Robert Oster’s blues are pretty notorious but some are more noteworthy than others. Unfortuntately, he often releases so many ink colors at once that some get lost in the shuffle. Last year, in the melée of Fire & Ice and River of Fire and Lake of Fire and all the other fiery ink madness, Soda Pop Blue ($17for 50ml bottle) was released and largely overlooked.
Many people are still skeptical about the plastic bottles that Oster uses. Yes, they are a bit tall and slender but for someone like myself with a large ink collection, they are easy to store in a drawer and easy to identify from the top. The plastic means they don’t break if tipped over and I have been able to fill almost any pen all the way down to the bottom of the bottle because of the wide opening. It’s only the last inch or so that require that the ink be transferred to a different container or be syphoned out with a syringe to fill a converter rather directly through the nib.
As for the color of Soda Pop Blue, it is a vivid cool blue with a distinct red violet halo/sheen. How that relates to soda pop, I’m not exactly sure but the color is excellent and if sheen appeals to you, this color is excellent.
In writing, the sheen and halo is visible, even with a fine nib pen. The ink is vibrant but not the least nit water resistant. And I realized that the color is the same as Gummi Sharks candy (1lb. bulk bag)
There are several inks that are similar in hue but not as vivid. The closest is probably Colorverse Crystal Planet which is considerably more expensive so if you’ve been waiting for it to be restocked at your favorite retailer, Soda Pop Blue may be a good alternative at half the cost. Bookbinders Snake Ink Blue Coral is close but not as vibrant and Lamy Pacific Blue (Turquoise) and Waterman Inspired Blue/Obsession Blue ($9.60 for a 50ml bottle) is a little bit lighter but in the same color spectrum.
- Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 6mm guide sheet
- Pens: Midori bullet pencil modified dip nib holder with Zebra G titanium nib ($33.50 per 10-pack), Acrylic dip nib pen (Approx. $15), Shawn Newton Esterbrook Nib Holder with #9556 nib
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Cards and Col-o-dex Rotary Cards
- Brush: Blick Synthetic Round #0
- Ink: Robert Oster Soda Pop Blue ($17 for 50ml bottle)
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Why do you say the blues are notorious? I thought they had a pretty good reputation.
Notorious in a good way.
Have you compared it to KWZ Hawaii Blue?
I also love blue gummy sharks. While writing with shark pens.