Pilot Document Ink: My Lamy Don't Tolerate?

[amateriat]

It didn't happen in all my years of writing with Parker Penman (yeah, I know, lucky jerk); it didn't happen with Waterman, J. Herbin, or my lone bottle of Noodler's (Old Manhattan/Blackest Black). It did happen with a bottle of Private Reserve Plum, via bad ol' SITB. And now it's happening with a bottle of Pilot "signature" ("For Documents", it says on the yellow-on-black box). The victim, as was the case with PR Plum, is my fifteen-year-old Lamy 2000 (M nib). I got a hint at the potential ink-pen mismatch last week when the Lamy had a hard time getting started writing three times in a row, which is rare. Gave the nib a cool-water rinse under a gentle flow of water, and all was fine again. But then I didn't touch the pen for about five days. Then I picked it up, and it was dead in the water. A hit of water wouldn't revive it, so I purged its belly down the drain and did the water fill-and-expel about ten times till it was clear.

 

Pilot's Document ink has a particular aroma, deep and sharp, very old-school. That had me wondering about its composition, and its potential touchiness in terms of being left untouched inside a pen for longer than a day or two. By contrast, both of my recently-purchased Pilot FPs (black/smoke Custom 823 and clear Custom 74 Demonstrator) have had no trouble with Noodler's Old Manhattan (in the 823) and Pilot Blue-Black (74), even untouched for upwards of a week, though rarely more than a day or two. My love for the Pilot Twins has put the Lamy in fairly low rotation for a little while, as the 2000 isn't as enjoyable to write with by contrast (that's what getting used to a whole different section will do to you), but I haven't had this degree of aggro from the 2k, well, ever. Totally separate from this issue, I may sell off the 2000 for the sake of having a small "active" pen roster, meaning the two Pilots, plus my rediscovered Platignum calligraphy set, and, for occasional ink-testing/fancying, my Pilot Penmanship.

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/bwbenton/Pens/lamypilot08.jpg

Lamy 2000/Pilot Document Black: persona non grata?

 

Anyone know much about this particular Pilot ink?

 

 

- Barrett

Edited May 12, 2010 by amateriat

[watch_art]

not about that ink, but i really like their pilot/namiki black. it does feather a lot on some papers though....

[amateriat]

watch-art: That would be their "normal" black ink, which I haven't tried yet. I love Pilot's Blue-Black, however.

 

Perhaps this is some cosmic Teutonic payback for having knocked Lamy off my go-to list after so many years, but I'm enjoying writing with the Pilots so much that it just can't be helped. They don't balk, they don't skip, and they write beautifully on just about anything I lay their nibs down upon. Haven't had this experience with any other pen, although my old Lamy Persona comes close. Like a good camera, I forget about the instrument in-hand and just go at it.

 

 

- Barrett

[watch_art]

yeah, i've got a few pilots and i LOVE them. they write like nothing else i've had. course i haven't had that much really.

[Immoteus]

Pilot document ink is not designed to be used in a fountain pen. Hopefully your L2K is still in working order.

 

※万年筆及びデスクペンにはご使用になれません。他の用途にご使用の場合は、不具合の生じることがあります。

[amateriat]

Immoteus: Thanks for the heads-up here. The Lamy seems to have survived rather nicely. Either I'll have to brush up on my Japanese or just tread more cautiously on the "interesting" inks front. ("Live and learn, die a dope", as a friend and client of mine is fond of saying.)

 

 

- Barrett

[amateriat]

Well, as the late Johnny Carson would often say, "I did not know that!"

 

All is good now.

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/bwbenton/Pens/LamyPRBMB03.jpg

 

 

- Barrett

Edited May 12, 2010 by amateriat

[jmpennifeather]

Don't think you are supposed to use this document ink in a fountain pen. Correct me if I am wrong. Hope your 2000 gets over its shock.

[amateriat]

Don't think you are supposed to use this document ink in a fountain pen. Correct me if I am wrong. Hope your 2000 gets over its shock.

See previous post. And thanks.

 

The important thing was that only the Lamy took the hit, and thankfully survived. Somehow it never entered my mind to fill the 823 with the stuff since I'd bought the bottle of Noodler's specifically to "christen" it. I only bought the bottle Pilot Document ink literally on a lark (yes, I know that's how most of us often buy ink, but this was really a casual pick).

 

I've also stopped giving my poor 2000 the Evil Eye: for now, the old kid stays in the picture, although the bottle of PR Black Magic Blue it's currently drawing from might be the last ink I buy from PR, after the Plum incident. That brings me down to Noodler's and a few Pilot inks. Time to consider Diamnine, maybe?

 

 

- Barrett

[bluemagister]

Shoukenyou ink like that is only for securities, bonds and stock certificates. You could probably use it in a dip pen, though. I am glad your Lamy recovered from the ink infection!

[amateriat]

bluemagister: Thanks!

 

At the moment, I'm thinking about just what to do with this ink. I have no dip pens (the Pilot Penmanship I got from JetPens a month or so ago was meant as a sort of ersatz "dip" pen...but I did order a CON-20 converter to go with it at the same time. Has Watermsn B-B in it at the moment. The Pilot Document ink isn't "defective" as my bottle of PR Plum was, so I'm not keen on dumping it down the drain. I'll think of something...

 

 

- Barrett

Edited May 13, 2010 by amateriat

[holgalee]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I almost bought the ink a few weeks ago, but convinced myself I didn't need another black. I did think that document ink--compared to drawing ink--means that it's suitable for fountain pens!