Inky T O D - What Are Dry Inks?

[Davros]

I have wondered about wet and dry inks since I started using fp's in Feb. I see alot of examples here but not a really good explanation, except that that they're 'scratchier.' Can someone please explain to a 3 month old in simple terms? How can you tell if it's your pen and not the ink? I'm still lost.

Here's how I think of it. A certain amount of X ink on Y paper is going to be a certain color. There's lots of factors that determine how much ink gets laid down when using a pen: papers have different absorbency, pens tend to put more or less of a given ink down, inks tend to stick inside the nib/converter or flow slower/faster, environmental effects probably also contribute.

 

Pen wetness is a factor of "for a given ink, does this pen put more or less ink down?" This can be judged by the visual presence of a liquid line, or unusually long dry times, or a darker shade than usual for an ink.

 

Ink wetness is a factor of "for a range of inks, is this ink more eager than usual to get on the page?" As such, it's hard to judge, and I've seen people call certain inks wet or dry. It's more of a judgment call, I think. I find that wet inks give me more visceral pleasure: there seems to be less friction from the nib, I see a liquid line when I write, even in pens where the line usually isn't, the shade of the ink seems darker than a swab might indicate, the line of the ink looks very similar coming from a dip pen that puts down lots of ink and from a fountain pen, etc. Dryness feels the opposite: there's a little more friction with the nib, the line seems surprisingly light or stingy, pens that usually put down lots of ink don't, and pens that usually run a little dry may have flow issues or the line will seem *very* light.

[madden11]

I think I get it. Thanks for making things clear, Davros!

[Sinistral1]

DCWaites: I've been to Colonial Williamsburg so many times, but the last time was in 2006 and I wasn't yet a pen/ink/paper collector back then. Thank goodness for the internet and credit cards! They still have the red and blue powdered ink, and a black powdered ink, too. The brown is no longer available. Of course, I had to also get a tote bag and mouse pad.

[ac12]

For me:

- Dry ink has higher viscosity (thicker and flows slower), example Cross/Pelikan.

- Wet ink has lower viscosity (thinner and flows easier/faster), example Waterman.

 

In my experience, the Cross/Pelikan ink is less scratchy in a F or XF pen than the Waterman ink.

My theory is that the dryer ink acts like grease, and is harder for the tip to displace from between the tip and the paper, than the thinner wet ink.

But a LOT depends on the quality of the tipping. If it is round and really smooth, then it will be smooth even with the thinner Waterman ink.

 

I use both inks and select the ink based on the pen's ink handling characteristics.

- A WET pen gets the Cross ink

- A dry pen gets the Waterman ink

This has worked for me.

Every once in a while I will get a pen that is REAL dry, and even Waterman ink won't flow well. Then the only solution is to adjust the nib to get more ink flow.

So far, I have not had (fingers crossed) a REAL WET pen. I do not look forward to that, because slowing down the ink flow would be more difficult to do.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Where does drying time come into this?

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_448.jpghttp://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_449.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_450.jpghttp://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_451.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_451.jpghttp://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_452.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_1659.jpg

[dcwaites]

Dry ink - Thistle Blue-Black Powdered ink at original strength (1 sachet / 1 quart water)

Wet ink - Private Reserve DC Super Show Blue.

Lubricating ink - Wancher imari Blue.

 

Question* - what properties make these inks exemplars of those classifications?

 

More though required...

 

 

*channelling the new Doctor here

[Sinistral1]

Since you are making lists of ink properties, one that I am also curious about are those inks that people swear are able to "clean" other inks out of their pens, including previously dried ink that is clogging filling systems, nibs and feeds.

[amberleadavis]

Hmm... how shall I word this...

 

Inky T O D - Inks to Clean - Inks that remove stains or prevent clogs

[amberleadavis]

Dry ink - Thistle Blue-Black Powdered ink at original strength (1 sachet / 1 quart water)

Wet ink - Private Reserve DC Super Show Blue.

Lubricating ink - Wancher imari Blue.

 

Question* - what properties make these inks exemplars of those classifications?

 

More though required...

 

 

*channelling the new Doctor here

 

Hmm....

[arcadeflow]

Sheaffer ink's. These inks are quite effective at telling you how smooth a pen really is as if it is buttery smooth with a sheaffer ink it is a very good pen.

 

Dry ink = High Viscosity

 

I've also noticed that Sheaffer inks tend to be dry. But I don't agree that this corelation is true. Some pens are made to work with wetter/low viscosity inks and they will be dry with dry inks. My Pilot pens that are troublesome with Sheaffer inks, are perfect with Pilot inks, sometimes wetter than needed. Some people modify their feeds claiming that this will fix the dryness, that means they become better at handling dry inks, because they do not use thin inks. But not every color of a brand can work the same The current Sheaffer black from Slovenia (more recent bottle) ran ok in my Custom 74 that did not flow well with Sheaffer Brown (older Slovenian bottle) and King's Gold (last Sheaffer USA bottle). It can write, but needs more force. King's Gold even seems to be wet on paper, I can see the wetness, but it behaves like my pen has a bit of baby's bottom. If I change to Pilot Blue it is perfect. I already flossed the nib to make sure the tines are perfectly spaced, it is just a matter of Pilot pens disliking Sheaffer inks (my 78G's and Prera also had problems with Brown and Turquoise).

[Strombomboli]

I am having problems with Diamine China Blue. Several pens start skipping after a short while of writing. I wouldn't have thought that this had anything to do with the ink, but since I know these pens well and thus know that, usually, they behave very differently, I think it's the ink. So, I will call China Blue a dry ink, and I am quite unhappy about it because I like the color after drying very much. (I now will try Akkerman Residentie Blauw which is supposed to have the same qualities.)

Edited September 27, 2014 by Strombomboli

[Michigan]

Inks that are too dry for me:

 

*Montegrappa Black (even in a Montegrappa!)--I'll be giving it away.

*DC Supershow Green--I threw it away.

[amberleadavis]

Just a reminder, you can add flow enhancers to dry inks... if you just hate the ink, think about giving it away as a PIF.

[TSherbs]

Just a reminder, you can add flow enhancers to dry inks... if you just hate the ink, think about giving it away as a PIF.

I just did this with my Mont Blanc Bl-Bk (I was tired of the thin, chalky feel). Now it's a gusher.

[amberleadavis]

Oops, less enhancing next time.

[TSherbs]

yeah, already flushed that fill down the drain

 

back to dry chalky (at least I get the shading)