Happy New Year, everyone! For my first post of 2019, I decided to review one of the most classic inks that I own: Diamine Oxford Blue.
Founded in 1864, Diamine is an English company that manufactures ink. From ink pads to shimmering fountain pen ink, Diamine makes it all. Diamine is a respected company in the fountain pen world for their numerous calligraphy and fountain pen inks, and for the diversity of the ink they manufacture. Oxford Blue is an ink in their fountain pen ink series.

Diamine Oxford blue is a deep navy color, with a black and reddish sheen. It is a wetter ink, and has a relatively average dry time of about 30 seconds (with J. Herbin glass dip pen and Rhodia Blank notepad). As a lefty who prefers drier inks, this dry time is a bit slow for me, as I might smudge the ink when writing. A darker blue ink, Oxford Blue is perfect for formal writing projects or for signatures. It is a beautiful ink, with the noticeable dark sheen, but simple enough that it is not a distraction. Just a note- I loaded this ink into a TWSBI Eco demonstrator a while back, and as of today I detect no flow problems.


Now for the bottle. All 30 ml inks (as of January 1, 2019) come in a clear plastic bottle with multiple stickers adorning the sides. The rectangular body merges up into the black cap, which screws on and off of the cylindrical mouth of the bottle.

Diamine Oxford blue is a great choice for anyone who needs a simple yet beautiful ink. It is available for $15 in an 80 ml bottle, or in cartridges for around $10. It can also be purchased in a 30 ml bottle for a very reasonable $8. The 30 ml bottle is available here at Jetpens. I give this ink four stars, for being a little too wet for my lefty writing style, but a great blue color with a nice sheen. At its low price, I would recommend trying it.
Signing Out,
Will