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Platinum Classic Ink - Citrus Black Iron Gall


julia239

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Platinum Classic Ink - Citrus Black

(A picture heavy review.)

 

Below are Platinum's six new inks in the Classic Line; "classic" is code for iron gall. In the press release for the new line, Platinum says that traditional ink methods are very time consuming to produce and as a result have mostly been replaced by mixing dye inks. (Note the subtle dig at other companies who use these quick, easy methods. ;)) This time (as opposed to all the other times, apparently), they aspired to enhance the joy of using fountain pens by focusing on the color changes and shading of the Classic Inks. Each of these inks should start out bright and then darken to black over time.

 

Side Note - I knew these were all IG inks, but I was looking at Platinum's product site, and came across some interesting and confusing information. Under the "Quality" description, it says that the Classic Inks are "water-based pigmented ink." This the is the same description used in the known pigmented Platinum inks, such as Blue-Black, Rose Red, and Sepia. Their non-pigmented inks are described as dyestuff inks. I contacted Goulet to see if they knew anything; they said that as far as they knew, it is not pigmented, but it is a new product, so they do not have a lot of product information yet. Either way, good pen maintenance is important - be sure to clean your pen well after using an IG or pigmented ink.

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I had no intention of getting this ink; I saw it and thought it looked like a very dirty yellow. But in doing the other reviews, quite a few people seemed interested in it, so when I was ordering my new Midori (Yay!), I got samples of this and Forest Black. I'm such a people pleaser. (I'm also pretty sarcastic - some days I'm better at self-editing than others & today is not one of those days.) My first impression of the color has stayed true - to me, it looks like some mean person stuck a pen filled with brown ink into a perfectly nice bottle of yellow ink, swished it around, and then ran away. But, some people probably appreciate these strange colors. I happen to love blue-greens & I know there are people out there, famous ink reviewers included, who dislike them. My point is, despite my dislike of the color, I tried very hard to give this a fair shot. And, it was just not a good ink. I tried pen after pen after pen to get it to be nice; I tried different paper; I talked to it; I offered it tea; I read to it; I played it soothing music; I played it some not so soothing music in case it needed to wake up; one of my dogs took it for a brief and unexpected run in a TWSBI (bad dog!). Okay, I didn't really do all that, but the dog did get my pen. The reason for all the pictures is because I tried so many different pen and paper combinations, but in the end, I had to conclude that this is just a very dry and not well lubricating ink. A very well tuned pen that never gives you problems will help with the lubrication issues; my Pilot CH 92 felt better than the other pens, but using the 912 with the FA nib was like torture - I tried it because it is such a wet writer, but the dryness and terrible lubrication made it very unpleasant. If you are hoping to get the darker color, you'll need to use a wet pen and still probably need to prime it repeatedly.

 

 

 

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Drip Test

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Rhodia Writing Samples

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Clairefontaine Triomphe Writing Samples

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Tomoe River Writing Samples

(I dropped a pen while I was doing one of these, so if you see splatters, it's because I'm clumsy.)

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Apica Premium CD Paper (uncoated 86.5g) Writing Samples

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Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton Writing Samples

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Original Crown Mill Laid Paper Writing Samples

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I am sorry this ink was so dry; it doesn't make for a pleasant writing experience no pleasure in trying to assemble such a thorough review as you have given us. I appreciate your efforts.

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The reason for all the pictures is because I tried so many different pen and paper combinations, but in the end, I had to conclude that this is just a very dry and not well lubricating ink.

 

 

 

Dear Julia,

 

Thanks you so much for this very thorough review. I am still waiting on my Classic inks (been waiting for 5 weeks now... :roller1: ) .. I was eager to try/test a new brand of Iron Galls.

 

As I suspected... Platinum still has a lot to learn on how to make a free flowing, lubricated Iron Gall.

 

You can call me a "fan girl".. but really, nothing comes close to my KWZi inks.. I am currently enjoying a pen with IG Green 3 and another with IG Aztec Gold... :D

 

 

C.

Edited by Cyber6

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Another great review, Julia.

 

Thank you for being so thorough.

 

As Visvamitra, I expected this ink to be slightly darker, ergo it is not for me.

 

 

Is supposed to go all the way to black (As per Platinum's advertisement).. The question is, how long does it take?

 

 

C.

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**** BauerInks.ca ****

**** MORE.... Robert Oster Signature INKS ****

**** NICK STEWART - KWZI INKs TEST ****

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking,

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Dear Julia,

 

Thanks you so much for this very thorough review. I am still waiting on my Classic inks (been waiting for 5 weeks now... :roller1: ) .. I was eager to try/test a new brand of Iron Galls.

 

As I suspected... Platinum still has a lot to learn on how to make a free flowing, lubricated Iron Gall.

 

You can call me a "fan girl".. but really, nothing comes close to my KWZi inks.. I am currently enjoying a pen with IG Green 3 and another with IG Aztec Gold... :D

 

 

C.

 

 

Konrad and Agniezka make great inks...I wish someone at Platinum had given them a call, especially about Citrus.

 

I think this line was Platinum's answer to the demand for more color options, but I'm not sure if they rushed certain colors or just couldn't make them work. :glare:

 

I think I remember from one of your Robert Oster posts that you use really wet pens, so you might be able to get enough ink down for it to darken.

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Konrad and Agniezka make great inks...I wish someone at Platinum had given them a call, especially about Citrus.

 

I think this line was Platinum's answer to the demand for more color options, but I'm not sure if they rushed certain colors or just couldn't make them work. :glare:

 

I think I remember from one of your Robert Oster posts that you use really wet pens, so you might be able to get enough ink down for it to darken.

 

 

The thing is... Iron Galls have been around forever and the chemistry for them was designed for dip pens NOT for fountain pens.

 

Even the modern ones (Diamine Registrar, Lamy - discontinued, and Montblanc - discontinued) which are designed for fountain pens, they tend to be dry inks with high maintenance. This is where Konrad comes in, I believe his modern techniques for making Iron Gall inks wet and lubricated and in wonderful colours is not an easy feat.

 

And now with the introduction of IGL (Iron Gall Light) which are very easy to maintain, he is really blazing new trails.. :wub: :wub:

 

 

I'll go back to my waiting on thess inks... and will let you know how they perform on my wet-gushy pens... ;)

 

 

 

C,

fpn_1481652911__bauerinkslogo03.jpg
**** BauerInks.ca ****

**** MORE.... Robert Oster Signature INKS ****

**** NICK STEWART - KWZI INKs TEST ****

"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking,

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Thanks for the review.

While I'm interested in some of these (being a fan of IG inks in general) I can skip this one. I really dislike the base color (although I am a bit curious to see what it looks like after it completely oxidizes).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Thanks for the review. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like Citrus Black, and you've confirmed it. Interesting shading, though. I just hope the Lavendar and Cassis aren't as dry; dark purples and reds are some of my favorites.

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Thanks for the review. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like Citrus Black, and you've confirmed it. Interesting shading, though. I just hope the Lavendar and Cassis aren't as dry; dark purples and reds are some of my favorites.

 

Neither of those are as dry; they were much better behaved than Citrus.

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You did an amazing job with this review. Thank you, you have been very busy.

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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I seem to be in the minority: I like the look of this ink, and I'm not a fan of wet inks so the dryness isn't putting me off. But I join with everyone else in thanking you for posting this review. It is not only very informative (I particularly appreciate the inclusion of an EF nib), but one of the most enjoyable I've ever read.

I've been on a quest to see if I could commit all Seven Deadly Sins in a single day. Finally, it dawned on me I shouldn't try for the One Day Wonder Prize for all seven in one day. It's simply out of any question as you can't commit decent sloth while busily ticking the other six off your crowded "to do" list. -- ViolinWriter

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I seem to be in the minority: I like the look of this ink, and I'm not a fan of wet inks so the dryness isn't putting me off. But I join with everyone else in thanking you for posting this review. It is not only very informative (I particularly appreciate the inclusion of an EF nib), but one of the most enjoyable I've ever read.

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

I'm glad you like it; it was just too finicky for me to mess with on a long term (i.e. bottle) basis.

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I especially love the line "it looks like some mean person stuck a pen filled with brown ink into a perfectly nice bottle of yellow ink, swished it around, and then ran away."

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I especially love the line "it looks like some mean person stuck a pen filled with brown ink into a perfectly nice bottle of yellow ink, swished it around, and then ran away."

 

I did say that my ability to self-edit was missing that day. :blush:

But, still...it starts out such a nice yellow, and then...

Edited by julia239
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My point is, despite my dislike of the color, I tried very hard to give this a fair shot. And, it was just not a good ink. I tried pen after pen after pen to get it to be nice; I tried different paper; I talked to it; I offered it tea; I read to it; I played it soothing music; I played it some not so soothing music in case it needed to wake up; one of my dogs took it for a brief and unexpected run in a TWSBI (bad dog!). Okay, I didn't really do all that, but the dog did get my pen. The reason for all the pictures is because I tried so many different pen and paper combinations, but in the end, I had to conclude that this is just a very dry and not well lubricating ink.

 

I laughed aloud at your various attempts to woo (or startle) the ink into being something you liked. The entertainment value of your negative review reminded me of the late and lamented Roger Ebert, whose bad reviews were always more fun that his good ones. My favorite film review of all time will probably always be: "'Made Dog Time' should be cut into free ukulele picks for the poor."

 

Aside from that, though, you did a fantastically thorough review of an ink you didn't like at all, so many thanks.

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