Ink Review: Diamine Claret

[Chrissy]

My latest ink sample from Diamine is Diamine Claret

Diamine Claret is an ancient ink from Diamine. It's been around for a long time. Bearing in mind Diamine celebrated their 150th anniversary last year, when they first manufactured this ink, real claret was used to make it. However, there are now many rules about what inks can be made from, so Diamine have had to recreate it from available dyes, to try to get as close as they could to the original colour. So if any of you used it many years ago, you may have noticed a change.

The colour really surprised me, as I expected Claret to be a darker red. I looked at my pen wondering if it wasn't properly clean when I filled it, but I knew it was. I'm fastidious about that.

This ink is a full blown raspberry pink shade that leans blue. Not that I'm suggesting it's any the worse for that. It's reasonably saturated, and exhibits plenty of shading.

It wrote straight away without any hard starts or skipping with both of my pens on several different papers. The flow is very good and so is it's lubrication at the nib. Although the flow feels slightly dryer than some of the inks I've recently tried, in that I couldn't see wet ink glistening on the line above the one I was writing, it didn't feel particularly dry. The dry time was quite quick and there were no smears after it was dry.

It has no water resistance at all. The red inky water spread very quickly.

I didn't really have any inks that were the same colour to compare it against. The ones I have are either brighter, with even more blue, leaning more towards purple, or darker leaning more red. So it was an interesting colour to try out.

 

• This isn't sold as a waterproof ink,and shows no noticeable water resistance.

• Bearing in mind the review template is on thick paper with a shiny surface, and I used a Lamy M nib and a Lamy 1.1mm nib this ink took 16-17 secs to dry. No smear when dry.

• It exhibited good flow and lubrication and I found it well behaved to write with. I saw no skips or hard starts while I did my swabs and dry time tests.

• It exhibited some show through and bleed through on cheap paper.

• It is currently available in 80ml glass bottles or 30ml plastic bottles

• Diamine sell it directly to end-users on their web-site.

• It's a reasonable price.

[visvamitra]

Nice review The ink wasn't made for me though.

[inkstainedruth]

Pretty color. As if I don't have enough ink already....

Thanks for posting this. And, well, not....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[OCArt]

If you enjoy wine colored inks you might want to try Richard Binder's "Binder Burgundy."

It is a lovely and well-behaved 50-50 mix of Waterman's Violet and Sheaffer Red. Supposedly Diamine liked the color and mixed Syrah to match.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/151648-a-true-burgundy-binder-burgundy-uh-huh/

[Chrissy]

If you enjoy wine colored inks you might want to try Richard Binder's "Binder Burgundy."

It is a lovely and well-behaved 50-50 mix of Waterman's Violet and Sheaffer Red. Supposedly Diamine liked the color and mixed Syrah to match.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/151648-a-true-burgundy-binder-burgundy-uh-huh/

 

You are right, and I've tried that excellent recipe. I filled a burgundy Parker 51 with it, and it went a really dark, and very attractive colour.

[Kenlowe]

Your experience of Diamine Claret is very different to mine, the bottle that I bought had ink that was pale and washed out.

 

The paper that I used was a Rhodia and this was the only ink that I have known to feather. The pen I used was a Parker 51 which tended to write a little on the dry side of normal, I then tried a wettish 146 and it was as bad if not worse.

 

Life is too short for bad wine and bad inks.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by Kenlowe

[Chrissy]

Your experience of Diamine Claret is very different to mine, the bottle that I bought had ink that was pale and washed out.

 

The paper that I used was a Rhodia and this was the only ink that I have known to feather. The pen I used was a Parker 51 which tended to write a little on the dry side of normal, I then tried a wettish 146 and it was as bad if not worse.

 

Life is too short for bad wine and bad inks.

 

 

 

Maybe you should have mentioned this problem to Diamine. I bet they would have offered a solution.

It's possible that my sample is from a different or newer batch, while yours may be an older version made using a different recipe.

[Chrissy]

Here is a scan of a test I did on Rhodia paper. I wouldn't describe it as pale and washed out. Also I didn't see any feathering, showthrough or bleed through.

 

My sample must be from a different batch.

 

[Lamyrada]

One of my preferred inks, precisely because it doesn't have any water resistance (for color washes) . I thought it had been discontinued... SO for some time I was looking for a substitute. I have it always on a 78G ready for checking out my TODOs or write down VIT (very important things).

[DrDebG]

Very nice review. I am considering this or Deep Magenta. I think this one wins.

[Chrissy]

Very nice review. I am considering this or Deep Magenta. I think this one wins.

 

You're welcome.

[Chrissy]

One of my preferred inks, precisely because it doesn't have any water resistance (for color washes) . I thought it had been discontinued... SO for some time I was looking for a substitute. I have it always on a 78G ready for checking out my TODOs or write down VIT (very important things).

Not discontinued on the Diamine web-site.

[TSherbs]

really appreciate your reviews