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Most Lubricated Inks


ink-syringe

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This gets asked periodically. But it has been a while and the Ink landscape has changed so much since the last time it was asked, whole ink lines have come and gone.
Ink dyes have various properties, to make various inks flow and feel good on the page ink makers add water and various humectants and surfactant to control surface tension, flow and feel of the ink.
Not all wet inks are well lubricated (some inks are just watery) and not all lubricated inks are wet (see, for example some Montblanc Inks and Aurora Blue, which are quite slick but still somewhat dry).
I have 2 nibs that sing like crazy. Not a pleasant ASMR aural sexiness but more like chalk on a black board, two oddball pens with long thin nibs. The friction on the paper sets the nibs into vibration and it is just crazy. I have literally had people in the library give me the stink eye over these nibs (Omas 361 double-sided rigid/flex nibs).
I note that if I put in more well lubricated inks the pen squeaks less. (Are you insane?, I hear you ask, HOW LOUD COULD IT BE? Srsly, it is bonkers, I kid you not. You wouldn’t believe it).
Which inks are super hella crazy slick and lubricated? I have moved one pen over to Aurora and that seems to have helped some as Aurora inks are notorious well-lubricated inks going.
What else is there?
What say you, FPN, which inks are most lubricated, wet or dry.

 

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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For the sake of this discussion, I hope no. While there may be some overlap (inks that are designed to lube pistons may also be very slick writers). I honestly don't care about the effect on the piston, but really just on the writing experience.

 

 

However, I would like, just based on the color to try Noodler's Blue Eel. Coincidentally, I saw writing sample on here last night that used it and it looked quite nice. Sadly it is not an ink I can get here.

 

 

 

When we talk about lubricity in ink, does that also lubricate pistons?

Edited by ink-syringe

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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Right. That is even one that I have, and an ink whose properties seem occasionally magical (it nearly completely reversed staining in a demonstrator I had)...

 

But I am just not that crazy about the color. ... I always feel like I should just go ahead and use Black if I am going to go that dark, and of course, Aurora Black is every bit as lubetacular as ... but I might try it.

 

As for Aurora Blue, that is pretty slick too, but seemingly less so than the black, which may have to do with the nature of the dyes used.

 

 

 

Though not my favourite colour, I'm still often amazed by how lubricated and wet Sailor Doyou is.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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Right. That is even one that I have, and an ink whose properties seem occasionally magical (it nearly completely reversed staining in a demonstrator I had)...

 

But I am just not that crazy about the color. ... I always feel like I should just go ahead and use Black if I am going to go that dark, and of course, Aurora Black is every bit as lubetacular as ... but I might try it.

 

As for Aurora Blue, that is pretty slick too, but seemingly less so than the black, which may have to do with the nature of the dyes used.

 

 

 

 

While we're on the subject of Sailor, I've found Miruai, Oku-yama, and Nioi-sumire to be very lubricating as well.

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De Atramentis

 

 

Wet as a whale's bottom it makes even wooden sticks smooth and usually drying within 5-10 seconds

 

 

You may ask Amberlea guess she agrees

Das leben ist wie ein Perpetuum Mobile mit ein Mangel..... Immer im Bewegung jedoch nicht unendlich. (life is like a troubled Perpetuum Mobile ever moving but not for ever)

Tricked throughout the centuries...

For centuries people had been tricked by kings & "religion-alism"

In the 20th century people got tricked by communism

Today people get tricked by (neo)capitalism :)

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Peter, thanks for the shout out. I was reading ovwr this thread and was thinking that this is one of my favorite inky topics. As soon as I am on a computer I will respond.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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De Atramentis

 

 

Wet as a whale's bottom it makes even wooden sticks smooth and usually drying within 5-10 seconds

 

DeA can definitely be wetter than most; my favorite (Thomas Alva Edison) is so wet, it's unusable in my TWSBI Diamond 580 M nib. Results are big, sloshy strokes.

Why are there fourteen samples of dark plum ink on my desk? Because I still haven't found the right shade.

Is that a problem...??? : : : sigh : : :

 

Update: Great. Finally found one I love (Lamy Dark Lilac) but I can't get more. Ah, life in my inky world....

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When we talk about lubricity in ink, does that also lubricate pistons?

 

 

For the sake of this discussion, I hope no. While there may be some overlap (inks that are designed to lube pistons may also be very slick writers). I honestly don't care about the effect on the piston, but really just on the writing experience.

 

 

However, I would like, just based on the color to try Noodler's Blue Eel. Coincidentally, I saw writing sample on here last night that used it and it looked quite nice. Sadly it is not an ink I can get here.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm happy that this question has been asked.

 

So, here are the Inky Topics O'Day (aka Inky TODs).

 

What are Lubricating Inks?

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/265842-inky-t-o-d-lubricating-inks/

 

What are Wet Inks?

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/265785-inky-t-o-d-what-are-wet-inks/

 

___

 

IMO, the designation of a ink as "Lubricating"should be limited to the inks that actually lubricate pistons. Ink manufacturers use the term lubricating only to designate those inks that are lubricating. Ink reviewers, however, use the term "lubricating" to refer to inks which glide well across the page. Personally, I think that we should refer to that feature that makes the ink slide across the page as "glide." Whether an ink is "wet" or "dry" has do with the flow of the ink. Since the chemicals that make inks lubricating are often used to make an ink flow faster (hence a wetter ink), and many times those same result in an ink that glides across the paper, it is easy to conflate the terms. As a matter of clarity though, a ink can be wet without either being lubricating or a good glider. (Others have given samples above).

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sailor Nano Kiwa-guro

Bungbox Seiya Silent Night

Sailor Jentle Doyou

Aurora Black (reluctantly, but the above 3 are MUCH more lubricating)

Ink, a drug.

― Vladimir Nabokov, Bend Sinister

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If the pen squeaks, maybe you should have the nib checked out. Perhaps the inside edges of the tines are too sharp.

 

Also, Sailor Shigure seems to lubricate well.

 

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Monteverde puts something in their inks.

 

You can add glycerin to your inks. One drop into 2 ml. If not enough, add another drop. I think it is amazing what it does to ink.

Be Happy, work at it. Namaste

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Diamine Majestic Blue and J. Herbin Perle Noire stand out among my inks as far as lubricity. As for De Atramentis and wetness, I have two De Atramentis Inks. Aubergine is fantastic in all aspects love the color and it feels great to write with, but Indigo is by and far the dryest ink I have. Perhaps though I got a bad bottle. I'm new to this hobby and learning that there is a certain laxness in quality control as far as inks (batch variations, instability) and nibs (even 500$+ pens shipping with scratchy, misaligned, poorly shaped nibs)

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For inks which are super wet - the De Atramentis Document inks - turquoise and magenta - are perfect to improve the flow and water resistance of any other ink. They are also good at improving glide in other inks.

 

As for glide across the paper, I only like inks that glide because I use B and BB stubs almost exclusively and I live in a desert, thus inks that are dry or don't glide well are not friendly for me.

 

So, what color are you looking for? I can suggest an ink with great glide in almost any color.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Also, Sailor Shigure seems to lubricate well.

 

Shigure and, also Ultramarine lubricate well indeed.

 

Again, this is not your ordinary nib and nib techs have been over them. If you have every seen the nib you would know what I was talking about, unfortunately to see the nib you have to take off the hood which is fragile thin celluloid so I can't do it.

 

Imagine a very long narrow flex nib with the shoulders of the nib shaved off. It is a special case. The pen was made to be 2 sided with one side flex and one side rigid. It is like a Mullet, business in the front and part-ay in the back. hahaha. Anyway I wish it was more common, it would save me some explaining. But the nib is long and thin and pokes through the hood, which has a hole cut at an angle so that the nib is free to flex on one side. The unusual thinness and length cause the nib to sing louder than you can ever imagine a nib singing. It is like a tuning fork. So I am looking to tame the screech with whatever I can. Nib techs have been over the pen countless times.

 

 

If the pen squeaks, maybe you should have the nib checked out. Perhaps the inside edges of the tines are too sharp.

 

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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So, what color are you looking for? I can suggest an ink with great glide in almost any color.

 

Literally looking for the most over the top greasy ink I can find. Whatever is exceptionally slick to see if that works. The pen has a very primitive ebonite feed and so is crazy wet so that kind of makes it a little harder to control but any Blue or Black that is over the top greasy might work. Darker Blues (Florida Blue, Asa-gao, Visconti, etc) esp.

 

I have tried Aurora Blue, Asa-Gao, Sailor Sky High and Aurora Black and so far the Aurora Black is the best at taming the squeaks but I am wondering if there is anything even better than that.

 

Paper helps too. Glassy paper like CF/Rhodia is like fingers on a black board, it is less vibration but the vibration is higher pitched and really obnoxious.

 

Sadly one of the pens used to be rougher and squeaked less. Now the nibber went over it and smoothed it and it is worse as the vibration is more pitched.

 

I am looking for motor oil basically. :P

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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Then De Atramentis Document Ink - try Turquoise or Magenta - they were almost too wet for me.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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