Quick take: Diamine Pelham Blue

Diamine Pelham Blue in Jinhao Shark EF on Leuchtturm 

A very nice everyday blue in a shade similar to slightly worn denim. It doesn’t shade, shimmer, or sheen. It’s not even slightly water resistant. But I like it as a color. It leans more to the green end of the blue spectrum, as the water test shows,  rather than the red/blurple end, which is probably why I like it.

Diamine inks are reliable and affordable.

This “writing sample” was done with a Jinhao Shark EF nib on Leuchtturm , so it felt rather dry, but I imagine it’s a medium flow ink in other nibs.

Quick take: Papier Plume Oyster Grey ink

A very nice grey ink. No undertones except maybe a hint of violet. Good shading. Very water resistant–maybe not technically waterproof or archival, but your notes will definitely survive the typical accidental water drop with total legibility and minimal color smear, especially if they’ve had any time to dry.

Papier Plume is a small stationery shop in New Orleans that has its own line of inks, including some interesting NoLa-themed colors such as Red Beans and Rice. VanNess stocks them. I wonder who makes the inks for them?

Here is a writing sample and water test on Leuchtturm paper. Pelikan M400 EF nib.

I put water drops on the paper and then blotted and smeared them in two places –the “for me” in the middle of the sample and then the middle of the last few lines-from “desire” down to “before.”

I’ve been looking for a nice grey that tends to the blue/violet end of the spectrum rather than the brown and is permanent enough to use for important notes. This is definitely a strong contender.