Delta Blue Ink is one of 6 ink colors that Delta, an Italian pen company, produces. Delta ink has been quite uncommon in the United States and many pen companies do not carry this brand. Many limited/special edition Delta pen owners have experienced the high quality Delta inks as many of their pens come with a sample bottle. Delta only produces 6 basic ink colors, blue, black, brown, green, orange and red and come in a distinctive “dolce vita” orange delta box. The Delta blue ink tested for this review is a bright vibrant royal blue color that is very pleasing. This Italian made blue ink is not a dark blue, no black hues here, but it’s a bright, vivid blue color, bright and radiant!

Delta Blue Ink Review

Please note the following Delta Blue ink characteristics we found while testing this ink:

Testing Factors

We used a J. Herbin glass dip pen during this review on Rhodia Bloc N. 18 paper. The glass dip pen has an equivalent extra fine nib.

Bottle Sizes

The Delta ink bottle is a small functional heavy glass bottle with slanted sides, which makes it easy to lay on its side to glean those last few drops of ink. The bottle unfortunately is a small 30 ml size, with no color markings on the orange Delta label. The box which the bottle comes in is a uniform color for all of the Delta ink colors. A small color sticker dot on the side represents the color of the ink inside.

Cost

Delta blue ink is a mid range priced ink, retailing for $15.00 for a 30 ml. bottle.

Dry Time

Using the J. Herbin dip pen, the dry time was a super quick 2-3 seconds. A larger sized nib will take more time to dry.

Bleed Through

We experienced zero bleeding using Delta Blue ink on Rhodia Block N. 18 paper and the J. Herbin glass dip pen.

Feathering

No feathering was experienced using Delta Blue ink. The ink produced clear, clean, distinct lines. Slight feathering showed through during the water test.

Water Test

During our water test, where a completely wet cotton swab was run over and over the ink samples after letting them dry for approximately 3 minutes. We noticed a slight feathering, slight ink smearing, but overall the ink held up to the water. Although Delta blue ink is not waterproof, we would consider it partially water resistant for sure.

Shading

Slight shading was experienced, especially using a cotton swab, but very little with the extra fine equivalent glass dip pen.

Conclusion about the Delta Blue Ink

This is a fun vibrate blue ink from this well respected Italian brand. The bottle size is small and cost is moderate, but the ink color and characteristic, such as an exceptional dry time, make this a good blue ink preference. The semi exclusivity of this ink, since it’s not offered by all pen companies, makes it a fun ink to own.