Safe Ink Combinations For Parker 61 Capillary?

[PDW]

Not sure whether this is better in the Parker or the ink forums, but …

 

Having cleaned out my newly acquired cheap-but-wonderful P61 capillary as well as I could without disassembly I filled it with Waterman Florida Blue (old name, old bottle) and it worked fine apart from the occasional line of blue gunge as the ink diluted whatever had been left in the collector aeons ago. When that first fill began to run out I refilled the pen with Waterman South Sea Blue, and it’s still working fine although the colour veers between the two colours depending on how long I’m writing with it.

 

This experience has made me wonder whether one can regard certain ink changes in a P61 capillary without a complete clean as being ‘safe’ i.e. not clogging the pen as new and old inks mix. A list like this would allow the use of these wonderful pens without committing to repeated cleaning or the use of one ink only.

 

On the basis of my experience, and without any obligation if your experience is different, I’d say that the two Waterman inks I’ve used are safe to swap in a P61 capillary – do you have any other combinations you’ve tried without problems? If the inks combined in the pen as mine have done did you get any especially pleasing results?

[ajlmarques]

The P61 capillary is a bit of a mess, really. I have one that I'm going to keep simply for its history, but probably won't see much use. I think the design was probably good when people used a single ink all their lives. If you think about cleaning it only every so often, it's good, but not for ink changes. I ended up buying a second one with the aeromatic system.

 

More to your question, I would keep to one brand and stick with the non-exotic inks - stay clear of ig and even permanent inks. Waterman is a good choice, Lamy good as well. I'm sure there are a lot more options, but I don't like too much inks mixing inside the pens, and the idea of spending more time cleaning a pen than writing with it puts me off.

[inkstainedruth]

I tend to use less saturated and moderately wet inks in mine, for the most part. Last spring I ran J Herbin Eclat de Saphir through one for several months, and had De Atramentis Apple Blossom in the other (but for not as long).

I don't like the idea of possible ink contamination between brands, so I do flush mine out pretty thoroughly. But I also use the trick that I did when I got the first one -- flush it from the back just enough to get ink flow (I didn't know what ink had been in it) and wrote with that, repeating the process when it stopped writing/ran dry -- until I got to the point that the ink was so diluted it was pretty illegible on the page (then flushed it out really well). That first run of whatever ink was in it? Lasted me about 4 months....

What ajmarques said is likely true -- most people back then didn't change their ink much, if at all. So I've only used inks that (A) were less likely to clog the capillary filler and ( were ones that I could stand using for months on end, only refilling as necessary until I got bored and then doing the "flush/refill with distilled water" trick.

I have to say that I really like my 61s -- they hold a tremendous amount of ink, and filling them is dead easy. Flushing isn't actually all that hard either (just a bit tedious): the guy I bought the first one from told me to just stick it under the faucet, nib down, but since I have very hard water I use a bulb syringe and distilled water instead (I cut the nozzle down a bit so I can more or less fit it directly over the back end of the capillary unit).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

In harmony with prior posts, I prefer the simple aniline dye ink of the sort that were in the market when the P61 was introduced: inks with a moderate dye-load that are readily flushed from the pen with plain water, and unlikely to cause an adverse reaction with subsequent inks if, after a reasonable flushing, leave a bit of inky residue behind. (No nano, no cellulose-reactive, no large-bore iron-gall.)

 

If I were to dedicate one ink to the pen, and use it as a daily writer, I would not let it run dry then top-up. Rather I'd refill pretty much on a daily basis. The P61 capillary reservoir is somewhat impractical to flush with fresh ink - there is only a fill mechanism, no built-in flush mechanism, and flooding the collector is a nuisance.

 

For clean-up, contrary to common practice, I slip a length of soft [surgical] tubing over the section [beyond the inset arrow] then gently flush from the nib-end - I don't want any dried/gunky ink from the reservoir to become congested in the collector or feed.

 

Aurora Blue, Pelikan Royal Blue, Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise and Herbin Poussière de Lune are BFFs with my P61s.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited April 15, 2016 by Sandy1

[Sasha Royale]

When the Parker 61 was issued, certainly the available inks were compatible. Parker had no idea what inks would be created thereafter. Noodler's Polar Black, for example, is clearly thicker than Quink. I would stick to inks that were available in those years. Parker Quink is one. I am confident with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue and Blue-black in my vintage fountain pens. Sorry, no experience with Waterman inks.

 

I have four Parker 61 pens with the capillary fillers. Keep yours clean, and feed it only "safe" ink. Clog the capillary filler, and your P61 is a coffee stirrer. It is a very nice, fine writer, and a neat pen to use. You are fortunate to have a working one.

 

Write with joy.

[PDW]

Clog the capillary filler, and your P61 is a coffee stirrer. It is a very nice, fine writer, and a neat pen to use. You are fortunate to have a working one.

 

Write with joy.

 

I've had success in reviving capillary P61s by filling the usual rubber bulb with water and forcing it through the capillary from the back. Repeat, and alternate with overnight immersion of the section/capillary assembly in water, and after a couple of days' work they do seem to come back.

 

When it does work the filling system is also a joy - no need to wipe anything after filling.

[Buzz_130]

I also clean my Parker 61 between color changes and fillings. Like Sandy1, I push water through from the nib through the rest of the pen. I can't figure out any other way to get that pen clean. Mine has an XF nib, and it's not one of my favorites. However, I can see the genius of the time that Parker put into the pen.

 

Use pen manufacturer inks like Parker, Pelikan, Montblanc, Waterman, and Sheaffer with medium dye loads, and you'll be able to use your 61 for decades to come.

 

Buzz

[Abner C. Kemp]

Waterman or Pelikan 4001 are probably going to be the most recommended. Parker Quink would obviously be a nice choice although I've never been a huge fan of the colors of their inks (just personal preference).

[Mangrove Jack]

I use Parker Quink washable blue and Pilot washable blue. No issues so far.

[entropydave]

I've used Waterman Mysterious Blue as it is called now, as well as Diamine Monaco Red. Neither have caused me problems. I also use Parker's vintage instant ink for the Parker 61s and these still work fine. They're very watery and flow well and dry fast.

 

Like others, I have not found flushing with a bulb syringe difficult. I have several capillary fillers and I tend to stick with one ink per filler, but swap the bodies if I feel like a change.