Robert Oster who now carries well over 80 colors, has introduced a new blue, Robert Oster Frankly Blue Ink. Blue ink continues to be a favorite of many writers. The variety of blue inks on the market today continues to amaze. Robert Oster Ink Company has a multitude of blues, each with a slightly different hue.
Created to honor both the one year anniversary of being sold in America and “Federalist Frank” of Federalist Pens, the first to carry Robert Oster inks in the US. The ink was originally sold at the 2017 DC Pen Show and is one of the newest blue inks produced by this Australian company.
Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink is a nice blue shade, almost an “aqua” color. It has a slightly blue-green hue, that is heavy on the blue. The ink is probably not quite light enough to be considered a turquoise color and not vibrant enough to be a royal blue. The color is a unique variation between the two.
Robert Oster inks are known for their quick dry time, nice shading characteristics and some possible sheening as well. Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink has all these characteristics and is bound to be another blue ink to put on your “to buy list”.
Continuing reading for a chance to win the bottle of Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink we used for this review.
We found the following characteristics while we were testing Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink that you may find helpful:
Testing Factors
We used Rhodia dot pad paper with a J. Herbin glass dip pen for this Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink review. Both the Rhodia paper and the J. Herbin glass dip pen are French made, while Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink is handcrafted in Australia.
Bottle Sizes
Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink, like all Robert Oster bottled inks, come in a simple plastic 50 ml bottle. The slender bottle stores well, as it doesn’t take up much space, but contains a nice amount of ink. There is no outer packaging or box with Robert Oster inks. The only telling mark indicating the color of ink is a white label on the cap with the color name and an inkblot sample. The simplicity of the bottle Robert Oster uses has not limited their popularity with consumers.
Cost
Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink is a mid ranged priced ink retailing for $17.00 in the United States, which is a reasonable price understanding that it is being imported from the land down under.
Dry Time
Using a J. Herbin glass dip pen on Rhodia paper, we experienced a reasonable dry time of between 7-8 seconds. Not as fast as some other Robert Oster inks, but quick enough to be considered an everyday ink option.
Bleed Through
We did not experience any bleeding during our review of Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink. Even during our cotton swab test there was no bleeding with Rhodia dot pad paper.
Feathering
We did not experience any feathering during normal use while testing Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink. Like most non-waterproof inks, we did notice some line distortion during the water test, but only at the wettest points.
Water Test
Our water test running a wet cotton swab over a dried ink sample produced a typical color smear, as do most non-waterproof inks. The wettest portions of the test also removed some of the lines and cause line distortion. However, the majority of the sample lines remained visible and were still fairly crisp.
Shading
Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink produces some nice shading and color variations with the right nib, paper and writing style. Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink also produced some very slight dark red sheen at the wettest points of the cotton swab test.
Conclusion about the Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink
Blue inks continue to be very popular. Finding the exact blue ink can be a fun and exciting task (since you will probably end up with a bunch of blue variations and you may end up loving them all). Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink is another such ink. It is different enough from other blue inks, as it is not a traditional blue color. Regardless, Robert Oster Frankly Blue ink has a nice unique color, has a fairly quick drying, and beautiful shading traits. It is “frankly” is just another wonderful blue ink by Robert Oster.
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Great giveaway!
Another great Robert Oster ink.
Totally, they are such a great line
My favourite colour of ink of is Diamine Grape! I do love this beautiful Robert Oster blue Ink though!!
I love the various blues. My current favorite is J. Herbin Bleu Nuit in an old Platinum with an Extra-Fine nib.
If you haven’t reviewed J. Herbin Bleu Nuit I would love to see it. If you have I will start looking through your archives.
i have yet to try a Robert Oster Ink
Robert Oster rocks!! Awesome color palette and great choices with great prices.
Nice color. Thanks for the chance to win!
Would like to see a review of R.O. summer storm
Diamine Oxbood is inked up right now
Awesome color! Just right for jazzing up notes!!
i just can’t get enough of the robert oster inks! seems that he has a new ink each week! love the shading of his jade~
Awesome! Can’t wait to see a Robert Oster sublime review.
My current favourite ink is Robert Oster Viola! I’ve loved every robert oster ink I’ve tried and this one looks great too!
I’d love to compare this to the other Rober Oster blues that I got.
I’m such a sucker for blue-gray inks, especially dark ones. Always on the lookout for work-appropriate, blue-gray inks without a lot of shading.
This one has been on my radar too – thanks for the reviews! You’re highlighting all my wish list items!
I love the look of this blue ink. Looking to expand the collection as I’m just getting into the hobby.
I love all of the Robert Oster inks I have bought! Great colors, shading, sheen, and they behave well in pens!
I adore Kon-peki
Very nice!
I love Robert Oster’s School Blue and am interested in how this compares. School Blue had a lot more depth than I expected from the online swatches.
The ink I’m currently using is Noodler’s Bernanke Black. I’m new to this all, so would love some more inks to expand my fountain pen hobby!
I’ve been wanting to try this ink since seeing it posted from the DC show! Thanks very much for the chance to win it!!!
My favorite blue right now is Private Reserve Electric DC Blue.
I haven’t tried any Robert Oster inks either
Thank you so much .
Great review and a killer blue!
I like Fire and Ice.
Oooh – pretty color!!
Recent favourite would be Blackstone Daintree Green. A bright vibrant green, I think it’s a reasonable substitute for people looking for the Montblanc Irish Green
Great review! As for a favorite ink… it varies. But because I need a permanent black at work and I prefer something with character, maybe Noodler’s El Lawrence right now.
My favourite ink is Iroshizuku Asagao!
I love the Blues!
I think I would like to see further/new reviews of the Platinum iron gall inks.
Great Review!
Love Blue inks & this is a very nice one
Still haven’t tried a Robert Oster ink and want to! Too many blues to choose from!
Would love to see a review of Organics Studio Ralph Waldo Emerson Twilight Blue!
My favorite ink currently is the Diamine Sherwood Green I just purchased from your site! Would love to see a review on Private Reserve Avacado and comparison to the Diamine Sherwood Green.
I don’t have many RO inks but that is quickly changing! Amazing colors 🙂
Thank you for the review
I have a current obsession with Orange so anything Orange with do, except Apache Sunset, which everyone owns/reviews! Great review. Thanks.
This seems very close to R. O. Soda Pop. Still nice.
I read a rumor of an olive green Edelstein coming up. If so, please review that.
Thanks!
A nice blue, but I love RO’s range of teal. Tranquility in particular.
Fingers crossed.
My favourite ink is Sailor Jentle Yama-Dori! 🙂
my favorite blue ink remains Pilot Kon Peki at the moment
Nice ink!
Lovely color and I always appreciate the thorough reviews from you ink-experts!