Ink Review - Diamine Asa Blue

This is the first time I am writing a fountain pen ink review. After having spent a lot of time on the net searching for and a lot of money experimenting with various shades of blue – I finally came across the shade ‘Asa Blue’ within Diamine range of blue shades.

To my mind, this is one the loveliest blues that I have seen as far as fountain pen inks are concerned. The color is just about right on the brightness quotient – not too bright like the turquoise blue. And the price, well I won’t call it inexpensive at INR725/- for an 80 ml ink bottle, is definitely reasonable when compared to some of the other brands available in the market such the Pilot Iroshizuku Kon Peki which costs approximately $35, roughly about INR 2100 at the current rupee-dollar exchange rate.

I received the parcel along with some other stationary items from Pens Avenue. As usual their service, packaging, delivery and confirmation was excellent this time around too. After I received the parcel, I simply couldn’t wait to fill up my brand new Sheaffer fountain pen to full capacity to get started. And since then I have been using this pen-ink combination for all my writing activities and I must confess I still haven’t gotten tired of it. I have always believed that for the complete writing experience one needs to have the right combination of ink color and the writing instrument – sometimes it just happens, accidentally. While there are times when a certain amount of trial and error is required to get to the right amalgamation.  This time around, I can safely assume in having found the right combination just by fluke.

The writing is buttery smooth and the color is very pleasing to the eye. It is bright and catchy and makes the writing stand out. And the beauty is that it does so with subtlety. The ink lays down consistently on the paper giving a uniform shade all over to my writing. I haven’t noticed any feathering or bleeding – I find it quite a performer for long and fast sessions of writing.  As for the pen, the first thought that comes to my mind when I hold this writing instrument is its weight – This is really heavy. Almost feels like a vintage grandfather’s pen. I love it! It is nice to hold and is pretty big – although it feels a tad too heavy after some time if the cap is placed on the rear end. The nib is of ‘medium’ grade which allows a certain depth to the writing – I find it right for my taste, not a big fan of very bold or very thin writing.

Here’s scanned image to get a real glimpse of the color and texture:

 

My score for Asa Blue ink - 5/5

My score for Asa Blue ink and Sheaffer 300 M grade combination – 4/5

(The only reason I am rating it at 4 is because of the weight, which to me is a good as well as a not too good thing , depending on the period of writing involved)

Until my next review, happy writing!!