Pelikan Safe Inks?

[white_lotus]

Hello fellow flock-keepers.

 

I have gathered a small flock of Pelikans and was wondering about inks. Usually I have used Sailor, Organics Studio, Montblanc, Iroshizuku, some Noodler's inks, and a few others here and there. I stay away from staining inks, IG inks.

 

Am I correct in the hypothesis that if an ink does not stain a converter, that it will be safe in a Pelikan? By safe I mean that the ink won't stain the interior of the barrel, of say an M400. I understand that a Pelikan ink will most assuredly be safe in a Pelikan pen but I only have Edelstein Tanzanite and the reviews for Pelikan inks don't excite me about them.

 

I know the discussion in this sub-forum typically involves pens, but I didn't see anything about inks, and felt this would be a better place for an inquiry.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Lam1]

I'm no expert in inks, but I do use Pelikan inks a lot since they tend to be dry and that is a plus with Pelikan pens. I usually don't worry if they stain or not, unless I'm using a demonstrator.

In my experience it's not always the case that they are safe: Edelstein Topaz certainly stained my M200 clear demonstrator.

[them700project]

I have ran iroshizuku, pelikan edelstein, aurura, Organic studios, Montblanc, and a couple others through with no issue.I have sampled a few noodlers that I wouldnt put in a $10 pen though. So i would be careful with anything super saturated that stains such as Baystate blue and a few other inks out there

[Tasmith]

Akkerman Blue #3 and Royal Blue have worked just fine in my M200s.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Tasmith

[da vinci]

I'm no expert in inks...

In my experience it's not always the case that they are safe: Edelstein Topaz certainly stained my M200 clear demonstrator.

+1 here..this ink stained the ink window on my new 101 lizard

[white_lotus]

Good thing I don't have Edelstein Topaz. I have in general avoided the Baystate colors, so safe there as well.

 

Thanks for the suggestions and recommendations.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have used a number of inks in my Pelikans. RIght now, the M200 Cognac has Parker Penman Mocha and my blue marbled M200 has Blackstone Blue Cashmere. They have only been there about 24 hours so far, but no issues yet. I had Noodler's 54th Massachusetts in the Cognac and Levenger Pomegranate in the marbled until last night. About 1-2 weeks I would guess. But very few of my inks I won't put in. Maybe the Diamine Shimmer inks. Not sure if I have used KWZI IG Turquoise in the blue marbled M200.

[sargetalon]

Staining is always a possibility with any ink I guess under the correct conditions. I agree with staying away from super saturated inks. Reds, browns, and inks derived from those colors seem to stain a bit more. I think common sense and regular pen maintenance helps keep staining at bay. What does slip through is usually handled by a little ammonia solution. I generally try to stay away from most Noodlers and Private Reserve. I've had no problems with any other brands.

[GardenWeasel]

Interesting timing for the question! I just put a bit of Akkerman blue-black iron gall ink in my M200 Demo this evening . We shall see...

 

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i82/nukemkb/f0d585ad3df9ac71a15f8f9b16daca90.jpg

[Christopher Godfrey]

I use mostly Diamine inks, plus Watermans, Pelikan 4001 and some R&K -- I have listened to the honourable Mr. Binder answer this same question, when he gave us a nib-smoothing workshop, and he told us that he steers clear of N**dlers and Priv*te Res*rve (just as Joshua wrote, above) and that's good enough for me. (Anyone want to buy a bucketload of PR Tanzanite? Oh, wait: I can use it in my less-valuable pens! )

[sirgilbert357]

+1 here..this ink stained the ink window on my new 101 lizard

 

Wow, that's crazy. I wonder if there was a bad batch or something? I've used Topaz exclusively in one pen for almost a year and never had any staining of the ink window (M205 black), and am using it now in my M405.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Sigh, just laid my ink folder on my keyboard and lost a complicated post.

There is no perfect paper, no perfect ink and no perfect nib....there are combinations of them that are perfect.

Topaz though is a very good ink. Shades well too.(Aventurine feathers )

 

I had from Gemund a sampler mix of just their fountain pen friendly paper in they make art paper too, of a couple different single sheets of 90-100-110-120 and 150 and 170g, papers. I had written them asking for what papers were fountain pen friendly and they sent me a list.

I tested a lot of inks and nibs on those papers. They were also part of my 15 green ink 11 paper test.

 

I was using a Geha 790 with a semi-flex KM nib. A true regular flex could well be drier, with less feathering, in semi-flex are due to ease of flex, a wetter writer.

 

For Topaz the 170g and 150g papers were the best.

At least one each of the 100-110-120g needed a big honking magnifying glass to see feathering.

On the other 100-110&120g one had to squint to see feathering when holding it near.

 

I am OCD/AR on feathering, even developing my own rating system.

 

BEF= Bare Eyed Feathering seen while sitting.

NEF= feathering seen when the page is held near my eyes.

MAG-F= feathering seen with only a honking big magnifying glass**,= a good ink for that paper.

NMF= no feathering under magnification= perfect ink for that paper.

I found Topaz, R&K Verdura and MB Irish Green to be excellent inks with very little feathering at all.

 

Buy it then for a non-demonstrator pen.

 

**2.8x/7D/250 is a big honking magnifying glass.

I did not go so AR as to look at it with my 10X loupe...that's a bit too much OCD even for me.

 

PS. at 35 to 50 Euro for a box of 50 sheets of Gmund paper...I'm still dithering. I'd need at least five boxes.

And that is just from them...I got a couple other companies that have near perfect paper too.

 

I have just instructed my wife to double our speculative investments.

.

.

.

Play the lottery twice.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[inkstainedruth]

I'm no expert in inks, but I do use Pelikan inks a lot since they tend to be dry and that is a plus with Pelikan pens. I usually don't worry if they stain or not, unless I'm using a demonstrator.

In my experience it's not always the case that they are safe: Edelstein Topaz certainly stained my M200 clear demonstrator.

Oh dear. I just got a sample of that in the mail today (but haven't tried it yet).

At the moment I have Diamine Turquoise in the Cáfe Crème (I've previously used Diamine Tyrian Purple and Terra Cotta, and Monteverde Custom Blend (the LE blue-grey ink that was swag from last summer's DCSS). I've used a variety of brown inks in the M400 Brown Tortoise (which is currently sporting Noodler's Walnut). The other M200 currently has Edelstein Amethyst, and awhile back it had De Atramentis Gold in it. And the M100 with the 1 mm nib has seen both Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey and the reformulated Bleu Ocean. No problems with any of them; of course, I'm a little OCD about flushing.

The only bird I've been a little cautious about has been the 1950s era 400 -- so far it's only seen Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[DrCodfish]

I have and use a wide variety of Diamine inks and have had had essentially no trouble with them in my Pelikans, ... with one exception: I am partial to saturated inks and have found that reds and their derivatives will give you demonstrators trouble, especially if you insist on leaving them in those pens for extended periods.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I find Diamine, and even the Akkerman made by them slightly different (better), to feather way too much.

The Meadow Green of Diamine was in last place in my 11 green ink on 15 papers or was that 15 green inks on 11 papers?? Close enough for horseshoes.

 

I do recommend ESSR over Diamine Register ink in IG blue-black inks. Do read the longest thread I think in the history of FPN, on ESSR ink.

 

Well I shied off from buying Demonstrators, when I saw that to make my Geha collection a bit better a Geha Demonstrator cost well over $350 ....that and lots of different inks stain them.

That's a bit much for a pen that's not a Soennecken 111 Extra Lizard. ...sigh, I'm after that in herringbone....was, until a flock of Pelikans picked my pocket.

 

I'd suggest flushing your stained demonstrators with JB's perfect pen flush or a home made ammonia based pen flush. If I remember my reading, some had success in cleaning thier demonstrator with JB.

[jmccarty3]

A nice safe ink for Pels is Edelstein (not PR) Tanzanite. Very formal. Recently got hold of some 4001 Blue-Black and found it to be about the driest ink I've tried. Would be good if you have a real gusher.

[white_lotus]

Thanks for the tips. We must be thinking alike. I too got a bottle of Edelstein Tanzanite, but haven't gotten to trying it yet. And I picked up a bottle of the 4001 Blue-black as well, and found it dry. And kind of pale as well. Then it darkens as it's an IG. I have one Pelikan with a B nib, so I may give the 4001 BB a run in that.

 

But I think I'll have to check out the KWZ inks for an IG blue-black.

[Bo Bo Olson]

ESSR is one of the very best IG blue black inks. It has one of the longest threads in FPN history...look it up.

A lot of ink, cheap too.

 

In I'm not into blue black inks...wonder why I have 7.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[marchbrown]

Staining is always a possibility with any ink I guess under the correct conditions. I agree with staying away from super saturated inks. Reds, browns, and inks derived from those colors seem to stain a bit more. I think common sense and regular pen maintenance helps keep staining at bay. What does slip through is usually handled by a little ammonia solution. I generally try to stay away from most Noodlers and Private Reserve. I've had no problems with any other brands.

 

I have used Private Reserve Tanzanite for many years now. Well over ten years and have had no staining in my M400 that I can see. I only usually clean my pen out thoroughly when changing the ink colour and the reservoir always seems to be pretty clear. The other ink I use is also Private reserve. It is 2003 DC Super Show Blue. I guess the 2003 shows the age of my last bottle. I'm OK for the Tanzanite as I have two unopened bottles left.

 

I have just now given my Blue striated M400 a quick clean and rinse and the staining is minimal. I see a very light blue colour to the ink reservoir. I can't remember whether it should be blue or clear, but it is a light blue now. My unused black M650 has a green ink reservoir. The used M400 reservoir blue colour is actually lighter in colour than the M650's green one.

 

My input is not very scientific, but as far as I can tell, after many years of using the tanzanite, the M400 reservoir is only a pale blue colour. The Tanzanite is a slightly purple ink and I don't see that colour of stain.

 

Hope this is of some help.

[Mercian]

In my M205 I have used the following non-Pelikan inks with no problems:

Waterman Florida/Serenity Blue.

Noodler's Black - the only problem I had with it was nib-creep.

 

Rohrer & Klingner "Salix" iron-gall blue-black.
I know you said that you steer clear of ferro-gallic inks, but this is my favourite ink for my M205.

I love its tight lines, lack of feathering, and lovely shading (even from my F nib). The water resistance and extremely low (here in the UK) price are bonuses. It also remains a bluer shade after oxidation than any other blue-black that I have seen.

It has never given me any problems, and the fact that I can just unscrew the Pelikan's nib/feed unit to get it out of the barrel makes it extremely easy to clean, meaning that I am not afraid to use Salix in the pen.

That said, I believe that the Edelstein inks contain a lubricant for the piston system, so for non-iron-gall blue-black you probably can't do any better than your Tanzanite.