Diamine Denim

February 6, 2016

In my continuing search for the perfect dark blue/blue-black (is there a dividing line?) to use as an everyday business ink, I've acquired a few new samples and thought I'd post reviews as I go through them. First up is Diamine Denim.

To my eye, it's a simple dark blue. I see no obvious green, purple, or other tones to distract from its blueness.

This first sample is written on Clairefontaine French-ruled paper with a Lamy Al-Star that has a 1.1mm italic nib.

The second sample is written on Rhodia lined pad with a Nakaya Portable Writer that has a 0.5mm cursive italic nib:

The third sample is written on Staples brand 75 g/m² multipurpose copy paper using the same Nakaya Portable Writer:

Performance

Lubrication: Adequate - reasonably smooth writing, but not in the same class as the Iroshizuku inks.

Flow: Moderate - puts down a nice, well controlled line.

Saturation: Also moderate - not overly saturated and holds its color in a variety of nib widths. Nice!

Shading: Slight. There's some if you look for it, but it doesn't jump out at you.

Line quality: Good. It lays down a reasonably crisp line on good paper and is usable on low end paper.

Showthrough/bleedthrough: None on good paper, slight showthrough on the Staples copy paper. You might be able to use both sides of a low end paper, but I'd want to test first.

Dry time: Average. I measure dry time on the Clairefontaine paper, and this ink was right near the average dry time for other inks I've tested.

Cleanup: Easy. Flushed out of my pens with a minimum of hassle.

Water resistance: Minimal. After a five minute soak in lukewarm water, the writing is barely visible:

Overall: I found this to be a solid performer with no obvious flaws. If you're looking for a nice true dark blue ink and aren't worried about water resistance, then this is one to consider. For myself, I found the color to be a bit on the boring side - I want a subtle little zing in my everyday ink, and this doesn't have it. Unfortunately, it reminds me too much of some of the ballpoint inks I've used in years past and is thus unremarkable. The lack of water resistance coupled with the somewhat boring color means that my search for the perfect business ink must continue. Moving on...

February 6, 2016

Great review! I'm looking forward to following your quest...

February 7, 2016

Thanks for the review and it reminded me to ink up a pen with this again, sometime.

February 8, 2016

Thanks for a very nice review. This might be a decent substitute for MB JFK.

February 8, 2016

I've missed you.

February 8, 2016

From what I see, it looks like a very nice blue ink...nuthin' wrong with that I think.....

Thanks for the review and samples!

February 8, 2016

I've missed you.

That's sweet, thank you.

February 8, 2016

From what I see, it looks like a very nice blue ink...nuthin' wrong with that I think.....

Thanks for the review and samples!

Nope, nothing wrong with it at all. It is a nice blue and there's a lot to like about it. On the other hand, I already have a pretty solid collection of inks and thus any newcomers are going to have to show something special if they want in.