Fountain Pen Inks - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly!

[John in Covina]

Any favorite inks? I like the Noodlers Legal Lapis for most uses. The bullet proof black is also excellent. I also have their Eternal Brown, but I've found it a bit washed out looking for my taste - great for an antique look though when you also need something that will last as long as the paper it's written on.

****
Here's the new thread "Fountain pen inks!"

I had gotten the Eternal Brown, it stopped flowing within minutes, I had to flush the pen it was in out a dozen times to get it working again. Maybe they are not meant to be used in low humidity enviornments.

 

[John in Covina]

Blues and Private Reserve

Here are some of my favorites:
Namiki Blue
Lamy Blue
Pelikan 4001 Blue
Parker Quink washable blue

In the brand Private Reserve:
Washington DC Supershow Blue
Sonic Blue
American Blue
Lake Placid blue
Arabian Rose
Dakota Red
Spearmint Green
and Copper Burst

In Black the Aurora brand is very nice and a dense black.

Levenger has some nice colors BUT the ink never is set, if you touch it with any moisture on your fingers even a light glow of sweat, months or years later, the ink smears and transfers.:rage:

I don't like Montblanc ink but I love the slipper glass bottle.
Sign me, an ink lover!

 

[lenj]

Inks

Present favorite - Diamine royal blue.

For browns like Campo Marzio Tobacco; also Herbin Lie de The.

lenj

 

[Mycroft]

Here are some of my favorites:
Namiki Blue
Lamy Blue
Pelikan 4001 Blue
Parker Quink washable blue

In the brand Private Reserve:
Washington DC Supershow Blue
Sonic Blue
American Blue
Lake Placid blue
Arabian Rose
Dakota Red
Spearmint Green
and Copper Burst

In Black the Aurora brand is very nice and a dense black.

Levenger has some nice colors BUT the ink never is set, if you touch it with any moisture on your fingers even a light glow of sweat, months or years later, the ink smears and transfers.:rage:

I don't like Montblanc ink but I love the slipper glass bottle.
Sign me, an ink lover!

I like the colors that Levengers comes in, but I heard their ink is just ok, and is dry when writing (stiff). I like Parker inks especially there classic greens.

 

[PenMan]

I like Private Reserve's Midnight Blues and Tanzanite, Waterman's red and black, Pelikan 4001 (brilliant black), and maybe best of all, Parker Quink in blue/black.

 

[Colonel]

...Levenger has some nice colors BUT the ink never is set, if you touch it with any moisture on your fingers even a light glow of sweat, months or years later, the ink smears and transfers.:rage:

John,
You used the word "set", so I take that as meaning that in addition to an ink drying, it also "sets". Is that correct? Does it undergo a change in relation to the paper at some point after it is dry? Thanks!

 

[John in Covina]

Set versus permanence versus not staying on the paper.

John,
You used the word "set", so I take that as meaning that in addition to an ink drying, it also "sets". Is that correct? Does it undergo a change in relation to the paper at some point after it is dry? Thanks!

****
Good question, I am not sure that it is the right verb "to Set" but in relation to other inks, Levenger's demonstrates the easiest "pick up" and transfer I have seen. Most fountain pen inks are Washable and not permanent, but most brands don't pick up like the Levenger's. Let's say it is a hot day, you come inside and are lightly perspiraring, if your hands are the least bit damp, most regular inks, you can touch without having them instantly re liquify and come off on your hands as quickly as the Levenger's brand.

Other inks once dry have an affinity for the paper whereas Lenvenger's will come off on your hands, no matter how long the time has passed since writing.

The Noodler's Permanent Inks definately have a set to them, where they bond to the paper and can't be washed away. I recall a test in one of the pen magazines where they tested the permanance of a variety of inks and there were definate winners, just can't recall right now who it was.

LA Pen Show just 4 days away!

 

[John in Covina]

Laxative Ink and Intermittent flow.

I like Private Reserve's Tanzanite,

******
The Tanzanite is considered the "laxative" of fountain pen inks. If you have a quirky pen that writes and stops and writes again, and stops again, then Tanzanite will often be the cure, but if you try it and it doesn't help then it usually means "surgery" to the ink delivery system.

Oddly the manufacturers will put out pens with design problems, such as my Stipula Venti Due (22) which can't be fixed without surgery as the design of the feed and another part have to be changed to get proper ink flow. Current Parker Duofolds have been redesigned as those made just a couple of years ago were suffering from intermittent flow. Feed channals and ink delivery were too constricted, hopefully by swapping out and replacing with newer components may work.

 

[Flyboy]

I love Waterman's Florida Blue (or, as I've seen it on some boxes of the stuff, Floria Blue--I don't know which is correct). Fairly rich, not too bright, and holds its color well.

I need more pens. And hats. And...money...

 

[magneto]

On the premise that youse guys know *everything*...

Does anyone know if Parker Quink and Sheaffer Skrip (the pre-Slovenian variety, if it makes any difference) mix together okay? I have heard horror stories of different inks reacting together badly, coagulating in the pen, &c. Thanks to anyone who knows. (I have some Quink black, and some Skrip blue-black that isn't black enough, ergo the desire to mix).

 

[John in Covina]

Does anyone know if Parker Quink and Sheaffer Skrip (the pre-Slovenian variety, if it makes any difference) mix together okay? I have heard horror stories of different inks reacting together badly, coagulating in the pen, &c. Thanks to anyone who knows. (I have some Quink black, and some Skrip blue-black that isn't black enough, ergo the desire to mix).

********
Don't know if it is listed anywhere. You can experiment, mix the two in a small clear glass jar. Close the top and shake vigorously. Let stand for 24-48 hours and see if anything drops out of solution, if not it should be okay.

http://www.inkpalette.com/

Most fountain pen purveyers have a fine selection of inks, time to buy some new perhaps.

 

[scotrace]

OK, related... no, really...

I dug this inkwell up in the backyard three years ago. From a buried trash pit with lots of broken pottery, toys, shoes, etc. All from around 1900 sometime. Many pieces were in perfect condition, including this inkwell. Sorry for the lousy quickie webcam snap:

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Personally, I'm an enormous fan of Cross's blue-black. It's the darkest I've been able to find, flows well and dries very nicely. Waterman also do a very nice green.

Hello all, I'm the new boy.

 

[lenj]

Inks

Hello Doc

Have you tired Duke blue ink (China) - it is a very dark free flowing ink. Comes in a bottle so secure it is like opening a safe.

lenj

 

[John in Covina]

I think I need some of the Duke ink, it is supposed to be well made.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Have you tired Duke blue ink (China) - it is a very dark free flowing ink. Comes in a bottle so secure it is like opening a safe.

lenj

A quick Google gives me the impression that it's not sold over here, but I shall investigate next time I head into town. It certainly seems to have a nice colour, and the bottle looks lovely.

Thanks for the suggestion, Lenj.

 

[John in Covina]

Good news for the left handed!

Some interesting tidbits in the April / May 2006 Stylus magazine on Noodler?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Inks.

Smear free for lefties!
First there is a new line of fast drying inks for the benefit of those lefty?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s who?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s writing has their hand or arm dragging over the freshly written ink. Swisher Pens is the proprietary vendor under the brand name Swishmix and it is nearly impossible to smear.

Lubrication for the piston!
Noodler?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Inks include an EEL line of inks designed with piston filler type fountain pens such as Pelikan and Mont Blanc. The eel name comes from the eel?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s famous feature, which if you?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve ever caught one is well noted, they are very slippery. So, their namesake inks contain a special lubricant for the preservation of piston fillers.

Eternal means permanent!
Polar Black is made with an antifreeze component that allows it not to freeze until 20 below zero although the actual freezing point maybe much lower. Noodler?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Eternal line of permanent inks has 6 colors now but the majority are proprietary, here is the breakdown: Black and Polar Black all vendors, Legal Lapis, Iraqi Indigo and Eternal Brown are from Pendemonium only and the Luxury Blue is part of he Swishmix line from Swisher Pen

There is a highlighter type ink coming called Firefly and an invisible (black light) ink called blue ghost. So Nathan Tardif the driving force behind Noodler?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s continues to cook up new ideas.

 

[Colonel]

Same ink, different color in different pens

I've been using Noodler's Legal Lapis in one pen for a while. I switched to another pen and filled it from the same bottle I've been using. The ink now looks a lot paler than it did from the first pen - almost as though it were watered down. I filled and emptied the pen twice, and it's still that way.

Any thoughts as to what is causing that and how I can correct it? Thanks!

 

[John in Covina]

Drop out as in precipitation.

I've been using Noodler's Legal Lapis in one pen for a while. I switched to another pen and filled it from the same bottle I've been using. The ink now looks a lot paler than it did from the first pen - almost as though it were watered down. I filled and emptied the pen twice, and it's still that way. Any thoughts as to what is causing that and how I can correct it? Thanks!

*************
Here's what I would do, empty the pen back into the jar of ink. Close the jar good and tight and SHAKE the HECK out of it! Sometimes, inks can react or over time they lose a little of their zip and elements of the ink drop out of suspension. If you've tried that then maybe it is something about the components of the pen. You can try flushing you pen with clear cold water and some 409 about 3 to 1 water to 409 and then plain cold water until no trace of the 409 remains.

Here is the 409 rant:
NEW & BALKY FOUNTAIN PENS? FORMULA 409 TRICK!

Have you ever had a new fountain pen that just won't write right? You have filled it and it skips or won't write at all. Well the culprit may be grease or oils left over from manufacturing that is interfering with the delivery of ink.

The short lived Stylofiles magazine gave this pointer but again use caution; you may damage a pen if the chemicals attack a part. I believe aluminum is the most susceptible to chemical damage of the metals and both celluloid and casein are easy to damage, so don't do this if you've got those as components of your pen. The caveat: Do NOT DAMAGE YOUR PENS! We not responsible for any damages to pens!

VERSION ONE
Take regular Formula 409 and a small glass like a cordial or shot glass. Spray some 409 in the glass and mix with 3 to 4 parts of COLD water. Dip the nib and feed in the mixture then fill and flush the converter or filling system with the mixture for 1 or 2 minutes. Then replace the mixture with plain COLD water and flush for a minute replace water and flush repeat replacing and flushing again and again for a couple more minutes so no trace of the Formula 409 remains. Then fill with new clean ink, the pen should write better if the oil or grease was the culprit. Be sure to empty the pen of all ink first then flush with plain water before using the cleaning mixture. Always use COLD water as warm or hot can damage the feed!

VERSION 2
This is supposed to work on both new and older pens that are
presenting a skipping on no flow challenge. Stylus Magazine and some Pen Aficionados contend Formula 409 and Simple Green as too harsh to use on pens. Their alternate flusher and cleaner is a solution you can easily mix up.

Mix 1 Tablespoon of Clear Household Ammonia to 2/3rds cup of Cold Water. Flush with this mixture and then flush thoroughly with PLAIN cold water to remove any residue.


Go with the flow!

 

[Colonel]

*************
Here's what I would do, empty the pen back into the jar of ink. Close the jar good and tight and SHAKE the HECK out of it! Sometimes, inks can react or over time they lose a little of their zip and elements of the ink drop out of suspension....

John, that made a real difference. It still seems a bit lighter than other samples from the previous pen, but at this point it may just be my imagination. At any rate, you have solved my problem. Thank you sir!!

Good day and God Bless.

Colonel