Hero 616 And Diamine Syrah - Strange Ink Problem

[garyc]

I recently bought a 3 pack of Hero 616 Jumbo pens, one is exhibiting a strange behaviour that - it appears to be leaking ink by some sort of evapouration from the nib. It happens with the pen just being left (capped) on my desk at work. The following pictures probably show the effect better than any description. The pictures show an overnight accumulation, but I can see the effect starting after only a few hours. I can wipe the deposit off, then rinse the nib in a little water and it seems to write perfectly well.

 

The ink is Diamine Syrah. I think I have seen a similar effect before in another pen with Diamine Monaco red where the ink seemed to dry to a crust on the nib. I'll try filling another pen with Syrah and see if that has the same problem, or could it be peculiar to the Hero's aeromatic filler?

 

Anybody seen this before?

 

Appeciate any insight as to what might be going on,

Gary

(Edited to correct the Hero pen number)

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r77/garyjc_photos/Hero%20100/Hero100-DiamineSyrah.jpg

 

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r77/garyjc_photos/Hero%20100/Hero100-DiamineSyrah-2.jpg

Edited February 26, 2015 by garyc

[OakIris]

It's called "nib crud;" it is most common with orange inks, but red is a component of orange, after all. It is caused - I believe - from water evaporating out of the ink and leaving deposits on the nib. The same ink may not exhibit the same behavior in other pens; I believe it depends upon how well the pen's cap seals. I have Syrah - one of my favorite reds - and none of the pens I have used exhibit this, but I have heard about the problem with this ink from other users.

 

The crud is unsightly, but harmless - it is not bacterial in nature, nor is it a fungus growing on your nib, lol - just wipe it off the pen. If you can't handle the way the nib looks, but love the ink, try it in another pen.

 

(Do a Google search for "nib crud;" you'll come up with lots of threads about it.)

 

Holly

Edited February 26, 2015 by OakIris

[garyc]

Thanks Holly, I've found lots of threads as you said. Curiously, I also bought some Diamine Ancient Copper which seems to be another ink that is prone to this, but I hadn't seen it so far with that ink.

 

I'll stop worrying and just keep a supply of paper towel squares handy.

 

Gary

[OakIris]

You are most welcome, Gary.

 

I think Syrah is a really nice ink, so I am glad you are not giving up on it. As I recall, Ancient Copper was the first ink I read about that as being prone to producing nib crud; I don't have the ink but it is a lovely color and has lots of shading, so it is on my list! Wiping the crud off the nib before using the pen should be no big deal if the ink makes up for the minor annoyance!

 

Holly

[EricaTX]

Thanks for posting this. I was having problems with Private Reserve Avocado - bits were drying and sticking and I was having to constantly clean it - and I think it's nib crud.

[Moshe ben David]

For what its worth, I run Diamine Syrah in a Lamy 2000, which is also hooded. Never experienced what you've seen.

[rochester21]

I`ve seen stuff like that in "The X-Files".

Edited February 27, 2015 by rochester21

[fabri00]

I had same problem with diamine oxblood in a noodler"s creeper

[Kuscer]

I have the same problem with Diamine Ancient Copper. I have been told that this happens mostly with Diamine inks that have a sort of residue inside. This residue gooey-thing also appears on the bottle neck of the Diamine ink bottle.

[fabri00]

I read is something related to the red pigments of the ink and apparently several red-reddish inks also from other brands could have similar behaviour.