Ink Cartridges - Expiration Date

[Jordan N]

I recently purchased some ink cartridges from Montblanc store. I noticed they don't have clear, easy to understand expiration dates ("best before") anymore. The stamp used to include month and year, e.g. "1416-Mar17". Now, it's like "1814-N807" Any idea how to figure expiration date from that code?

[Kalessin]

Many factories use year/week production date codes, so there's a chance that 1814 could be 2018 week 14.

 

Ink doesn't really expire, though cartridges can slowly lose water through the plastic over the course of three or four decades. I expect any cartridges made now to last at least 10 years without any troubles.

 

I routinely use bottled ink that is over 60 years old. If kept well sealed in a dark place without temperature extremes, ink over a century old can still be used (though check for precipitates, mold (SITB, stuff in the bottle), bad odors, etc.).

[ParramattaPaul]

I have some Platignum ink cartridges that I bought in the middle 1970s. I recently used a couple just to see if they were okay. They were fine.

[Jordan N]

The entire idea of ink expiration date sounds silly to anybody who used fountain pens 50 years ago. However, if MB changed formulas and plastic cartridges to become more ecologically friendly, I'm not sure what to expect.

[Uncial]

The ink can dry out and become darker and the plastic can become brittle (if you leave it for enough decades). Other than that I wouldn't be too concerned.

[txomsy]

Even the plastic thing... I have cartridges over 30-40 years old that I have been using for refilling and they are as good (plastic-wise) as the first day, apparently.

 

Some very old cartridges have evaporated water and left a residue of ink. In these cases I refill them with water and simply use them after a shake.

 

Same for ink. Only ink bottles, if well closed, will scarcely evaporate (unless they are plastic bottles).

 

Think of it, so long as the components are mutually inert and inorganic, there is no reason for them to expire... it would be like asking for the expiration date of a stone. They could precipitate but a shake would redissolve or re-suspend the components (I've got a bottle of "gold" dip ink that I need to shake and sometimes add water from time to time). Suppose we talked about mud... it may dry into dust or clay, but just adding water will get you muddy again. But would you ask for the expiration date of sand or dust?

 

There may be exceptions: if they are not inert, e.g. IG inks and O₂ then, given enough O₂, they might oxidize and precipitate and you would not recover the original non-oxidized components by adding water. That would require enough O₂ (i.e. a badly closed or almost empty bottle once more).

Edited September 15, 2019 by txomsy

[Thymen]

I have some old cartridges of Waterman blue ink, where about 25% of the water has evaporated. Other than the ink being a darker hue, I see no difference. The more intense blue is actually quite nice!

Edited September 17, 2019 by Thymen

[Brianm_14]

The only way to figure out their codes is compare several different batches and look for a pattern, or to contact the manufactuer or an experienced dealer. It usually is not a secret. I used to be responsible, among other things, for coding and checking medications for shelf life in a pharmaceutical plant. QC is qc.

 

Shouldn't be a concern as long as you store the cartridges in a cool, dark place. Light and heat are not their friends. Carbon dioxide slowly migrates into the cartridge, lowering the pH (making inks more acidic) and water moves slowly out across the plastic. Seal them in a jar to reduce both changes, and use your older cartridges first. In general, these are not something to stock up on or hoard. Bottled ink is by far, much, much more stable (if stored away from heat and light, and firmly capped).

[omarcenaro]

I had two unused packs of Montblanc ink cartridges, the old gold cartridge ones. I bought them over a decade ago. When I pulled them out of the box last year and tried to use they were all dried up. When I squeezed the cartridge they cracked opened.