Platinum Blue-Black

[girlieg33k]

I started a new rotation of pens this week. While I was inking pens, I decided to handwrite a few mini-reviews on each ink, with swab samples. To save time, I scanned everything, so colors may vary depending on your monitor. I'm limited to posting 600pix wide images here, but click on the image or the link below it to view the full-size scanned image. The full-sized image may give a better, sharper representation of each ink color.

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/platinum-blueblack_600pix.jpg

Click here to view full-size scanned image

Edited October 9, 2007 by girlieg33k

[Shelley]

Another nice review, it does occur tome that you must be washing a lot of pens at the meoment what with all the reviews you are doing-have you found any favourites yet, not just inks that you think is nice but ones that you think, I will use this and am putting it into my pen now?

[girlieg33k]

Another nice review, it does occur tome that you must be washing a lot of pens at the meoment what with all the reviews you are doing-have you found any favourites yet, not just inks that you think is nice but ones that you think, I will use this and am putting it into my pen now?

I go through a different rotation of pens every two weeks. The pens that I write dry during that time get flushed/cleaned as I go. Pens that still have ink at the end of two weeks will be flushed and inked regardless. With the exception of Noodler's Ellis Island and Manhattan Blue, I've used all the inks that I just recently reviewed before. However, when I write the the mini-review, I note my fresh impression of the ink/pen combo that I happened to have chosen, and if I can recall past experiences (good or bad) with that particular ink, I try to note it as well.

[girlieg33k]

Here's the update for water-resistance. Click the scanned image or the link below it to view the full-size scanned image.

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/platinum-bb-water.jpg

Immersed in water for 24-hours

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/platinum-bb-watertest-scan_600pix.jpg

After drying overnight

:: Click here to view full image ::

Edited October 9, 2007 by girlieg33k

[FLZapped]

Here's the update for water-resistance. Click the scanned image or the link below it to view the full-size scanned image.

 

http://home.comcast.net/~girlieg33k/imgs/platinum-blueblack-water.jpg

Immersed in water for 24-hours

 

http://home.comcast.net/~girlieg33k/imgs/platinum-blueblack-watertest-scan_600pix.jpg

After drying overnight

:: Click here to view full image ::

 

 

That's not too shabby at all! -Bruce

[girlieg33k]

That's not too shabby at all! -Bruce

Yep... It has earned its place among my favorite blue inks. Even though it's labeled as a blue-black ink, Platinum Blue-Black is most definitely blue. And to add a few more notes to the mini-review:

-- It's a dark blue that never stains and is very water-resistant.

-- It flows and behaves as well as Waterman and Diamine inks.

-- I get a good amount of variation out of it (in terms of use), meaning it appears dark in XF and F nibs (and never appears so dark that anyone would mistake it as black ink), stays a medium-to-dark blue in M nibs, and in B and italic nibs, it's lighter but I get a shading effect.

-- After being soaked in water for 24-hours, it obviously fades but it remains very legible and the smearing that occurs from water contact is minimal.

 

The only drawback is some may consider it expensive. It's $6.00 for a small 1oz/29.6ml bottle. In comparison, Waterman's 2.5oz/73.9ml bottle sells for $8.25 and Diamine's 2.7oz/80ml for $12.00.

 

Here's Pendemonium's review of it:

Platinum Blue Black: "Not a traditional blue black with two tone type affects, but a dark blue. Not as deep as what we generally think of as Navy Blue, [but] no confusing it with black in low light."

 

 

*Prices are from pendemonium.com

Edited October 7, 2007 by girlieg33k

[fjf]

Very nice review!. Finally, a good looking blue that is water resistant!. I'll get this one when I spend my blue mix (50% luxury + 25% florida + 25% south seas) which is very similar in color. Thanks!.

[fjf]

I just got this ink. True, dark cobalt blue, water-resistant. Not chalky or washed out as others are. Nothing to do with other blue-backs, more like grey-blues. This one is a dark and pure blue. I think I just found my blue ink. The only problem with it is that it is hard to find. I got 3 small 30 ml bottles from ebay ( a seller in Malaysia) for 33$ including shipping. Not cheap. But I like it a lot better that Quink or Florida blue.

Edited October 15, 2007 by fjf

[Zarble44]

I came across www.theinkflow.com while searching for Sailor ink. They're selling the 1oz Platinum for $4.80 a bottle. They also seem to have really good prices on Namiki cartridges, etc.

 

Also seems to be 20% off Waterman inks, etc.

 

I haven't bought from them (yet!) due to an issue with the shopping cart. But I plan to.

[CharlieB]

This is a really nice color ink. It reminds me of some of the Private Reserve colors. I'm frankly surprised that they call it Blue Black instead of just Blue. No matter what the name, it sure looks nice. Let me guess.... it is extremely difficult to buy in this country.

[girlieg33k]

Hey Charlie... You know what I find rather amusing? You're the one who told me about this ink... So no, it's not difficult to get...

[CharlieB]

You're right... as always! Pendemonium has it, as do The Ink Flow and Cajun Pens. I just checked.

 

The reasons I thought it might be hard to get are: I've never seen it any of my four local penshops, and I remember Platinum has changed U.S. distributors within the last year or two.

 

I think the ink I told you about was Platinum's Carbon Black ink. That's the only Platinum ink that's previously appeared on my radar scope. I hear that ink is no longer being shipped to the U.S.

Edited January 26, 2008 by CharlieB

[davidwholt]

You're right... as always! Pendemonium has it, as do The Ink Flow and Cajun Pens. I just checked.

 

FWIW today (I know, six months later) I also found it in stock at Swisher Pens (no affiliation)

 

{that is Pendemonium and The Ink Flow were out, hopefully temporarily}.

 

Went ahead and ordered just in case it gets discontinued

like S T DuPont blue black seems to have.

[1000km]

Platinum Blue-Black is really a lot greyer than the scan depicts. It's a conservative but well-behaved ink with the added benefit of water resistance.

[fjf]

Yes, after a lot of use it it a grey-blue in most papers and pens. In some papers with a wet pen it looks bluer. Most blues appear in scans brighter than they really are.

[Escribiente]

Thank you for a nice review. I have been using a Tanzanite (Binder Mix) for a while because I couldn't find a blue that satisfied me--dark enough, but still bluish. This might be it.

[Gran]

Thank you for the nice review of such a nice color!

[gyv]

[...] The only problem with it is that it is hard to find. [...]

 

There is a simple way to obtain Platinum Blue-Black ink:

Order a custom Nakaya pen. Three months later you'll get in the mail a wooden box. Open the box. Remove some annoying stuff (papers, pen, kimono), and there it is, in all its splendor: a beautiful box of of 10 cartridges of the wonderful Platinum Blue-Black ink. EZ, no?

[HenryLouis]

[...] The only problem with it is that it is hard to find. [...]

 

There is a simple way to obtain Platinum Blue-Black ink:

Order a custom Nakaya pen. Three months later you'll get in the mail a wooden box. Open the box. Remove some annoying stuff (papers, pen, kimono), and there it is, in all its splendor: a beautiful box of of 10 cartridges of the wonderful Platinum Blue-Black ink. EZ, no?

 

Or the bottles are available at jetpens.

Edited July 19, 2009 by HenryLouis

[Bookman]

I performed my own water test of this ink and some others for comparison. Method: I wrote the name of the ink on a strip of paper, immediately placed it in a serving platter on my patio table, and dumped a glass of water directly onto the ink. I let it sit for twenty seconds while I pretended to hunt for paper towels. Then I pulled the paper out of the water and blotted it dry.

 

Look at this. (I tried three other ways to get this photo here. None of them worked. Sorry.)

 

Platinum Blue-Black should be added to the list of water-resistant inks. Notice how poorly Pelikan Black performed, even though it is listed as water-resistant. Aurora Black and Platimum Blue-Black, which aren't so listed, look pretty good considering the ink had only been on the paper about ten seconds before I dumped water onto it. The Namiki-Pilot Blue-Black is beyond water-resistant. In my tests it was as waterproof as Noodler's Old Manhattan Black and Noodler's Waterproof Aquamarine Blue.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Bookman