to remember.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

I didn't like how the most recent design with these two inks came out, so here's another. Same name, completely different hues.

 

Diamine Blue-Black in an exceptionally dry Faber-Castell Loom M.

Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black in Lamy Al-Star M.

Paper: Clairefontaine 90g/m.

 

[truthpil]

I didn't like how the most recent design with these two inks came out, so here's another. Same name, completely different hues.

 

Diamine Blue-Black in an exceptionally dry Faber-Castell Loom M.

Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black in Lamy Al-Star M.

Paper: Clairefontaine 90g/m.

 

 

Great comparison! It shows how you really need a wet pen to get the most out of ol' Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

 

Great comparison! It shows how you really need a wet pen to get the most out of ol' Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black.

Oh yes absolutely. Same with RK Salix, I'm constantly screwing the piston upwards a bit to saturate the feed. I suppose it's because they're iron gall inks. Or it's simply because I don't like very very dry inks.

[truthpil]

Oh yes absolutely. Same with RK Salix, I'm constantly screwing the piston upwards a bit to saturate the feed. I suppose it's because they're iron gall inks. Or it's simply because I don't like very very dry inks.

 

Tonight I discovered the exact same issue with Hero 232 Blue-Black (another IG ink). These all need a nice juicy feed to bring them out.

[Noihvo]

 

 

I have tried to adjust the second photo to the best of my ability to match what my eyes see in the current less than flattering light (which most of us live under). Clearly it is more vibrant when it first goes down, but far from insipid even when dried.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Noihvo

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

 

 

 

I have tried to adjust the second photo to the best of my ability to match what my eyes see in the current less than flattering light (which most of us live under). Clearly it is more vibrant when it first goes down, but far from insipid even when dried.

It is, but as I understand this is the main feature of iron gall inks. When 4001 BB pools very much, it even shows a bit of dark red sheen. And once it settles and the feed is not over-saturated, and the color flows "normally" the shading is just out of this world. Pelikan 4001 BB taught me what "shading" means in the inky world.

[Torrilin]

Many blue black inks shade very well, iron gall or no. It’s a color that tends to get similar effort applied to the performance as blue or black, and it tends to retain a very vintage feel. If you want “inky” feeling ink, it tends to be a great choice.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Many blue black inks shade very well, iron gall or no.

Diamine Midnight, Blue-Black and Shimmering Seas are basically flat, even Blue-Black, which sometimes shades, is flat in comparison to 4001 BB. I haven't had much experience though. Must buy more inks!

Edited April 14, 2018 by RoyalBlueNotebooks

[DrDebG]

http://s3.homezz.com/201501/5915/49272_z.jpg

 

http://s2.homezz.com/201412/5915/48876_z.jpg

 

http://s2.homezz.com/201412/5915/48875_z.jpg

 

 

For those Sailor experts, is Sei Boku difficult to clean out of your pen? I love this color and am thinking about purchasing a bottle.

[lgsoltek]

 

 

For those Sailor experts, is Sei Boku difficult to clean out of your pen? I love this color and am thinking about purchasing a bottle.

 

I'd say, yes.

[TSherbs]

 

Tonight I discovered the exact same issue with Hero 232 Blue-Black (another IG ink). These all need a nice juicy feed to bring them out.

 

I have done the same, but I still prefer the hue of 232 over, say, Diamine Midnight (even though the Diamine flows better). I don't favor the dark blues; I want more character in my blue-black.

[DrDebG]

 

I'd say, yes.

 

Thank you for your input!

[truthpil]

 

I'd say, yes.

I concur. Sei-boku has stained several of my converters after prolonged use. Sometimes it takes some scrubbing with a toothbrush to get it all out from between the nib and feed. Nevertheless, the fantastic color and waterproofness make it one of my favorites.

[LizEF]

The following was made with a Jinhao M nib in a dip pen holder. It's all my blue blacks and some of their blue friends. Colors are as close as I know how to get them. Every color has a scribble next to every other color (1 next to 2-15, 2 next to 1,3-15, etc.) - it's just that you may have to look around to find the pairing - but hopefully the pattern isn't too hard to figure out.

 

http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/BB1.jpg

 

For search engine purposes, the inks are:

1. Akkerman #09 Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indigo
2. Robert Oster Blue Night
3. Robert Oster Midnight Sapphire
4. Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue
5. Noodler's FPN Van Gogh Starry Night Blue
6. Rohrer & Klingner Blau-Schwarz
7. Diamine 1864 Blue Black
8. Diamine Regency Blue
9. Diamine Indigo Blue
10. Callifolio Bonne Esperance
11. Callifolio Bleu Equinoxe #5
12. Anderson Pens Oshkosh Denim
13. Sailor Sei Boku
14. Pilot Blue Black (from a cartridge, but still dipped - whee)
15. Organics Studio Ralph Waldo Emerson Twilight Blue

And friends:

• Robert Oster School Blue
• Robert Oster Blue Sea
• Montblanc Leo Tolstoy
• De Atramentis Document Blue
• Montblanc Permanent Blue
• Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao
• Visconti Blue
• Montblanc Royal Blue
• Sailor Nioi-Sumire
• Diamine Misty Blue

ETA: The * next to R&K Blau Schwarz is because it was what got me hooked on blue blacks. Akkerman #09 is my daily carry. Apologies for including unobtainium inks.

Edited April 15, 2018 by LizEF

[Sailor Kenshin]

Nice! I really like Diamine Indigo for its vintage-y appeal.

[bob_hayden]

Oooo -- how mathematical!-) Thanks for putting the names in searchable form.

[TSherbs]

Very cool, LizEF. Thanks for doing this.