KWZ IG Blue-Black Review: ice-cream and long march

[Dimy]

Introduction and Elephant in the Room

 

KWZ inks at this point don’t really need an introduction of themselves so all I can say is about page on KWZ website is the best friend here. Bottle is dark glass bottle, good for inks.

 

Now to elephant and well there are 2 different things that I noticed here, First the ink comes in a plastic wrap around the bottle, nice touch really as this prevent many issues that can arise.

Second, is entire ink smells like vanilla and that was nice (typical of KWZ)....it made me want to eat ice-cream though so that’s bad. Jokes aside I can see some real practical benefit of inks condition and easy to spot any issue in ink if it arises (by smell) and that is a big plus for many.

 

Each ink is handmade as mentioned by KWZ and might have some variations in them, take it as may that is a what it is. Variation are understandable if on asks me and I don’t think there will be any change in base formula or nature of ink, as comparison lets take processors, there is difference in each processors wafers when made and this has no real impact on processor itself but if you are overclocking the processor then it matters not for normal case. In short for most part, there should not be enough difference in actual ink nature of ink itself and that is the goal of this analysis.

 

Ink review section

 

Test papers include

75gsm sectra copy paper

70gsm and 85gsm nightingale paper

52gsm classmate copy paper (dot bleeds at end seen)

100gsm JK Cedar bond papers.

Random books back sides and some unknown real cheap papers (slight bleed on cheap ones).

 

 

Ink properties

 

Bleeding/Ghosting – very slight on cheap papers.

Feathering – None observed.

Saturation – Good.

Flow – Wet ink.

Dry time – 5 sec to 20 sec approx.

 

 

This above is when ink has been given 1 hrs to dry before pics were taken

 

 

10 day dry time has been given to ink. The color came out to be remarkably what it really is, very dark blue-black almost black in color. As with all the pea shooter phone camera at full works. This will serve as 1st case of testing, more below on that.

 

Water Resistance – Very High. Although the dye tends to bleed out of page, content survive just fine and colour mostly.

 

 

this is 10 day dry time given paper

 

 

 1 min tap run, page has not been given time to dry but cloth was used to try removing ink using as soak for water and not rubbed. Pressed with cloth.

 

 

The square lines have been soaked for 2 hrs in water and then crushed with dry cloth in attempt to remove ink. Color in these 3rd images is way off the mark, its little darker and paper is white, but dye loss is visible and that was intent, sadly due to nature of test its not possible to recreate the colors if one wants to I will perform another one but results will take 10 days at min...cos well 10 day time

 

The ink is wet writer but very well behaved, I did not find any running issue even on wet pens of mine but all nibs I use are Fine ones so there is that, but I don’t think it will give trouble on this front. It does show very small bleed on cheap papers (in my experiment, the paper with bleed were some random 40 ish GSM pages which are very absorbent in nature and on 52 GSM classmate copy paper which showed dot bleeds) All in all a normal paper will not have any issue including copy pages.

 

Cleaning well........will require hard work and regular interval is suggested as with all permanent inks.

 

Ink is very dark blue-black and is on edge of black over blue. The beauty lies in it being blue at start and then quickly darkening to blue-black with inclination to blue for first 2 hrs or so while the real dark blue-black color takes another 2 days to fully show. No significant change after this.....yet.

 

Personal take

 

This ink has been on many people hit list and for obvious reasons of being liked in color and being an IG ink which also raises many questions on maintenance of ink and its general oxidization over time and this comes especially true for people like me who are burned by Sallix if I may be so bold as to say. While sallix tends to show signs of losing color this one it too early to say what changes will be. The main highlight for me was that it will darken as age, now I don’t think it will become black from already very dark, almost black color, but I hope to see it darker then sallix as it ages, The ink on box shows blue black and I suspect that is the final color of the ink (after properly oxidized).

 

 

Lubrication is good, the last part of multiple pen test was left here and oliver used has some issues during testing. Dried ink for 1 hrs.

 

 

7 day dry for same page. below part of page came a bit wrong.....thanks pea camera lol....

 

This page will serve as second case. (more below about case).

 

Reasoning behind other post of same ink

 

Now begins the game of waiting and real reason to separate this post from other Blue black IG. Over the concern for IG ageing in time in current environment and uses, plus paper and well general skepticism of IG ink fade over time faster then most

What I intend to do is simple, record the way the ink changes its color over the course of entire year with the way paper would be normally handled in normal situation.

 

The tests will have 3 categories planned for testing on how the page is kept

 

First- this is one where the page will not be used for any reference and will be opened for bare minimum like taking pics and observing the ink, but paper will lie outside shelf and wardrobe making it exposed to all weather paper might suffer.

 

Second- Same as above but stored in wardrobe.

 

Third-one small page will always be exposed to light of room and daylight abid diffused one to see general nature of inks movement. Possible due to east facing room with complete open windows, attempting to recreate a well naturally lit room.

 

Fourth-Page opened and referred often to as notes, these are my geography notes. The first page of this will be posted along with others later. Oh and this is kept outside wardrobe...cos well its in constant use and I am too lazy.

 

 

this is third case test page.

 

[Dimy]

Now I need some help on any more suggestions on testing to further add or remove them, since its long term test suggestions and ideas are welcomed with open arms.

 

I plan to test for Sallix as age in comparison to this ink if someone is interested there then I will add them as well in comparison posts. No plan as in now but if interested do tell I will need to create pages for Sallix although end result of sallix is with me and its not pretty....over year it aged poorly which actually became motivation for this long term test.

 

I will post taccia Tsuchi later today..on Christmas here...on which note Merry Christmas.

[Karmachanic]

A suggestion.

Nib variety is often shown in reviews. I, for one, find this helpful as different nibs lay down ink in different ways. Perhaps you could introduce an M, and even a third, say flex or italic for example.

[Dimy]

Goood idea, sadly I lack a M nib as I never found any use for it during work, but I will add flex nib, that I have few. I will add them in testing along with EF nibs which I also have. Thanks for that suggestion.

[sgphototn]

Good review and testing. You've covered the bases well. As someone else suggested using a wider nib like a broad may offer some additional information, but all-in-all you've done a yeoman's job. Thanks.

[jean]

Thank you for this excellent review

.

I noticed that depending on the paper, the color could stay dark blue for a long time or become almost black in 48 hours.

[inkstainedruth]

Great review.  

KWZI IG Blue Black and ice cream -- what a good idea.  Now I'm hungry.  For food, AND for ink.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth. 

[Tas]

So thorough. Thank you 😊 

[Dimy]

  On 12/24/2020 at 12:17 PM, sgphototn said:

Good review and testing. You've covered the bases well. As someone else suggested using a wider nib like a broad may offer some additional information, but all-in-all you've done a yeoman's job. Thanks.

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Thanks for that.

I will all flex results with next batch after months change in color.

 

  On 12/24/2020 at 3:26 PM, jean said:

Thank you for this excellent review

.

I noticed that depending on the paper, the color could stay dark blue for a long time or become almost black in 48 hours.

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Thanks

Yes that is true, although on all papers I tested the ink became blue-black by end of 48hrs while on JK Cedar 100 GSM as seen above its almost black, while on absorbent paper I saw dark blue for 24hrs before blacking, it did became blue-black by end of 48hrs though.....No paper I tested survived blue-ness for more then 48hrs, so yeah considering limited sample size it may very well be seen.

[Dimy]

  On 12/24/2020 at 4:34 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Great review.  

KWZI IG Blue Black and ice cream -- what a good idea.  Now I'm hungry.  For food, AND for ink.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth. 

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Thanks

It really made me want some ice-cream honestly as for ink its great give it a shot, long term test still on the way....I do fear for your too many sample issue and am glad to provide help to increase them over reducing....😅

 

  On 12/24/2020 at 5:24 PM, Tas said:

So thorough. Thank you 😊 

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Your Welcome.

[TSherbs]

Thorough and helpful, thank you. Especially the water test!

[Dimy]

  On 12/24/2020 at 10:01 PM, Quentin said:

Thorough and helpful, thank you. Especially the water test!

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Thanks😊

[inkstainedruth]

  On 12/24/2020 at 8:15 PM, Dimy said:

Thanks

It really made me want some ice-cream honestly as for ink its great give it a shot, long term test still on the way....

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Oh, I have a bottle of it.  I just can't decide whether I like it or IG Blue #3 (which I also have a bottle of) better.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Dimy]

  On 12/25/2020 at 7:21 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Oh, I have a bottle of it.  I just can't decide whether I like it or IG Blue #3 (which I also have a bottle of) better.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

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That was a hard choice for me too, in the end I choose this one for sheer claimed IG content and well my deep love for dark colors......sellers also helped me alot by running out of stock for blue #3😆

[XYZZY]

I enjoyed reading your review, especially all the unusual aging and soaking tests that you did.  I'm looking forward to your long term fade tests, I think it's great that you're doing this.

 

 

Everything that I ordered for Christmas was delivered on time except the two bottles of KWZ IG Blue Black and IG Gummiberry ink that I bought for myself.  I can't wait to try these out.

 

 

[Dimy]

  On 12/25/2020 at 11:13 PM, XYZZY said:

I enjoyed reading your review, especially all the unusual aging and soaking tests that you did.  I'm looking forward to your long term fade tests, I think it's great that you're doing this.

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Thanks

 

These are nice inks and I am sure it will be to your liking.

[RJS]

  On 12/25/2020 at 11:13 PM, XYZZY said:

Everything that I ordered for Christmas was delivered on time except the two bottles of KWZ IG Blue Black and IG Gummiberry ink that I bought for myself.  I can't wait to try these out.

 

 

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Everything I ordered for Christmas also arrived except a bottle of KWZ ink, and I ordered that months ago. I'm guessing KWZ don't keep much of an inventory of inks laying around.

[XYZZY]

  On 12/26/2020 at 9:49 AM, RJS said:

Everything I ordered for Christmas also arrived except a bottle of KWZ ink, and I ordered that months ago. I'm guessing KWZ don't keep much of an inventory of inks laying around.

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Mine are coming from Dromgoole's in Houston, and I've had nothing but positive experience with them.  As for this order, I placed the order on Dec 18, had tracking from Dromgoole's and the post office on Dec 18, with the post office reporting delivery by Dec 22.  It wasn't until Dec 23 that it actually left Houston, but as of 7:30 this morning it's on a truck to my house . So I'm quite pleased with Dromgoole's.  And I'm not unhappy with the post office, other than the original delivery estimate being naive.

[Karmachanic]

  On 12/26/2020 at 9:49 AM, RJS said:

Everything I ordered for Christmas also arrived except a bottle of KWZ ink, and I ordered that months ago. I'm guessing KWZ don't keep much of an inventory of inks laying around.

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The two bottles I ordered on the 20th arrived on the 24th. Might depend upon the merchant rather than the manufacturer.

[RJS]

It was LCDC I ordered from, nearly two months ago. They're still waiting for stock to arrive.  They delivered everything else I ordered, including another KWZ ink which was also back ordered.