Ink Review #821: Cross Blue

Every once in a while a reader will send me an ink to try, which allows me to play with some new ink. Recently a reader sent me Cross Blue to play with. You can find this ink at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Blue is a medium blue that has just a bit of a purple undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs the ink looks so much prettier than it does in writing. A little bit of bronzy sheen and a pretty purple shade.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. The sheen was only visible in large swabs on Tomoe River paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper the ink feathered and bled in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Cross Blue is pretty similar to Thornton’s Blue and Private Reserve Cosmic Cobalt. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Turquoise with a broad nib on Tomoe River paper. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I think it’s a nice basic blue ink. I like the color, but it is similar to some other inks I already own.

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink as provided by a reader for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links, but this post is not sponsored in any way.