How do you feel about the color blue? If you’re like most people, you probably love it! Studies conducted over the past century have consistently found blue to be the world’s favorite color, often by a wide margin. I have a tendency to resist choosing very popular things as my favorites, partly because I like being different, so my first instinct is to think of blue as a boring color. But when I reflect on it more deeply and honestly, I realize there are many shades of blue that I adore.
Just thinking about the luminous turquoise of a shallow tropical reef, the soft cyan of a robin’s egg, the vivid cobalt of vintage glassware, the fascinating, ever-changing icy grey-blue of my labradorite ring, or the brilliant azure of a crisp, clear sky makes me happier and more relaxed. Summer has always felt like a “blue” time of year to me, so I’ve found myself especially drawn to the color lately, and decided it would be a fascinating topic to explore further by talking with some of my favorite fountain pen enthusiasts who name blue as the color they love most.
I reached out to several people whose perspectives I thought would be especially interesting: customers I always enjoy talking with in the store, Prag Katta and Eric Arnold; my friend (and our Pilot representative), Bill Pearcy; and Pen Boutique’s heir apparent, Shriya Menon, daughter of owners Leena and Raj. Their favorites, combined with my own personal choices and my research into consistent endorsements in discussions online, helped me choose blue fountain pen inks (and some pens!) to recommend to you.
As in my articles about Black, Blue-Black, Pink, and Water Resistant inks, I wanted to include both perennial favorites and some new discoveries that you may not be familiar with. I don't have in-depth personal experience with every ink I selected, but they are all either inks that I love myself or that have been specifically called out as great blues.
One
One of the most striking things any of the four said to me was Shryia's comment, "I love the color blue because it looks beautiful no matter the shade. There's something special about a color that can range from soft and calming to bold and vibrant while still feeling unmistakably blue." I hadn't thought about this, but she's right. Blue is such a versatile color, and it's hard to think of unpleasant or objectionable blue.
She added, "I think there is something special about blue, but part of what makes it special is how universal it is. Blue is a color that belongs to everyone. It’s everywhere in life—the sky, the ocean, water, flowers, clothing, art, and everyday objects. Because we see it so often, almost everyone has some kind of connection to it. I think that’s why so many people love blue. It can mean different things to different people."
Yes, when I think of blue, I think of my father’s eyes; the “blue hour” color of the world near dawn when I’ve stayed up all night, enraptured by music, writing, or painting; the taste of freshly-picked Connecticut blueberries; two meaningful rocks my friend Susie painted for me; a favorite sweater; the peaceful walls of my inner sanctum; and the skies and waters of so many places that have changed me, inspired me, and become a part of me forever. Each person I spoke with had their own personal associations with the color.
In a 2015 survey conducted by YouGov, blue easily came out on top in all ten countries surveyed across four continents, even in places where other colors hold strong cultural significance. Depending on the country, between 23% (in Indonesia) and 33% (in Great Britain) of respondents selected blue as their favorite color from a list of ten options. It's easy to see why: across cultures, blue is associated with the clear sky and clean water, evoking peace, trust, stability, and optimism. Although blue tends to be especially popular with men, women still choose it more often than any other color, and it remains the top choice across every age group.
[My "Klee color wheel," painted with fountain pen inks in January, 2021. I used a mix of Iroshizuku Kon-peki and Asa-gao for the blue.]
In the world of fountain pen inks, blue is just as dominant. By my rough estimates, more than 25% of all fountain pen inks fall into a blue category. Alongside blacks, blue inks also tend to be the biggest sellers. But, of course, people don't choose blue inks only because the color makes them feel relaxed and secure.
Although early inks were black or blue-black, blue ink has held a prominent place since the 1850s, when the discovery of synthetic dyes such as Prussian Blue and soluble aniline blue made vivid blue inks affordable and widely available for the first time. By the end of the century, prominent European pen manufacturers like Pelikan began formulating and standardizing iconic royal blue inks that were specifically designed to flow smoothly through fountain pen feeds without clogging them.
By the 1930s, Waterman was advertising its blue-black ink as ideal for business and record-keeping, while promoting blue inks for schoolwork and personal correspondence. Blue fountain pen ink also had practical advantages: it is generally easier to clean than other colors, and easier on the eyes.
Later, blue became the standard color for signatures and handwritten notations, since most documents are printed in black, allowing blue ink to stand out as an original addition. When cartridge-filled fountain pens became widespread, many companies supplied blue cartridges as the default option, further reinforcing blue as the standard fountain pen ink color.
Now, when we can choose any color we want to fill our fountain pens, why do so many of us still reach for blue? Yes, sometimes we do it because it is the expected, practical, and conservative choice, appropriate for school or work. It's easily legible, and doesn't stand out as strange. That's certainly a legitimate reason for liking a blue ink! But we also do it because blue inspires us. We love blue.
Two
Although I've associated Shriya, Eric, and Bill with blue for much longer than I've known Prag, he was actually the one who inspired this article. Just hearing him talk about his intense feelings for the color made me want to think more about it and examine my favorite shades.
Prag told me, "From childhood, blue has always been a color that made me feel happy and calm. As I got older and life became more complex, my love of blue became more complex. The night sky with its dark blue studded by the silver stars and moon became another calming experience. Stopped at night in the middle of nowhere in India on a family road trip, the generator at the rest stop died out. This left us in that glorious darkness of no light pollution, and only the stars to illuminate the deep blue void. So, the light blue skies of summer and the deep dark nights tap into my soul at elemental levels."
He continued, "Then I became a sailor and experienced the deep dark ocean nights again with more stars than I have ever otherwise seen. During the days in the middle of the Atlantic I saw a blue in the water that I have never seen anywhere else. It is a deep liquid blue through which light shines as if through a sapphire. I was reminded of the crystalline waters of the Caribbean. Those waters are the light blue of shallower water but so clear that boats seem to sit on glass, while the deep ocean gives a darker crystalline blue. As long as I live, that deep ocean blue along with the night sky will be the blues that I crave at the bottom of my heart."
Prag and I have talked about inks that come close to the elusive vibrant deep ocean blue color he seeks, but he has never been able to find an exact match. Nevertheless, he enjoys a spectrum of blue inks that he says "approach the evocation," of the ocean and sky, and loves continuing to search for "the one."
One of the inks Prag named as a particular favorite is Jacques Herbin Kyanite du Nepal, a luminous shimmer ink in the 1798 Anniversary collection. As with many shades of blue, it's difficult to capture this ink's vibrant beauty in a photo. It has more of a glow than I could coax from a digital representation. The silver shimmer particles make it sparkle like water in the sunlight, while a hint of purplish sheen brings out something Prag mentions being part of his perception of the "great western sky." It is truly a stunning color, and is also one of the shades of blue I find most special and attractive.
Prag tells me that, "The act of laying down a beautiful blue line from a beautiful blue pen is a spiritual experience for me that connects the universe of imagination with the tangible world of ink and paper."
The first fountain pen he ever bought was the classic Imperial Blue Lamy Studio, which immediately attracted him because "it appealed to that part of me that has always liked dark blue, especially paired with silver or grey (blue and grey being my school colors). It is an elegantly simple award-winning design that I love to this day. Its chrome nib section, clip, and barrel end, provide exactly the trim to set off the dark metal body and cap. So, it falls into that category of a 'night sky' pen for me."
I agree that the Imperial Blue Studio is a very special night sky blue color, and both Eric and Bill also mentioned it as a favorite, although Bill's is a ballpoint that he uses when a fountain pen isn't practical. I think the Imperial Blue fountain pen looks especially nice when paired with a deep, enigmatic blue ink like J. Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs, of which J. Herbin writes, "Sombre et profond, il évoque les grands fonds océaniques où une vie florale secrète se développe. Ce bleu donnera une intensité toute particulière à vos différents écrits." ("Dark and deep, it evokes the ocean depths where a secret floral life thrives. This blue will lend a unique intensity to your writing.")
When I swatched the inks for this article, the one that stood out the most to me as the most beautiful and pure shade was Iroshizuku Kon-peki, an ink I actually hesitated to pick because it's so popular. Kon-peki is Pilot's second-biggest seller, topped only by the charcoal black Take-sumi, and we regularly sell out, even though we buy more of it than other colors.
When I saw it in context next to all the other blue inks, I could easily see why, and was surprised by how drawn I was to the deep azure shade, which reminds me of a sky that always captured my heart at home in the hills of Connecticut. There is just something special about Kon-peki.
Three
I've had the pleasure of working closely with Shriya in the store since my first days at Pen Boutique in late 2021, watching her mature from a sweet and insecure teenager into the confident and accomplished (but still sweet!) young woman she is today, and I've definitely always associated her with blue, especially light blue. To this day, whenever we receive an especially beautiful new light blue pen or ink at the store, my first thought is, "Shriya would love this!"
There is a soft beauty, grace, and kindness to the pens that come to mind when I think of Shriya: the Mellow Blue Kaweco Sport (I remember helping her mom by wrapping this pen as a Christmas gift for Shyira in 2022), Light Blue Pilot Grance and Pilot Decimo in Light Blue, Sailor Professional Gear Sapporo Snow Festival and Princess Koto editions, and the Pastel Blue Pelikan M200.
[Pictured: Pelikan M200 Classic Special Edition in Pastel Blue.]
Although a lot of beautiful pastel blue ink colors, such as Sailor Manyo Haha, Sailor Yurameku Kyokkou, Colorverse Clear Cyan, Herbin Gris Toits, and Wearingeul Wendy Darling also remind me of Shriya, I wouldn't choose them for a pen because I don't enjoy writing with inks that are hard for me to read.
Pale inks like these, especially ones with lots of shading, are very trendy, particularly in the journaling community (who often use them for headers), but I would only use them for ink art. If you love this type of ink, Ferris Wheel Press, Wearingeul, and Dominant Industry have a lot of unsaturated selections (many of which have shimmer), as do Sailor and Colorverse (especially in the Korea Special line). The lightest bluish ink that I regularly use in a pen is actually a blue-grey, Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun.
[Pictured: Sailor Manyo Haha, Sailor Yurameku Kyokkou, and Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun, with the ethereal and beautiful (but weirdly named) Sailor Veilio Blue Purple fountain pen.]
When I reached out to Shriya for this article, she was happy to contribute, and told me that her favorite shades of blue are actually light blue, blue-black, and aqua, and that some of her most-loved blue inks are Sailor Ink Studio 941, Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai, and Diamine Blue Lightning.
Although I count many of the Sailor Ink Studio inks as my favorites, too, I had never tried number 941, a rich, warm teal blue shade made even more complex by violet sheen. Shriya says it always stands out to her, and I can see why. I was enraptured by its beauty, and can't wait to try it in one of my own pens.
I was surprised when Shriya declared, "Blue-black is one of my favorite colors to write with!" and I love the poetry and thoughtfulness of her reason. "It reminds me of the night. I've always felt that nighttime is when the world is at its quietest. There are no expectations, no plans, and no pressure—just a sense of peace and the freedom to exist in your own space. Blue-black captures that feeling for me." I feel the same way about night, and it's when I get my best writing done because I become the most creative and the most focused.
I didn't select very many navy or midnight shades to feature in this article, because I have already written extensively about Blue-Black, but so many blue lovers brought up Irozhizuku Shin-Kai, a complex dark grey-leaning blue, I knew I had to revisit it, especially because Shriya specifically mentioned it as one of her three particular favorites, declaring it "a classic that reminds me of the night and feels timeless." It intrigues me that a young woman in her early twenties would love that ink.
Shriya further explained, "For the longest time, before I became interested in finance and business, I wanted to study marine biology. Because of that, blue feels connected to a dream I had for many years and to the sense of wonder I felt about the ocean."
[Pictured: Irozhizuku Shin-Kai with Pilot Grance in Navy.]
Shin-kai, which translates to "Deep Sea" in English, is the perfect ink to capture the vast and mysterious deep ocean, and it also reminds me of how peaceful and alive I feel walking outside on a clear moonlit evening as the sky darkens.
I think it is especially nice paired with the slim and graceful Pilot Grance in Navy, and it's also a ideal match for the rich deep blue Urushi lacquer in Pilot's Prussian Blue Custom Urushi and Custom 845 pens, which Eric and Bill both mentioned as particular favorites when I spoke with them about blue. Eric loves his Prussian Blue Custom Urushi, and the new Custom 845 in Prussian Blue is on both Eric's and Bill's wishlist.
[Pictured: Prussian Blue Custom Urushi (rear) and Prussian Blue Custom 845 (front).]
As for aqua, Shriya says it "is simply fun, but it also reminds me of my mother, Leena. There’s something bright, lively, and comforting about the color that makes me think of her."
I find aqua, cyan, and vivid sky blue colors both energizing and comforting, too, and have tried many inks in this color range. My absolute favorite is Waterman Inspired Blue, which is the prettiest and most well-behaved capri blue color I've found. Eric also mentioned this ink as a favorite, noting, "It likely indicates a new vintage pen I've acquired at a pen show from Myk Daigle, which brings me joy." I associate Inspired Blue with our mutual friend Myk as well, but I loved it for years before I got to know Myk and his deserved devotion to this ink.
It took me a long time and a lot of experimentation to settle on that shade, and it's been with me through good times and bad. It's a cheerful clear luminous color that reminds me of tropical ocean waters, yet is dark enough to be readable, and, most of all, is 100% reliable. It uplifts me even when I'm taking notes on a depressing topic, it always works perfectly, and the only thing I have to worry about is it running empty. I have used this ink to write down the most crucial information in the most harrowing of situations, I have brought it with me to the sea, I have drawn whimsical nature illustrations with it in the woods, I have scribbled notes on the backs of envelopes, on napkins at restaurants, and in a spiral notebook at work. Inspired Blue is always there for me. I find it simultaneously calming and electrifying.
Diamine Blue Lightning, the aqua-colored shimmer ink Shriya mentioned loving, is one I actually helped a store customer choose last week. It stood out to both of us as especially beautiful as we looked together through the extensive store swatch books, searching for a standout ink for him to send as a gift to a friend back home in China. Shriya describes this ink as, "simply fun, especially in a stub nib where its character really shines."
[Pictured: Iroshizuku Kon-peki, Coloverse Supernova, and Diamine Blue Lightning with the Opus 88 Demo Ocean Blue Whale, an eyedropper-filled demonstrator pen that pairs beautifully with shimmer inks like Blue Lightning.]
Shriya listed Pilot Decimo Light Blue, Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu, Esterbrook JR Twinkle, Sailor Jellyfish North American Exclusive, Opus 88 Demo Ocean Blue Whale, and the Waterman Expert L'Essence du Bleu as favorite blue pens, saying, "I love them for different reasons, but they all showcase how versatile blue can be—from soft and calming to bold and eye-catching."
[Pictured: Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu with Palladium trim.]
She concluded, "I like to change my ink colors frequently, so I don’t usually keep the same ink in a pen. I don’t really believe that a pen and ink always have to match. Personally, I find that a little restricting. I think that if you love a particular pen or ink, you should use it however it makes you happy. Some of my favorite combinations are the unexpected ones, and experimenting is part of the fun of the hobby."
I absolutely agree with those sentiments, but I couldn't help noticing that Shriya's classic Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu pen pairs especially well with J. Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs, Dominant Industry Dominant Blue, and Diamine 150th Anniversary Blue Velvet, a lovely, saturated, well-behaved blue that has been mentioned over and over in Reddit discussions about the best blue inks.
One user even declared, "Diamine Blue Velvet is my perfect blue," and, after a while, I stopped tallying how many times it was brought up, realizing there was no question I needed to include it in this article.
Bleu des Profondeurs, a rich dark blue with sophisticated bronze-y sheen in concentration, was also mentioned many times on Reddit, and seems like a midnight blue Shriya would love.
I also couldn't resist Dominant Blue's electric orange-pink sheen. You can see it especially well in the swatch on the right in the image above, next to Bleu des Profondeurs. Dominant Blue's sheen doesn't overpower the underlying blue color, but looks stunning on high-quality paper, and, from what I have read, Dominant Blue is very well behaved for such a high sheening ink. I've added it to my list to try soon!
When I asked Shriya how long she had loved blue, she told me, "Blue became my favorite color in high school. A few friends told me that if I were a color, I’d be blue, and for some reason that really stuck with me." She added that, later on, when she started working in the pen world, coworkers would bring her light blue pens and inks because they said they reminded them of her, and that connection has made light blue feel especially personal. "Those small gestures made me feel even more connected to the color, and over time it just became my color. The more I thought about it, the more it felt right. Blue is versatile, calming, and can be both bold and understated."
Four
When I asked my friend Bill about his predilection for blue, he immediately began to wax poetic. “The winter sky after a snowfall, the sparkling waters of the ocean, the background for the stars on the American flag… what do they all have in common? Nice shades of blue!”
Bill told me he couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t love the color, then suggested that perhaps it began with the traditional “blue is for boys” idea being subconsciously instilled in him, or maybe it was something more self-reflective: “My eyes are blue.” Like many other blue-eyed people, I’ve always thought Bill looks especially good in blue, which brings out his striking eye color.
Bill has a fondness for many shades of blue, from pale baby blue to dark navy, and his range of favorite blues also includes teals, turquoise, and petrol. He enjoys traveling--both in his job as pen representative and for pleasure--and has had many opportunities to enjoy views of the various shades of blue found in our skies and waterways.
Although he doesn't always write with blue, his go-to inks--surprise, surprise!--are all in the Pilot Iroshizuku family. He's regularly used Shin-kai, Kon-peki, Ama-iro, Ku-jaku, and Asa-gao, but his current favorite blue ink is Rikka, a new color that Pilot introduced in November, 2024.
By some standards, Pilot has an overabundance of blue inks--nine out of the twenty-four current Iroshizuku shades can fall under the umbrella of blue--but Pilot clearly understands how versatile the color can be, and each one has its fans who name it a favorite. The Iroshizuku blues--Kon-peki (Deep Cerulean), Shin-kai (Deep Sea), Tsuki-yo (Moonlight), Asa-gao (Morning Glory), Ku-jaku (Peacock), Ama-iro (Blue Sky), Fuyu-syogun (Rigor of Winter), Ajisai (Hydrangea), and Rikka (Snow Crystal) are each unique, and all considered to be among the best blue inks on the market.
When I was swatching inks for this article, I paid particular attention to Rikka, since it's Bill's favorite, and was also mentioned by Eric as a favorite. Bill was surprised when I showed him that I had grouped it with teal-leaning blues like Sailor Yomogi and Yama-dori, but, when he saw my color grid, he admitted my instinct had been correct. However, I think Rikka is one of those inks whose shade is particularly affected by paper choice. On my hot-press watercolor paper, the teal elements are more pronounced, while it appears cool and icy on Tomoe River paper.
Although Pilot describes Rikka as, "A blue ink reminiscent of the serene dance of snowflakes descending from a crisp winter sky," Bill and I both think "iceberg blue" would be a better characterization. I also noticed that the liquid ink goes down a bright sky blue, but the slightly teal tones emerge as it dries. It's a fascinating and beautiful color!
[Pictured: still-wet Rikka, on Tomoe River paper, pictured with Sailor Yomogi and Dominant Industry Lake, along with the beautiful Iguana Blue Kaweco AL Sport.]
[Pictured: Rikka fully dry, on Tomoe River paper.]
Bill says he enjoys all the different shades of Iroshizuku blue and loves watching other people realize that his ink is not the typical blue they were expecting to see. His affection for blue clearly extends far beyond fountain pens, though. “I find blue to be a very relaxing color that is comfortable on the eyes and brings to mind fond memories. A memory that might surprise a lot of people is that I rented a powder blue tuxedo for my senior prom in high school. It paired well with my blue patent leather and blue suede platform shoes.” Like his favorite blue ink, Bill is more complex than he first appears, and often full of delightful surprises.
Five
Eric shares Bill's and Shriya's love for Iroshizuku blues, and mentioned several in his list, adding, "All of the Iroshizuku inks are excellent performers, by the way." He called out Tsuki-yo as one of his top favorite blue inks, adding that it is the shade that best matches his navy blue Pilot Ishime, one of the few "always inked" pens in his large pen collection, the majority of which is blue. An accomplished poet, Eric even wrote a poem about his Ishime's moonlight cobblestone path and the dreams it inspires. Likewise, the blue Ishime is Bill's favorite pen, although he inks his with Rikka.
[Pictured: Navy Blue Pilot Ishime, alongside Pilot Custom Heritage 912.]
I also love to pair Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo with the Pilot Custom Heritage SE in Blue, another one of Eric's personal favorites, which I've long admired for the radiant depth of its marbled Italian resin.
When I asked Eric why he loves the color blue, he surprised me by saying, "My true answer here is that I just don't know. Why are we attracted to a particular body shape, or hair color or eye color? Why do some foods taste better to me than they do to you? Why do we favor some animals over others, and why do those preferences differ? There are certainly genetic and cultural influences there, but I have not come up with a definitive reason why blue appeals to me more than other colors.... For whatever reason, I just find blue to be the most appealing color, [and] for as long as I remember, it has been the color that I am drawn to most."
[Pictured: Waterman Expert in L'Essence du Bleu, a favorite pen of both Eric and Shriya.]
As vague as he is about the reasons, Eric is wonderfully specific about the shades of blue he especially likes: "blue-black as it occurs during the edges of the day, either during morning twilight, just before the upper limb of the sun crosses the horizon, or in evening twilight, after the upper limb of the sun has passed beneath the horizon," "teal or petrol for no reason I can explain," "steely shades, as they remind me of the North Atlantic, the ocean I know best," and turquoise shades, which remind him of the shallow waters of the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
Eric, a retired submariner, served in the Navy for twenty-two years, and is a certified member of the The Royal Order of the Blue Nose, awarded to sailors who have crossed the Arctic Circle at sea. He notes that a variation of his favorite turquoise shades occurs with frozen water, most commonly in ice caves or glaciers, and he has seen the color when looking at the polar ice cap from underneath. "It is somewhat like the turquoise shoal waters... but more luminescent, and more intense. There is nothing really quite like it."
Along with the Iroshizuku shades already mentioned, Eric's favorite blue inks include Sailor Sei-boku, Diamine Blue Black and Port of Call, Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark, Robert Oster Great Southern Ocean, Endless Alchemy Candy Sea and Poseidon's Reef, Pelikan Edelstein Sapphire and Tanzanite, Pilot Blue Black, Colorverse House of Twain, and Waterman's Inspired Blue and Mysterious Blue.
Eric's fondness for steel-y blues and blue-blacks made me realize that, in hindsight, I probably should have included more greyish-blues like Taccia Ukiyo-e Hiroshige Ainezu, Diamine Prussian Blue, Sailor Shikiori Yukiusagi, and Wearingeul's From the Earth to the Moon to swatch, so I apologize to fans of mid-shade unsaturated blues with a lot of grey in them. Iroshikuku Shin-Kai will have to serve as my main representative!
Eric uses Sei-boku, a waterproof, permanent, and lightfast pigmented ink that bonds to the paper with nano-particles, in his Parker IM Monochrome Blue pen, which he notes is a "true workhorse of a pen" and was one of his very first Pen Boutique purchases. He's used it daily for many years and has run more than two bottles of Sei-boku through it, while never cleaning it since he first filled it, "just refilled it and kept on going." Sei-boku is also one of my personal favorites, and I've recommended it to many people in the store, including Eric, I'm sure. I love its shading, and always reach for it when I need a waterproof ink. Although it can be a little harder to rinse out of a pen than standard blue inks, it has never clogged my pens or caused me any other problems.
Eric brought some of his favorite blue pens to the store to show me, and you can definitely tell he has a type! His blue pen collection is even more impressive than his blue ink collection, but both are magnificent, and very Eric.
Eric and I both use the free Fountain Pen Companion online database to keep track of our inks, and he shared the Companion's "Ink Visualization" depicting his collection. While my own Ink Visualization looks more like a rainbow, I was not at all surprised to see how heavy Eric's is on the blue section of the spectrum. For as long as I've known him, I've noticed his love for the color in his pen, ink, and stationery purchases, clothing and car choices, and even his personality.
Six
Although I've already overwhelmed myself with the number of blue inks and pens I've mentioned, I can't leave out a few more intense blue inks that I especially love, including Colorverse Supernova, Taccia Ao, and Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. I find these shades especially attractive, and, although they are similar, each one is a little different in your pen. They are just so gorgeous!
[Pictured: Some of my favorite intense marine blues with the Blue resin Pilot Falcon.]
Lately I've been using Asa-gao in one of my Pilot Kakunos because I love the vibrant shade, and Supernova has been my favorite Colorverse ink for years. Its shading and sheen are spectacular!
Although it's fairly conservative, I also especially love Diamine Majestic Blue, which I always keep inked in my Pilot Custom 743. The combination of its rich, highly readable color and the magnificent pink sheen is majestic indeed when paired with my Custom 743's flexible FA nib.
The lightest blue ink I was drawn to when choosing my selections for this article was Dominant Industry Lake, a clear blue inspired by serene waters. I love its translucence and complexity, and I think it's a beautiful match for the Monteverde Ritma in one of my very favorite shades of turquoise.
I love petrols and teals as well as aquas, cyans, cobalts, and azures, and, although blue pens make up only a small percentage of my own collection, my Turmaline Lamy AL-Star, Soft Blue Pilot Prera, Sailor 1911L in Stormy Sea, and Petrol-Marbled Pelikan M205 are among my very favorites.
I could probably write a whole separate article about teal and petrol shades, but I can't leave Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori (Copper Pheasant) out of this one. It is one of Sailor’s most beautiful and beloved inks, famous for its excellent flow, rich teal color, gorgeous shading, and bright magenta sheen, and I've used it often and with great pleasure.
[Pictured: Sailor Yama-dori with our Pen Boutique exclusive Aurora Optima, Sogno del Mare.]
However, Sailor Yomogi is new to me, and I think I have a new obsession. When I asked my co-worker Pierce what his favorite blue ink is, he immediately named Yomogi, and I can see why. Wow. It's really special. Why didn't I know about it until now?!
I guess there will always be more beautiful blue inks to discover, and it's impossible to include them all. Which shades of blue call to you the most? Do you have a favorite I didn't mention? Please let me know in the comments!
-Laura P.
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