Franklin-Christoph Blue 72
Ink Review #32
*Please note that the scan is the accurate representation of this color.
Overview
The color/properties:
Blue 72 is a light to medium blue. There’s a hint of shading, the larger nibs shade with a more noticeable crisp cut between light and dark tones where the ink pools, but I was surprised to see that it doesn’t show as much with the finer and medium nibs. In my tests, it was the most visible on the Kokuyo paper, but even there it was almost imperceivable outside of the larger nib sizes.
Ink Splat
Ink Droplets
Performance on paper:
Blue 72’s performance was good: there was no bleed-through or feathering on any of the test papers. Surprisingly, the dry times were slightly below average, especially on Midori where even the finer nibs barely dried within the 20-second mark. The water resistance was good. There was some color retention, and the remains were still crisp and easy enough to read.
Water resistance
Chromatography
Performance in the pen:
Blue 72 had a medium-wet flow that was consistent across each of the test nibs. I didn’t run into any hard starts, skips, or stops during my tests, and the ink felt well-lubricated, providing a comfortable and pleasing writing experience. Cleaning was easy as well, and Blue 72 washed out of the test pen and nibs with a single soak and flush.
Value/cost per ml:
At the time of writing, Blue 72 is available from Franklin-Christoph for $8.25 in the 1oz size used in the review. This makes Blue 72 $.28 cents per ml, but I should note that Franklin-Christoph also offers inks in a 2oz eyedropper for $12.50, bringing the cost down even further.
The bottle/packaging:
Blue 72 comes in a simple glass bottle with a basic label and no exterior packaging. The glass has a moderate level of transparency, although I found that the ink often sticks to the inner walls of the bottle, leading me to initially mistake the glass for being ambered. The cap has shallow ribs on the edges to assist opening (though I found that they don’t provide as much grip as they would appear to) and there is an inner plug that will help create a seal. The opening is large enough to fit most pens easily, but because the bottle is light and taller than wide, I find that the bottle is lacking in stability for filling.
Score: 61/70
Price per ml: 7.5/10
Performance in a pen: 10/10
Performance on paper: 10/10
Color saturation: 3.5/10
Sheening: 0/10
Shading: 3/10
Dry time: 6.5/10
Water resistance: 6.5/10
Ease of cleaning: 10/10
Bottle form: 1.5/5
Bottle function: 2.5/5
*Only 70 of the 100 available points are required for an outstanding score.My personal thoughts...
I've had a lot of experience with Blue 72: each Franklin-Christoph pen comes with a cartridge of this ink, as well as a cartridge of black ink. Given my unceasing compulsion to buy a new F-C pen at every pen show, I've been through quite a few cartridges of this ink. It’s an unassuming ink — probably why it’s good to package with a pen — but it’s one I like a lot. I can’t really put my finger on why either, but I liked it so much that I did ask them what it was and was directed to the bottled version. I still feel the same way about it now. It’s simple, but it’s a pleasant, flawless experience.
Written with a Franklin-Christoph Model 45 (fine) in a Leuchtturm1917 notebook
More images/info:
Tools and materials used in the writing samples:
A TWSBI Diamond 580 AL with 7 nib units including a Needlepoint grind, EF, F, M, B, 1.1mm stub, and an Architect grind. All nibs are tuned to perform at the same medium wetness.
A Rhodia No16 A5 DotPad
A Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
A 68gsm A5 Tomoe River Notebook
A Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Spiral Notebook
A Kokuyo Campus A5 Notebook