Waterman Mysterious Blue Ink is a mainstay and popular everyday Waterman fountain pen ink color. Waterman describes this color as blue-black, which is true to some degree. However, Waterman Mysterious Blue ink in reality is a lighter blue black or blue-gray color that is very pleasing. The gray coloring in this dark blue fountain pen ink makes for a muted blue color rather than a vibrant blue shade. Waterman Mysterious Blue ink is known for its good lubrication and works very well with most fountain pens. Waterman, seems to focus on blue inks, as Mysterious Blue is just one of 4 blue ink colors they produce, (Mysterious Blue, Inspired Blue, Serenity Blue, Blue Obsession) where Waterman only carries one ink variation in the other colors it makes. Waterman inks are manufactured in France and are well respected by pen lovers throughout the world. Pen Chalet is a proud authorized retailer of all Waterman ink and pen products.
Please note some characteristics we found when using Waterman Mysterious Blue ink:
Testing Factors
We used a glass dip pen made by J. Herbin along with Rhodia paper (Block N. 18), which is great for fountain pen and bottle ink use.
Bottle Sizes
Waterman Mysterious Blue ink comes in a multi faceted 50-ml. ink bottle. The nine-sided ink bottle is very unique to Waterman inks and allows the user to grasp each remaining drop of ink.
Cost
This imported French ink is a very reasonably priced $11.00 for 50 ml., which makes it possible to pick up multiple bottles of the various colors of ink.
Dry Time
Using a glass dip pen (which is similar to an extra fine nib) and Rhodia paper, the dry time is a very good 4-5 seconds. Not immediate drying ink, but very functional for everyday use.
Bleed Through
Waterman Mysterious Blue ink produces no bleed through at all when using the J. Herbin glass dip pen. Additionally, using the cotton swab failed to show any bleeding of ink through the paper, which is a wonderful characteristic of this ink.
Feathering
We didn’t experience any feathering using this ink on Rhodia paper and the extra fine type nib. However, when water was placed over the dried ink, substantial feathering did appear.
Water Test
Running a wet cotton swab over ink samples after waiting 3 minutes to dry produced substantial feathering, smudging and smearing. Therefore, Waterman Mysterious Blue ink is not considered waterproof or water resistant.
Shading
Waterman Mysterious Blue ink produced very clean lines with some shading apparent. The broader the nib the more obvious the shading will become.
Conclusion about the Waterman Mysterious Blue ink
We love this Waterman ink. It’s a great blue – black color, yet different from other blue-black inks with more grey properties. Wonderful value for imported ink, with a large size 50ml bottle, where many other imported inks for a similar cost are only 30 ml.