Smelling Ink

[mke]

Just for your information

I have got an old J.Herbin ink "Rose Tendresse".

It is not clear and smells awfully, seems to be some sulphur compound.

I still can use it with a dip pen.

Perhaps I should try to filter it.

[Astronymus]

Sulfur? Sounds like bacteria at work. Hydrogen sulfide.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

When in doubt - throw it out.

 

If infected with nasties those could contaminate pens and inks in your array.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 12, 2017 by Sandy1

[Intensity]

Wow, I was JUST thinking about how Sailor's Yama Dori smells Amazing! It's got this almond-like scent. Delicious and mysterious. I notice it as I write with a pen that has high ink flow. Now I want to smell my other Sailor inks to see if their scents are as delectable...

[KellyMcJ]

Wow, I was JUST thinking about how Sailor's Yama Dori smells Amazing! It's got this almond-like scent. Delicious and mysterious. I notice it as I write with a pen that has high ink flow. Now I want to smell my other Sailor inks to see if their scents are as delectable...

Sailor inks are known for their odor. A lot of people find it unpleasant. I think they smell of disinfectant. Unless they smell rancid though its nothing to worry about... Just Sailor being sailor.

[Intensity]

Sailor inks are known for their odor. A lot of people find it unpleasant. I think they smell of disinfectant. Unless they smell rancid though its nothing to worry about... Just Sailor being sailor.

Personally I love it! I used to collect perfumes and do a lot of research and sampling, and this ink really caught my nose by surprise--it's the first ink I have that I could smell from the normal writing separation distance. It reminds me of cherry and almond notes, definitely not disinfectant. Now I did just smell Sei Boku nano pigment ink by Sailor, and that one has a disinfectant type of smell, very different. Sailor Souten has some of Yama-Dori's scent but more disinfectant. Just smelled Yama-Dori in the bottle, and I do note the cleaning agent type notes, but also that cherry-almond note is very strong. So it seems like different Sailor inks smell differently from each other. I'm really underwhelmed with the color and flatness of Yama-Dori in person after reading glowing reviews, but the scent might keep me using it.

 

(Now I'm going to go peruse through my old collection to find some Luctor et Emergo by People of the Labyrinths perfume--it has similar top notes....)

[Olya]

Amazing how people smell the same thing, but smell sth different... I guess like not everyone can see colour in the same way?

 

Yama Dori smells to me also very much like almonds (and some other stuff no one should ever eat!), and Pilot blue also smells like almonds, but not as strongly. Sailor black on the other hand has a totally different smell and I am convinced and certain it made one of my pens very smelly and I had to throw it out in the end (luckily "just" a Lecoule, and ironically a Sailor product...).

 

Many say Sailor (& Pilot) inks smell like vintage Parker Quink, but to me vintage Quink had a totally different smell. I came across an old bottle of Quink washable blue and bought it and the smell is not as I remember it, at all. Though I remember the smell from the Quink carts, maybe it had a different smell to the bottle? One of these days I'll certainly hunt down some more vintage Quink, bottled and in carts!

 

A sulphuric smell is very unusual though, I'd say the ink has gone bad. The J Herbin inks I have are almost odourless, and the bit of smell they do have isn't bad at all, kind of inky I guess. Not sure filtering it will help. Use it with your dip pens only!

Edited November 13, 2017 by Olya

[Bookman]

I love the smell of Sailor Jentle Blue. I wish all my inks smelled that way.

[TSherbs]

Just for your information

I have got an old J.Herbin ink "Rose Tendresse".

It is not clear and smells awfully, seems to be some sulphur compound.

I still can use it with a dip pen.

Perhaps I should try to filter it.

Was a dog near you when you sampled? 😉

[Astronymus]

Amazing how people smell the same thing, but smell sth different... I guess like not everyone can see colour in the same way?

I'll just say... Cheese.

[Intensity]

I love the smell of Sailor Jentle Blue. I wish all my inks smelled that way.

Now I'm curious which other Sailor inks smell almondy.

 

Do Iroshizuku inks have a noticeable scent? I should dig out my Fuyu-Syogun sample.

[mke]

I will try to filter it with a membrane filters - if it still smells bad after that, then the waste waters here will have a nice rose color.

Thanks for reminding the possibility of bacterial contamination.

[Intensity]

I went through some of my ink bottle and samples collection for fun. Here are some findings:

 

Diamine Asa Blue (bottle): smells like an antiseptic liquid you open up when you've scraped your knee.

Diamine Syrah (sample): somewhat like Asa Blue, less antiseptic, more detergent

 

J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor (sample in plastic vial): very similar to Asa Blue

 

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun (sample in plastic vial): also an antiseptic but with a strong bitter note

 

J. Herbin Amethyste de l'Oural (sample in plastic vial): very symilar to Fuyu-Syogun

 

J. Herbin Lie de The (bottle): a unique faintly herbal smell. Somewhat like tea leaves and other herbs. Difficult to describe. I find it pleasant, though it's on the faint side. Smells like something potentially edible.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa (bottle): smells like wall paint a bit. Maybe not wall paint but some kind of paint like that. Does not have the same antiseptic smell like most of my other inks. I find it pleasant.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun (sample in plastic vial): a bit like Scabiosa with additional rubber/plastic doll scent

 

Waterman Absolute Brown (bottle): extremely faint smell, not repulsive

 

Robert Oster Tranquility (sample): industrial washing liquid, perhaps for floors

Robert Oster Dark Chocolate (sample): extremely faint, can't really make out what it's like

 

Sailor Tokiwa Matsu (sample, bottle on the way): some of that almond note + detergent

 

Noodler's Walnut (bottle): really nice! A faint herbal-like scent with a fresh green note and some almond/nutty note.

Noodler's Aircorp Blue Black (bottle): an odd combination of Walnut's scent plus a bit of ammonia. Can't say I like it

 

Organics Studio Walden Pond Blue (bottle): Extremely faint, can't quite place it. Somewhat chemical.

 

Montblanc Midnight Blue (old IG formulation in a bottle): very unpleasant, almost sour notes. eek...

 

My favorites are Noodler's Walnut, Sailor Yama-Dori, and Herbin's Lie de The. Sailor's Tokiwa Matsu might also be once my bottle arrives.

[lapis]

My very very most favourite smell here is De A's Ylang Ylang and that was done with great success. Their Patchouli OTOH wasn't.

[mke]

And back to the bad smelling ink. I filtered it, the precipitate is gone and with it a bit of the smell.

As I am NOT going to throw it away, I am using this ink in a Preppy now. So, the next few months it will be Rose Tendresse instead of Pelikan brilliantred.

[Jan2016]

I like the smell of KWZ, but I guess that will be a love or heat thing. Just like that some people like the smell of fuel.... :-)

[TSherbs]

I went through some of my ink bottle and samples collection for fun. Here are some findings:

 

Diamine Asa Blue (bottle): smells like an antiseptic liquid you open up when you've scraped your knee.

Diamine Syrah (sample): somewhat like Asa Blue, less antiseptic, more detergent

 

J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor (sample in plastic vial): very similar to Asa Blue

 

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun (sample in plastic vial): also an antiseptic but with a strong bitter note

 

J. Herbin Amethyste de l'Oural (sample in plastic vial): very symilar to Fuyu-Syogun

 

J. Herbin Lie de The (bottle): a unique faintly herbal smell. Somewhat like tea leaves and other herbs. Difficult to describe. I find it pleasant, though it's on the faint side. Smells like something potentially edible.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa (bottle): smells like wall paint a bit. Maybe not wall paint but some kind of paint like that. Does not have the same antiseptic smell like most of my other inks. I find it pleasant.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun (sample in plastic vial): a bit like Scabiosa with additional rubber/plastic doll scent

 

Waterman Absolute Brown (bottle): extremely faint smell, not repulsive

 

Robert Oster Tranquility (sample): industrial washing liquid, perhaps for floors

Robert Oster Dark Chocolate (sample): extremely faint, can't really make out what it's like

 

Sailor Tokiwa Matsu (sample, bottle on the way): some of that almond note + detergent

 

Noodler's Walnut (bottle): really nice! A faint herbal-like scent with a fresh green note and some almond/nutty note.

Noodler's Aircorp Blue Black (bottle): an odd combination of Walnut's scent plus a bit of ammonia. Can't say I like it

 

Organics Studio Walden Pond Blue (bottle): Extremely faint, can't quite place it. Somewhat chemical.

 

Montblanc Midnight Blue (old IG formulation in a bottle): very unpleasant, almost sour notes. eek...

 

My favorites are Noodler's Walnut, Sailor Yama-Dori, and Herbin's Lie de The. Sailor's Tokiwa Matsu might also be once my bottle arrives.

 

That's a lot of sniffing. Be sure to air your head out now.

[Noihvo]

[mke]

@Noihvo

 

What pen is this? Thanks for showing.

[KellyMcJ]

@Noihvo

 

What pen is this? Thanks for showing.

 

Looks like a Cross Botanica. They're pretty pens. How do you like it?