Ink Review: Diamine Prussian Blue

[Chrissy]

Today I'm reviewing Diamine Prussian Blue

A blue-grey or blue-black ink from the standard range, Diamine Prussian Blue is a nicely saturated colour with a vintage look to it. It’s darker, less green leaning and more saturated than Indigo, and it flows better and feels more lubricated when writing across the page.

Prussian Blue was the first modern synthetic pigment. It’s a dark blue pigment also known as Berlin Blue or, in painting, Parisian or Paris Blue. It’s prepared as a very fine colloidal dispersion because the compound is not soluble in water. Prussian Blue is also the traditional “blue” in “blueprints” and as the basis for “laundry blueing.” (Source - Wikipedia)

I filled my Lamy Safari and my Lamy NexxM converters with it. Then left them on my table for a few days. When I went back to the pens, they both started writing straight away. No hard starts. They didn't skip once.

It exhibited excellent shading and it didn’t feather or spread on any of the papers I used it with. It didn’t show through on the HP paper either. Although it showed through slightly on some the papers listed, it didn’t show through as much as the scans suggest, and you can easily write on the reverse of all of the papers I used it with.

It's not sold as a waterproof ink but showed some water resistance.

• Flow Rate: Good - neither particularly wet nor dry
• Lubrication: Good - felt smooth across the page
• Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.
• Start-up: Immediate.
• Saturation: Saturated
• Shading Potential: Shading seen especially with F nib.
• Sheen: None noticed, though I’ve seen sheen in some pictures.
• Show-Through:
  • Clairefontaine Crokbook
  • Field Notes
  • Hobonichi Techo paper.
  • Tomoe River 52gsm paper (not very much)
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not seen on any paper even Field Notes
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen, even after over 1 week in the pen
• Staining (pen): Not seen after several days - very easy clean-up
• Staining (hands): Very easy clean-up off of skin.
• Clogging: Not seen.
• Water resistance: Not sold as waterproof, but shows good water resistance.
• Availability: Available in 80ml and 30ml bottles plus cartridges from Diamine Inks web-site and many other outlets.

 

[namrehsnoom]

This ink’s colour is right up my alley - I like it a lot. Thanks for reviewing.

[PaperDarts]

What a comprehensive review, thank you. This is one of my favourite inks.

[lapis]

Stunning how similar it is to Indigo. I still don't know which one I like better. Both are for my taste too chalky....

[Chrissy]

This ink’s colour is right up my alley - I like it a lot. Thanks for reviewing.

 

You're welcome.

[Chrissy]

What a comprehensive review, thank you. This is one of my favourite inks.

You're welcome.

[Chrissy]

Stunning how similar it is to Indigo. I still don't know which one I like better. Both are for my taste too chalky....

IMHO Prussian Blue is better. Indigo is not quite saturated enough for me, and leans more green.

[aurore]

Excellent review. Interesting colour, serious yet not boring.

[minddance]

Thank you Chrissy for your excellent review, as always I am a big fan of Diamine Indigo and have been considering Prussian Blue. Your review has certainly steered me in the right direction.

[Tas]

One of my favourite blues and Diamine inks. Friendly on the eye and instantly vintage looking.

 

Thanks for giving it some exposure showing it to others

[Chrissy]

Excellent review. Interesting colour, serious yet not boring.

 

You're welcome.

[Chrissy]

Thank you Chrissy for your excellent review, as always I am a big fan of Diamine Indigo and have been considering Prussian Blue. Your review has certainly steered me in the right direction.

You're welcome. If you decide to try it, I hope you like it.

[Chrissy]

One of my favourite blues and Diamine inks. Friendly on the eye and instantly vintage looking.

 

Thanks for giving it some exposure showing it to others

 

 

You're welcome.

[picautomaton]

Love this ink, dries to a really pleasing blue.

 

thanks for the review

[Chrissy]

Love this ink, dries to a really pleasing blue.

 

thanks for the review

 

You're right, yes it does. Not nearly as green as I first thought it might be.

You're welcome.

[georges zaslavsky]

I have one bottle that I have received from a friend 6 years ago, used it a lot with a PFMII with a medium nib, it was a delight to use it with this ink. Now I use it in a Stipula Etruria with a B nib and it works outstandingly well.

[JulieParadise]

For the #50shadesofbluechallenge (link to the hashtag on Instagram), a challenge over at the German PenExchange forum for July & August 2020, I inked up all my pens with all the 50+ blue inks I have. The snapshots might also be of interest to some here.

Diamine Prussian Blue reminds me of a paled-out iron gall ink, just like Diamine Indigo does. Prussian Blue is even less saturated and more greyish, but, as you can see in the close-ups, it can be quite appealing in all its weirdness, especially when it develops the pronounced rim/darker edge of lines.

I had it in a Pilot Décimo with a flattened (stubbed) medium nib.

[Tas]

For the #50shadesofbluechallenge (link to the hashtag on Instagram), a challenge over at the German PenExchange forum for July & August 2020, I inked up all my pens with all the 50+ blue inks I have. The snapshots might also be of interest to some here.

Diamine Prussian Blue reminds me of a paled-out iron gall ink, just like Diamine Indigo does. Prussian Blue is even less saturated and more greyish, but, as you can see in the close-ups, it can be quite appealing in all its weirdness, especially when it develops the pronounced rim/darker edge of lines.

I had it in a Pilot Décimo with a flattened (stubbed) medium nib.

[GreenMountain]

I love this ink...very friendly and calm. Thanks Chrissy - excellent review. And thanks to Julie too...your pics are outstanding.

[MissCellany]

Wow, lovely! Between the total lack of feathering, solid water resistance, and somewhat subdued color, this looks like a great ink for a work/pocket carry pen.