Disappointed with Caran d'Ache's Blue Night

[lucentstreak]

I nearly picked up a bottle of it at a local shop but the shop owner was kind enough to let me try it and it came out grey on a brand new Safari. In contrast, the Sapporo Blue/black was exactly the shade that I expected the Blue Night to be and so I got that. I'm not sure if there will be a difference with different pens though.. It's just so strange.

[wscoas]

I also got a bottle of the Blue Night last year. Since I was having trouble with my pen, the shop suggested I try another ink so this bottle was on my desk for 10 months. Last weekend I tried it and it looked incredibly bad and grey. I talked to the shop yesterday but forgot to bring the bottle. They were amazed and had never heard complaints but I found several comments in FPN. Next week I will take the bottle to the shop because I feel ripped off (even though I got the bottle for free with the purchase of my pen).

 

Anton

[cfpen]

I also made another test, with a new kind of writing instrument (seen on the picture).

For me it's grey :

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n380/cfwpb/blue_night.jpg

 

The used paper was one sheet from a Rodhia notebook.

[MikeW]

That's what the ink looks like in my experience also. Tried shaking the bottle and different pens, no difference.

[Anne-Sophie]

This is a serious issue, either they changed the formula or the supplier without informing

their clients.

 

Caran d'Ache is a recognized brand and making fountain pen owners unhappy is not in

their interest.

 

Don't chug the bottles, return them to the retailers you got them from.

 

The retailers will make their voices heard to Caran d'Ache.

[savarez]

I also made another test, with a new kind of writing instrument (seen on the picture).

For me it's grey :

<photo snipped>

The used paper was one sheet from a Rodhia notebook.

 

I'd be disappointed, too. There's not a hint of blue in that swatch. Please let us know what happens... definitely try another bottle!

 

 

[cfpen]

I checked in my Moleskine, even with the first load, the ink was greyish.

 

[JJBlanche]

I hate to say it, but paying $20 for a bottle of ink is a setup for disappointment. As someone else had mentioned, the Sailor Blue Black is a great B-B, as is Pel BB (although some say it's grey as well). It's blue-black, after all. How is $10 more per bottle going to make an epiphanic difference?

[gigipurple]

Before you dispose of the ink, you might consider keeping it on hand for use in mixing your own ink. For example, it might be interesting to try taking some of the Blue Night and mixing in something like Aurora Blue or Visconti Blue or even Waterman Purple. Since you don't like the ink anyway (I don't either), perhaps you can still get some fun out of it by experimenting.

 

The problem is that this gray is so dull and ugly that I wouldn't dare to add it to any color I like. It will probably ruin it. As of today, I like all the inks I have, with the exception of this one. Thank you for the tip anyway. Gigi

[vermiculus]

I bought a bottle and it was an AWFUL watery grey, as if it was diluted by half. No reply from their customer service!

[gigipurple]

I bought a bottle and it was an AWFUL watery grey, as if it was diluted by half. No reply from their customer service!

 

 

I sent an email to Caran D'Ache's customer service a couple of days ago. Will post any response here. Gigi

[gigipurple]

I'm posting this update to add that Caran D'ache did not answer my email about this ink. Not a very good experience with this company and its products. Gigi

[Spindrift]

gigipurple:

 

Have you tried it with a fine nib? This can made a great difference, if you've only tried it with a medium nib.

Edited January 8, 2009 by Spindrift

[gigipurple]

gigipurple:

 

Have you tried it with a fine nib? This can made a great difference, if you've only tried it with a medium nib.

 

 

I tried it with extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad nibs. I even tried it with a cotton swab to see if I could use it for painting. But the color remained as ugly as ever. Then I just decided to get rid of it and keep the bottle, which was the only nice thing about this ink. Gigi

[davidspitzer]

Mine is also between blue and grey.

 

 

i think it is age - i have had it on my desk for about a 2 years and it started off more blue but now is battelship grey - nice bottles though

[davidspitzer]

Mine is also between blue and grey.

 

 

i think it is age - i have had it on my desk for about a 2 years and it started off more blue but now is battelship grey - nice bottles though

 

 

here are all the Caran D'ache inks on my desk - i dont have the real light blue

 

you can see the blue night and to a lesser degree the storm have faded in vibrance (darkened perhaps)

 

[davidspitzer]

Mine is also between blue and grey.

 

 

i think it is age - i have had it on my desk for about a 2 years and it started off more blue but now is battelship grey - nice bottles though

 

 

here is another shot with the color saturation up 50% so you can see the inks color bias (also it looks closer to this in sunlight)

 

 

[gigipurple]

Mine is also between blue and grey.

 

 

i think it is age - i have had it on my desk for about a 2 years and it started off more blue but now is battelship grey - nice bottles though

 

 

here is another shot with the color saturation up 50% so you can see the inks color bias (also it looks closer to this in sunlight)

 

Thank you David for these scans. In my monitor, the Blue Night appears as a greenish gray. Is that the color you see in person? Mine was just a very dull and ugly gray, with no green or blue in it. Yours seems a more interesting color.

If it is age what changes these inks, then the company should at least mark the bottles with an expiration date. The Storm ink looks very tempting. But I don't see myself buying any more of these inks for a long while. There are many others that have good reputations and I want to try those first. So Storm has to wait. Will it turn to gray in the meantime? Gigi

 

 

[Pengrump]

Ugliest ink color I own. Has replaced PR Gray Flannel as the ink I'm least likely to write with.

[gigipurple]

Ugliest ink color I own. Has replaced PR Gray Flannel as the ink I'm least likely to write with.

 

:roflmho: agree! Gigi