fender1

This thread makes me feel like I am shoe shopping with my wife...

Me: How about these?
Her: No, not quite what I am looking for...

(Fast forward 87 million hours and repeat the above exchange 30 million times)

Baroudeur

The darkest blue I have:

Lenton58 

Well ... I guess this is not the thread for you. I am like your wife, and so may be the originator of this thread. I will spend 87 million hours until I think I have the right hue. No problem — all part of the fun. Just ask your wife

big chainring 

Indigo Bunting blue. The ones I get in my yard are almost ink blue and iredescent.

ecsjr

I think the reason I keep this Ochsner is because I like the blue with white painted labels.

Lenton58 

robbied192 - That cobalt is gorgeous. Is that original? If not, how did you find it, mix it? blah blah. Is it enamel, Imron 2-pack type or lacquer?

big chainring 

Wait a minute. Dare is a particular blue dat is worn by a particular team dat is coached by da iron man himself.
BEAR BLUE. Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears.........

robbied196

Hi Lenton58, its not mine, although I wish it was! I was quoting RFC, that is just the most amazing blue I've seen...............and I have a frame that needs painting!

greengage

Perfect! Now you just have to crush about 100 of these here buntings and you'll be all set.

But really--I love threads like this and the photo of Toby (the "never-nude") cracked me up. You need some kind of Diana Vreeland-type to help you find your perfect blue--indigo bunting with a dash of Pharaoh's eyelid and a hint of delphinium.

RFC

It is the most beautiful blue I have ever seen. That particular bike, which is no longer in my hands because a buyer offered me a ridiculous amount of money for it is a virtually unridden and all original 1984 Miyata 1000. I would love another bike in that color.

rootboy 

But you'll have to find some paint with pulverized fish scales in it to achieve the look.QUOTE=MPC Biker;12818731] [/QUOTE]

True enough, apparently. Rumor has it that before the general availability of metallic powders, I guess, Frejus, and probably others, used powdered fish scales to achieve that subtle pearly glow in their paint. At least, that's what the Professors over on the Classic Rendezvous list espouse. So ...for what it's worth.

I buy it.

big chainring 

True enough, apparently. Rumor has it that before the general availability of metallic powders, I guess, Frejus, and probably others, used powdered fish scales to achieve that subtle pearly glow in their paint. At least, that's what the Professors over on the Classic Rendezvous list espouse. So ...for what it's worth.[/QUOTE]

Holy Mackerel

rootboy 

I know. Sounds a little ....fishy.

ftwelder

Hawaiian blue


27 207 by frankthewelder, on Flickr

BlankCrows

I am a fan of that bunting blue as well -- that is a cool-looking little monster.

A good while back I had a 1994 Specialized Allez that had a sharp dark blue paint job. The yellow S logo and names and any other colors next to that blue just popped. This is the only photo I can find of it...

rootboy 

Did you decide which color yet Snarky? ...or would that answer bring this fun thread to a pre-mature halt? I like Frank's Hawaiian blue, whatever that is. And that Bunting is the cat's meow.

rootboy 

Can you imagine having a bike painted like that? Impossible to re-create, and why try, other than it would be so beautiful. I'm changing all my votes to Indigo Bird.
[/QUOTE]

JohnDThompson 

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Gios Torino yet.

RFC

[/QUOTE]

I don't know, but maybe John Slawta at Land Shark could do it justice.

bigbossman 

Not dark blue, but True Blue, as specified by the painter (Ed Litton):

fietsbob

How dark do you want? you could use a black undercoat,
and a transparent blue topcoat
then, perhaps, have a black with a blue patina.

Grand Bois

I must admit that I haven't read the entire thread. Has anybody suggested Cobalt blue? I like it best over a silver base. When done right, it's the most beautiful blue there is. You should see my nephew's '66 Malibu.

https://www.tcpglobal.com/kustomshop/ksukb8313.aspx

snarkypup

All of these are gorgeous, though I agree that it's the bunting that wins.

I will only decide on the color once I see the samples in person, I suppose, and I hope to do that either this week or next. I have to take The Viva into Dutch Bike, as this weekend, the front disk brake cable made a horrible crunch noise and the lever went all the way to the bars without effect on the wheel. This seems like a bad thing. As the bike is under warranty, I have no real concerns, but I will have time to visit the recommended powder-coater nearby and see what these things look like up close.

Right now, I'm just trying to get a sense of what blues move me most on bikes, as opposed to those that move me on shoes or cars or whatever. And I'm enjoying the thread .

bikingshearer 

One of the most beautiful bike colors ever (especially when the rider is wearing an old Brooklyn rteam jersey). Funny thing, though - The Powers That Be won't let you mix actual cobalt into paint any more. So unless you go to some third world country where trivial details like environmental and health issues don't enter into the equation, you can't duplicate it now.

Pompiere

I couldn't find a picture that did it justice, but I like the Rainbow Blue used on early 1980's Fuji America.