Four Iron-Gall Inks

[jgrasty]

Here's a quick comparison of four iron-gall inks: Lamy Blue-Black, Diamine Registrar's Ink, Montblanc Blue-Black, and Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa.

 

http://bettygrastymd.com/jgrasty/wp-content/uploads/four-iron-gall-inks.jpg

 

Lamy Blue-Black shifts color from a dark blue to the beautiful blue-black color in the scan in just a few seconds. You'd be hard pressed to scan the original color before it shifts; a video camera would be the best way to capture the color change.

 

Diamine Registrar's Ink starts blue-black and oxidizes over a day or two to a pure gray color. Or so I thought! When I wrote this script a few days ago, I noticed that my 2-year-old bottle of Diamine Registrar's Ink appears to have shifted in color. The ink changed from the blue-black ink I remembered to a greenish-blue when put down on paper and oxidized to the greenish gray you see in the scan. I don't remember it having a greenish tint to it; it used to be a more pure gray after a day or so of oxidizing. I got out my ink swab from October 2010 and found there is a pretty dramatic color difference. I've scanned that sample to show the difference.

 

http://bettygrastymd.com/jgrasty/wp-content/uploads/diamine-registrars-ink-oct-2010.jpg

 

Montblanc Blue-Black (now called Midnight Blue) starts out a dark blue-black and changes slightly to a grayish blue-black over a few minutes. I think this ink is what I consider a perfect iron-gall blue black.

 

My favorite iron-gall ink is Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa. It is a lovely dusky purple, similar to J. Herbin Poussiére de Lune, but with a little more gray tint. This iron gall ink has very little color shift; after it dries, it maintains the same color even after weeks of waiting. This is the only ink, apart from Noodler's Black, that I would hoard should it be discontinued.

 

Some notes:

 

• Pen used is a Conklin Endura with an XF Toledo flex nib.
  
• Paper is Rhodia No 19 DotPad.
  
• Scan was taken a few days after writing to allow inks to oxidize to their full potential.
  
• Scanned with an Epson V600 using VueScan 9 calibrated with a Kodak Q-60 target.
  

[requiescat]

Very neat comparisons--thank you!

[tinta]

This is a great comparison.

Thanks "Jgrasty".

I'd like to see MBMB shown side-by-side with R&K Salix.

I've got Salix already & the MB IG ink is on my wish list.

cheers:

tinta

[jgrasty]

This is a great comparison.

Thanks "Jgrasty".

I'd like to see MBMB shown side-by-side with R&K Salix.

I've got Salix already & the MB IG ink is on my wish list.

cheers:

tinta

 

R&K Salix is on my list, so one day this will be possible...

[fiberdrunk]

Beautiful!

[CatBookMom]

I'm so impressed with the detail of your review, the comparison of the 4 inks, and the consistency of your beautiful handwriting. I have no particular interest in iron gall inks for my own use, but I admire the results.

 

Thank you for the visual delights!

[Uncle Red]

You're going to love the Salix. There's something wrong with the RI.

[drgoretex]

Great comparison, thanks!

 

I'd have to agree that the Diamine RI is not as it usually is. I have a couple bottles of that, and find it to be rather similar to the Lamy BB, perhaps a little less dark. Certainly not greenish (unlike my recent acquisition, Pharmacist's Darkening Absinthe...now THAT's a cool green!).

 

Now you've gone and go me wanting Scabiosa. After I had already taken it off my list. Darn you.

 

Ken

[amble63]

Great comparison, thanks!

 

I'd have to agree that the Diamine RI is not as it usually is. I have a couple bottles of that, and find it to be rather similar to the Lamy BB, perhaps a little less dark. Certainly not greenish (unlike my recent acquisition, Pharmacist's Darkening Absinthe...now THAT's a cool green!).

 

Now you've gone and go me wanting Scabiosa. After I had already taken it off my list. Darn you.

 

Ken

Do you have Pharmacist's Urkendentine? I find that to be a lovely blue black and wonder how it stacks up against Lamy and MB.

[pharmacist]

Great comparison, thanks!

 

I'd have to agree that the Diamine RI is not as it usually is. I have a couple bottles of that, and find it to be rather similar to the Lamy BB, perhaps a little less dark. Certainly not greenish (unlike my recent acquisition, Pharmacist's Darkening Absinthe...now THAT's a cool green!).

 

Now you've gone and go me wanting Scabiosa. After I had already taken it off my list. Darn you.

 

Ken

Do you have Pharmacist's Urkendentine? I find that to be a lovely blue black and wonder how it stacks up against Lamy and MB.

 

Hi Amble63,

 

you might have a look at the review written by member gmrza from Australia:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/217209-pharmacists-iron-gall-ink/page__p__2284342__hl__urkundentinte__fromsearch__1&do=findComment&comment=2284342

 

I think this is very comprehensive.