Iron Gall Blue Black Ink Tests

[Jared]

I have a number of blue black iron gall based inks, so I thought I'd do a comparison. In addition to the usual color comparisons, and water tests, I thought I'd see how they looked when newly applied vs dried for over 24 hours.

 

 

 

I'll note that I bought Diamine's Registrar's Ink years ago, but had to get rid of it when it turned on me. After a couple of years on the shelf, the ink developed some dark gritty iron-like sediment in the bottom of the bottle which didn't mix when shaken, and the color of the remaining ink was watery grey, at best. When it was new, it was an exact match for Akkerman #10, which confirms my suspicions that Akkerman Ink is nothing more than rebottled Diamine. Not that that's a bad thing - I love Diamine Ink - but it helps with ones expectations. I hope Akkerman #10 doesn't turn on me...

 

I found that most of the IG inks changed color almost instantly from light blue to dark blue or nearly black except for R&K Salix, which changes color gradually to a medium blue black. Already, as I write this I can see the colors darkening...

 

My not-so-objective test also found the following:

Smoothest (most lubricated) ink - Montblanc Midnight Blue (IG), followed by Akkerman #10

Driest (least lubricated) ink - ESSRI followed by Pelikan Blue Black

Easiest bottle to fill from - Akkerman #10 unique glass necked 60ml bottle

Hardest bottle to fill from - ESSRI's plastic 110ml bottle

Fastest drying ink - ESSRI or Akkerman #10

Longest to dry - Montblanc Midnight Blue

Most water resistant - ESSRI & Akkerman #10 (tie), followed by R&K Salix

 

My favorite...hard to tell. Like my kids, I like each for a different reason.

 

Pen used - Brause .75mm dip pen with overfeed

Paper used - Clairefontaine Pupitre 90g

 

Good luck in your own ink adventures.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Jared

[Ipsum_Dolor]

Thanks for this! I've been meaning to pick up an iron gall blue-black, and this guide helped me decide.

[Alexandra]

I just bought a bottle of Salix and am LOVING it so far.

[tinta]

Thank you Jared for your IG ink comparison review.

I really like the way you photographed your writing samples, tests & the bottles.

 

Lately I've become a real fan of commercial iron-gall inks,... having one or another ink always in my rotation. There seems to be more work flushing out the pens, but it's all worth it.

Still need to get some ESSRI, Pharmacists & the new Organics Studio Aristotle.

 

Ever since having flow issues with Pelikan's 4001 sepia, I have not investigated any of the other inks in the series.

 

One of the inks on your list is Pelikan 4001 blue/black.

I did not realize that the Pel b/b has ferrogallic component. Must check this out.

[cleosmama]

Have you tested Lamy's Blue-Black? Is that iron gall?

[Jared]

Have you tested Lamy's Blue-Black? Is that iron gall?

 

I've tried out Lamy Blue Black, which also has an iron gall element to it, but it's too light for my tastes. R&K Salix is about as light as I'm interested in going for a blue black.

[Morbus Curiositas]

I have a number of blue black iron gall based inks, so I thought I'd do a comparison. In addition to the usual color comparisons, and water tests, I thought I'd see how they looked when newly applied vs dried for over 24 hours.

 

http://1.2.3.9/bmi/www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_images/master/attachicon.gifIron Gall Ink Test (small).jpg

 

http://1.2.3.9/bmi/www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_images/master/attachicon.gifIron Gall Ink Test-2.jpg

 

I'll note that I bought Diamine's Registrar's Ink years ago, but had to get rid of it when it turned on me. After a couple of years on the shelf, the ink developed some dark gritty iron-like sediment in the bottom of the bottle which didn't mix when shaken, and the color of the remaining ink was watery grey, at best. When it was new, it was an exact match for Akkerman #10, which confirms my suspicions that Akkerman Ink is nothing more than rebottled Diamine. Not that that's a bad thing - I love Diamine Ink - but it helps with ones expectations. I hope Akkerman #10 doesn't turn on me...

 

I found that most of the IG inks changed color almost instantly from light blue to dark blue or nearly black except for R&K Salix, which changes color gradually to a medium blue black. Already, as I write this I can see the colors darkening...

 

My not-so-objective test also found the following:

Smoothest (most lubricated) ink - Montblanc Midnight Blue (IG), followed by Akkerman #10

Driest (least lubricated) ink - ESSRI followed by Pelikan Blue Black

Easiest bottle to fill from - Akkerman #10 unique glass necked 60ml bottle

Hardest bottle to fill from - ESSRI's plastic 110ml bottle

Fastest drying ink - ESSRI or Akkerman #10

Longest to dry - Montblanc Midnight Blue

Most water resistant - ESSRI & Akkerman #10 (tie), followed by R&K Salix

 

My favorite...hard to tell. Like my kids, I like each for a different reason.

 

Pen used - Brause .75mm dip pen with overfeed

Paper used - Clairefontaine Pupitre 90g

 

Good luck in your own ink adventures.

Dear Jared,

 

I have tested some De Atramentis Document inks.

 

They are Iron Galll free nano particle pigment inks.... They comply to the ISO 27257-2 Standard the European standard for Permancy in for example The Notary..

 

They are bombproof and categorised in the highest german Lightfastnees standard WS 8

 

The inks have some showthrough on cheap paper, this can be minimised using a M or F nib.

They are wet but dry wihtin 5-10 sec.

 

I have tested the Blue,The Dark Blue the Green and The Brown. Furthermore Red Magenta, Turquoise and Black are available.

 

I have tested these inks wiht sme very aggressive fluids... But nothing happened it is like these inks are carved in stone as you can see in the inks down here

 

DA Documetn Blue

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/263866-de-atramentis-document-ink/

 

Dark Blue (Blue Black)

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266158-de-atramentis-document-ink-dark-blue/

 

Brown and Green

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/270697-de-atramentis-document-inks-brown-and-green/

 

Since these inks do not contain IG they are absolutely safe for FPs. (do some regular cleaning though)

 

Best thing is, next to the growing numbers of coulours, that there is a special thinning agent available. You can't dillute the ink wiht water because of it's permanency

 

With this thinning agent you can mix your own shade of every DA Document colour. I have a bottle at home and will test this soon.

 

For now thank you for your excellent comparison, it was very helpfl and I enjoyed it a lot

 

Regards,

 

Peter

[RudyR]

Just two points of information:

Pelikan 4001 Blue/black is not iron gall ink.

The New reformulated Lamy Blue/Black is not Iron gall ink (neither is the new reformulated Montblanc Midnight Blue).

 

Maybe that makes it three points of information.

[Jared]

Just two points of information:

Pelikan 4001 Blue/black is not iron gall ink.

The New reformulated Lamy Blue/Black is not Iron gall ink (neither is the new reformulated Montblanc Midnight Blue).

 

Maybe that makes it three points of information.

 

I would agree that Pelikan Blue Black isn't a straight iron gall ink, but just as the old Lamy Blue Black and old Montblanc Midnight Blue, I believe it contains some element of iron gall, which is why it was included in the test. Proper IG inks, such as the ESSRI, Diamine Registrars/Akkerman #10 are completely waterproof, which isn't the case with inks containing some degree of IG.

[tinta]

The possibility of Pelikan 4001 b/b being an IG ink piqued my curiosity.

To this end, I've read all the FPN reviews of this ink, to date.

I have read no evidence that Pelikan 4001 b/b ink has any ferrogallic content (either advertised or implied).

Edited August 4, 2014 by tinta

[Jared]

To quote one of our more famous ink reviewers on the topic of Pelikan Blue Black's IG content:

 

I really don't know if 4001 BlBk has a 'whisper' of I-G; if not, I would bestow the Sequin Garter upon it for Best Impersonation Of An I-G Ink.

I would agree, as based on my personal experience, it sure acts like it contains some element of IG.

[tinta]

I greatly appreciate & usually defer to Sany1's extensive ink reviews.

Sandy has conferred an "implied" IG characteristic on the 4001 b/b.

But, whether IG or not, it's a lovely blue black. Enjoy!

[tinto]

Pelikan's site states that blue-black ink is an IG one:

 

 

4001 blue-black

The least complicated ink which is still relatively light resistant, is the ink "4001 blue-black", our item no. 310 607. This ink contains iron gall, which makes it much more resistant than for example the ink shades 4001 royal blue or 4001 brilliant black, but due to the addition of special ingredients, you can still use this ink without qualm in piston or cartridge fountain pens. Within time, the ink will change its tone from blue to gray, but it will remain visible. It is not quite as light resistant as the Fount India. Due to the small concentration of iron gall, this ink will not damage your paper (which sometimes happened with historic ink made of iron gall.)

(Source: http://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US_INTL.CMS.displayCMS.205950./document-proof-ink)

[amberleadavis]

Thank you! Would you also add your picture to the BB thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/282538-inky-t-o-d-color-swatches-blueblack-please-post-your-pictures-and-tell-us-your-thoughts/?do=findComment&comment=3239951

 

BTW, which of those above is your favorite? Mine is the Pelikan.

[OCArt]

Just to add another ink to the hat Hero makes a very nice IG ink-- Hero 232 Blue-Black. It is also fairly inexpensive and, in my experience, well-behaved.

[Bristol24]

I second the opinion regarding Hero 232 Blue Black. It is a very well-behaved iron gall ink that is not quick to dry-out the nib of a well capped pen. I have kept my Levenger True Writer inked with it for nearly two years now and am always impressed with the fact that I can come back to the pen after a 10-day hiatus and not have starting issues. Unfortunately the cost of this ink has increased as its availability, which as always been sketchy, has diminished.

[Mastiff]

Dear Jared,

 

I have tested some De Atramentis Document inks.

 

They are Iron Galll free nano particle pigment inks.... They comply to the ISO 27257-2 Standard the European standard for Permancy in for example The Notary..

 

They are bombproof and categorised in the highest german Lightfastnees standard WS 8

 

The inks have some showthrough on cheap paper, this can be minimised using a M or F nib.

They are wet but dry wihtin 5-10 sec.

 

I have tested the Blue,The Dark Blue the Green and The Brown. Furthermore Red Magenta, Turquoise and Black are available.

 

I have tested these inks wiht sme very aggressive fluids... But nothing happened it is like these inks are carved in stone as you can see in the inks down here

 

DA Documetn Blue

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/263866-de-atramentis-document-ink/

 

Dark Blue (Blue Black)

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266158-de-atramentis-document-ink-dark-blue/

 

Brown and Green

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/270697-de-atramentis-document-inks-brown-and-green/

 

Since these inks do not contain IG they are absolutely safe for FPs. (do some regular cleaning though)

 

Best thing is, next to the growing numbers of coulours, that there is a special thinning agent available. You can't dillute the ink wiht water because of it's permanency

 

With this thinning agent you can mix your own shade of every DA Document colour. I have a bottle at home and will test this soon.

 

For now thank you for your excellent comparison, it was very helpfl and I enjoyed it a lot

 

Regards,

 

Peter

Hi. Thanks for the info, and your other reviews.

You repeatedly imply that IG inks are not safe to use in fountain pens. This is contradictory to other posts I have read where they say that most modern IG inks are mild to neutral and therefore are perfectly safe to use with regular maintenance. I purchased Salix and Scabiosa on the strength of those recommendations. Do you think modern IG inks, for example R&K, should not be used in fountain pens?

Thanks in advance.

[dcwaites]

I would like to revive this topic, and add Blackstone Barrister Blue to the list.

 

According to the manufacturer --

"it's actually a stoichiometrically optimized ferro tannate ink which basically means that the ratio of each ingredient has been carefully optimised to ensure as far as possible that all of the chemicals used are fully consumed in the reactions that result in the ferro tannate which is the final product left on the paper after exposure to oxygen in the air.

 

This means there is much less chance of precipitaion of unused iron compounds in the bottle and consequently less chance of blockages in the pen and a less acidic ink than traditional iron gall inks."

 

I have been using it for the last week or so, in a dry, medium and a wet pen. There is some bleeding on poorer papers using the medium and the wet paper, but absolutely none in the dry pen.

It turns from blue to dark grey within minutes and continues to black overnight. The intensity of the black depends on the wetness of the pen, ranging from dark grey black in the drier pen to solid midnight black on the wetter pen.

 

I have had a bottle of this ink for some months now, and have not seen any sedimentation in the bottom of the bottle.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the info on that -- I just got a sample of Barrister Blue, but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Had not realized that it was an IG ink.

I was surprised, reading the initial poster's assessment, about Akkerman #10 and Diamine Registrars' being the same ink. The Akkerman inks *might* be made for them by Diamine, but I'm not at all convinced that they're just relabelled Diamine inks. And my experiences with Akkerman #10 and Diamine Registrars' are the reason -- the Akkerman oxidized very quickly, and got very dark, but the Diamine only oxidized to a washy blue-grey.

And of course this thread is from several years ago, so the OP probably did not know about or have access to the lovely KWZI IG inks. I can't decide which I like better -- IG Blue-Black or IG Blue #3 (my absolute favorite is still probably IG Violet #3, but of course this thread is about IG blue-blacks).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Mulrich]

It's probably about time that I try some KWZI IG inks. My only IG experience is with Pelikan blue-black and I'd like to branch out. I wish I could find the old MB blue-black but I'm happy to play with the KWZI and De Attramentis.