Diamine - Oxblood

Diamine Oxblood - ink swatch card

Possibly Diamine’s most popular ink, Oxblood is a real superstar! It’s certainly among my all-time favorites. It goes well in every pen and nib that I’ve filled with it, and it works well in a wide variety of situations. I constantly have it inked in a pen. This ink performs flawlessly!

Oxblood is a beautiful ink in my eyes. There are no flashy decorations needed when a color is this nicely done. In finer nibs, it lays down a deep, rich, true blood red. In broader nibs, where the line width allows more of the stroke center to show, it’s a bit more scarlet. It's a beautiful ink that really matches its name.

Diamine Oxblood - ink splatter!

When pooled, it produces a sheen that ranges from orange to green. However, in writing, sheening never really develops (and honestly, in this case I might not like the ink as much if it did). On some papers, you do find a moderate shading in broader nibs. It’s enough to subtly add nice variation and movement, but not enough to grab your attention and steal the show.

In writing, Oxblood is a very well-behaved ink. I wouldn’t call it either wet or dry, but the flow is consistent, reliable, and smooth. I use this ink constantly, and in well-tuned pens, the writing experience is pure pleasure. Stroke profiles are clean and sharp with no feathering. You may find a little show through on some papers (this is a deep, rich ink), but it doesn’t bleed through the page. It dries fairly quickly on uncoated papers. On coated papers, it takes a bit longer than average, but it’s still quite reasonable and doesn’t become a problem.

Diamine Oxblood - 30ml bottle

When I think of Oxblood, I think about its excellent writing performance, and its beautifully rich color. This is a very pleasant, very consistent ink, and it's perfect when you want a true, deep blood red. I can’t imagine being disappointed with Diamine Oxblood!

July 2020