Caran d'Ache Blue Night

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

In spite of the variability issues, I think I want to try this.

[gigipurple]

I had the same problem. This is the thread where I talked about it.

 

The color of the ink was such an ugly gray that I ended up disposing of it. Not buying Caran D'ache inks anymore. They lost my trust. Kept the bottle though, and it now contains a mix of Diamine Indigo and Scarlet that is just beautiful! Gigi

[tnmike1]

I had the same problem. This is the thread where I talked about it.

 

The color of the ink was such an ugly gray that I ended up disposing of it. Not buying Caran D'ache inks anymore. They lost my trust. Kept the bottle though, and it now contains a mix of Diamine Indigo and Scarlet that is just beautiful! Gigi

 

 

just saw that thread. Think I'll dispose of the sample, write it off to experience and if I do order this in the future, perhaps ask the vendor to open the bottle and test it before shipping. Then we don't waste anyone's time or shipping expense. or just find another blue.

[Souldrifter]

My sample was the same disappointment.

 

However, the Caran d'Ache Carribean was astounding...

[Ted H]

It's too bad about the fading. The initial scan looks very much like some vintage Morisset ink I've been using in a desk set...come to think of it, even that faded to a weird gray/green in the Black n' Red.

[TwilightFury]

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but just tried my sample from Pear Tree--received late last month--and it is gray, just like some here have reported. So question is: has anyone found out that these batches differ one from another??? Obviously not returning the little sample bottle, but just curious. Loved the ink test I saw at the top of the thread, but mine is a washed out grayish tone.

 

I actually wondered the same thing....now I see that it is very hit or miss with this color in CdA so...since I can't get it in person near me I'll have to avoid it.

[lefty928]

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but just tried my sample from Pear Tree--received late last month--and it is gray, just like some here have reported. So question is: has anyone found out that these batches differ one from another??? Obviously not returning the little sample bottle, but just curious. Loved the ink test I saw at the top of the thread, but mine is a washed out grayish tone.

 

I actually wondered the same thing....now I see that it is very hit or miss with this color in CdA so...since I can't get it in person near me I'll have to avoid it.

The batch thing is puzzling. My sampler bottle of Blue Night (purchased from PearTree last year) looked fine, but the Diamine Lie de Thé (very very green) and Cacao de Brésil (gray) sample bottles were not at all like the images posted on FPN and elsewhere. So it's not just Caran d'Ache ...

[girlieg33k]

Hey folks, the review is from October 2007. The bottle of ink has definitely turned more grey over time (or, as some other FPNer described it, "dead rodent grey"). The ink still has the same well-behaving qualities, but the colour has definitely turned "off". It's been reputed that J. Herbin manufactures CdA's inks, so I've added a a bit of Herbin Sapphire Blue into the bottle; it livened the colour. It's not the same colour, but it's better than plain grey. Enjoy!

[saintsimon]

... It's been reputed that J. Herbin manufactures CdA's inks, ...

 

There have been several "generations" of CdA inks over the recent decades. The previous one was definitely J. Herbin (it was the same bottle after all), but the generation before that (I own one bottle of black) and the current generation are not necessarily J. Herbin stuff, at least they don't tell us.

[Michael R.]

... It's been reputed that J. Herbin manufactures CdA's inks, ...

 

There have been several "generations" of CdA inks over the recent decades. The previous one was definitely J. Herbin (it was the same bottle after all), but the generation before that (I own one bottle of black) and the current generation are not necessarily J. Herbin stuff, at least they don't tell us.

 

 

I'm pretty sure that the new ones are not made by Herbin. I think Dr. Pflug of Aratrum, Germany is a more likely source for those inks.

 

Michael

 

 

[tnmike1]

Am resurrecting this because would like to know if anyone has ordered this ink recently and has gotten the blue color, not the "dead mouse gray" that some of us received awhile back??? Would love to tryit, but only if it looks like the scan in this review

[UNDERDOG]

My wife just bought me a bottle. Color is dead. Bottle is gorgeous though.

 

Am resurrecting this because would like to know if anyone has ordered this ink recently and has gotten the blue color, not the "dead mouse gray" that some of us received awhile back??? Would love to tryit, but only if it looks like the scan in this review

 

[tnmike1]

OK, I really like the color of this ink in the original scan. So wondering if perhaps I should buy a bottle and ask the vendor to please test it for "blueness" before shipping, or ask if it is returnable IF this mouse-gray is the resultant color coming out of my pens???

[Gehaha]

Have you checked it under daylight?

Incandescent light sources are weak in the blue range...

 

I bought a bottle of this about 6 months ago and mine has no shades of blue in it. It is a dull washed out looking grey colour.

 

Yeah, it's the worst ink I have. It must've been a faulty batch. There's nothing blue about it. It's more like 1 part black to 10 million parts dishwater....

 

Hi, Robin,

 

I had exactly the same experience with this ink. I love the colors of Caran d'Ache and never had any issue with another one.

When I bought the ink, it had the color shown in the review. I did test it.

I think half a year later (I don't remember exactly) it came out like you described it very well.

Must have been some mysterious chemical transformation.

I was a little bit annoyed, because the ink is really expensive. I dropped it.

 

Best,

Anna

 

[SamCapote]

I saw another topic complaining about this. I think I got this bottle about 3 months ago from Fahrneys, and might as well post the scan I just did. There is definitely blue in this, but a thicker nib looks better.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/Inks/Caran-BlueNight2s.jpg

[Tquicksell]

 

So I just bought a bottle of Blue Night from a shop in Northern England because I always wanted to try this color out and it being discontinued makes it a bit difficult to see it being available for future purchases. But when I got home to test it out and ink it up I was very disappointed to find not the beautiful Blue black promised, but this muddy green mess. I have contacted both Caran d'ache as well as the vender,m but i just can believe my only chance to lay hand's on this ink has proved to be such a disaster. I took a picture and tried to match it best i could for others to see the wrongness of this color.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Tquicksell

[tfwall]

So I just bought a bottle of Blue Night from a shop in Northern England because I always wanted to try this color out and it being discontinued makes it a bit difficult to see it being available for future purchases. But when I got home to test it out and ink it up I was very disappointed to find not the beautiful Blue black promised, but this muddy green mess. I have contacted both Caran d'ache as well as the vender,m but i just can believe my only chance to lay hand's on this ink has proved to be such a disaster. I took a picture and tried to match it best i could for others to see the wrongness of this color.

 

Did you get a response from Caran d'Ache? I just went to fill a pen with this ink and found out that mine too has transformed into a grey washed out Quink black colour.

[georges zaslavsky]

Looks close to Diamine Prussian Blue. Nice color and thank for sharing

Edited July 7, 2013 by georges zaslavsky