I just got a Pelikan 2xx anthracite demonstrator from the Marketplace forum, and I don't want to foul it up by using an ink that stands a substantial chance of staining the pen. If necessary, I'm willing to buy a new ink. I'm sure there are plenty of threads that will help me out in that regard. Before I take that step, I thought it better to get some feedback about the three inks I own that I imagine are the safest options. They are:

Quink Blue-Black
Skrip Black (Slovenian)
Waterman Black

All three ink brands have a reputation for being well behaved. Which one (if any) would you put in your demonstrator?

I'd probably use the blue-black, but I think they should all be fine. Actually I use regular Noodler's in my demonstrators too without a problem. I'd only avoid the waterproof inks (Noodler's Black and Hunter Green as well as Aquamarine left some particles in the feed of one of my demonstrators) and all kinds of reds and purples (I've heard Herbin's Poussiere de Lune is okay, though)
HTH, Nellie

I actually don't have any regular Noodler's ink other than Tulipe Noire, which is in a color family I'd never put in a valued demonstrator. I do have a couple of Private Reserve blues (DC and Midnight) and a grey (Flannel) that are in color families I'd consider, but I'm just not that bold with the most expensive pen in my collection so far.

If getting some Quink blue didn't involve ordering by mail, I'd probably just buy a bottle of that and be done with it. I think the only office supply store in town that has any bottled ink carries only Skrip Black and Quink Blue-Black. Perhaps I'll check it out next week.

(ETA to add the word in italics because I did buy a cheap demonstrator on The Marketplace and promptly put my home brew violet ink into it. It didn't stain and wrote really nicely)

I think THE safest ink for something like this would be Skrip Washeable Blue, the vintage kind. It does have the disadvantage of being less saturated, more of a
pastel color than many other inks but one pen restorer says it's the only thing he'll put in a highly valued demonstrator. Washeable Blue, the vintage variety
is a frequent visitor to E-Bay.
skyp

I happen to have the same pen, and a brown/amber one as well. I have used both with a variety of inks, including a variety of Noodler's, PR, Waterman, MB, AM, Stipula, Herbin, Pelikan, Parker and Visconti inks, as these two tend to be my try-out pens, which I also use when writing ink reviews.

So far, no staining.

What you do need to take into account with demonstrators, is that ink really collects in the weirdest nooks and crannies, and sooner or later you will have ink in places that are impossible to clean, unless you take the pen apart. And it doesn't matter in this case whether you use a washable ink or not.

I have found that the plastics used for Pelikan coloured demonstrators so far do not stain easily, if at all. The only demos that do stain seem to be the ones made from acrylic materials, which is the stuff most often used for clear, non-coloured transparant demos, especially the hand made or hand turned ones.

So, if I had to choose an ink, it would be anything but a ferrogallic ink, and I would probably avoid BayState Blue, but that is as far as I would go .

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Outstanding. Of course, this leaves me with a decision of my own to make. I don't generally care about matching an ink to the pen color, but I really think this pen calls for a nice black ink. Since I'm still a little hesitant to use my Heart of Darkness when I get it in this sort of pen or even my Rohrer & Klingner black, it's Waterman versus Skrip for now.

I've got one in amber and it's always been loaded with a variety of bulletproofs without staining problems. I've had Noodler's Black, Luxury Blue, my own blue-black mix, Swishmix Burgundy, and currently a mix of Galileo Manuscript Brown and bulletproof black (I call da Vinci Manuscript Brown). No staining probs to report at all. Once a glob dripped into the cap and dried there, but I was able to rinse it out with a bit of amonia/water solution.

I like these M200 demonstrators -- I don't have the anthracite, but it is a beauty!

Doug

Is there a good, safe way to "wash out" a demonstrator pen like an M200 if ink gets into the cap or some other part??

D

I have good luck with Diamine blue inks in my Pelikan demo. As to ink collecting on the pen, soak, soak, soak. I unscrew the nib and put the pen nib end down in a little plastic bowl. I don't lay it in the water, the back end is out of the water. Only submerge up to the stain. The ink disolves. I haven't encountered ink in the cap that can't be gotten to with a damp, feathered Q-Tip.

I have used all three of those inks in my M205 clear colorless demonstrator. None of them stained it.

Paddler