Ink for Fountain Pens VS Technical Pens

[Jeremy]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to the whole fountain pen scene, and I was wondering about something. I have an Esterbrook LJ with a 1550 nib that I need ink for. I also have a set of Koh-i-noor Rapidograph technical pens that I've had for years that I have LOTS of ink for. The inks that I have are various colors of Rotring Artist Acrylic Ink. I know that for the technical pens, especially the very fine points, are picky about the ink that is used in them. From the reading I've been doing on this site for the past day or two, I see that fountain pens are also very picky. So, I'm sure that the question I have is fairly evident by now.

 

Why can the ink that is designed for the technical pens and very fine technical pen parts not be used in a fountain pen? Are technical pens really that much more "coarse" than a fountain pen?

 

Thanks ahead of time for any help on this subject.

 

Jeremy

[jsonewald]

As an experienced technical pen user, you know that they require regular attention to keep working, and if you ever let one dry out, you will probably lose the point. There lies one major difference between the two pen types. A TP has a replaceable point, which includes the feed system. Fountain pens do not. Another major difference is the nib itself. A TP nib contains a small weighted wire that runs the entire length of the tube. Motion of the pen, and putting the point to paper continually move the wire in the tube, and help keep the ink flowing freely. FP's have no such built in cleaning mechanism. They rely on inks that remain free flowing, and that have no, (or very little) suspended or dissolved solids. When FP ink dries out it usually leaves a very thin film, if anything. TP inks have a lot of solid content that is obvious if you let some dry out in the open. TP inks are also intended for applicaitons that require durability and high resistance to water. That means if they dry out in your pen, they are difficult or impossible to dissolve. FP inks, even highly water resistant ones, are much more soluble in water than TP inks. That is a requirement, since you can't easily replaec the point and feed system in a FP. It hsould be filled with ink that can be washed out (with water), even if it is allowed to dry in the pen.

[wimg]

Hi Jeremy,

 

Inks used in technical pens are generally water resistant or waterproof when dry, and could well be acrylic, as you indicate. Fountain pen inks are water based, water soluble inks, otherwise you would end up having to clean your fountain pen every time before you put it away for the night, like you ought to do with technical pens. As you probably know, leaving a technical pen uncleaned for too long essentially renders it useless, and often not even an ultrasound cleaner will get the pen cleaned up again.

 

With a fountain pen it gets a lot trickier, because a fountain pen has a completely different feed and nib than a technical pen has. While ruining a technical pen may set you back 10 to 25 $, a fountain pen nib may set you back between 10 and 400 $ or even more. Furthermore, the filling system may get clogged up permanently as well, which essentially means in case of a piston filler that you may have to buy a completely new pen.

 

Finally, technical drawing is often a binary matter: either there is ink (a line), or there isn't. A fountain pen allows you to do flourishes, in thick and thin, etc. That requires different ink properties from fountain pen inks than from technical drawing ink. Drawing ink is opaque most of the time, fountain pen ink varies in colour ("shading") with the amount of ink laid down, or with the thickness of the line.

 

Well, so far my ramblings for now .

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Richard]

Technical pens are stylographic pens. They can tolerate inks that won't work well in a fountain pen, most specifically India ink, which contains shellac. Part of the difference in tolerance is due to the pens' design, but part of it is also in the fact that technical pens are cleaned far more frequently -- at least they are if their users like to avoid having to resort to Koh-I-Noor Pen Cleaner. Do not use anything except fountain pens inks in fountain pens! This prohibition includes "specialty" inks like the Winsor & Newton calligraphy inks that are claimed to be suitable for both. They're not. Similarly, do not use paint, white-out, or inkjet ink in fountain pens. You will without fail suffer the unpleasant consequences. :bonk:

[Jeremy]

Thank you everyone for your responses! It makes a world of sense, and I see how I could have really ruined things had I decided to use one of those inks!

[Teacher Man]

Technical pens are stylographic pens. They can tolerate inks that won't work well in a fountain pen, most specifically India ink, which contains shellac. Part of the difference in tolerance is due to the pens' design, but part of it is also in the fact that technical pens are cleaned far more frequently -- at least they are if their users like to avoid having to resort to Koh-I-Noor Pen Cleaner. Do not use anything except fountain pens inks in fountain pens! This prohibition includes "specialty" inks like the Winsor & Newton calligraphy inks that are claimed to be suitable for both. They're not. Similarly, do not use paint, white-out, or inkjet ink in fountain pens. You will without fail suffer the unpleasant consequences.

 

I am assuming this means that, in return, I can use ink in my technical pens that would kill my fountain pens?

[Runnin_Ute]

Sure, give it a go.

[inkstainedruth]

Well, a guy I knew when I was in college kept trying to tell me that I should be using India ink in my Rapidographs, rather than the Koh-i-noor ink, because it was "blacker". I said I mostly used mine for drawing with, not for ruling lines. And that I LIKED the softer grey black of the Koh-i-noor ink for that....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Runnin_Ute]

I currently have two technical pens - both Staedtler Mars 700's. One I got on ebay for about $7 (a 3x0/,1 mm) and one I bought new in the spring of 1980 in Arlington, Texas. It is a 4x0/.18 mm. I always used the Stadtler Mars drawing ink. Still have a bottle of it around here somewhere, although it has probably dried out. But I was going through them recently and I need to replace the point in the .18 mm. Hard to find these days, although I did find one at a place in the UK. Looks like it is 13.96 GBP ex-VAT plus shipping to the US of 10 GBP. That converts to $33.75 or thereabouts. I think I paid around $30 for the entire pen and ink new in 1980.

[Teacher Man]

Well, a guy I knew when I was in college kept trying to tell me that I should be using India ink in my Rapidographs, rather than the Koh-i-noor ink, because it was "blacker". I said I mostly used mine for drawing with, not for ruling lines. And that I LIKED the softer grey black of the Koh-i-noor ink for that....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

The black of the Rotring ink is deep and deeply satisfying. I would like to get some of my Rohrer & Klingner Antiktusche into pens, because while I like dip pens, I write lots of letters and postcards where a self contained pen is just more practical. Bute the colors are so amazing.

[Kalessin]

Amazing thread revival! October 2006 revived in April 2018!

[Teacher Man]

Well, I have questions about technical pens and acrylic inks, and we do not have many threads on those. So I need to wake the dead.

[Teacher Man]

Well, I have questions about technical pens and acrylic inks, and we do not have many threads on those. So I need to wake the dead.

 

...and the questions have been answere elsewhere. So, go back to sleep, thread...