March 2008
I had the opportunity to complete a test of the Diamine line of inks. I knew about this ink last year I had a few bottles shipped up from the US to try. I found the inks to have a good flow, a reasonable drying time, and not subject to smudging - an annoying characteristic I am finding with some other brands of ink. |
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So in getting this test underway, there is a fair amount of prep work. Pens have to be flushed and allowed to dry. It is important not to previous ink the the nib section or under the nib itself distort an individual colour. On my first run through the colours (colour reviews are found on the Inks Page - Diamine Ink) I opted to dip the pen only, and then make a series of tests. Later I went through the exercise to fill the pen and give the colours I wanted to explore in greater detail a more realistic workout. |
Testing involved creating a comparison sheet where inks of the same colour family could be compared. |
 Diamine inks makes some 50 different colours! I must admit as I went through the testing I was asking myself "why?". I guess it is all about choice, and the personal preference of subtle differences. Why would I not appreciate that. That is part of the benefit of writing with a fountain pen - you get to select your colour that is best for your personal taste or the particular message you are writing. Fifty gives you a choice. The image to right illustrates some the subtle differences of the browns that are available. |
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Water and paper towels tends to be the basic supplies that are needed. After flushing the nib with water to remove one ink, slow "pulls" along paper towels would draw the water and moister from the nib. The colour of inks varies by moisture, type of paper, size of nib etc. So once the test commences, consistency is important. |
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Of course, it is all about choice and personal preference. As I created my sample sheet of blues the subtle differences in the blues became evident. Aqua Blue was slightly different than Turquoise (top left), Royal Blue and Washable Blue were different once they were on the page (left hand side). I found myself saying yes and no to various colours and since there are more pen users that me out there, I guess that is why there are fifty colours! The inks changed in tone as they dried. In fact when I looked at the sample sheets later in the day, some of the differences I previously saw became more subtle. This is an important point about ink. As I go through notes at work, some of their written now over 10 years ago, inks by some companies have faded or lost their brilliance. Others look as sharp and crisp as the day the note was recorded. |
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Paper makes a big difference in the testing of inks as the consistency and finish of the paper plays an important part in the flow and drying time of the ink. I tried a number of different types of papers. I wanted to use something that was relatively close to "office" paper. Haven't we all written with a pen in a pen store on the fine quality test pads to get a pen home and find it does not write quite as it did in the store! I also created a card for each colour. This allowed a different consistency/texture of paper and meant it was easy to sort the colours and do a ranking. |
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I also tested the bottle. Hey that is no small part of using fountain pen ink. My preference is to use a large fountain pen. The Montblanc, the Pelikan M1000, the Omas Paragon - there are the real writers that I use everyday. Absolutely no use buying a bottle of ink that is shallow. After one or two fills you will hear air being sucked up when you fill the pen and that makes for a poor writing experience. Here I found the Diamine bottle to good a deep. Not as well designed as the Waterman, Omas or Montblanc bottles will either have sides for tilting the bottle, but a good solid, deep bottle. |
| At the end of the test I was satisfied with the ink, its good. Some colours, like the yellows and pinks I must admit I can not see regular use. Changing colour on the fly is not as easy as one would think. To change from blue to yellow requires quite the pen cleaning exercise. So either you fill the pen up with the yellow and then use it, or you have gone through a lot of work for limited use. The key, I guess, is that the choice is there. | |
So Bravo Diamine Ink! You developed a comprehensive line of colours. At about $13 US a bottle, and it is a 80 ml bottle, the ink is well priced.
Comments on individuals colours are being recorded on the Inks Page.
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It is a slow process to test various inks. To be sure you that you seeing the true colour of the ink completely clean and dry the nib section. The Pelikan M800 and M1000 were used and the nib section nicely screws out of the pen allowing for a complete clean.