Into The Blues

[DrDebG]

Thank you for your comment. I love the Horizon Blue, but Blackstone Sydney Harbor Blue is such a great ink.

[samasry]

Wow, this is an amazing review of my favorite color

 

Have to admit, I never tried most of these inks, however some of them look pretty awesome

 

Any idea how Waterman inspired blue fares in comparison to the colors in its hue range in this review.

 

I have tried this ink recently and to me it is a very nice ink. I would like to know how people with more ink knowledge and experience view this ink.

[DrDebG]

Thank salmasry for your comment. Waterman Inspired Blue and Waterman Serenity Blue are what I call "gold standard inks". When I get a new pen, the first ink I load into the pen is one of these two inks. They are not exceeding wet nor dry, and behave very well and are consistent inks. Since I know how both of these inks perform in most pens, I use them to "test" my new pens. If a pen doesn't perform fairly well with one of these two, chances are it will not perform as well with other inks. Others may dispute this, but for me these two Waterman inks are reliable measures.

[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. When I prepared the photographs for that I also pulled out my bottles with the little selfmade labels (cutouts from Avery label stickers). The snapshots might also be of interest to some here and hopefully fit into this thread.

 

 

I pulled all the general blues; these are only the Diamine inks I used, the others are mostly in drip bottles or I had them in samples without proper/representative labels.

 

 

Here is a separate grouping of the lighter and neither too turquoise nor too greenish mid-blues (I hope you can decipher at least most of writing on the labels):

 

[MissCellany]

Lovely post- 🅱lue inks are awesome! I love my 🅱ig 🅱ottle of Horizon 🅱lue, and am going to finally crack into my sample of Waterman Serenity 🅱lue soon. Your showcases of Monteverde Mali🅱u 🅱lue and Akkerman Cerulean 🅱lauw sold me on 'em!

[Estycollector]

Serenity AKA Florida blue is my favorite and it performs so well in vintage instruments.

[PAKMAN]

I love blue inks, thanks for the comparison! I got to thinking how many different blues do I have? So I counted and looks like 36 bottles of blue ink, most of which I never get out to use!

[sansenri]

Since your OP and my 1st reply one year ago, I went and bought Horizon blue which was on my list and also managed to get hold of a bottle of Diamine Velvet. The two inks are similar and great examples of the strive for true blue.

I'm a blue only user as I mentioned and of the 4-5 pens I keep inked all are inked with blue!

I'm also rather strict on what I consider to be blue, with some concession to red/purple leaning blue (I love Sapphires) but rather marked dislike for blue-green. I am fascinated by the shading of some teal blues, but when it's on my page, I don't like it...

I am very much attracted by dark blues, which are still blue and not blue-black.

I appreciate your review as although I do care for the ink behaviour my first attention is for the colour. Using blue only I often search for the intermediate tone (so difficult on the pc screen!) and then investigate the other characteristics of the ink.

Serenity blue is my testing ink too (together with Pelikan royal, since I've used it for so many years in the past and know it so well).

[JulieParadise]

Not all blues stay blue:

 

 

As you can see, some faded badly, few even vanished completely.

 

 

Just in case the pic is too blurry I list all the colours again. (The enumeration followed my list and when the inks were scheduled to be posted.)

 

1) Akkerman Ceruleum Blauw
2) Colorverse Crystal Planet
3) DeAtramentis Hellblau
4) Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Black
5) Diamine 150th Anniversary Regency Black
6) Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Velvet
7) Diamine Aqua Blue
8) Diamine Asa Blue
9) Diamine Beau Blue
10) Diamine Blue Black
11) Diamine China Blue
12) Diamine Denim
13) Diamine Eclipse
14) Diamine Florida Blue
15) Diamine Flower Aster
16) Diamine Guitar Pelham Blue
17) Diamine Imperial Blue
18) Diamine Indigo
19) Diamine Kensington Blue
20) Diamine Majestic Blue
26) Diamine Presidential Blue
28) Diamine Sargasso Sea
31) Diamine Skull & Roses
37) Lamy Königsblau (Royal Blue)
47) Sailor Manyo Haha
+1) Pelikan Königsblau (Royal Blue)
+30) Robert Oster Fire & Ice
+40) Pilot(-Namiki cartridge) Blue Black

 

Explanation: I conduct such simple lightfastness test every month since Mai 2016. With all inked pens I write one line with the most basic information on two separate sheets of paper on the first day of a month (or the last evening, but you get the idea). One sheet is tucked away in my notebook, the other is hung on my southeast-facing window. Ideally the writing on both sheets looks identical when compared after being kept dark vs. being exposed to light, but ... well, go look above again.

 

This gives you a pretty good idea of how stable your inks are regarding the lightfastness. By the way: It is pretty much the same in summer or winter, inks that are instable will react during the winter months, the results just may not be that extreme.

 

My personal winners in the blue category are Rohrer & Klingner Blau Permanent and Sailor Sou-Boku.

[dennis_f]

  On 8/17/2020 at 7:33 AM, JulieParadise said:

Not all blues stay blue:

 

 

This is invaluable. Thanks for posting this.

 

I'm shocked by the (total) fade on some of those. It's time to go back and remove some inks from my collection. Better safe than sorry.

[JulieParadise]

Well, you still can use them and most won't fade in a notebook. Just make sure you do not leave something written with a light blue fader on your desk while you are on holiday or s.th., just to come back and find this !!!very!!!important!!! telephone number vanished ...

[Tas]

An excellent reference. Thank you.

[dennis_f]

  On 8/17/2020 at 5:24 PM, JulieParadise said:

Well, you still can use them and most won't fade in a notebook. Just make sure you do not leave something written with a light blue fader on your desk while you are on holiday or s.th., just to come back and find this !!!very!!!important!!! telephone number vanished ...

 

I tend to leave notebooks open on my desk all the time... I've never left them for an extended time (longer than a few hours)...but still, your post makes one wonder about just how long some of these inks might last with typical use (in the sunlight). Better to just avoid the possibility of fading... especially with so many blues to choose from (one more excuse to buy more inks).

[NeverTapOut]

Hi Deborah.

 

I hope you and your family are safe and well.

 

Very nice comparison...well done.

 

Does Monteverde Inks have the same characteristics overall as Montblanc inks.

 

Also is the Monteverde Malibu Blue slightly more purple than the Monteverde Sapphire Ink.

 

I also have been looking at that Akkerman Dutch Masters 01 ink as well. I like it better than Kon Peki plus it comes in a big bottle. Do you think the Akkerman ink can be used in a conservative business setting.

 

I appreciate your input. I have been trying to ween myself off of MB Royal Blue and I haven't been able to do it...I guess I'm a creature of habit.

 

Warm Regards,

 

David

Edited August 20, 2020 by NeverTapOut

[MHBru]

it's been almost exactly a year since i responded to this post and have added new blues... I did get Kyanite du Nepal as noted at the time. I have also added Herbin Bleu de Minuit, Herbin Bleu Austral, and Sailor Manyo Haha.... loving all of them.

[Jarod]

  On 8/21/2020 at 4:13 AM, MHBru said:

I did get Kyanite du Nepal as noted at the time. I have also added Herbin Bleu de Minuit, Herbin Bleu Austral, and Sailor Manyo Haha.... loving all of them.

 

I also added Kyanite du Népal. I shook the bottle, drew some ink that I put in an empty bottle and decanted the rest. I love the colour, the saturation and the lubrication, but not the sparkles. I added JH Bleu de Minuit, and debating whether or not to add Bleu Austral because it looks very teal-leaning, with too much green.

[MHBru]

  On 8/21/2020 at 12:34 PM, Jarod said:

 

I also added Kyanite du Népal. I shook the bottle, drew some ink that I put in an empty bottle and decanted the rest. I love the colour, the saturation and the lubrication, but not the sparkles. I added JH Bleu de Minuit, and debating whether or not to add Bleu Austral because it looks very teal-leaning, with too much green.

It certainly is a teal and I like it in my ocean swirl. I was using Ku Jaku in that pen which is even more green leaning to my eye.

[Linger]

I also prefer blue inks and only dabble in browns and greens and purples. Mostly the Iroshizukus and Montblancs. Next thereto the blue-blacks from Iroshizuku and to a lesser extent the blue-greens, well, mainly Shikioiri’s Yamadori.

 

Anyway, question, I haven’t seen Sailor’s Sailor ocean blue in this thread? Why? (I just ordered and am awaiting a bottle)

[DrDebG]

  On 7/24/2020 at 4:01 PM, JulieParadise said:

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. When I prepared the photographs for that I also pulled out my bottles with the little selfmade labels (cutouts from Avery label stickers). The snapshots might also be of interest to some here and hopefully fit into this thread.

 

 

I pulled all the general blues; these are only the Diamine inks I used, the others are mostly in drip bottles or I had them in samples without proper/representative labels.

 

 

Here is a separate grouping of the lighter and neither too turquoise nor too greenish mid-blues (I hope you can decipher at least most of writing on the labels):

 

 

 

Wow! JulieParadise, this is amazing, as is your lightfast tests. Thank you so much for posting them!

[DrDebG]

  On 8/20/2020 at 7:01 PM, NeverTapOut said:

Hi Deborah.

 

I hope you and your family are safe and well.

 

Very nice comparison...well done.

 

Does Monteverde Inks have the same characteristics overall as Montblanc inks.

 

Also is the Monteverde Malibu Blue slightly more purple than the Monteverde Sapphire Ink.

 

I also have been looking at that Akkerman Dutch Masters 01 ink as well. I like it better than Kon Peki plus it comes in a big bottle. Do you think the Akkerman ink can be used in a conservative business setting.

 

I appreciate your input. I have been trying to ween myself off of MB Royal Blue and I haven't been able to do it...I guess I'm a creature of habit.

 

Warm Regards,

 

David

 

Hi David,

 

Thank you for your post. I have been extraordinarily busy with a number of issues lately, so I haven't been on FPN much.

 

Monteverde inks are very good inks, and some do have similar characteristics to Montblanc inks. My only complaint with many of the Monteverde inks, and with others as well, is the lack of shading. I love inks that shade, but most Monteverde inks do not shade a nicely as some others. Yes, they do have sheen, but I really want shading in my inks.

 

Have you tried Namiki Blue? It has become a favorite and is relatively inexpensive. I will try to post some pictures soon.

 

Also, look into the Sailor Manyo inks. Here are samples of them:

 

Sailor Manyo Yonagi:

Sailor Manyo Sumire:

I also have Sailor Manyo Kikyou, which is a darker blue with a nice sheen.

 

Sailor Manyo has introduced another 8 inks, which includes 3 blues. If the second round is as good as the first, I will likely buy all of them.

 

Regarding the Akkerman inks, I like them, but they are fairly dry for me - remember I live in the high desert. They might be really great for you, though.

 

Hope that helps.