Diamine Havasu Turquoise Ink Review

There is something to be said for a brand that has been around for over 150 years like Diamine. They do one things, and do that one thing very well: Make ink. It’s not all fountain pen ink - they are an industrial manufacturer as well - but fountain pen ink is what we know and love them for.

And love is a term that many people will use when describing Diamine Havasu Turquoise. This bright blue has been a favorite of fountain pen users for years, and for good reason.

As I was writing this review up I got to thinking just how long Havasu Turquoise has been in existence? At least a decade, maybe two? How great would it be if historical companies like Diamine had something like a production Wiki to where we could see the launch year, the date of any formula changes, and the date of retirement for any inks that were shelved. I think that would be pretty cool, not only for research, but for story-telling. I know that’s asking a lot, but one can dream!

Regardless of when Havasau Turquoise was launched, it has been at the core of Diamine’s offerings for years, right up there with other classic colors such as Ancient Copper and Oxblood. Named after Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon region of Arizona, it is a bright blue with moderate shading, and a tiny hint of red sheen around the edge of the lines. In other words, exactly what I want in an ink.

As great as I think this ink is, what makes it even better is the price. You can grab a 30ml bottle for $7.50, or jump up to an 80ml bottle for $16.50. In a world where I’ve happily paid over $20 for a 30ml bottle, Diamine inks are a steal at this price for this quality. They are great every day inks, easy to use and clean, and perfect for beginners and experts alike.

It’s no wonder they have been in business since 1864.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Diamine Blue Black Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's been quite a while since I've had the inclination to reach for a blue black ink for one of my fountain pens, but I've had a resurgence of interest lately and have decided to go with it. The first ink on my list of blue blacks is from Diamine. This is the standard variant, not the special 1864 150th-anniversary or registrar's versions.

Diamine Blue Black is something that I consider to be a very solid blue black ink by definition. The color is dark but still obviously blue, there's a nice level of shading, and there aren't any purple undertones present. With any blue black, the color is important and often a point of intense opinions. I'm not a fan of blue blacks that are so black that you can barely see any blue, but I'm also not a fan of washed-out, light blue black variations that look more like a watered down black. Diamine's interpretation of blue black makes my heart happy. It's a dark navy with plenty of inky mystery, but it also lets the lighter side show through on lighter strokes. It strikes the crucial balance of darkness and blue that meets my individual expectations.

Like all the other Diamine inks I've tried, this one is very well-behaved. I haven't noticed any feathering or bleeding, regardless of the paper I use. It's a dark ink, so there's a fair amount of show-through on the back side of the page I write on, but it's not too bad and it's easy to ignore if I'm using a nib that's under the bold size.

One thing that I did not expect about this ink is how wet it is. Especially in the 1.1mm stub nib I used for this review, the ink just flows out of the nib with ease. It doesn't seem to affect the line crispness, but it certainly increases the dry time. In my tests (in the very humid southeast US), it takes anywhere between 20 to 30 seconds for this ink to fully dry on Rhodia paper. It's a little quicker on uncoated paper, but not by much. If you want a quick-drying ink, look elsewhere!

Several other blue black inks I've tried in the past have a significant sheen that you can see in certain lights. I haven't noticed any sheen in Diamine's version. If you want an ink with a lot of fancy sheen, you should also look elsewhere.

Even though this ink is wet and doesn't have any sheen, I can't help but love the subtle amount of shading it presents. This looks particularly great in a large nib because you see a variance of dark, dark blue and medium blue as you write. What I really appreciate is that I can't see any hint of green, purple, or gray in the lighter shades of this ink. That's something I've noticed in other blue black inks that I don't like. Again, this is what makes Diamine's blue black a true standard for my book of inks.

And as you might expect with Diamine, it's also a great value. The 30ml bottle I picked up is less than $8, and the whopping 80ml bottle is less than $17. If cartridges are your thing, then an 18 pack of cartridges is only $8.25. If you only want to try this ink out first, I think the smaller 30ml bottle is a good choice.

Aside from the really long dry time, this ink is a stellar performer. It nails the definition of a solid blue black ink for me, and I'm looking forward to using it more in the future as I rotate more dark inks into my pen usage.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Diamine Purple Bow Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Last year's Inkvent Calendar from Diamine was a huge hit, and this lovely hue was in pride of place as the December 24th offering. Yes, Purple Bow seems like the perfect color to top off all the gifts!

This is a deep, blue-toned purple that leans more toward violet than magenta, and even appears to be blue under some lighting. It has a ton of character, showing some shading, and a hearty amount of sheening. The sheen is a copper color that looks red at some angles and gold at others, and deliciously opulent at any angle.

In fine lines, it has a fast dry time, with minimal smudging at 15 seconds and none at all after 20. In bolder, wetter lines, it takes a very long time to dry, and even showed no change in smearing after 30 seconds. It's a well-lubricated ink with great flow.

It is not a water-resistant ink, but it did not wash away completely in a splash test, even when the water was wiped away instead of dabbed. Your work may survive a minor tea accident, but probably don't take it swimming.

Despite my rather extensive collection of purple ink samples, this one was not a duplicate for any of them. It's more blue than the other rich purples, but richer than my other blue purples. In tone and sheen, it was closest to De Atrementis Alexander Hamilton, but that one is far more rosy than this one. If you're a purple ink fan looking for a new purple with lots of character, this one is a big winner.

It comes in a wild glass bottle with concave sides and wee ball feet--it almost looks like a sea creature. I dig it. And it's only about $10 for a 50ml bottle via Stilo & Stile, which is such a good price I had to triple check it, because I thought that couldn't be right. All around, this one is too good to miss.

(The Pen Addict purchased this pen at full retail from Stilo & Stile.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!