Ink Review: Diamine Regency Blue (150Th Anniversary Ink)

[namrehsnoom]

Ink Review: Diamine Regency Blue (150th Anniversary Ink)

 

 

Pen: Lamy Al-Star Ocean Blue, M-nib

Paper: Rhodia N° 16 notepad 80 gsm

 

 

Review

 

This ink is part of the 8-color ink series that Diamine released to celebrate their 150th anniversary (1864-2014). The set has some wonderful subdued colors. This dark blue business-like ink is one of them.

 

Regency Blue - the name evokes the image of Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and spouse of Louis XVI, sitting in a room at the Château de Versailles, writing a letter to her "amant du jour" with this dark blue reginal ink. A droplet forming at the tip of the quill, on its way to make a splash on the paper...

 

This is a nice dark blue ink. Some shading, but it mostly gets hidden due to the darkness of the color. This is an "old color" ink, that reminds me of the 1700's... it breathes "antique" to me. The name Regency Blue is well chosen. Personally I like this ink's color a lot - it's a color that looks nice on the paper. Also very well suited for use at the office.

 

 

In the 18th century, the nobility was more into perfumes, not that much into taking a bath. Water was not Marie-Antoinette's favorite fluid. This ink also loathes water. Hit it with water, and the color disappears. Almost no trace is left on the paper. A shame...

 

Let's have a look at how this ink behaves on paper. For this, I did some tests:

• Rhodia N°16 notepad 80 gsm - drying time ~20 seconds, no feathering, no show-through and no bleed-through
• Paperblanks journal paper - drying time ~10 seconds (that's fast for this paper), traces of show-through, no bleed-through
• Generic notepad paper 70 gsm - drying time 5-10 seconds, no feathering, traces of show-through, no bleed-through
• Moleskine journal - drying time ~5 seconds, no feathering, serious show-through, some bleed-through

Regency Blue is a very well-behaved ink. It also dries very fast on most paper. It writes surprisingly well on trashy paper, like a Moleskine journal (provided you only use one side of the page). The good drying time makes it ideal for fast note-taking. Given its fast drying times, it might also be a good ink for lefties (just an educated guess...)

 

Conclusion

 

I like Regency Blue a lot - especially as a working place ink. The dark antique look appeals to me. A fast drying time and good behavior on all types of paper are a big plus for using this ink at work - no Tamoe River, Clairefontaine or Rhodia paper there - just generic copy paper. For me, this is an ink I'll use on a regular basis.

 

my overall score: A

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by namrehsnoom

[Jackokun]

One of my favorites, I also find that the ink will have some sheen properties, would you agree>?

[DrDebG]

Excellent ink review!

[Morphling27]

A very pretty and shade-y type of color. That total and complete lack of water resistance though.

 

Also, I'm intrigued by the amount of purple in it. I'm at work, so a crappy monitor - but does this blue have more purple in it than the shots show? It reminds me of maybe bleu nuit.

[lgsoltek]

A very pretty and shade-y type of color. That total and complete lack of water resistance though.

 

Also, I'm intrigued by the amount of purple in it. I'm at work, so a crappy monitor - but does this blue have more purple in it than the shots show? It reminds me of maybe bleu nuit.

 

 

IMO Regency Blue is very purple.

 

[The Good Captain]

Great review of an ink that I confess, I haven't used very much since I've had it. No reason - just not got round to it!

[visvamitra]

Fantastic review. thanks

[Morphling27]

 

 

IMO Regency Blue is very purple.

 

That shows it better, thanks. I mostly browse at work or on the tiny phone so colors are hard to tell.

[Nikaa]

Thanks for amazing review, it's very helpfull!

 

I'm thinking about this one, but the purple hue is a disadvantage for me... It looks very close to Sailor Shigure. I just don't like purple inks

[Aquaria]

Huh. To me, it evokes Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and a coat color that Bingley or Darcy would have worn. This is exactly the shade of blue that Lydia would have meant when she was reporting the gossip about Mr. Bingley supposedly wearing a blue coat.