Best Washable Blue?

[rh968]

I know that many here think washable blues to be a tad boring, but generally speaking are washable blues the most low maintenance and ''safest'' inks to use in a new valuable pen? Eg low ph values etc. I am thinking in particular of Diamine Washable Blue and Quink Washable Blue. Of these two inks in particular which would you recommend?

[sciumbasci]

Go with the Quink

[birchtine]

Please consider Pelikan Royal Blue too, elegant, reliable and great on worse types of paper

[praxim]

I drew from my reading here and feel comfortable myself that an exceptionally safe ink is Waterman Serenity Blue.

[rh968]

I read on this forum that Waterman inks are acidic - as one person put it, they are like ''battery acid''!

[Olya]

Acidic inks aren't necessarily bad though. Alkaline inks are much much worse. Acidic inks are actually really safe, except iron gall, but that has to do with the iron parts (I'm too lazy to look up the proper term and chemical stuff, but you get my drift!), and the new formulations by Platinum, KWZI and some others are rather harmless (though require still care). And even "heavy" ig inks are safe when using gold nibs (and proper pen hygiene). But I will also add that I've never used IG inks and don't see that happening, ever. I stick with dye inks and the occasional pigment inks.

 

To come back to the OP, you don't need to use washable inks for the safest stuff around. Dye inks are just as safe (washable ink is dye ink too). The washable part has more to do with the ease of washing the ink out of clothes, not with the pen. But I've washed out non-washable with ease, too and with no special treatment, not even soaking. Just stuck it in the washing machine when I had a load and that was it (specifically J Herbin Eclat de Saphir, Diamine Blue Black, Pilot Blue, and I think a couple more, but those three I remember very well spilling and washing out easily).

I have read many write about issues with Di's Majestic Blue and I've had none whatsoever. And remember that whatever you write with washable inks, the likelihood that the writing will fade to near illegible paleness within days is high. And further remember that German inks called Royal Blue (Königsblau) are actually washables.

Even if you use a dye ink and you notice hard starts and some drying out, it will be easily cleaned out, esp when you notice that immediately and don't let your pen unused for months. I have left inked pens lying around for about a month and had no problems at all (Pelikans, Pilots, Sailors, Platinums, Watermans, Sheaffers, Parkers - even those that are said to be quick to dry out I've had no problems with).

 

Use whatever dye ink you want, no need to stick to washables (I personally don't mind "boring" inks, it's the paleness that strikes almost immediately that makes me personally shun them). Read the reviews and just (if you want to be careful) stick to pens that don't stain, but if your pen is black then that's no problem really and stains are easily removed (usually).

So watch out for staining issues and clogging issues.

 

Parker Quink Permanent Blue and Diamine Royal Blue (the non washable equivalents that actually wash out just as easily) are much better! No fading, similar colour and easy to handle even for a child.