thINKthursday
Diamine Aster

From the garden to your pen, we take a look at Diamine Aster.

thINKthursday – Diamine Aster

I’ll say it from the start, this is a pretty blue. Aster is part of Diamine’s flower series and is usually only available with the 9 other colors in a boxed set. We’ve made the individual bottles available so customers aren’t stuck with colors they don’t want. Diamine Aster comes in a 30ml glass bottle and is reasonably priced at $10. This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear F, Lamy Studio B, and on Rhodia No. 18 blank paper.

Diamine Aster is a rich and vibrant royal blue. It is very similar to two other popular blues, Sailor Souten and Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, although it doesn’t have the same red sheen for which these inks are adored. In a fine nib, the ink is a uniform color and displays minimal shading. With a broader nib, the ink shades moderately from a cerulean blue to a rich azure.

Like other Diamine inks, Aster was well behaved on Rhodia paper. The flow was good and there was no feathering or bleedthrough. Saturation was on the higher side with moderate shading in a broader nib. Dry times were normal at 25-30 seconds and clean up was easy. The ink was moderately water resistant, the majority of the ink washed away but it was still possible to read what was written.

Diamine Aster is a solid blue and should definitely be considered if you’re looking for a blue ink. It is a beautiful color with great characteristics. The rest of the flower series has some interesting colors and I look forward to reviewing some in the near future.

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks.

Ink it Up!
Chris

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