Diamine Earl Grey

[visvamitra]

Manufacturers since 1864, Diamine Inks relocated to this purpose built 'state of the art' factory in Liverpool in 1925, where they successfully carried on using the traditional methods and formulas for ink production. Over the years the company has changed hands and are now located close to the world famous Aintree Race Course.

Diamine offers plenty of inks in few lines. At the moment their standard line consists of more than one hundred inks and each year new ones appear. In 2017 a new ink chosen by fountain pens subreddit users was added to the line.

After hearing words Earl Grey I expected something brown. And yet it's not the case. Earl Grey is purplish grey. The ink is pretty well behaved and flows nicely from the pen.

The ink is reasonably saturated and pleasant to use. Lubrication could be better but it's acceptable.

Ink Splash

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Color ID

Color range

Copy paper, TWSBI Mini, stub 1.1

Fabriano, TWSBI Mini, stub 1.1

Rhodia, TWSBI Mini, stub 1.1

Water resistance

[Jan2016]

Thank you for the review!

Interesting grey!

[lapis]

I've always loved this ink since it came out three months ago, and although I already ordered it a month ago and it still hasn't arrived, I'll re-order it again, next week, this time directly out of England....

[visvamitra]

Wow - you wait long.

[Carrau]

Thanks Vis, nicely presented, and it appeals to me.

[lapis]

Wow - you wait long.

 

Yup, sure do. I imagine that you don't have the import problems that we do. Ditto Lamy's crappy non-selling of LE inks to Germany but, yes, selling of same to our sister country Poland. Also to other brothers and sisters.

[inkstainedruth]

This is bluer a grey than I was expecting from the name. I was also expecting something brown-leaning, and the blue undertone is a nice surprise. Clearly I need to check this one out.

Thanks for the review. And, well, not....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[namrehsnoom]

Great review of a wonderfully complex grey - just look at that chroma ... you'd never guess that this results in a grey ink ! Kudos to Diamine for this one

 

[visvamitra]

Wow - really cool chroma.

[lapis]

Looks like a blue tooth, just yanked out of the jaw....

[miel]

 

Yup, sure do. I imagine that you don't have the import problems that we do. Ditto Lamy's crappy non-selling of LE inks to Germany but, yes, selling of same to our sister country Poland. Also to other brothers and sisters.

 

Wow - where did you order?

 

I got mine from a German shop some time ago already and I do love it a lot.

 

The only think I don't like about it is, that it first looks greenish (for me) when it meets the paper. But when it is dry it is just what I wanted and expected for daily writing.

[lapis]

 

Wow - where did you order?

 

I got mine from a German shop some time ago already and I do love it a lot.

 

The only think I don't like about it is, that it first looks greenish (for me) when it meets the paper. But when it is dry it is just what I wanted and expected for daily writing.

 

I ordered it from Fritz Schimpf (in Tübingen) and they said that they themselves had already ordered it from England but that was already connected with shipping (and/or customs) problems. I then decided to order it today from The Writing Desk but they are now closed until the 2nd of January.

Where did you get yours? (Maybe they are open tomorrow for a phone call....)

Thanks

Mike

[AmandaW]

I ordered direct from Diamine and it was here in two weeks. That's very fast compared to anywhere else. The shipping charge was less than I expected too (probably because I was only ordering one bottle).

[Jamerelbe]

I ordered direct from Diamine and it was here in two weeks. That's very fast compared to anywhere else. The shipping charge was less than I expected too (probably because I was only ordering one bottle).

 

I've ordered direct from Diamine a few times too - their shipping costs are very reasonable, especially when you're used to the outrageous cost of shipping from the US (and/or the outrageous mark-up applied by Australian distributors and retailers...). I usually check out how many bottles I can get for the lowest shipping price (with DIamine, I usually favour the 30ml bottles and go for a wider range of options), then buy the largest number of bottles for lowest delivery cost.

 

The Writing Desk, Cult Pens and Bureau Direct are also pretty good as UK retailers - and when they have a special on their inks, can be cheaper than buying direct from Diamine - so I keep an eye out.

 

I got my 30ml bottle of Earl Grey from The Writing Desk, along with three (full size) bottles of Shimmertastic inks. It's a nice, smooth-flowing ink - very glad I ordered it!

[Chrissy]

This is bluer a grey than I was expecting from the name. I was also expecting something brown-leaning, and the blue undertone is a nice surprise. Clearly I need to check this one out.

Thanks for the review. And, well, not....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I didn't find it as blue as it looks here, but I did get the same chroma test as namrehsnoom

[miel]

@lapis - I ordered with papierundstift.de .

They have it in stock but do have holidays too. So you have to wait until next year ...

[jmccarty3]

Diamine's direct shipping costs, even to the US, have always been very reasonable.

[The Good Captain]

I love this ink and thanks for the usual great review.

[lapis]

@lapis - I ordered with papierundstift.de .

They have it in stock but do have holidays too. So you have to wait until next year ...

Many thanks! I ordered it (there, from Anja) today, so it should be here a fews days after the 2nd of January!! Nice and well-run site!!!

[Aquaria]

Oh come on! Really? I just spent a fortune on Caran d'Ache Infinite Grey, Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun and Colorverse Matter/Anti-Matter. Now another gray is out there begging me to buy it?

 

Argh!