Iron Gall Inks In A Parker 45 Flighter With 14K Gold Nib?

[thespyingdutchman]

Hello,

 

I recently got a Parker 45 Flighter with a 14K gold nib. I really love it, it has been a great writer so far. I'm really interested in trying some iron gall inks, because I like the permanence aspect to them, as well as the fact that they darken the longer they are on the page. I just really like the idea of them and would like to try some out. I was thinking of trying KWZ Turquoise and Mandarin in particular, because I love the colours and they're supposedly really wet inks, which I think would go well with the pretty dry, fine nib I have on the 45. I want to use them in the 45 because it doesn't seem to have any metal parts that could corrode, has a gold nib and is easy to take apart and clean.

 

Anyway, are there any parts that could corrode that I might be missing? Or are there any other reasons why you'd advice against using iron gall in this particular pen? I know the risks of iron gall inks. I clean my pens very often and use them daily, so I think I'd be fine. I just don't want to ruin my pen because I missed something.

 

Thanks.

[Chrissy]

As you say, at least the pen can be taken apart, and it has a gold nib, so I think you might be quite safe to try them.

 

Bear in mind it has a decent internal feed which you might need to soak clean for longer, but I don't think there are any parts to corrode inside. These inks won't damage your Parker 45.

[thespyingdutchman]

As you say, at least the pen can be taken apart, and it has a gold nib, so I think you might be quite safe to try them.

 

Bear in mind it has a decent internal feed which you might need to soak clean for longer, but I don't think there are any parts to corrode inside. These inks won't damage your Parker 45.

Thought so, thank you!

[KLscribbler]

There should be no problems. The normal concerns with iron gall ink use are: 1. it could corrode non-gold metals in contact with the ink for long periods; 2. if a pen is inked up and then ignored / left unused for a long period, the ink in the pen might slowly oxidize and form iron precipitates, which might clog the feed over time; and 3. if a pen is not properly flushed when changing inks, some ink residues are left in the feed and mixing between iron gall and non-iron gall inks happens inside the pen, then precipitates might also be formed.

 

In the case of the P45 with a 14k nib, there are no non-gold metals in contact with the ink, so everything should be fine. Do note that many P45s have stainless steel caps - if you drop or jostle the pen and a few drops of ink have sprayed out inside the cap, take a tissue paper or cotton swab and wipe clean the inside of the cap, otherwise dried I-G ink residudes inside the cap might etch the steel over time. The inner cap of P45s is plastic, however, so there should not be a need to do this too frequently.

 

Also, do use the pen frequently so that the ink has no chance of oxidizing in the pen and precipitating out. And remember to flush very thoroughly when changing inks. The P45 has a fine-finned ink collector hidden inside the section (it normally can't be seen or taken out easily; it looks like this) - the collector tends to hold on to ink, so when doing a full flush it might help to unscrew the nib and feed, and soak the section in water until no more ink residue comes out.

 

That's all there is to it.

[wasteland]

I've used iron gall inks (ESSRI and Diamine) in all kinds of pens, with gold and steel nibs. I've never seen any corrosion. Even Richard Binder considers iron gall inks safe. See his comment on this thread.

 

At worst, iron gall inks left for a long time in an unused pen may deposit some particulates in the feed. If that happens a flush with dilute vinegar should clear things up.

[thespyingdutchman]

I've used iron gall inks (ESSRI and Diamine) in all kinds of pens, with gold and steel nibs. I've never seen any corrosion. Even Richard Binder considers iron gall inks safe. See his comment on this thread.

 

At worst, iron gall inks left for a long time in an unused pen may deposit some particulates in the feed. If that happens a flush with dilute vinegar should clear things up.

Great, thanks! I suppose it's not too dangerous then.

[thespyingdutchman]

There should be no problems. The normal concerns with iron gall ink use are: 1. it could corrode non-gold metals in contact with the ink for long periods; 2. if a pen is inked up and then ignored / left unused for a long period, the ink in the pen might slowly oxidize and form iron precipitates, which might clog the feed over time; and 3. if a pen is not properly flushed when changing inks, some ink residues are left in the feed and mixing between iron gall and non-iron gall inks happens inside the pen, then precipitates might also be formed.

 

In the case of the P45 with a 14k nib, there are no non-gold metals in contact with the ink, so everything should be fine. Do note that many P45s have stainless steel caps - if you drop or jostle the pen and a few drops of ink have sprayed out inside the cap, take a tissue paper or cotton swab and wipe clean the inside of the cap, otherwise dried I-G ink residudes inside the cap might etch the steel over time. The inner cap of P45s is plastic, however, so there should not be a need to do this too frequently.

 

Also, do use the pen frequently so that the ink has no chance of oxidizing in the pen and precipitating out. And remember to flush very thoroughly when changing inks. The P45 has a fine-finned ink collector hidden inside the section (it normally can't be seen or taken out easily; it looks like this) - the collector tends to hold on to ink, so when doing a full flush it might help to unscrew the nib and feed, and soak the section in water until no more ink residue comes out.

 

That's all there is to it.

Thanks so much! I hadn't even thought of the cap. Would it help if I would quickly flushed the cap with water every time I'm flushing the pen?

[KLscribbler]

Thanks so much! I hadn't even thought of the cap. Would it help if I would quickly flushed the cap with water every time I'm flushing the pen?

 

No need for that much trouble, just periodically checking inside the cap for ink droplets, and wiping off any that you see with tissue or cotton buds, would be enough. IG isn't going to eat your steel caps overnight

 

My usual habit is, whenever I flush a pen, I take a slightly damp tissue or cotton swab and wipe clean the inside of the cap of all ink residues, then leave it to air dry for a while. Although, this is not mainly due to fear of corrosion, but rather because sometimes ink residues inside caps can transfer to the grip section while the pen is capped, then the next time I use the pen I get inky fingers. Just a slight annoyance I prefer to avoid.

[thespyingdutchman]

No need for that much trouble, just periodically checking inside the cap for ink droplets, and wiping off any that you see with tissue or cotton buds, would be enough. IG isn't going to eat your steel caps overnight

 

My usual habit is, whenever I flush a pen, I take a slightly damp tissue or cotton swab and wipe clean the inside of the cap of all ink residues, then leave it to air dry for a while. Although, this is not mainly due to fear of corrosion, but rather because sometimes ink residues inside caps can transfer to the grip section while the pen is capped, then the next time I use the pen I get inky fingers. Just a slight annoyance I prefer to avoid.

Ah, thanks! You guys have really talked me out of my initial fear of IG inks

[KLscribbler]

It is also worth noting that IG inks vary significantly in strength and acidity.

 

The strongest IG inks are the traditional kinds used in calligraphy with dip pens, that go down clear as water and then oxidize to a dark almost black color. (Obviously those are not to be used in fountain pens...)

 

On the other end of the spectrum, the mildest IG ink is probably Pelikan 4001 Blue Black. There has been some discussion about whether that ink still contains iron gall, but Pelikan's current website still states that it does, and the ink does behave in all of the ways one would expect an IG ink to behave. Nonetheless 4001 Bl/Bk is very well-behaved and really unlikely to harm anything, unless you habitually let it dry out in pens repeatedly.

 

Most IG inks on the market will fall somewhere in between those extremes. Needless to say you should only use IG inks that are explicitly labeled as being formulated for use with fountain pens.

 

Among fountain pen IG inks, I would say ESSRI (Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrar's Ink) is probably the strongest, followed by Diamine Registrar's Ink and Akkerman #10 IJzer-Galnoten Blauw-Zwart. (By the way, since you are in the Netherlands, the Akkerman should be quite easy to find.) As mentioned, the mildest IG ink is probably Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black, and the (sadly discontinued) old IG formulations of Lamy Blue-Black and Montblanc Midnight Blue slightly stronger than the Pelikan.

 

I haven't used the KWZ IG inks before, so you'll need to get info from someone else regarding how strong they are.

Edited April 5, 2018 by KLscribbler

[thespyingdutchman]

It is also worth noting that IG inks vary significantly in strength and acidity.

 

The strongest IG inks are the traditional kinds used in calligraphy with dip pens, that go down clear as water and then oxidize to a dark almost black color. (Obviously those are not to be used in fountain pens...)

 

On the other end of the spectrum, the mildest IG ink is probably Pelikan 4001 Blue Black. There has been some discussion about whether that ink still contains iron gall, but Pelikan's current website still states that it does, and the ink does behave in all of the ways one would expect an IG ink to behave. Nonetheless 4001 Bl/Bk is very well-behaved and really unlikely to harm anything, unless you habitually let it dry out in pens repeatedly.

 

Most IG inks on the market will fall somewhere in between those extremes. Needless to say you should only use IG inks that are explicitly labeled as being formulated for use with fountain pens.

 

Among fountain pen IG inks, I would say ESSRI (Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrar's Ink) is probably the strongest, followed by Diamine Registrar's Ink and Akkerman #10 IJzer-Galnoten Blauw-Zwart. (By the way, since you are in the Netherlands, the Akkerman should be quite easy to find.) As mentioned, the mildest IG ink is probably Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black, and the (sadly discontinued) old IG formulations of Lamy Blue-Black and Montblanc Midnight Blue slightly stronger than the Pelikan.

 

I haven't used the KWZ IG inks before, so you'll need to get info from someone else regarding how strong they are.

 

Great information, thanks a lot! I've been on this forum for not even a week and I already feel like I've learned a lot from everyone here.

 

The Pelikan ink is probably quite dry though, is it not? I think I'd prefer a wetter ink, because my 45 is a pretty dry (EF) writer. Otherwise Pelikan Blue-Black would be great, as it is pretty cheap.

I hadn't even thought of Akkerman! They are indeed pretty easy to get here. I guess I could even get it at Akkerman's physical store if I wanted to, the city where the store is located isn't too far from where I go to college.

[KLscribbler]

The Pelikan 4001 Blue Black is dry and doesn't have much of a lubricated feel, yeah. I'm actually using it in a P45 right now - it's a UK-made P45 with a very smooth 14k medium nib, a lot smoother than the US-made P45 nibs I was used to. Hence the choice of a dry ink.

 

If you do visit Akkerman's physical store, they should be able to advise you on pen care when using IG inks. Their Akkerman #10 ink is IG and looks really gorgeous.

[thespyingdutchman]

The Pelikan 4001 Blue Black is dry and doesn't have much of a lubricated feel, yeah. I'm actually using it in a P45 right now - it's a UK-made P45 with a very smooth 14k medium nib, a lot smoother than the US-made P45 nibs I was used to. Hence the choice of a dry ink.

 

If you do visit Akkerman's physical store, they should be able to advise you on pen care when using IG inks. Their Akkerman #10 ink is IG and looks really gorgeous.

 

I just read some reviews. Akkerman #10 looks really nice. It seems to be what I'm looking for in every way, as well. Interesting colour, performs well on cheap paper, iron gall and a wet ink. You know, I might have just impulse-bought the ink online... (I have no regrets.) Thanks so much for the suggestion, I would have never thought of looking into Akkerman inks, as I had no idea they even made iron gall inks.

 

Your 45 sounds lovely! The 14K nib on my 45 was made in England (the rest of the pen in France, though), too. I think it just writes a bit dry because it's an EF. It's not very unpleasant, but I've noticed I like it a lot better when it's inked up with a wetter ink.

[Runnin_Ute]

KWZI Iron Gall inks are wetter than most IG inks. I have IG Turquoise and it is gorgeous. My only other experience with IG inks is Pelikan 4001 Blue Black. Not sure if it is stronger or not. But it is WETTER. KWZI is a Polish made ink and they have both IG and dye based inks. In a variety of colors.

[TSherbs]

My KWZ IG Blue #5 is wet and gorgeous also.

[TSherbs]

My KWZ IG Blue #5 is wet and gorgeous also.

[mitto]

I would avoid using IG inks in my fountain pens.

[Runnin_Ute]

I recently replaced barrel and section on one of my 45's. The barrel had broken during a trip through the washing machine while inked. I had been unable to locate just a barrel, so I got both the section and barrel. Unscrewed the nib, screwed it into the new section, placed the trim ring between the section and barrel and put on the new barrel and cap. The only metal components? Nib, cap, trim ring. Unless there was some on the converter that pen had. A 45 is a very good pen for IG inks.