I am so glad an Iroshizuku ink made your list. Their inks are so pure. My pens love Iroshizuku! And my next purchase will be kon-peki. Since giving up my pen collection over a decade ago, I have purchased just four pens. And four inks. I hesitate about a fifth, but the kon-peki might just mean a new pen. It will be my last. I never want more pens than I can give proper attention to. That was the self promise I made 12 years ago when I turned 70. Love your channel, Hemingway. Thank you for presenting.
I am getting to the same point with my fountain pens - not wanting "more pens than I can give proper attention to," which is a great way to word that. I have been using and accumulating fountain pens since the mid-90s. Thus, I have what I consider to be a large collection, but I am zeroing in on the ones I reach for most often, the ones I almost always have inked. Sometime in the next year or two, I plan to start selling the ones that aren't among my frequent flyers.
My favorite bright blue is a tie between Diamine Blue Velvet and Pilot Asa Gao. My favorite dark blue would probably be Diamine Oxford Blue or Noodlers Tyrolean Chicago (2022 Chicago Pen Show exclusive)
Thank you for highlighting a color family that won’t give the fountain pen hobby a bad reputation when I use it at work. A lot of channels get so into weird boutique colors that all I can picture is the eyerolls my coworkers are going to give when they see me unsheath my fancy-pants pens.
Thanks for sharing your Top5 blue inks. I do not have an all-time favourite blue - it varies depending on the pen, the paper and my mood. Currently, my 1st choice in blue inks is J.Herbin "Bleu des Profondeurs". I have it in my MB 146 Calligraphy Flex and in my TWSBI Diamond 580 "Prussian Blue". Btw. I would like to thank you for the great idea of cartridge swapping (from your last Live) - I tried it with my Kaweco Sport with the BB nib (so that the ink flow is fast enough, and I do not have to write many pages before the colour changes). This is so much fun. Switching from red to blue to green to brown to orange and back again. I love it 💖. Some time ago I purchased some metal cartridge stoppers to prevent half used cartridges from drying out. Never used them but now they are perfect! Many greetings from Germany.
Your point about a blue signature standing out against black text is brilliant. New to fountain pens, but in to calligraphy, fonts, and good penmanship, I'm 73 and recently found your channel. You have much experience to pass on to a beginner as myself. Thanks for being here.
I knew it!! I tried to guess and I was right. I guessed that the ink that goes in the Egyptomania pen would be the winner since it’s one of your favorite pens. Now I want to get this ink. Thank you.
I prefer blue over black ink always. Of your 5 favorites I would choose the Taccia. My newest obsession in the blue ink family although with teal leanings, is Wearingeul Old Man & the Sea.
Great selection of inks! Of the five presented, I would have to go with the J. Herbin. I figured that was your favorite since it resides in your Egyptian inkwell. Two of my personal favorite blue inks are Diamine Oxford Blue and Monteverde Horizon Blue.
Hello Kurt! Oxford Blue is very nice. That is an excellent choice. I need to get it for Dark Academic Inks V2! It has a great name and the perfect tone!
My favorite blue ink is definitely Diamine Blue Velvet. Great behavior and it is a vibrant deep blue, that nearly matches Baystate Blue (but easy too handle). It sticks out on any page. I love it!
Great, poetic description and rationale for your ink choices. My 2 favorite blue inks are Diamine "Misty Blue" (Appalachian Smokey mountain mists) and Birmingham Pen Company "Heron." Kon-peki is a standard, for sure, and my blue-black favorite is a tossup between Visconti "Starry Night" and Diamine "Midnight".
I preferred black ink to blue ink until I dived into the ink rabbit hole and discovered so many blue inks and blue shimmer inks! Don’t get me started on purple, that’s another rabbit hole, my favorite color! But the blues… favorite blue shimmer is Colorverse Cat favorite blue standard is a tie between Sailor Komagi and J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir. This is hands down my favorite video to date! Cheers’
There is something about Éclat de Saphir that looks so pure, glassy, and electric. I can't stop looking at it! For me it's at par with Kon Peki and Pilot's standard blue. I remember in my high school days, I was still using a ballpoint pen but I exclusively used Pilot's BPS fine blue because there's just something about that blue that looked so calm yet so focused. My friend, on the other hand, almost exclusively used Pilot's G-TEC in blue and I know a classmate that loved the G2, also in blue. Pilot just makes amazing blues. Each a different timbre but well defined with their own personalities. They just get it!
Very nice selections, very hard to top. I use a lot of Waterman Serenity Blue because I always have one or two vintage pens inked up, but for modern pens you have some great choices there.
My top blue inks so far have been Waterman Serenity blue as my sapphire and vintage pen safe ink, Diamine Oxford blue as my dark blue legal style ink, and Noodler's 54th Massachusetts as my blue black (more blue grey but hey i still love it). I think Kon peki may be a good choice for a light blue for me.
I can't quibble with any of your choices, I myself chose Waterman Serenity Blue decades ago as my top pick. It was my father's ink and there's still a bottle in my drawer, but I've lately been drawn to small, local artisans ... and now The Wet Pen's "Elliott Bay" is my signature ink (arguably blue). It's just not something I get worked up about: It's ink, after all.
I’ve always loved blue inks. And it’s actually easy to have too many of them. I once did, too. Even now I have several blue inks that I decided I liked best. I reckon my top 5 would be: Aurora Blue Visconti Blue Sailor Seiboku Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo Diamine Oxford Blue
I recently got a bottle of Herbin "Éclat de Saphir" ink and like it so much that I bought another bottle as a gift for a friend. Nice choices. I prefer blue to black. I thought most people would.
@@mysteriousman3531 Waterman renamed all their inks, the name South Sea Blue no longer exists but I don’t know what the new name would be if they kept the ink.
Thanks for sharing your favorites. Your top choice is similar to one I've used in some of my pens - the feared, the electric of blue inks, Noodlers Baystate Blue. Baystate is nearly waterproof when dry and is my go to when signatures are important. Another blue I use is Rohrer & Klingner Salix, an iron-gall ink. I don't store any pen with either of those two inks, but I ensure that after I use them up I rinse out the converter and feed if setting aside for longer than a week. Your choices are nice, I'm a blue-ink-preferred f.p. user too.
Loved the video. Especially the Serene background music (hint hint). As for a blue sheening ink, I go American with Organics Studio Nitrogen. Though don't breath too much of it, it can be deadly.
I'm not a fan of blue ink, but I do like the Mont Blanc Midnight Blue due to how dark it is. Being somewhat new to fountain pens my all time favorite thus far is Diamine Oxblood. Keep up the great work providing great content!!
I loved the Taccia. So beautiful! Well, I wish I did not have so much blue to justify getting that Taccia too. Yes, I stocked up on my favorite Blue. I bought 240 Ml of that That is the Locomotive by Birmingham Pen Company. On a different note, I got the Oxblood too, but I am also so fond of Noodler's Tsvetaeva. The latter is a little light for me while I could handle a little less darkness from Oxblood. I dropped a few drops of Noodler's Black in Tsvetaeva and the undertones are just magnificent. A little more though and it turns brownish. So my Stub carries the Tsvetaeva and my Architect carries the Oxblood. The advantage of Tsvetaeva, besides the tones, is that it is bulletproof.
I agree with all your choices here, they are excellent. I am adding several more. Robert Oster blue water ice is an amazing blue color and flows great. Diamine Mediterranean Blue is just beautiful and with my older pens I always use the Pelikan 4001 Royal blue which never fails me, great color and ink. No ink can match the vibrant color of Noodler's Baystate Blue but this ink stains everything so I call it the evil one ( I have dedicated one pen for this ink knowing that it is stained forever).
I'd have to say of these, I prefer that Taccia. That's exactly what I look for in a blue; deep and evocative. I recently picked up another in that line but haven't inked it up yet. Looking forward to it even more, now. You surprised me a bit with that Krishna. I don't usually see you playing with the super shinies. My favorite blue is Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. I don't use it all the time, but if I'm out of it, emotionally, I'm out of ink. It's just so trustworthy. I use it as my pen tester the way you use Kon-Peki. I know it so well that I know what's going on with the pen.
Dear Hemingway Jones, thank you so much for your video on blue inks. You always make my day brighter and jollier by reminding me what a wonderful hobby we share. I also love Eclat De Saphir by Herbin. My choices will stretch to Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue and Conklin Limited Edition Israel 75.
Thank you! I enjoy Eclat de Saphir very much. Would like to try the mysterious MB Midnight Blue. I'd like to try all the inks you feature. Love the way you describe them! I enjoy the darker blues, including Waterman Mysterious Blue- maybe it's the name, but I like it. I’ve heard so much about Kon Peki, I must try it some day when mu ink collection needs a blue. Perhaps when I run out of Tsuki-yo, which I like but is not my go-to lately. Mostly I enjoy the pale blues. Every time I use Maiora Blu Caprese, it makes me smile. Most of all, J Herbin's Bleu Myosotis pleases me. It makes me think of the inks I drew with in the seventies, paled a bit with nostalgic memories. I keep it always in a medium nib vintage Parker Sonnet.
Baltic Memoies is a great ink. The shading is really nice, and it smells so good while you are writing. Love how it can sheen either black or fuscia depending on the ink flow. I tend to use IG Turquoise more, but thats because I'm paranoid about my journals getting wet and losing all of my drafts.
First timer to your channel and wow...I learned a lot thank you. I am "old school" taught to write with a pen+inkwell and "graduated" to fountain pens (my hands were relieved) when my cursive was legible. I saw you writing with a lovely glass pen....had they been around "back in the day" I might not have been in such a hurry to "graduate".....Fun video too...
Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind words and in hearing your story. I believe that was from J Herbin. Glass pens are so elegant. Murano makes my favorites. Thanks!
I think Dominant Industry Lapis Luzili is a favorite blue followed closely by Waterman Serenity blue. - Not a large blue fan. Very nice selection though
Another great video! And while they are all lovely inks, I agree that the J. Herbin Eclat de Sephir is my favorite of the five blue inks you've chosen.
Blue ink is my all-time favorite, and I have twice as many blue inks than all my other colors combined. My favorite is Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa. I am glad that I bought several bottles before it was discontinued. The others that round out my top 5: Sailor Manyo Konagi, Montblanc Glacier Blue, Scribe Indigo, Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko. J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir is a very close alternate.
Beautiful selection of blue inks! Thank you for sharing them all. My favorite blue ink is Diamine Florida Blue. It looks so nice when writing a letter.
I am glad you reminded me a few months ago that Éclat de Saphir exists and that you featured it here. I love shading inks more than sheening inks and Éclat de Saphir reminds me of the very first fountain pen ink I had as a kid. I always thought shading inks were so elegant because you could tell it had been written with a fountain pen.💙
I have been using Mont Blanc's Midnight Blue for years and love it. I use it in all my Mont Blanc pens. I love Kon Peki, but not as much as the darker blues. I use it also as a benchmark, along with Shin Kai. I just purchased Taccia's Hokkusai and adore it, especially with a coarse nib which renders lots of sheening. For the brighter blues, I'd have to do with Graff von Faber Castell's Royal Blue as my favorite. It's bright, but not boring. Some people complain that it's not saturated enough, but I love that slightly faded feel. One more for lovers of dark blues: Monteverde's Ocean Noir is stunning on the page. Thanks, for a great review!
I’m a Midnight Blue girl because I lean towards black inks, so it’s a nice compromise for me. I love Kon-peki as well, finding it slightly more playful. Those are the blues I have (other than cartridges) and they suit me well. Great discussion! My Pilot Custom 823 JUST arrived, so…….
Ohh, I if you like midnight blue you may like Diamine Prussian Blue. I’ve been using it in my 823 fine and it’s like a blue charcoal. I found out about it from a popular RUclips pen influencer named adventuredenali, who Hemingway Jones interviewed not too long ago on his channel. Enjoy the many wonderful writing days ahead of you with your 823! Quick tip since you’re new to the 823: you can “wet” the nib by opening the back piston knob, then turning it shut while the pen is point upright (nib facing the ground). Look at the back of the nib as you do this and you can see a tiny bit of ink coming out the breather hole in the back of the nib feeder. You may have to do this more than once. When you see that little bit of ink, you’re ready to write! Since the feeder is wet now, you could leave the piston closed and there should be enough ink in the feed for a page or two of writing. 823 is such a fun pen. Totally impractical imo. But so fun.
Wonderful inks, I appreciate that you explain why you chose each ink. Thanks to you Kon Peki has revived a few of my pens that I thought were hopeless.
My favourite is Diamine Bilberry followedcby Iroshizuku's Asa Gao which is almost identical to the Eclat de Saphir. The Bilberry although oftentimes depicted as puple in various sites, it is a saturated dark blue ink with a tinge of purple and I just love it. Excellent choices those you mention.
beautiful blues, surprising, really, i tend to shy away from dark blues and blacks, but all but kon peki, really appealed to me. super bright blues and contrasting blacks give me eye strain. i got into gel pens because of that, the greens, dark teal blues, and even pinks and oranges were easier on my eyes, idk why. then my gel and ball points refused to write fast enough, and caused hand fatigue so searching for something faster and waterproof, i came across a fountain pen video. i am glad i did, i got to meet you and so many other nice people. have a great week.
Organics Studio Nitrogen. Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao. Diamine Majestic Blue (and Akkerman Shocking Blue). Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue. And for fun Diamine Artic Blast and Ruby Blues.
All great choices. My long time favorite blue in was Visconti Blue until it was reformulated in 2022. Now my favorite blue is either Iroshizuko Asa Gao or Aurora Blue. I also really like Waterman Florida Blue.
When this started my first thought was he better have Monte Blanc Midnight blue. That is one of my go to inks. The only thing I would add to this list is Robert Oster Fire and Ice. I really love that ink. It is very close to your favorite. It just pops on the page and makes me happy when I see it.
I really loved the Krishna Moon View ink. I may need to get a bottle for myself. The blue ink I use is a mix between Private Reserve Electric Blue and Diamine Shimmering Blue Pearl. I don't have much of a preference between blue and black. I use green in my everyday writing and for my signatures. It may be a little unconventional, but green is my favorite color.
Amazing selection, i have only the kon peki but will put the midnight blue in my coming list and sure the sphaire in the radar as well..for my current blue inks (i am from the 2/3 black inks lovers) i use parker quink, waterman, edelstein tanzanite, MB blue black. thank you for the video.
Great choices! I don't currently have any of these ink, but now I'm considering Montblanc Midnight Blue and J. Herbin Eclet de Saphir at some point. My 2 favorite Blue inks have to be Diamine Oxford Blue and Laban Artemis Navy Blue. Artemis Navy Blue was the ink that convinced me to start using ink and converters rather than cartridges in my pens, and Oxford Blue is just such a perfect dark academia colour name in my mind as well as being a gorgeous ink itself.
I really enjoyed this video. My favorite blue inks are Monteverde Horizon Blue and Visconti Blue. When filling a new pen I always use Waterman Serenity Blue.
We still had the blue ink issue within the last couple of years when I was working with court reporters. A very select group of legal documents we worked with still had to be signed in blue ink. I love Kon-Peki. I’m also a fan of Diamine Oxford Blue and Colorverse Proxima B.
I am also a fan of blue inks. So far I like Waterman serenity blue,Diamine Oxford blue and polar glow I have yet to use. I have to put a bottle J. Herbin in my cart. Great picks. Great video. Thanks.
I'm definitely a blue ink fan... I did pick up a bottle of Eclat de Saphir because I wanted something darker than Gulf Blue from Graf von Faber Castell. Overall, I like how the Graf ink behaves better. Eclat is almost too wet for most of my pens. Will try with some other nibs eventually, but I went crazy on some blue ink samples this past month.
Recently received the serenity blue from waterman and looks stunning. I do use noodlers baystate blue a lot (although not often in brush drawings) and troublemaker milky ocean. Going to consider buying the pilot konpeki next.
Thank you for your top five picks! I don’t really love blue ink and have been looking for some good choices - I will definitely give the J Herbin a go, it looks absolutely stunning
Excellent choices. I too am a blue ink person and do not understand why people consider blue ink to be boring. Waterman Serenity Blue is my "control" ink and my go to ink for delicate or hard to clean pens. Diamine Oxford Blue is one of my favorites and probably my signature ink. I just recently got the Taccia Hotusai and love it!
Blue over black 100%! I LOVE blue inks. My favorite right now is Montblanc Petrol but I just bought a bottle of Birmingham Pennsylvania Slate and that is amazing too. I want to try Eclat de Saphir now! Great video! :)
My favourite blue is Diamine Blue Velvet. Everytime I run out and I think I'm going to try a different shade, I wind up picking up another bottle of Blue Velvet.
I really enjoyed the video, and learned of some new inks that I did not have any idea existed. Taccia Koiai is the one ink, I have never used or even heard of that ink. I am going to order a bottle as I too love to use blue inks. I new you were going to select the J. Herbin, but most of us do, lol. Thank you for presenting the video. Very well made and produced. Take care.
MB Mid Night Blue is my favourite. But I find it to be a bit dry and in my Conid Bulkfiller with a medium nib, I sometimes experience flow issues. Recently I bought Noodlers X Feather Blue and it is also a beautiful Blue with a very slight Red sheen.
Nice, as for me , definitely Eclat de Saphir by J.Herbin in my egyptomania. And in my MB 149 Royal Akkerman blue, in the Corsani "Arborea" by Leonardo special edition the Bleu-Black by Leonardo Officina Italian. These are currently in rotation .
My favorite ink is the Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao and my second favorite is Noodler's Blue. The Herbin Eclat de Saphir looks very interesting and likely will be the next blue I buy. Thank you for this video.
Nice selection, thanks for this one. I didn’t know about Éclat de Saphir, I will have to pick up a sample. My go to blues are Waterman Serenity for my vintage pens and Goulet/Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium for modern pens. Nice bright blue and water resistant -important to me. Need to pick up a new bottle, what is left in my 14 year old bottle has started giving flow issues in my new L2000.
I just got a bottle of Montblanc Glacier Blue from Dromgoole's and I adore it. I love Midnight blue and blue blacks. I'm kind of interested in Montblanc Irish Green lately. Might have to buy a bottle and see. My favorite blue is Diamine Prussian Blue though. It has this dusty greyish tinge to it. I also lately am loving Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo and Robert Oster Evening Sapphire.
Montblanc had a special JFK Navy Blue a few years back which was wonderful. I like Iroshizuku Asa-Gao, and am currently using and loving - Diamine [for Cult Pens] Deep Dark Blue. (My main carry has Oxblood!)
I'm in the fortunate position of working from home. Now that I have fountain pens, I barely touch blue or black, preferring something more playful. But back when I used ballpoints, I preferred black ink.
I really enjoy the sheening inks and wonder if the ink is effective in EF and F nibs. Or, do I need to invest in a dedicated sheening ink pen with a particular appropriate nib? Thank you for your guidance.
You know, believe it or not, I’ve never tried! I have always put it into a stub to get all of its glorious tone! It will still work, but not nearly as dramatic. I like to dedicate a TWSBI with a fat nib for them. Stubs are wonderful writers!
I have a sheening ink in my pilot kakuno EF, and the sheening effect definitely shows, but it’s harder to see straight away so it’ll appear blue as you write, but the violet sheen will “glint” out of the corner of your eye and if you hold it in brighter light or in sunlight at an angle it will be easy to see. I highly recommend using the fine, or broader, to see the effect. You’ll be surprised just how much more you’ll see in the ink color and variations when you use medium / broad / stub nibs. Eg, pilot kon-peki in EF and F is blue. But in a medium, you will see it varying between light and dark blue as the ink flows more or less by each movement Of your pen.
MV2 looks like the infamous Organics Nitrogen. I love Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao, which is very much like Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. My go-to blue black is Sailor Nano Sei-boku. My shading champion is Robert Oster Blue Water Ice. It is so fun.
Personal taste changes over time, but at the moment my absolute favorite is LAMY crystal ink benitoite. I would highly recommend to give it a try. It's a blue-black tone just a touch lighter than montblanc's midnight blue (which I also love very much...)
Hello HJ. It's amazing just how many blue inks are out there. Your list was quite good. Very diversified. My blue inks are Edelstein Topaz and Sapphire, Montblanc Petrol and Midnight Blue. These suit my creativity during my journaling sessions. Great video. Very interesting.
Good video. I was amazed that people like black over blue. I like blue (Asa-Gao). Having just watched your video. I just ordered ordered a bottle of Eclat de Saphir. I also use OX Blood. Thanks , Ox Blood and
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
I am so glad an Iroshizuku ink made your list. Their inks are so pure. My pens love Iroshizuku! And my next purchase will be kon-peki. Since giving up my pen collection over a decade ago, I have purchased just four pens. And four inks. I hesitate about a fifth, but the kon-peki might just mean a new pen. It will be my last. I never want more pens than I can give proper attention to. That was the self promise I made 12 years ago when I turned 70.
Love your channel, Hemingway. Thank you for presenting.
I am getting to the same point with my fountain pens - not wanting "more pens than I can give proper attention to," which is a great way to word that. I have been using and accumulating fountain pens since the mid-90s. Thus, I have what I consider to be a large collection, but I am zeroing in on the ones I reach for most often, the ones I almost always have inked. Sometime in the next year or two, I plan to start selling the ones that aren't among my frequent flyers.
My favorite bright blue is a tie between Diamine Blue Velvet and Pilot Asa Gao. My favorite dark blue would probably be Diamine Oxford Blue or Noodlers Tyrolean Chicago (2022 Chicago Pen Show exclusive)
I love Asa Gao. Don't see too many people recommending it though.
🙌 Éclat de Saphir is my favourite too. You introduced me to this ink on your channel and it is stunning. . Thank you.
Must say Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo talks to my heart. Sometimes blue, sometimes clearly leaning to green, depending on the light.
Personally, I prefer Diamine Prussian Blue, it has that steel gray tone to it, like the Prussian WWI uniforms.
Thank you for highlighting a color family that won’t give the fountain pen hobby a bad reputation when I use it at work. A lot of channels get so into weird boutique colors that all I can picture is the eyerolls my coworkers are going to give when they see me unsheath my fancy-pants pens.
Thanks for sharing your Top5 blue inks. I do not have an all-time favourite blue - it varies depending on the pen, the paper and my mood. Currently, my 1st choice in blue inks is J.Herbin "Bleu des Profondeurs". I have it in my MB 146 Calligraphy Flex and in my TWSBI Diamond 580 "Prussian Blue". Btw. I would like to thank you for the great idea of cartridge swapping (from your last Live) - I tried it with my Kaweco Sport with the BB nib (so that the ink flow is fast enough, and I do not have to write many pages before the colour changes). This is so much fun. Switching from red to blue to green to brown to orange and back again. I love it 💖. Some time ago I purchased some metal cartridge stoppers to prevent half used cartridges from drying out. Never used them but now they are perfect! Many greetings from Germany.
Your point about a blue signature standing out against black text is brilliant. New to fountain pens, but in to calligraphy, fonts, and good penmanship, I'm 73 and recently found your channel. You have much experience to pass on to a beginner as myself. Thanks for being here.
Thank you for the kindness! Happy to help!
I love all blues but usually use Waterman Serenity or Mysterious blue. but you have encouraging me to try some interesting new choices.
I'm thinking the same thing.
Indeed, wonder why Waterman gets left out of these lists, it feels like the best control ink that is not too expensive. I love their Mysterious Blue!
Although some dislike it I love the intensity of Bay State Blue. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, will do!
My favorite will always be Diamine Majestic Blue .
I knew it!! I tried to guess and I was right. I guessed that the ink that goes in the Egyptomania pen would be the winner since it’s one of your favorite pens. Now I want to get this ink. Thank you.
Nicely done!
My favorite blues are:
1) Diamine Sargasso Sea
2) Pilot Iroshizuku Asa Gao
3) Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire
4) Diamine Blue Velvet
5) Sailor Ink Studio 743
Sargasso Sea is an excellent choice! Did you ever notice that it smells like the sea! Interesting stuff.
Diamine Mediterranean Blue me.
I prefer blue over black ink always. Of your 5 favorites I would choose the Taccia. My newest obsession in the blue ink family although with teal leanings, is Wearingeul Old Man & the Sea.
Taccia is a solid choice.
Great selection of inks! Of the five presented, I would have to go with the J. Herbin. I figured that was your favorite since it resides in your Egyptian inkwell. Two of my personal favorite blue inks are Diamine Oxford Blue and Monteverde Horizon Blue.
Hello Kurt! Oxford Blue is very nice. That is an excellent choice. I need to get it for Dark Academic Inks V2! It has a great name and the perfect tone!
My favorite blue ink is definitely Diamine Blue Velvet. Great behavior and it is a vibrant deep blue, that nearly matches Baystate Blue (but easy too handle). It sticks out on any page. I love it!
Great, poetic description and rationale for your ink choices. My 2 favorite blue inks are Diamine "Misty Blue" (Appalachian Smokey mountain mists) and Birmingham Pen Company "Heron." Kon-peki is a standard, for sure, and my blue-black favorite is a tossup between Visconti "Starry Night" and Diamine "Midnight".
Thanks Brother! I am glad you liked this one!
I preferred black ink to blue ink until I dived into the ink rabbit hole and discovered so many blue inks and blue shimmer inks! Don’t get me started on purple, that’s another rabbit hole, my favorite color! But the blues… favorite blue shimmer is Colorverse Cat favorite blue standard is a tie between Sailor Komagi and J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir.
This is hands down my favorite video to date! Cheers’
There is something about Éclat de Saphir that looks so pure, glassy, and electric. I can't stop looking at it! For me it's at par with Kon Peki and Pilot's standard blue.
I remember in my high school days, I was still using a ballpoint pen but I exclusively used Pilot's BPS fine blue because there's just something about that blue that looked so calm yet so focused. My friend, on the other hand, almost exclusively used Pilot's G-TEC in blue and I know a classmate that loved the G2, also in blue. Pilot just makes amazing blues. Each a different timbre but well defined with their own personalities. They just get it!
Very nice selections, very hard to top. I use a lot of Waterman Serenity Blue because I always have one or two vintage pens inked up, but for modern pens you have some great choices there.
Serenity Blue is an excellent choice!
My top blue inks so far have been Waterman Serenity blue as my sapphire and vintage pen safe ink, Diamine Oxford blue as my dark blue legal style ink, and Noodler's 54th Massachusetts as my blue black (more blue grey but hey i still love it). I think Kon peki may be a good choice for a light blue for me.
Enjoyed the video! My new favorite blue is Franklin-Christoph Ink'24. this year's Philadelphia Show ink.
I can't quibble with any of your choices, I myself chose Waterman Serenity Blue decades ago as my top pick. It was my father's ink and there's still a bottle in my drawer, but I've lately been drawn to small, local artisans ... and now The Wet Pen's "Elliott Bay" is my signature ink (arguably blue). It's just not something I get worked up about: It's ink, after all.
I’ve always loved blue inks. And it’s actually easy to have too many of them. I once did, too. Even now I have several blue inks that I decided I liked best.
I reckon my top 5 would be:
Aurora Blue
Visconti Blue
Sailor Seiboku
Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo
Diamine Oxford Blue
I recently got a bottle of Herbin "Éclat de Saphir" ink and like it so much that I bought another bottle as a gift for a friend.
Nice choices.
I prefer blue to black. I thought most people would.
Thank you so much! Love Sapphire! I thought people liked Black more too.
My grandfather used to use south sea blue ink working as a clerk on the railways
Waterman South Sea Blue is beautiful for sure!
I don’t know whether they have discontinued it. My grandfather used the ink around the time he matriculated in 1959
@@mysteriousman3531 Waterman renamed all their inks, the name South Sea Blue no longer exists but I don’t know what the new name would be if they kept the ink.
I see. Thank you for telling me. ;)
@@mysteriousman3531 I found the new name! Waterman Inspired Blue! Have a nice day.
Great selections. I also love and advice to use the Herbin "Bleu des Profondeurs" blue-black ink.
Thanks for sharing your favorites. Your top choice is similar to one I've used in some of my pens - the feared, the electric of blue inks, Noodlers Baystate Blue. Baystate is nearly waterproof when dry and is my go to when signatures are important. Another blue I use is Rohrer & Klingner Salix, an iron-gall ink. I don't store any pen with either of those two inks, but I ensure that after I use them up I rinse out the converter and feed if setting aside for longer than a week. Your choices are nice, I'm a blue-ink-preferred f.p. user too.
BSB was my favorite blue until I did a fade test.
Loved the video. Especially the Serene background music (hint hint). As for a blue sheening ink, I go American with Organics Studio Nitrogen. Though don't breath too much of it, it can be deadly.
Diamine Sargasso Sea - you never want to stop writing with it. Especially with this wet pens.
I'm not a fan of blue ink, but I do like the Mont Blanc Midnight Blue due to how dark it is. Being somewhat new to fountain pens my all time favorite thus far is Diamine Oxblood. Keep up the great work providing great content!!
Thank you so much! Happy to have you with us! Oxblood is awesome! One of my absolute favorites!
I loved the Taccia. So beautiful! Well, I wish I did not have so much blue to justify getting that Taccia too. Yes, I stocked up on my favorite Blue. I bought 240 Ml of that That is the Locomotive by Birmingham Pen Company.
On a different note, I got the Oxblood too, but I am also so fond of Noodler's Tsvetaeva. The latter is a little light for me while I could handle a little less darkness from Oxblood. I dropped a few drops of Noodler's Black in Tsvetaeva and the undertones are just magnificent. A little more though and it turns brownish. So my Stub carries the Tsvetaeva and my Architect carries the Oxblood. The advantage of Tsvetaeva, besides the tones, is that it is bulletproof.
I agree with all your choices here, they are excellent. I am adding several more. Robert Oster blue water ice is an amazing blue color and flows great. Diamine Mediterranean Blue is just beautiful and with my older pens I always use the Pelikan 4001 Royal blue which never fails me, great color and ink. No ink can match the vibrant color of Noodler's Baystate Blue but this ink stains everything so I call it the evil one ( I have dedicated one pen for this ink knowing that it is stained forever).
I'd have to say of these, I prefer that Taccia. That's exactly what I look for in a blue; deep and evocative. I recently picked up another in that line but haven't inked it up yet. Looking forward to it even more, now. You surprised me a bit with that Krishna. I don't usually see you playing with the super shinies.
My favorite blue is Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. I don't use it all the time, but if I'm out of it, emotionally, I'm out of ink. It's just so trustworthy. I use it as my pen tester the way you use Kon-Peki. I know it so well that I know what's going on with the pen.
Dear Hemingway Jones, thank you so much for your video on blue inks. You always make my day brighter and jollier by reminding me what a wonderful hobby we share. I also love Eclat De Saphir by Herbin. My choices will stretch to Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue and Conklin Limited Edition Israel 75.
You are so welcome! Wonderful Choices! Thanks for watching!
I love Noodler’s Baystate blue.
That gets on, it won't get off.. good stuff. Just be careful, cuz it'll stick on your converters.
Thank you! I enjoy Eclat de Saphir very much. Would like to try the mysterious MB Midnight Blue. I'd like to try all the inks you feature. Love the way you describe them!
I enjoy the darker blues, including Waterman Mysterious Blue- maybe it's the name, but I like it.
I’ve heard so much about Kon Peki, I must try it some day when mu ink collection needs a blue. Perhaps when I run out of Tsuki-yo, which I like but is not my go-to lately.
Mostly I enjoy the pale blues. Every time I use Maiora Blu Caprese, it makes me smile. Most of all, J Herbin's Bleu Myosotis pleases me. It makes me think of the inks I drew with in the seventies, paled a bit with nostalgic memories. I keep it always in a medium nib vintage Parker Sonnet.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind word and like your selections.
Never tried using blue ink since I left high school, now I'm thinking of getting a bottle of blue ink thanks
Frankly. I adore color too much to ever consider black ink a particular priority
I suggest people try out KZWs range of blues, particularly their Baltic Memories, Walk over Vistula and Warsaw Dreaming. I also love their blue black.
Hello! I just got their Blue / Black! It’s Iron Gall, which is interesting. That is a great brand of Inks!
Baltic Memoies is a great ink. The shading is really nice, and it smells so good while you are writing. Love how it can sheen either black or fuscia depending on the ink flow.
I tend to use IG Turquoise more, but thats because I'm paranoid about my journals getting wet and losing all of my drafts.
Walk Over Vistula is amazing.
First timer to your channel and wow...I learned a lot thank you. I am "old school" taught to write with a pen+inkwell and "graduated" to fountain pens (my hands were relieved) when my cursive was legible. I saw you writing with a lovely glass pen....had they been around "back in the day" I might not have been in such a hurry to "graduate".....Fun video too...
Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind words and in hearing your story. I believe that was from J Herbin. Glass pens are so elegant. Murano makes my favorites. Thanks!
I think Dominant Industry Lapis Luzili is a favorite blue followed closely by Waterman Serenity blue. - Not a large blue fan. Very nice selection though
Serenity Blue was a very close runner up! Excellent choice! Lapis sounds very nice! I need to track it down.
Another great video! And while they are all lovely inks, I agree that the J. Herbin Eclat de Sephir is my favorite of the five blue inks you've chosen.
Thank you very much!
Blue ink is my all-time favorite, and I have twice as many blue inks than all my other colors combined. My favorite is Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa. I am glad that I bought several bottles before it was discontinued. The others that round out my top 5: Sailor Manyo Konagi, Montblanc Glacier Blue, Scribe Indigo, Sailor Manyo Nadeshiko. J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir is a very close alternate.
Excellent choices.
Agree, Eclat de Saphir is a beautiful blue ink.
The creator of Penman Sapphire also created a replacement - Scribe Indigo. It's harder to find now, but worth the hunt.
That has an awesome name!
It’s a great ink.
Beautiful selection of blue inks! Thank you for sharing them all. My favorite blue ink is Diamine Florida Blue. It looks so nice when writing a letter.
That is a solid choice! Thanks for watching.
I am glad you reminded me a few months ago that Éclat de Saphir exists and that you featured it here. I love shading inks more than sheening inks and Éclat de Saphir reminds me of the very first fountain pen ink I had as a kid. I always thought shading inks were so elegant because you could tell it had been written with a fountain pen.💙
That is a very good point! Thanks so much!
Diamine Polar Glow.... My new favorite!
I need to try that one.
I have been using Mont Blanc's Midnight Blue for years and love it. I use it in all my Mont Blanc pens. I love Kon Peki, but not as much as the darker blues. I use it also as a benchmark, along with Shin Kai. I just purchased Taccia's Hokkusai and adore it, especially with a coarse nib which renders lots of sheening. For the brighter blues, I'd have to do with Graff von Faber Castell's Royal Blue as my favorite. It's bright, but not boring. Some people complain that it's not saturated enough, but I love that slightly faded feel. One more for lovers of dark blues: Monteverde's Ocean Noir is stunning on the page. Thanks, for a great review!
I’m a Midnight Blue girl because I lean towards black inks, so it’s a nice compromise for me. I love Kon-peki as well, finding it slightly more playful. Those are the blues I have (other than cartridges) and they suit me well. Great discussion! My Pilot Custom 823 JUST arrived, so…….
Ohh, I if you like midnight blue you may like Diamine Prussian Blue. I’ve been using it in my 823 fine and it’s like a blue charcoal. I found out about it from a popular RUclips pen influencer named adventuredenali, who Hemingway Jones interviewed not too long ago on his channel. Enjoy the many wonderful writing days ahead of you with your 823! Quick tip since you’re new to the 823: you can “wet” the nib by opening the back piston knob, then turning it shut while the pen is point upright (nib facing the ground). Look at the back of the nib as you do this and you can see a tiny bit of ink coming out the breather hole in the back of the nib feeder. You may have to do this more than once. When you see that little bit of ink, you’re ready to write! Since the feeder is wet now, you could leave the piston closed and there should be enough ink in the feed for a page or two of writing. 823 is such a fun pen. Totally impractical imo. But so fun.
@@gleemonexrx thank you so much for the tips!!
Montblanc Midnight Blue is my choice for daily work!
Excellent choice.
Wonderful inks, I appreciate that you explain why you chose each ink. Thanks to you Kon Peki has revived a few of my pens that I thought were hopeless.
Thanks very much! I am glad you enjoyed this!
My favourite is Diamine Bilberry followedcby Iroshizuku's Asa Gao which is almost identical to the Eclat de Saphir. The Bilberry although oftentimes depicted as puple in various sites, it is a saturated dark blue ink with a tinge of purple and I just love it. Excellent choices those you mention.
beautiful blues, surprising, really, i tend to shy away from dark blues and blacks, but all but kon peki, really appealed to me. super bright blues and contrasting blacks give me eye strain. i got into gel pens because of that, the greens, dark teal blues, and even pinks and oranges were easier on my eyes, idk why. then my gel and ball points refused to write fast enough, and caused hand fatigue so searching for something faster and waterproof, i came across a fountain pen video. i am glad i did, i got to meet you and so many other nice people. have a great week.
Organics Studio Nitrogen. Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao. Diamine Majestic Blue (and Akkerman Shocking Blue). Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue. And for fun Diamine Artic Blast and Ruby Blues.
Solid list! Thank you!
All great choices. My long time favorite blue in was Visconti Blue until it was reformulated in 2022. Now my favorite blue is either Iroshizuko Asa Gao or Aurora Blue. I also really like Waterman Florida Blue.
My favourite is Diamine
When this started my first thought was he better have Monte Blanc Midnight blue. That is one of my go to inks.
The only thing I would add to this list is Robert Oster Fire and Ice. I really love that ink. It is very close to your favorite. It just pops on the page and makes me happy when I see it.
I really loved the Krishna Moon View ink. I may need to get a bottle for myself. The blue ink I use is a mix between Private Reserve Electric Blue and Diamine Shimmering Blue Pearl. I don't have much of a preference between blue and black. I use green in my everyday writing and for my signatures. It may be a little unconventional, but green is my favorite color.
Amazing selection, i have only the kon peki but will put the midnight blue in my coming list and sure the sphaire in the radar as well..for my current blue inks (i am from the 2/3 black inks lovers) i use parker quink, waterman, edelstein tanzanite, MB blue black. thank you for the video.
Great choices! I don't currently have any of these ink, but now I'm considering Montblanc Midnight Blue and J. Herbin Eclet de Saphir at some point.
My 2 favorite Blue inks have to be Diamine Oxford Blue and Laban Artemis Navy Blue. Artemis Navy Blue was the ink that convinced me to start using ink and converters rather than cartridges in my pens, and Oxford Blue is just such a perfect dark academia colour name in my mind as well as being a gorgeous ink itself.
I really enjoyed this video. My favorite blue inks are Monteverde Horizon Blue and Visconti Blue. When filling a new pen I always use Waterman Serenity Blue.
Thank you. That’s a good list. I don’t know the Visconti though. I need to seek it out.
I LOVE BAYSTATE BLUE, I UNDERSTAND WHY U CHOSE ÉCLAT DE SAPPHIRE ;)
thanks!
I like the last one.
We still had the blue ink issue within the last couple of years when I was working with court reporters. A very select group of legal documents we worked with still had to be signed in blue ink. I love Kon-Peki. I’m also a fan of Diamine Oxford Blue and Colorverse Proxima B.
I love Oxford Blue! That is an excellent choice.
I am also a fan of blue inks. So far I like Waterman serenity blue,Diamine Oxford blue and polar glow I have yet to use. I have to put a bottle J. Herbin in my cart. Great picks. Great video. Thanks.
My favorite blue ink is Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. Although, I have been using Aurora Blue lately and I quite like it.
Another awesome choice!
My favorites. sapphire blue: Octopus Unicorn, blueblack: Diamine Midnight Hour
I'm definitely a blue ink fan... I did pick up a bottle of Eclat de Saphir because I wanted something darker than Gulf Blue from Graf von Faber Castell. Overall, I like how the Graf ink behaves better. Eclat is almost too wet for most of my pens. Will try with some other nibs eventually, but I went crazy on some blue ink samples this past month.
Thanks for watching!
Recently received the serenity blue from waterman and looks stunning. I do use noodlers baystate blue a lot (although not often in brush drawings) and troublemaker milky ocean. Going to consider buying the pilot konpeki next.
Troublemaker milky ocean is such a great color and so different from other blues. I received a bottle by mistake and it was such a pleasant surprise.
Thank you for your top five picks! I don’t really love blue ink and have been looking for some good choices - I will definitely give the J Herbin a go, it looks absolutely stunning
Excellent choices. I too am a blue ink person and do not understand why people consider blue ink to be boring. Waterman Serenity Blue is my "control" ink and my go to ink for delicate or hard to clean pens. Diamine Oxford Blue is one of my favorites and probably my signature ink. I just recently got the Taccia Hotusai and love it!
Probably because we use it everyday knowing we can’t use another ink. Sometimes I wish I could use black ink in some of my paperwork. Or other colors.
Blue over black 100%! I LOVE blue inks. My favorite right now is Montblanc Petrol but I just bought a bottle of Birmingham Pennsylvania Slate and that is amazing too. I want to try Eclat de Saphir now! Great video! :)
My favourite blue is Diamine Blue Velvet. Everytime I run out and I think I'm going to try a different shade, I wind up picking up another bottle of Blue Velvet.
I really enjoyed the video, and learned of some new inks that I did not have any idea existed. Taccia Koiai is the one ink, I have never used or even heard of that ink. I am going to order a bottle as I too love to use blue inks. I new you were going to select the J. Herbin, but most of us do, lol. Thank you for presenting the video. Very well made and produced. Take care.
You know me all too well!
when I started out I was all about black. now I find it boring 😅 purple and blue all the way baby! 💪
Amazing video! Very eloquently explained and described ❤
Thank you so much!
MB Mid Night Blue is my favourite. But I find it to be a bit dry and in my Conid Bulkfiller with a medium nib, I sometimes experience flow issues.
Recently I bought Noodlers X Feather Blue and it is also a beautiful Blue with a very slight Red sheen.
Nice, as for me , definitely Eclat de Saphir by J.Herbin in my egyptomania.
And in my MB 149 Royal Akkerman blue, in the Corsani "Arborea" by Leonardo special edition the Bleu-Black by Leonardo Officina Italian. These are currently in rotation .
Hello My Friend! I will have to search for that ink. Thank you!
My favorite ink is the Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao and my second favorite is Noodler's Blue. The Herbin Eclat de Saphir looks very interesting and likely will be the next blue I buy. Thank you for this video.
Diamine Majestic Blue followed by Waterman Mysterious Blue. They’re quite similar in color, but the flow is vastly different 💙
Excellent choices!
Nice selection, thanks for this one. I didn’t know about Éclat de Saphir, I will have to pick up a sample. My go to blues are Waterman Serenity for my vintage pens and Goulet/Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium for modern pens. Nice bright blue and water resistant -important to me. Need to pick up a new bottle, what is left in my 14 year old bottle has started giving flow issues in my new L2000.
Serenity Blue is an excellent choice.
Excellent choices! My personal favorite is Montblanc JFK, although I have to use it sparingly as I only have one bottle.
I wish I had one! Nicely done.
I just got a bottle of Montblanc Glacier Blue from Dromgoole's and I adore it. I love Midnight blue and blue blacks. I'm kind of interested in Montblanc Irish Green lately. Might have to buy a bottle and see. My favorite blue is Diamine Prussian Blue though. It has this dusty greyish tinge to it. I also lately am loving Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo and Robert Oster Evening Sapphire.
Montblanc had a special JFK Navy Blue a few years back which was wonderful. I like Iroshizuku Asa-Gao, and am currently using and loving - Diamine [for Cult Pens] Deep Dark Blue. (My main carry has Oxblood!)
All good choices. My go to is Monteverde Horizon Blue
Very Nice!
I'm in the fortunate position of working from home. Now that I have fountain pens, I barely touch blue or black, preferring something more playful. But back when I used ballpoints, I preferred black ink.
I use Oxblood a lot.
I only use blue ink. This has inspired me to try other blues. Thank you. I usually buy PARKER ink.
Wonderful! Thanks very much.
My surname is Parker, so I look for Parker items but I have a few other pens.
When the video first started, I knew which one you were going to pick… It had to be 😂
Thanks so much! So glad you caught this one. You know me and that ink.
I already love Kon-Peki, but I’m now going to purchase the Her in Safir…but your presentation is so winning that I’m tempted to try all of these
I really enjoy the sheening inks and wonder if the ink is effective in EF and F nibs. Or, do I need to invest in a dedicated sheening ink pen with a particular appropriate nib? Thank you for your guidance.
You know, believe it or not, I’ve never tried! I have always put it into a stub to get all of its glorious tone! It will still work, but not nearly as dramatic. I like to dedicate a TWSBI with a fat nib for them. Stubs are wonderful writers!
I have a sheening ink in my pilot kakuno EF, and the sheening effect definitely shows, but it’s harder to see straight away so it’ll appear blue as you write, but the violet sheen will “glint” out of the corner of your eye and if you hold it in brighter light or in sunlight at an angle it will be easy to see. I highly recommend using the fine, or broader, to see the effect. You’ll be surprised just how much more you’ll see in the ink color and variations when you use medium / broad / stub nibs. Eg, pilot kon-peki in EF and F is blue. But in a medium, you will see it varying between light and dark blue as the ink flows more or less by each movement Of your pen.
MV2 looks like the infamous Organics Nitrogen. I love Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao, which is very much like Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. My go-to blue black is Sailor Nano Sei-boku. My shading champion is Robert Oster Blue Water Ice. It is so fun.
Personal taste changes over time, but at the moment my absolute favorite is LAMY crystal ink benitoite. I would highly recommend to give it a try. It's a blue-black tone just a touch lighter than montblanc's midnight blue (which I also love very much...)
That sounds magical!
Hello HJ. It's amazing just how many blue inks are out there. Your list was quite good. Very diversified. My blue inks are Edelstein Topaz and Sapphire, Montblanc Petrol and Midnight Blue. These suit my creativity during my journaling sessions. Great video. Very interesting.
Great choices!
Great video! I was looking for a more sophisticated blue ink than the Pilot Blue Black. Just ordered the J Herbin Eclat De Saphir.
Thanks very much! You’ve ordered my favorite ink!
I do agree with you Krishna Moonview 2 is an excellent sheening ink.
Truly, Krishna are amazing inks.
Herbin Bleu Des Profondeurs is always in the Scriveiner Classic fine and Waterman Serenity Blue is in the Scriveiner Classic medium.
Next time can you actually dive into a giant vat of blue ink?
That would make some awesome viewing.
You could use noodler's baystate blue.
I would then forever be a Smurf.
Good video. I was amazed that people like black over blue. I like blue (Asa-Gao). Having just watched your video. I just ordered ordered a bottle of Eclat de Saphir. I also use OX Blood.
Thanks
, Ox Blood and
Me too! Amazed! Enjoy Oxblood. It is epic!