An Esterbrook 9128 Has A Date With Namiki Blue Ink

Namiki Blue ink is the standard ink for more than a few fountain pen users. It even works well at flex writing. But there’s a catch and it will be a deal-breaker for some pens.

The deep blue color leans slightly blue-black which makes it suitable for almost any business environment. Mild shading and outlining make this ink intriguing to use. It exhibits average show-through on Miguelrius from a fine nib but significant show-through with a wet nib. That performance is comparable to other pens and inks so I wouldn’t mark it down for either. Many inks dry a second or two faster so Namiki Blue might not be a first choice for lefties but I am not a good judge of that.

There is one caveat. My Esterbrook Deluxe SM, the model that closely resembles my navygray Parker ’51’ Aero, now has several Namiki Blue ink stains. Not a pretty sight. So be careful when using it in a pale colored pen.

Last night the 9128 flex nib got properly acquainted with Miguelrius paper. Very nice, indeed. The nib has an extremely sharp tip but the combination of ink and paper tamed its tendency to dig in too much. The ink flow is just right and did its best to prevent any railroad tracks. Not that the nib doesn’t deserve the lion’s share of the credit, but a helpful ink is, well, helpful.

Too bad the staining issue will keep Namiki Blue and the Estie from future dates. It was fun while it lasted.