Ink Comparison: Diamine Blue Inks

[@Sonicman415]

Love these vids. Bilberry gives me life.

[@writerlywitterings]

I really like it - it's one of those slightly off the wall colours, but it's cheerful and ... I don't know - happy!

[@florencefortyseven]

MAN, you have a briefcase full of ink! That looks so cool when it's all together like that.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks, Florence!

[@marka.200]

Another incredibly useful video. I’ve been searching for ink the color of Bilberry for a long time with trial and error. All error until now! Thanks!

[@writerlywitterings]

My pleasure. I hope the next videos will help as well!

[@BossPenguin]

Great comparison. I can recommend Iroshizuku Asa Gao as a beautiful, easy flowing ink. Also Montblanc permanent blue, a great Königsblau. And lastly, my personal favourite, Noodler's Bay State blue - extremely popping and saturated blue that is infamous for staining clear pens so only ever to be used in cheap demonstrators or opaque pens. Have a great day, Sir!

[@writerlywitterings]

Ah, I have one Ajisai, and a Tsuyu-Kusa (I think that is the way they are spelled) and I do like them, but they seem a little pastel to me if I use them too long. The Asa Gao is one I'll have to try. But just now I have an embarrassment of Diamines, and with the cost of Iroshizuku, I don't see myself being able to justify any new inks in the near future, sadly! Thanks so much for the comments, Chris. It makes all the hassle of producing these videos worthwhile!

[@BossPenguin]

@@writerlywitterings Thank you for uploading the videos and sharing your experiences. Your videos about how you create a story, take notes and so forth are extremely helpful and inspirational to me. I only write the odd short story here and there as a hobby, mostly to polish up my grip on the English language since I am German, but every advice is greatly appreciated. On the subject of inks, I have a bottle of Noodler's Bay State Blue here that I could send to you if you would be interested. As a gift, of course :)

[@writerlywitterings]

That is really kind of you, Chris. I'm always grateful for comments from people who enjoy the videos - and yes, I'd be really interested in a bottle of Noodlers. I've never had a chance to try one of their inks. Do they stain acrylic pens, do you know?

[@BossPenguin]

@@writerlywitterings Pretty much any clear material will get a blue tint, but with a mixture of 10-25% of bleach in water it can be removed (flushing or a few minutes of soaking in it will get rid of the rest of the discolouration). Bay State Blue is a real hassle to use, to be honest. The pen must be really clean before filling because any other ink left inside will react with Bay State, and on even the smoothest papers it will leave more feathering than Poe's raven. But the colour is simply worth it in my opinion, there is no other blue just as electric in saturation. Now, how would I go about sending you the ink? Should I drop you a mail through your website?

[@valeriedrew7654]

Thanks for the demonstration of the colours as well as how easy it is to use the TWSBI Go between colours. Off to find the Bilberry and Florida Blue inks :-)

[@writerlywitterings]

Editing the next one now - so many blues to look at!

[@JBFire97]

Liked the Twilight. What a great compendium of ink samples on the page you will end up with! Thank you.

[@writerlywitterings]

I'm looking forward to a lot more ink samples on subsequent pages! But I have to concentrate on not showing too much ink filling and actual writing, I think. I don't want to bore people! Glad you liked it, Paul - and thanks for the support!

[@gents6379]

Thanks for this! I LOVE Asa blue and also LOVE Syrah. Big fan of the Diamine inks.

[@writerlywitterings]

Gary, you're plainly a man after my own heart! Although that Florida Blue and the Denim ... well, pretty much all of them, really, looked excellent on paper even with my writing! And I do adore Syrah. I know many folks go for Oxblood, which does have a lot of appeal for me as a crime writer, naturally, but for me Syrah is the better colour. And I'm looking forward to getting through a load more inks before long!

[@muditsood2814]

Thanks for this video Mike! I ended up buying a 30 ml bottle of Asa Blue after watching this video. Its a lovely shade of professional blue color. My work horse inks are Pilot inks which flow very wet. However I found Asa to have a balanced flow not too wet not too dry. An 80ml bottle is not too far away now!

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Mudit, I'm really glad you like the ASA Blue - I think it's just gorgeous, and the colour really pops off the page, doesn't it? It is a colour I use for professional notes and letters, too. I think it works really well in all my pens. Happy writing, my friend!

[@yuklimka7251]

@@writerlywitterings It was quite useful to see the different shades of blue on the same spread. I bought 30 ml bottles of various Diamine inks and am looking forward to trying out the different colors I now own. In case you haven't figured it out asa is Japanese for morning (e.g. Pilot Iroshizuku asa gao) and evokes early morning sky blue.

[@steveconquest6684]

Hello again Michael, I use Diamine inks exclusively and am very partial to Oxford blue because firstly, I had always wanted to complete my degree programme there (a dream that did not come true unfortunately) and secondly I enjoy deep intense ink colours. The Syrah is my other favourite. Cheers, Steve

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks for that, Steve - great minds think alike!

[@naveenlulla9217]

Very useful! Diamine's Oxford Blue is probably the only bottle of ink I am close to finishing.

[@writerlywitterings]

That's interesting - it's another one of their colours that I'm not aware of!

[@grahamwilkinson2739]

Great comparison. Diamine have a huge range of shades of blue but i would be interested to know if any of them are water resistant.

[@writerlywitterings]

I have to admit, I don't really know. If you let me know which in particular you're interested in, I can try swabbing with a damp cloth. I have to admit, I've never had any issue with dampness. I tend to find the bigger issue is likely fading over time!

[@grahamwilkinson2739]

@@writerlywitterings Thanks for the reply and your inspiring videos. I prefer to load my 'workhorse' pen with permanent ink. The water resistance is particularly important when writing envelopes. I like to be sure that if the envelope gets wet on its journey to the recipient the destination will remain legible. Any information on water resistance of the Denim and Misty Blue will be most welcome.

[@Blissfulthings]

Right now my favorite Diamine ink is Oxford Blue, I have it a Kaweco 1.5 stub nib and it will sheen beautifully. In my TWISBI fine nib it's almost the perfect navy blue! Thankyou for your fantastic videos 😊

[@writerlywitterings]

That's one colour I don't have, sadly. I know that of all my Diamine inks, the best sheening comes from Sargasso Sea and Majestic Blue, but I haven't had a chance to test Oxford yet.

[@Blissfulthings]

You should give it a go! 😊

[@asthasingh8646]

Can you please tell sir if this ink will fade away in 3-4 months? And if it does how much would it fade? A lot Or visible enough? Diamine asa blue..

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks for getting in touch, and it depends on the actual ink. I have inks which have not faded at all, which are all several years old. However, that is because they are in notebooks which are left closed. It would be a good idea for me to write on pages, and then leave half the page covered, the other half open to daylight to see how UV- reliable they are, but I'm afraid I haven't done that. If you write in books, I think all Diamine inks are safe. If you want something that will work well even if left in the open, I'd strongly recommend something like Noodler's Bay State Blue, which is a shockingly bright ink, and may stain your pen, if you use a demonstrator type, but you will be guaranteed that the ink won't fade!

[@dzundel]

Thank you for doing this.

[@writerlywitterings]

My pleasure!

[@imsathyasekar]

Oh.. So glad I don't have to be in the blues to relish these blues!! So many lovely shades. Florida Blue and Denim pop out for me!

[@writerlywitterings]

Wonderful! Denim is one of my favourite blues - although I love the more turquoise colours too - so many blues and so little time to use them all!

[@suenagle6608]

Diamine Majestic Blue is my favourite as recommended by Brian Goulet. It has blue, black and red tinges and it shades beautifully

[@writerlywitterings]

Aha, I'm looking forward to trying that one out. There are so many lovely blues in the Diamine line-up, it's hard to know which to look at next!

[@avalonianwanderer2876]

I've been using that one today, it's stunning, especially on Tomoe River paper with a broad nib.

[@gautam9]

Nice wooden pen stand MJ! Is it commercially available or a personal project?

[@writerlywitterings]

I made it - many years ago now. It was quite easy - an off-cut of oak, which had ended up as a triangular section, which I set up with a router to run across it, and then drilled out the slot - originally intended for my iPod, which shows how old it is!

[@DanielSmith_19]

I'm actually watching this video to get a look at the 30ml bottels. Their openings seem a little snug for a fountain pen. Especially when the bottle gets low... Any thoughts?

[@writerlywitterings]

Yes, I quite agree. When they get low, a different filling system is needed - a Pineider snorkel or syringe to fill a cartridge convertor, or buying a Pineider or Visconti Travelling inkwell. I have to say that for me, many pens such as my Viscontis just won't fill from the smaller bottles once they're down to 15 ml or so. However, they are very practical (ie cheap) for testing inks. Personally I get these to test inks, and then buy the bigger bottles.

[@andyprozeller4735]

Well, thanks a lot Michael! I’ll now be ordering 5 new inks!

[@writerlywitterings]

I do my best, Andy!

[@homecareful]

Asa Blue is named after Asa Murphy's blue eyes. Asa an excellent singer from Manchester, England (by no coincidence where the Diamine factory is located). Find out the whole story by asking Asa Murphy, he is on Facebook and would love to talk to you about it.

[@writerlywitterings]

Might well do that. Thanks, I was thinking it was A.S.A. and stood for something!

[@homecareful]

@@writerlywitterings I wondered too, there is another ASA Blue and it is a very different blue. So I wrote Diamine. The lady that is their president wrote me and told me the whole story. It's really a very charming story. Asa is a great performer. Very much in the "Rat Pack" vein.

[@pamelaboxall7015]

This is a lovely comparison of some of Diamine's blue inks. Twilight is the one that particularly caught my eye. Unfortunately, I have tried samples of some Diamine inks and there is something about them that fails to grab me. Can't quite put my finger on a single particular quality, but I prefer other brands.

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi, Pamela, and thanks for the comment. Yes, I know what you mean. Some brands just don't work for some reason. I don't know whether it's packaging, or something more basic - but I have to admit that I absolutely adore the Akkerman inks because of those glorious bottles. However, I don't love them so much that I would spend too much on a wide selection. At least with Diamine (here in the UK, at least), they are ridiculously cheap compared with all other brands - for example, most Diamine inks are under £6 for 80 mls, whereas an Iroshizuku is £29 for 50mls - so five times the money, nearly, for 37% less ink! It makes Diamine (for me) an easy buy!

[@SalenoftheDusk]

No ink bottles left open on the table, Jecks. I heard that not long ago from some chap on youtube. Side by side comparisons like these really are quite helpful, so thank you for that. Particularly given the vast palette Diamine offers - even their own colour chart suffers from uneven lighting and other variations in visual conditions which can only really be mitigated by doing the whole thing in one go. It's always nice to see a bit of fountain pen content here, and apropos, whatever happened to the Pelikan M805? Did it immediately lose out to the Viscontis, or is it still knocking about somewhere in your rotation?

[@writerlywitterings]

You're right. Do as I say, not as I do! Glad you like the idea as well. I'm going to try to get through a few more inks per time, so that I can whack through the Diamine range. Apart from anything else, I don't think watching me write is particularly interesting, so long as you get to see the end result. Then, later, I hope to make a matrix with each cell a different shading type of colour - so I'll have a row of blue black/Prussian Blues, then a row of intense sapphire types, then more teal coloured and so on, so that I can see more precisely what the colour is as a block. But I'll do these writing samples first, because I think the appearance of the ink from a nib is more valid as a comparison.

[@Sonicman415]

So sublime. Thank you.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thank you too! Just waiting for a bottle of Oxford Blue to round out the set!

[@keithedwinsmith9416]

Lovely blue inks. Not so sure what the point of a washable blue ink is. I use Noodler’s bulletproof inks because I don’t want the ink to wash away! Nice bit of subtle(?) promotion of your new book. Would be interested in your thoughts on how to promote yourself and your books in the modern world where there are so many other entertainment fields demanding the public’s attention (and money).

[@writerlywitterings]

I have to admit, I would have thought that marketing an ink as "washable" would wreck sales, unless it's for use in a children's environment, where cleaning clothes was a useful attribute? As to marketing - phew. If I knew the answer to that, I'd write a book about it and make my fortune! As it is, the only route appears to be, to keep wasting far too much time on Twitter and Facebook, and try to keep reminding folks that you're there! Still, I'll have some thoughts about it and see what I can come up with. Thanks for the idea, Keith!

[@pamelaboxall7015]

Back when we all wrote with fountain pen at school, washable blue was a boon for parents! If you carry a fountain pen in a shirt pocket, washable blue would make sense just in case of mishap.

[@writerlywitterings]

Yes, that was what I was thinking - not work that has to be held on to for years, but school work would be idea.

[@writerlywitterings]

Or even ideal!

[@bkr_418]

Could you recommend a good make of blotter?

[@writerlywitterings]

Er - do you mean a blotter as in a surface that lies on a desk, or the type of paper that absorbs ink that fits in the blotter? The paper I use is "Ford's Gold Medal Blotting Paper". It seems to soak up ink perfectly happily, but I daresay any type/make would be fine. Blotting paper is not a specialist paper - it's sort of anti-specialist. Most papers are designed carefully to prevent them soaking up moisture and ink - blotting paper is intended to do the opposite!

[@humanfirst11]

I would consider this an older video now, as published in 2019 and 720p. Could you please do a review of Twilight vs Denim? (as you have done dedicated video for the Diamine Wetter's blood), also now you have much improved your video quality ( 1080p 50 fps!) .Thanks for all the efforts 😊

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Deb. I'll see what I can do on that. The problem is that the videos take a lot of time, and I don't have much time right now, but I'll see what I can do in a little while.

[@imsathyasekar]

Quick question. Given that this is an ink comparison, it's essential your pen, nib is perfectly clean before every ink. How do you manage this?

[@writerlywitterings]

Ah, I showed my set up in a couple of videos, but you haven't hit them yet! Basically, I had two buckets full of clean water. The first one, I used to flush the pen several times until the water out looked clean. Then I filled the pen from the second, still clean bucket, and emptied it into the dirty water of the first bucket. I did that two or three times as well. That way I could pretty much guarantee that the pen was empty of all ink. Hope that answers the question?

[@ZPD-doo-DAH]

Thank you for your ink color comparisons. This video wa,s most helpful in determining which blue to buy as a gift for a friend. BTW, you forgot the last syllable for the paper--Tomoe River Paper. Many people mispronouce it as "toe-moe", but it's "toe-moe-eh". That "eh" sounds like something someone hard of hearing might say. 🗣👤 "EH?"👂🏻 🤣

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks for that - it wasn't so much forgetting, as not knowing! Mind you, I've heard it pronounced several ways before now! Just hope I can still get some.

[@joenperkins2138]

Enjoyed. Have a wonderful day.

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Joen - you too!

[@lfaulkner5847]

You should try ‘Robert Oster - School Blue’ it’s a personal favourite..

[@writerlywitterings]

I'll have to have a look at that. I've never tried any of the Robert Oster inks. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@lfaulkner5847]

They are quite pricey that’s the only draw back, roughly about £15 for only 50ml but some beautiful colours available. Cult pens stock the whole collection.

[@vlades5190]

Which of them is a King of Shading?

[@writerlywitterings]

Just going through my book, I'd say the best shading blues are: Prussian, Misty, Indigo, Blu-Black, Majestic (with good sheen too), Eau de Nil, and Marine. I'd also go with Denim and Twilight for a less obvious but still pleasant shading - BUT - this will depend on paper and pen, obviously. I can't guarantee you'll get the same results as me!

[@Badorio47]

"You'll have to buy the book to find out what it says" Marketing 101, nice one ! Can I recommend Diamine Sapphire Blue ? It is absolutely gorgeous, it really pops off. Also, very useful, thanks for the video !

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Badorio - I'm going to try to get to that very soon. All the Blues first, then on to the reds, greens, browns, purples and blacks. There's a lot of film time to go with this project - and then I will make a colour chart of all the different ink colours, I think, so that they can be seen side-by-side. And it is a very good book ...

[@frankbruno7122]

Thank you Michael..I do like ASA.. but my standard is Majestic Blue. I also love Sherwood Green.. my tip of the hat to Mr. Churchill.. as far as the red family: Oxblood and Syrah. I'll use other brands, but I prefer Diamine. Drew Brown at Goulet is a pro.. Hey, just finishing another Jack Blackjack novel.. A Murder Too Soon.. Very enjoyable and recommend to others reading this who also enjoy your books! Frank from Boulder, Colorado, USA

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks so much, Frank - especially for the book shout out! I'm looking forward to getting to Majestic and some of the other colours shortly. I have to admit that I'm finding it really interesting to see how the various colours compare. Something I may do is make a series of side-by-side comparisons of boxes coloured in with the different ink colours - just use a paint brush or something - to give a better feel for the colours.

[@writerlywitterings]

And I should just say, that while typing this, I really ought to be finishing the proofs of book 4 in the Blackjack series - the Dead Don't Wait!

[@julierak343]

What about Pelham Blue? Show that one some love! It's a great blue, with some sheen. I think it look like the Pacific Ocean.

[@writerlywitterings]

Ah, I haven't seen that one. I'll have to get some. Thanks for the comment.

[@julierak343]

@@Oldstylestoryteller Thank you!

[@julierak343]

@@writerlywitterings It's part of the Diamine guitar series, but I was looking for a Pacific Ocean colour, and it really does the job.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Ha, I don’t see most of the Diamine blues I have and love best: Oxford blue, Majesric Blue, Blue Velvet, Regency blue. Of the ones here, I like Twilight and Asa blue best. I adore Syrah, but what’s that doing in this review of the blue team? edit: I couldn’t finish without complimenting your cursive writing on display here. It looks very accomplished and impressive. The kind of hand writing that behooves a literate, well-educated adult.

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi, Sajjid, and thanks for the comment. Sadly, I haven't seen Oxford Blue, Blue Velvet or Regency Blue. I'll have to try to get hold of some examples to test. Majestic Blue is there, in the second video, I think, from memory - but I entirely agree about Twilight and Asa. Love 'em both. However, I would be dishonest if I didn't admit to a deep affection for Prussian Blue, but ... well, I love them all, really. Different colours for different moods. You have to adore Diamine, just for the fabulous range of colours and shades they offer, don't you? Syrah? I'm going to have to go back and rewatch this video now. It's not in the same group, according to my notebook! Many thanks for your very kind words about my writing. All I can say is, I've been writing for a very, very long time now!

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Hi, Michael! Nice of you to reply. And yes, I’m very fond of Diamine inks - especially their blues, reds and browns. Very appealing, dependable and largely safe inks. Their reputation is duly deserved. I have at least 16 (or possibly more) different Diamine inks. Their greens are very attractive too. To be fair, you did mention that the Syrah ink was actually more a red, and you kept the bottle separate, further away from the rest. You really should sample the handful of other Diamine blues that I cited as my own favourites. You have Majestic Blue, a truly eye-catching sight with its red undertones. It takes very long to dry, though. You’re right about the appeal of Prussian Blue. They’re all nice in their own right. I just don’t reach out for the the Aqua Blue I have. Your reviews are very entertaining and informative, not least because of your friendly, chatty style and your tastes in inks. I have taken a look at your cursive writing and liked it very much. Now, I reckon I must buy one of your books. Reading is one of my biggest passions, as are pens and inks and writing every day. I can’t imagine a life without reading books.

[@timdraude3464]

Thank you for this. It will be a very useful resource for many people, regardless of your personal plans! Hopefully you received the expressed written permission from that Jecks fellow before copying the book...... Denim is my main blue and has been for some time.

[@writerlywitterings]

Ah, an experienced Denim user! I was surprised - it was one colour I hadn't really heard about before I was sent this bottle, but it's a lovely colour, isn't it? Mind you, they ought to specify "Not Stonewashed" and all the other types it isn't!

[@timdraude3464]

@@writerlywitterings Yes it is a very nice, very saturated colour. It is very dark when using a fine nib, Perhaps you would reach a stonewashed colour with a 1.9 stub ;)

[@writerlywitterings]

It is interesting how different inks react. I'm running this series of comparisons all with 1.1 stubs, on the basic that it should give better demonstrations of shading and the depth of colour ... and the fact that I don't possess a 1.9 stub! Thanks for the comment, Tim!

[@xnickanix]

what pen is that one???

[@writerlywitterings]

This is a TWSBI Go - which is a very reasonable pen with a variety of nibs. These 1.1 inch stubs are just glorious if you like line variation, a fat line, and a really quick and easy refill. There is a video here where I look at it and compare other pen capacities: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emXRZYRue5Wih6s

[@KWKarn]

@jppenandink Maybe you've seen this before... very useful 😉

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks for sharing!