Ink Similar To Pilot Varsity/v Pen Blue?

[archie0]

Hi everyone, I am brand new on the forum and this is my first post!

 

I am looking for an ink similar to the Pilot VPen Blue (I think it's called the varsity in America) for school. I have been using it recently and want to know a good blue ink to use in school in my Lamy Al-Star.

 

I want a decently saturated and quick-drying blue ink which isn't too expensive and preferably not a noodlers one because they are hard to source in the UK.

 

Thanks in advance everybody!

[Mr. Pink]

I re-filled my Varsity with Parker and never noticed a difference.

[Sasha Royale]

I have to assume the Varsities are loaded Pilot ink.

( What an advertising windfall, if someone else's ink were used ! )

[Lou Erickson]

The Pilot blue is actually different than the Varsity blue. No idea why, but they do not show the same.

 

That being said, the Pilot Blue is a fine color and I am always happy to suggest it for folks. It is reliable, inexpensive, a little water resistant, and easy to clean.

[archie0]

Thanks for the replies.

I will investigate Pilot Blue and see what it's like

[inkstainedruth]

The Pilot blue is actually different than the Varsity blue. No idea why, but they do not show the same.

I found that to be quite disappointing -- the blue Varsity ink is a gorgeous color. It may be because of the differences in the filler system between Varsities and other pens.

When I misplaced my first "good" pen (a Parker Vector), my immediate replacement choices were a Varsity or something that ran about $35 (I think a Lamy Safari) in the store where I'd gotten the Vector (which they no longer carried -- I suspect mine was NOS, because the date code was for around 2003). So I got a blue Varsity. Which unfortunately only lasted for 3 days of journal entries....

I don't know offhand what a good substitute ink would be. But definitely not Pilot.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[beanbag]

Bump this thread.

I was at a stationary store today and tried out the Varsity in blue. I liked the color so much, I immediately went onto fountainpennetwork.com to ask about the color, and saw that there was a recent thread about it.

 

Incidentally, this pen also writes smoothly at a vertical angle, and with the nib flipped over.

Edited May 6, 2015 by beanbag

[drgt]

Monteverde Sapphire?

[drgt]

Or Ocean Noir

[ville900]

Hi, bump !

Has anyone found the actual blue of Pilot Varsity/ Vpen ?

[Monophoto]

I was going to say that Noodler's has some very nice blue inks, but I understand the sourcing issue.  The other side of that coin may be Diamine since its a UK product.  And Diamine inks are relatively inexpensive, especially compared with Pilot inks that are notoriously spendy - probably because they come in such fancy bottles.

 

I don't recognize the particular Pilot ink you mention, so I don't have a reference for comparison.  The blue versions of Diamine 'flowers' inks are all nice - Aster seems to be a nice middle-of-the-road ink.  Mediterranean Blue is nice, as is Lapis Blue if you prefer something darker. 

 

[chromantic]

This would be my suggestion, as well. A gorgeous, dark blue with red sheen, very similar to the Varsity color. I've had it in my 140 EF that produces a very spidery line that emphasizes the darkness for years.

[inkstainedruth]

Hmmm.  I'm going to have to now go buy myself another blue Varsity and do a side by side with the blue FP inks I've accumulated over the years -- including Diamine Astor (although that might not be quite dark enough a blue; my husband got me the "Flowers Collection set for Christmas a number of years ago, before they brought them out as individual inks).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

 

[ville900]

11 hours ago, chromantic said:

This would be my suggestion, as well. A gorgeous, dark blue with red sheen, very similar to the Varsity color. I've had it in my 140 EF that produces a very spidery line that emphasizes the darkness for years.

Sorry, which one exactly ? (previous post mentioned several different blue inks)

[ville900]

11 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Hmmm.  I'm going to have to now go buy myself another blue Varsity and do a side by side with the blue FP inks I've accumulated over the years -- including Diamine Astor (although that might not be quite dark enough a blue; my husband got me the "Flowers Collection set for Christmas a number of years ago, before they brought them out as individual inks).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

 

Yes I think you do have to do it for a few dollars or euros, definitely worth. And then please come back here and share with us your thoughts on this ink.

[ville900]

On 1/15/2025 at 1:56 PM, Monophoto said:

I was going to say that Noodler's has some very nice blue inks, but I understand the sourcing issue.  The other side of that coin may be Diamine since its a UK product.  And Diamine inks are relatively inexpensive, especially compared with Pilot inks that are notoriously spendy - probably because they come in such fancy bottles.

 

I don't recognize the particular Pilot ink you mention, so I don't have a reference for comparison.  The blue versions of Diamine 'flowers' inks are all nice - Aster seems to be a nice middle-of-the-road ink.  Mediterranean Blue is nice, as is Lapis Blue if you prefer something darker. 

 

Many thanks. But I'm now confused. Which one exactly do you recommend ? You mention Noddler's but no specific (and here in France, getting Noodlers - american brand - is way more expenive than getting Pilot inks - all a question of standpoint).

[chromantic]

My bad, Monteverde Sapphire.

[inkstainedruth]

Okay, I don't have that one, but that does make a bit more sense, since I thought I remembered Diamine Astor as being more of a medium blue.

Of course, I'm ALSO now remembering getting a bottle of Diamine Sargasso Sea early on because people said it was close to the old Parker Penman Sapphire, and while I liked the color, the ink itself seems well, thick (and maybe even sort of gelatinous) and didn't flow well.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ville900]

2 hours ago, chromantic said:

My bad, Monteverde Sapphire.

Many thanks. So it's identical or comparable to Pilot vpen blue?

[chromantic]

1 hour ago, ville900 said:

Many thanks. So it's identical or comparable to Pilot vpen blue?

 

Well, knock me over with a feather! The MV is much darker than the Varsity (I recalled it being darker), which has a more typical "Sapphire blue" color. I did a squiggle test on two papers, Skynotes from Walmart and a Black and Red memo book. On the Skynotes, the MV is very dark blue, absent any sheen; on the B&R, it looks almost black from the heavy layer of reddish gold sheen overlaying the blue. I've had it in the pen for years now and just top it off when it gets low, so that may partially account for that. I would classify the Varsity as a slightly dark medium vs. the medium to light color of many other Sapphires.