Jump to content

Diamine Inks


Bexinthecity247

Recommended Posts

One of nice things with Diamine Majestic Blue is that you can dilute it with up to 50% water, and it still makes a very nice blue ink. That makes it, if it needs to be, 'safer' for your pen, as it is now half water.

 

Mind you, if the MB pens are so 'delicate' that they need 'special' ink, then I would have serious doubts about them.

 

While I don't have any, my understanding is that the Pelikan FPs are consistently wet, and so the consistently dry Pelikan inks (4001 & Edelstein) suit them well.

 

 

By coincidence I am looking at a TWSBI eco barrel stained blue by Diamine Majestic and some refilled cartridges that have been stained by Diamine Scarlet and Diamine Imperial Blue. I have tried cleaning the TWSBI, just will not budge, a blue stain between the piston and the section. I also have a Lamy Vista that is stained with Diamine Blue.

 

I agree on the dilution, in the past I have diluted the Imperial Blue to 80% water/20% ink, changes the color completely but it is quite appealing although the feathering is (even) worse.

 

 

With all due respect to previous posters, I only have two MB pens and it took me a long time to save up enough money to justify their purchase, for the sake of a small additional cost when buying ink I am not going to put anything in the pen apart from MB ink. I doubt that if my MB pens get stained or clogged that anyone who has given advice to use any other make is going to stand by their counsel and provide an indemnity for any loss of value, whereas I would expect MB to stand by their product.

Edited by smiffy20000
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 46
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Chrissy

    14

  • BT_Summers

    8

  • Bexinthecity247

    5

  • niksch

    4

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

 

I would not use PR DCSS Blue or PR EDC Blue in any of my Mb pens, especially those with an ink window. -_-

 

Why? What is your science behind it?

 

I know some inks gum up the works of an PF pen. But then, I'm an engineer. For the record, I'm pretty happy with my old school MontBlanc Blue-Black that everyone says to avoid like the plague.

 

I rarely use daring colors. PR Fiesta or MB Oriental Red...Woo Hoo!

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Why? What is your science behind it?

 

I know some inks gum up the works of an PF pen. But then, I'm an engineer. For the record, I'm pretty happy with my old school MontBlanc Blue-Black that everyone says to avoid like the plague.

 

I rarely use daring colors. PR Fiesta or MB Oriental Red...Woo Hoo!

 

Because they are so very saturated that when I put them in a sample tube, they stick to the sides of the tube. When I want to clean the sample tubes out, I have to use a cotton swab to wipe the inside of the tube to get it properly clean. Since I am not able to wipe the insides of my Montblanc piston fillers with a cotton swab, I prefer to not use those two PR inks in those pens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because they are so very saturated that when I put them in a sample tube, they stick to the sides of the tube. When I want to clean the sample tubes out, I have to use a cotton swab to wipe the inside of the tube to get it properly clean. Since I am not able to wipe the insides of my Montblanc piston fillers with a cotton swab, I prefer to not use those two PR inks in those pens.

 

 

~ Chrissy:

 

Thank you for explaining that.

It's useful to know, especially given your substantial experience in writing with many nks.

Tom K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Because they are so very saturated that when I put them in a sample tube, they stick to the sides of the tube. When I want to clean the sample tubes out, I have to use a cotton swab to wipe the inside of the tube to get it properly clean. Since I am not able to wipe the insides of my Montblanc piston fillers with a cotton swab, I prefer to not use those two PR inks in those pens.

 

Thanks for that explanation Chrissy. I appreciate it.

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

~ Chrissy:

 

Thank you for explaining that.

It's useful to know, especially given your substantial experience in writing with many nks.

Tom K.

 

 

 

Thanks for that explanation Chrissy. I appreciate it.

 

You're welcome. :)

 

I bought a 'nearly new' Montblanc Bernstein, because I love the clip. That barrel came with a blue stained ink window that I haven't been able to clean, and I've tried everything I can think of to clean it. I'm not sure what to try next. :wacko:

 

Yesterday I cleaned out a Montblanc Dostoevsky that had had Diamine Lapis Blue in it for over two months. No problem at all, despite that being a really saturated Diamine ink made specially for the Philippines. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does the PR ink stick to the sides of plastic like this?

 

This was emptied a week ago, the plastic bottle is stained for good.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can confirm that the contents of the PR bottles that I have stick to the inside of plastic sample vials in a similar way, but I can still remove them both with a cotton swab.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ink that was in this plastic bottle was Diamine Grape.

 

Then you don't have any fountain pen flush or an USC that is similar to mine, because I have no converters that have been permanently stained with Diamine Grape ink and I have used it without experiencing permanent staining. I don't store it in a bottle like yours though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ink that was in this plastic bottle was Diamine Grape.

Grape permanently stained one of my Faber Castell converters. Pen flush & other cleaning methods didn’t help.

Verba volant, scripta manent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am no expert on how different plastics react to ink staining but I have cartridges, converters (and have seen Twsbi pens) that have been permanently stained by Diamine ink.

 

If the staining on that plastic bottle is representative of how that ink stains then there is an issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went through a whole cycle of being enamored with the wide variety of inks and purchased many of them thinking that it would be safe to use any of them since they "are" formulated for fountain pens. I had a bad experience very early on in my collecting journey where a certain boutique ink brand that touts it's inks as tamper proof that badly stained a pen barrel of which no amount of pen flush or bleach would help to clean.

 

I am at the stage where I realize most of the pens I use every day cost close to 1k each and value the "health" of my pens more than the interesting effect inks can produce. I have lately resorted to VERY safe inks. My measure of safe is that they tend to write dry, shade easily, which means they have more water than dye, and are SUPER easy to flush out. I have settled on Urushi Red from Franklin Christoph as my signature ink these days, as I just love the look, performance and easy of cleaning. I find manufacturers like TAG, J Herbin's regular line up, GVFC, some Pelikan inks, Franklin Christoph inks very easy on pens and have a really nice writing quality especially with cream colored papers like Midori MD. They tend to look a little more washed out on bright white paper.

 

As for heavy dye load inks, I would only use it on pens I can completely disassemble, and also are cartridge converter pens. Sparkle inks only go in the Parallel and nothing else. I tend to use very safe inks in all my Montblancs because many of them are piston fillers and their pistons aren't as smooth as Pelikan or Aurora. As someone has mentioned, Diamine's extensive line up are quite diverse in that some inks like their Ancient Copper have very heavy dye to get that sheening look that people love. But they also have very low dye load inks like some of their blueblack inks.

 

Of course at the end of the day, it's your pens so use it as you'd like. I consider my Montblancs in the upper reaches of pens and want them to last a long time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a 'nearly new' Montblanc Bernstein, because I love the clip. That barrel came with a blue stained ink window that I haven't been able to clean, and I've tried everything I can think of to clean it. I'm not sure what to try next. :wacko:

 

 

You mentioned using a swab to clean ink sample bottles of PR ink, IIRC. Can you disassemble the Bernstein and try something similar?

Edited by niksch

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am 99% sure the Bernstein has a factory standard blue tinted ink window. I think most of the donation series do except Lennon and Bach. My Toscanini does.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am 99% sure the Bernstein has a factory standard blue tinted ink window. I think most of the donation series do except Lennon and Bach. My Toscanini does.

 

 

 

You mentioned using a swab to clean ink sample bottles of PR ink, IIRC. Can you disassemble the Bernstein and try something similar?

 

 

My Dostoevsky WE has a factory standard light blue tinted window with no lines, and that is still the same shade after having had Diamine Lapis Blue in there for two months. However, my Bernstein DS window has lines like a current standard 146 and is a darker blue/turquoise shade that I haven't been able to lighten since I bought it. I always thought that lined windows were transparent and plain windows were light blue.

 

I've now filled it with Sailor Jentle DoYou to see if that cleans the window.

 

I don't wish to take the piston apart while there is nothing wrong with it, but I have a special piston disassembly tool that I could use for that if it ever became essential.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went through a whole cycle of being enamored with the wide variety of inks and purchased many of them thinking that it would be safe to use any of them since they "are" formulated for fountain pens. I had a bad experience very early on in my collecting journey where a certain boutique ink brand that touts it's inks as tamper proof that badly stained a pen barrel of which no amount of pen flush or bleach would help to clean.

 

I am at the stage where I realize most of the pens I use every day cost close to 1k each and value the "health" of my pens more than the interesting effect inks can produce. I have lately resorted to VERY safe inks. My measure of safe is that they tend to write dry, shade easily, which means they have more water than dye, and are SUPER easy to flush out. I have settled on Urushi Red from Franklin Christoph as my signature ink these days, as I just love the look, performance and easy of cleaning. I find manufacturers like TAG, J Herbin's regular line up, GVFC, some Pelikan inks, Franklin Christoph inks very easy on pens and have a really nice writing quality especially with cream colored papers like Midori MD. They tend to look a little more washed out on bright white paper.

 

As for heavy dye load inks, I would only use it on pens I can completely disassemble, and also are cartridge converter pens. Sparkle inks only go in the Parallel and nothing else. I tend to use very safe inks in all my Montblancs because many of them are piston fillers and their pistons aren't as smooth as Pelikan or Aurora. As someone has mentioned, Diamine's extensive line up are quite diverse in that some inks like their Ancient Copper have very heavy dye to get that sheening look that people love. But they also have very low dye load inks like some of their blueblack inks.

 

Of course at the end of the day, it's your pens so use it as you'd like. I consider my Montblancs in the upper reaches of pens and want them to last a long time.

Apart from having tried Sailor Jentle DoYou as a cleaning ink in my Mb Bernstein, I don't use Sailor inks in my piston fillers because many of those have a too heavy dye load with some water resistant dyes in there that can stain ink windows. I already have converters that have been stained by Sailor inks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am 99% sure the Bernstein has a factory standard blue tinted ink window. I think most of the donation series do except Lennon and Bach. My Toscanini does.

 

 

~ zaddick:

 

The Johann Strauss Donation Pen's ink window has been described in promotional literature as being ‘cognac colored’.

Mine has a smoky yellowish ink window.

As it's currently freshly inked in Montblanc Irish Green, a useful image isn't feasible.

Tom K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

 

My Dostoevsky WE has a factory standard light blue tinted window with no lines, and that is still the same shade after having had Diamine Lapis Blue in there for two months. However, my Bernstein DS window has lines like a current standard 146 and is a darker blue/turquoise shade that I haven't been able to lighten since I bought it. I always thought that lined windows were transparent and plain windows were light blue.

 

I've now filled it with Sailor Jentle DoYou to see if that cleans the window.

 

I don't wish to take the piston apart while there is nothing wrong with it, but I have a special piston disassembly tool that I could use for that if it ever became essential.

 

The old unstriped window was more of a blue/grey color as shown on the 146 and I suppose the Dostoevsky. The striped window on my Toscanini and Bernstein are a more vibrant blue. See this photo I could of a Bernstein on the web. My Toscanini is the same color and it has never seen a ml of ink and I bought it new from a boutique.

fpn_1512587774__bernstein.jpg

 

Is you window that color? If so, it may not be stained, but as intended. IF it is a very different shade then it is likely stained.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

Announcements


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...