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Mixing Smelly Waterman Inks?


StrawberryJam

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(Not sure if this question is better posed for the inky recipe sub-forum; if so, mods please move!)

 

About a year or two ago, I picked up a batch of the old waterman inks off ebay -- you know, the ones that "smell funny". I don't remember the exact reason for why the old waterman inks had the funny smell, but I was wondering if anyone had tried mixing those old waterman inks with any other ink type and what the results were? In particular, I was concerned about any adverse reaction associated with whatever makes the ink smell funny.

 

I will assume I'm pretty safe in mixing "smelly waterman blue" with "smelly waterman havana brown", but would it be okay to say, mix my smelly waterman blue with J. herbin stormy grey?

 

On another note, what signs should you be looking for to see if the inks DO react badly to each other?

Current Wishlist:

Visconti, Visconti, and...more Visconti! (And some ST Duponts too). (Ok fine, getting on the Omas and Montblanc trains now too. Toot toot.) (And maybe on the Montegrappa one too, but only for the Miyas.)

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The Waterman inks smell bad most likely due to phenol in the ink. It is used to prevent mold growth, and SITB. Other modern inks, such as Pilot also can reek of the smell.

 

I believe that the Waterman inks should be fine to mix, as the only thing you would watch out for is interactions between dyes. Phenol is relatively stable and should not react too much. However, when you do mix, mix only tiny amounts in a sample vial, and let it sit, in case anything develops. You don't want to waste 20mL of ink to precipitates, when you could have tossed only 4mL. If it works, go ahead and make more.

 

To see if an ink does react badly, look for strange clouds forming (precipitate), strange color changes (dye interactions), bubbling (pH problems), or gasses (chemical stuff going on). I mix lots of my colors across brands, and there doesn't seem to be a bit problem with any of my mixes. Stop by the Inky Recipes sub forum for more info about mixing and some mixes that work, and others that don't. Again, start small, and build your way up.

fpn_1434432647__fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pinks-bottle_200x159.jpg

 


Check out my blog at Inks and Pens

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The older Waterman inks used phenol as a preservative. I always liked the smell. As the poster above says, give it a try, although the results aren't always predictable.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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Thanks, everyone. Seems like the phenol stuff should be inert so we will see how my mixing goes!

Current Wishlist:

Visconti, Visconti, and...more Visconti! (And some ST Duponts too). (Ok fine, getting on the Omas and Montblanc trains now too. Toot toot.) (And maybe on the Montegrappa one too, but only for the Miyas.)

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I think you should be fine. I never tried mixing Waterman colors, but in a crazy attempt to re-create Skrip Persian Rose, I mixed lots of different colors of old Skrip and never had any reactions or precipitates.

I've got a blog!

Fountain Pen Love

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Thanks, everyone. Seems like the phenol stuff should be inert so we will see how my mixing goes!

 

Not quite sure what you mean by "inert"; it is very reactive, that is how it works as a preservative. But if two inks contain phenol, it stands to reason that phenol won't cause the other ink to precipitate. Whatever blend you come up with, bacteria and mold won't want to grow in it.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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Not quite sure what you mean by "inert"; it is very reactive, that is how it works as a preservative. But if two inks contain phenol, it stands to reason that phenol won't cause the other ink to precipitate. Whatever blend you come up with, bacteria and mold won't want to grow in it.

 

Sorry, I realized "inert" was probably a bad use of the word here. What I meant to say was that "phenol should not react adversely with other inks" not that it wouldn't do its job of preventing bacteria or mold growth.

Current Wishlist:

Visconti, Visconti, and...more Visconti! (And some ST Duponts too). (Ok fine, getting on the Omas and Montblanc trains now too. Toot toot.) (And maybe on the Montegrappa one too, but only for the Miyas.)

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