I am a sucker for blues and Blackstone’s Sydney Harbour Blue (Appelboom, €7.44) is no exception.
Sydney Harbour Blue is a dark ocean blue that shimmers red. In lighter applications it’s got a bit of teal to it, but in darker applications it’s all blue.
This ink is highly saturated and packs a lot of color in there.
In terms of color comparisons, I don’t have a great match for it. It reminds me a lot of Organic Studios Nitrogen, both in blue color and in red sheen, but side by side they are not as close as I thought; Sydney Harbour Blue is much darker. I also wondered about Robert Oster Fire & Ice, but seeing them side by side, Fire & Ice is a much lighter blue.
Sydney Harbour Blue is not permanent, as you can see by my clumsiness with water a full 24 hours after completing the swatch.
In writing, you can see some of the shading, particularly as the dip nib went through more or less ink over time.
If you’re into dark inky blues and sheen, this one’s probably for you!
- Paper: Crossfield Journal ($24.00) and Maruman Mnemosyne N182A Inspiration Notebook A5 ($10.50)
- Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80).
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Ink: Blackstone Sydney Harbour Blue (30ml for €7.44, approx. $8.70)
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Appelboom for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
Happy Yarn Bombing Day to you and Laura!