Tintenlabor Dark Blue 3 (New Formula, Discontinued) — Ink Review #189
Tintenlabor Dark Blue 3 (New Formula)
Eisengallustinte 3, dunkelblau / schwarz
Ink Review # 189
Originally posted on FPN: June 12, 2025
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🧾 Description
Ink: Tintenlabor Dark Blue 3 (New Formula)
Available: Discontinued. However, you can find other blue-blacks on their website:
Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Kanwrite with FPR ultra-flex
This ink has been discontinued. However, Tintenlabor has a series of much better blue-blacks with 4 g/L or less iron content.
Tintenlabor is a Swiss ink company specializing in Iron Gall inks. What differentiates this brand from others is that it discloses the iron content.
The samples were sent to me by the Ink-Meister, David.
This is the new formula of Dark Blue 3, a blue-black iron gall with 5 g/L iron and high dye content. I haven't tested the old formula, so I cannot compare them. But this is a wet ink.
On most of the papers I tested, the ink oxidized immediately from sky blue or petrol blue, depending on nib width, to blue-black or grey. Midori was the only exception: oxidation took 12 hours.
With a very wet, primed flex nib, I saw feathering on Midori & Hammermill. While there’s some ghosting and bleed-through on Hammermill paper, there was none on my cheap shopping list.
Cleaning Note: Like all IG inks, flush with water first. For stubborn residue, use a small pinch of pure ascorbic acid in water, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners with iron gall inks.
An ultrasonic cleaner can help with removable pen-safe parts, but avoid it with fragile vintage materials, plated trim, or anything uncertain.
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🧪 Chroma
✍️ Writing Samples (scan)
JEF stands for Japanese EF nib.
Rhodia /Iroful
Midori /Tomoe River 68gsm
While it's written Blue 2 on the Tomoe River paper, it's actually Blue 3.
Hammermill 20lb
📸 Photo
Rhodia, Hammermill, Iroful
Midori, Tomoe River 68 gsm
Oxidation
🔍 Comparison
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💧 Water Test
🎨 Artwork
Dragonfly
Part of Inktober yearlong challenge 2025. Dragonflies were very important in Samurai culture.
Tintenlabor Azur Noir/ Dark Blue 3 (it’s the background blue black), Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Fado
I'm a fan of fado music — a traditional Portuguese genre often played with the Portuguese guitar. It evokes saudade, an untranslatable feeling that blends nostalgia, longing, loss, and yearning.
I don’t want to be Human
Tintenlabor Dark Blue 3/Noodler’s Red Rattler Eel
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- What I Liked: Nice wet, decent lubrication.
- What I Did Not Like: With some nibs, the base color was petrol blue, not my favorite colour.
- What Some Might Not Like: Cleaning and IG inks.
- Writing Experience: Delightful.
- Pros: Waterproof. Lovely colours.
- Cons: Discontinued.
🧷 Ink Characteristics
- Shading: Good.
- Ghosting: Yes, on Hammermill, not on shopping list.
- Bleed Through: Same as above.
- Flow Rate: Wet, to very wet.
- Lubrication: Very good.
- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
- Start-up: Great with most pens. Kakuno was a bit fussy.
- Saturation: Lovely
- Sheen: Did not notice.
- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Only with a wet flex primed nib.
- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
- Staining (Pen): No.
- Clogging: No.
- Cleaning: Check note above.
- Water Resistance: Excellent after oxidation.
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💬 Closing
This was a lovely ink by Tintenlabor. The final question remained: what is the difference between Blue 2 and Blue 3? Both oxidize to a charcoal grey colour. Blue 2 has low dye content, Blue 3 has high dye content. But both look similar in the end.
Regardless, Tintenlabor has now a series of much better blue-blacks with 4 g/L or less iron content.
No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. 😉
Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. 😊
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