What Is Wrong With My Pelikan Blue-Black?

[andybiotic]

Hi everyone

 

I recently purchased a supposedly "New old stock" bottle of Pelikan 4001 Blue black ink.

 

However, when I start using it I notice something is definitely wrong with the colour. Its not blue at all (more like light dirty green), and it is very very pale, as if it was diluted with water or something...

 

Is it possible that the ink pigment were "deformed" (don't know the word for it...) due to its old age?

 

Please see some writing example below with a comparison example using Parker Quink Blue.

 

 

 

Is there something wrong with the ink or is it "suppose" to be like that (unlikely...)

 

I need your advice please...

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

The ink you depict is nowhere close to a sound bottle of PBlBk. LINK

 

Kindly consider contacting Pelikan to ask about sending them a sample (or the full bottle) for examination.

 

I would take special care to cleanse the pens etc which were in contact with that ink.

 

Bye,

S1

[Gojira]

I've had the same experience with an old box of Pelikan Blue-Black cartridges. Did the ink come in a blue and white box?

[andybiotic]

Hi,

 

The ink you depict is nowhere close to a sound bottle of PBlBk. LINK

 

Kindly consider contacting Pelikan to ask about sending them a sample (or the full bottle) for examination.

 

I would take special care to cleanse the pens etc which were in contact with that ink.

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Thanks Sandy, I was JUST over at your page and left a reply asking you to come and have a look at it and here you are!

 

Oh darn... I used the same dip pen on that bottle and on my parker Quink...

 

Its a good think I just ordered a few tubes of sterilink about a week ago, just hope they arrive in time to save my Quink!!

[andybiotic]

I've had the same experience with an old box of Pelikan Blue-Black cartridges. Did the ink come in a blue and white box?

 

 

I brought it over the internet as a clearance sale but it wasn't that much cheaper than retail... it didn't come with a box so I have my doubts of it being "new"... but I recognise that the label on it is old... please see below:

 

 

[79spitfire]

I have some carts that have the same muddy grey color ink in them that claim to be Pelikan Blue-black. IMHO it's a batch variance, as I have a bottle that has ink in it that is more the color that I expected.

[andybiotic]

I have some carts that have the same muddy grey color ink in them that claim to be Pelikan Blue-black. IMHO it's a batch variance, as I have a bottle that has ink in it that is more the color that I expected.

 

 

Thanks for your comment. I don't know if I can blame it on batch variation... That is quite a large difference to Sandy1's review on the "normal" version of ink... This here is so pale and so hard to read that I can't really use it at all. Plus, of all ink colours I really dont like green and it has a obvious green tint to it...

 

If it is indeed batch variation, then shame on Pelikan for not having better quality control?

[wimg]

I reckon this is a very old bottle, based on the label, so who knows what happened to it? You can't really blame Pelikan for it, especially, as you indicated yourself, that it did come without a box. Based on the label it also looks like it has been opened before.

 

Shame on the person who sold it to you, yes, but not on Pelikan in this case.

 

Regards, Wim

[andybiotic]

I reckon this is a very old bottle, based on the label, so who knows what happened to it? You can't really blame Pelikan for it, especially, as you indicated yourself, that it did come without a box. Based on the label it also looks like it has been opened before.

 

Shame on the person who sold it to you, yes, but not on Pelikan in this case.

 

Regards, Wim

 

Oh, I am not blaming Pelikan, I only said that IF it is a result of batch variation as mention and also seen by spitfire.

 

Yeah... I have learnt my lesson... Its going to be a while before I buy any old new stock ink again!

 

Different brands of inks are hard to come by in New Zealand. The retailer we have here have very few options like one or two colours of Parker quink, Waterman, even less Mont Blanc. There are a few choices of Diamine and Noodler on a local auction site. Don't think I have seen Sheaffer, Pelikan, Aurora anywhere, so when some becomes available I didn't think too much and went for it! us poor kiwis... There are also a good selection of Herbin's ink available locally but I have had mould problem with them so I am waiting for a new batch...

[John Cullen]

If you do not want to ditch the whole bottle and the ink smells ok, maybe you could add in a bit of some more saturated color and create a color you like??

 

Odd how much that discolored.

 

J

[Gojira]

That is definitely an old Pelikan bottle. The blue and white box version was probably produced later than the bottle you have. I suspect that the ink has degraded.

 

If there's any sort of slime in the bottle, then the ink is a goner.

[andybiotic]

That is definitely an old Pelikan bottle. The blue and white box version was probably produced later than the bottle you have. I suspect that the ink has degraded.

 

If there's any sort of slime in the bottle, then the ink is a goner.

 

No I don't think there are any STIBs in the bottle, guess it just degraded as you said... a waste of money...

[andybiotic]

If you do not want to ditch the whole bottle and the ink smells ok, maybe you could add in a bit of some more saturated color and create a color you like??

 

Odd how much that discolored.

 

J

 

 

It doesn't smell stinky if thats what you mean but its not "nice" neither... there are no STIBs though.

 

Nah... I dont want to waste my other ink, it has a very unappealing (in my opinion) green shade to it and it may take quite a bit to cover that up! Cheers for the idea though, I have been mixing ink myself to create colours I like but this is too big of a task for me! :roflmho:

[Geoff V]

I reckon this is a very old bottle, based on the label, so who knows what happened to it? You can't really blame Pelikan for it, especially, as you indicated yourself, that it did come without a box. Based on the label it also looks like it has been opened before.

 

Shame on the person who sold it to you, yes, but not on Pelikan in this case.

 

Regards, Wim

 

Oh, I am not blaming Pelikan, I only said that IF it is a result of batch variation as mention and also seen by spitfire.

 

Yeah... I have learnt my lesson... Its going to be a while before I buy any old new stock ink again!

 

Different brands of inks are hard to come by in New Zealand. The retailer we have here have very few options like one or two colours of Parker quink, Waterman, even less Mont Blanc. There are a few choices of Diamine and Noodler on a local auction site. Don't think I have seen Sheaffer, Pelikan, Aurora anywhere, so when some becomes available I didn't think too much and went for it! us poor kiwis... There are also a good selection of Herbin's ink available locally but I have had mould problem with them so I am waiting for a new batch...

Good morning!

 

I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties with this ink. Good inks are not that hard to come by in NZ. Zany in Remuera carry J. Herbin (on their counter!) & Europens (http://www.europens.co.nz/) carry Pel, Waterman, Aurora & some others at reasonable prices.

 

I'm a New Zealander but now live in Melbourne. Here we have a wider range, but I keep an eye on the scene in NZ, just in case we end up back there again.

 

Good luck with your ink purchases in future!

[Gojira]

I had a look at the Europens site and the prices there are quite high. A bottle of Waterman ink costs the same here...in local currency. Which makes it less than half the price on Europens.

 

You may want to check the numerous online stores that also sell ink. I know that Pengallery and Melpens here stock various inks at good prices and charge a fixed rate for international Fedex / EMS shipping. Not sure on custom charges for New Zealand though.

[Inka]

Definitely not Pelikan Blue-Black in your written example, or if it is there are serious issues with it.

I had a new bottle of 4001 B-B and did extensive writing with it in my Old Style Pelikan M800, mine looked nothing like that.

Here's an old example written with Pelikan Blue-Black from an Old Style M800 Fine nib, taken from my FOR SALE thread some time ago...

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/M800FineWS.jpg

 

Above is not the best scan of this ink, very close but not quite spot-on, but you can see mine is Blue-Black and not grey.

Sorry to see your ink is so off, could have been contaminated or even another ink placed into the old bottle from the looks of it.

If nothing else this is a good testimonial to buy vintage inks from a known and reputable source, looks more like a completely different ink rather than a bad batch.

[KCat]

could be as simple as it sat in a display for umpteen years. The only problem with buying old ink sometimes is that, well, it's old and you don't know where it's been. It may be perfectly "good" in the sense that it isn't contaminated or anything. Just ugly from light exposure. Since there's no box, safe to assume it's been box-less for a long time. Boxes aren't just for appearances. Also make for good protection from degradation from the light.

[pkoko]

Did you shake the bottle? This might return some color luster back to it.

[andybiotic]

Definitely not Pelikan Blue-Black in your written example, or if it is there are serious issues with it.

I had a new bottle of 4001 B-B and did extensive writing with it in my Old Style Pelikan M800, mine looked nothing like that.

Here's an old example written with Pelikan Blue-Black from an Old Style M800 Fine nib, taken from my FOR SALE thread some time ago...

 

 

Above is not the best scan of this ink, very close but not quite spot-on, but you can see mine is Blue-Black and not grey.

Sorry to see your ink is so off, could have been contaminated or even another ink placed into the old bottle from the looks of it.

If nothing else this is a good testimonial to buy vintage inks from a known and reputable source, looks more like a completely different ink rather than a bad batch.

 

 

Thats quite a nice colour when it is the right colour!

 

yeah, I just wanted to make sure that the ink has indeed gone bad and certainly it is... Thanks for that!

[andybiotic]

I had a look at the Europens site and the prices there are quite high. A bottle of Waterman ink costs the same here...in local currency. Which makes it less than half the price on Europens.

 

You may want to check the numerous online stores that also sell ink. I know that Pengallery and Melpens here stock various inks at good prices and charge a fixed rate for international Fedex / EMS shipping. Not sure on custom charges for New Zealand though.

 

 

I know! They are expensive aren't they? and that's pretty much the same case in other retailers here! Also, did you notice that a lot of the colours from many different brands are marked "not available"?

 

Thanks for the recommendation, I will see what they have on offer!

Edited April 14, 2011 by andybiotic