Let's Laugh At Ourselves - What's Your Worst Newbie Ink Mistake?

[Flaxmoore]

Everybody made them. The wrong kind of ink, the wrong kind of cleaning, things like that.

 

Mine are twofold.

 

First was a mistake in type. Thinking "ink is ink", I took a syringe, drained the green out of a Pilot G2 (still looking for an exact match for that one), and loaded a cartridge in my Nemosine Singularity. Yeah, gel ink doesn't flow so good.

 

The other was bad ink. I got two bottles of ink from Amazon, and loaded the first.

 

I didn't notice the SITB. Took a lot of work to clean things up when I realized there was a problem.

[lapis]

Joining the club and then thinking I could someday stop collecting inks.

[inkstainedruth]

Thinking I didn't need a blue-black ink, because "they're just a mix of blue and black, right?" Then I bought a black Esterbrook SJ at an antiques mall, and when I went to flush the pen out the first time, ended up writing with the ink that had been reconstituted. Then it became a hunt to find a modern ink to match whatever had been in the pen for color and shading -- and now I have a host of blue black inks....

Also not realizing that inks are formulated differently and that pens are tuned for wetness/dryness. Early on I tried a sample of Noodler's Walnut, and thought it was dry, dry dry. Well, it is -- but I ALSO had it in a Platinum Plaisir that turned out to be a dry writer. But when I put the ink into an older model Pelikan M400 with a very juicy and springy nib, it was a way better match -- the pen was too wet for the ink I'd originally planned for it (Iroshizuku Yama-guri); but Walnut tamed the nib and the nib, in turn gave the ink better flow.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[NumberSix]

Enjoy this post I put on reddit some months back, describing something dumb I did. . . Dear Baystate Blue, *$#@*%! You

original post:

I have been watching videos and reading everything I could find about Noodler's Baystate Blue, and I finally got up the courage to buy a bottle and try it. The bottle came from Dromgoogle's recently, and I left the box sitting for days as I tried to decide whether or not to return it unopened.

But in the end, I decided to go for it. I laid an old towel down in the kitchen sink. I got one of my Noodler's Ahabs ready to be sacrificed. I put the bottle into a gallon freezer bag so I could catch the mess when I opened it. (I was prepared for the overfilled bottle. . .or so I thought.) I opened the cap as gently as I could.

And ink flowed out, down all four sides of the bottle. And somehow it was already on my fingers, even though AFAIK I only touched it with the plastic bag. I loaded my Ahab as carefully as I could, and I got even more on my fingers. I wiped down the Ahab, getting more inky hands somehow, and screwed on the pen's cap.

Figuring I would dump a little of the bottle down the drain so next time it would overflow when I opened it, I somehow got ink in both sides of the sink and up on the edges of the counter.

Finally, hands 10x inkier than any other time I have loaded a pen, I said "screw it". I loaded the ink into a fresh plastic bag and wrapped it in about 5 layers of plastic like some kind of freaking biohazard, before throwing it in the trash. I threw out the towel. I threw out the Ahab, which I could not trust to be uncapped -- even though I know it's not a leaky pen.

I was able to scrub the stains from the inside of the sink, fortunately. My hands are going to continue being stained for days, when every other ink fades in a day or two.

I will never buy BSB again. In fact, I may have been put off of Noodler's products forever. Because *$#@*%! them.

ETA: I might have taken pictures, but there was no way my iPhone was getting anywhere near me or that mess.

_________________________________________________________________________

Update (13 hrs later): After my tantrum this morning, I moved from anger to amusement at my own silly antics. Your comments helped to put it all into perspective.

I just dug the filled Ahab out of the trash, making sure it didn't have any ink on the outside (it didn't). It was a nice full fill - probably as full as I have ever gotten one of my Ahabs (no doubt thanks to the massively full bottle). The bottle itself is a lost cause, spilled out all over itself in the plastic bag. But I'll bet I got close to the reported 2ml in the Piston Vac, so that's basically a sample.

We'll call it a very expensive ink sample that came with a free object lesson.

The ink writes great on Rhodia and Clairefontaine. Haven't tried it on cheap yellow pad or printer paper yet, nor have I tried it in my BuJo. It's thick, didn't give me a bit of trouble in flex testing, and looks like the brightest blue magic marker I have ever seen.

 

What I never did post as an update was that I ended up very carefully getting the bottle back out and pouring it into another ink bottle. After all that, I was still able to salvage about 50ml (as well as a full Ahab converter's worth). I went on to use that ink happily in my journaling notebook and even in other pens.

[LizEF]

1) Not starting with ink samples (I've got 9 bottles of ink that aren't bad, but I certainly wouldn't buy them today).

 

2) Was either filling or cleaning a cartridge, using a syringe. Anywho, plunger got a little stuck, more pressure applied, can you see where we're going? Plunger un-stuck and the cartridge turned into a mini spray bottle! Of course, this was with a friend present, so she got a good laugh. Little ink droplets all over me and the desk and items on the desk.

 

3) My Waterman Laureat had hairline cracks in the section. I had to remove the nib and feed to fix this. I put all parts other than the section into the original box (1990s, nice box). When the section was fixed, I opened the box to reassemble, and couldn't find the nib! I hunted high and low, searched everywhere and everything, multiple times. Prayed hard. Re-opened that box a dozen times. No nib. (This was all while I was visiting my dad and brothers.) Days later, after driving home (20-hour drive). I open the box again (I couldn't get out of my head that it was somewhere in that box). Managed to remove the non-removable pen pillow and lo and behold, there under the pillow is my nib! Somehow, it had worked its way under. I was relieved and elated beyond words. That pen is now a fabulous writer. One of my favorites.

[LizEF]

Oh, and I lost a nib down the drain once, but it was the kitchen sink disposal side, and it didn't actually go down the drain. One of those expandy, three-prong, grabby things fished it back out for me. Dual lessons:

 

1) Put a screen or something over the drain

 

2) Those expandy, three-prong, grabby things are really useful - get more than you think you need!

Edited May 21, 2020 by LizEF

[Madeline]

Oh let me count the ways....

 

Probably the most memorable was overfilling a vintage eyedropper, experiencing a serious leak, and then pouring out some of the ink. But that "solution" did not work, the leak continued, and I began to think that my pen had a faulty seal. In point of fact, the only "fault" was in the operator. (I have since learned that if I overfill an eyedropper and it leaks, the best solution may be to simply empty it, clean it, and begin again :-)

[NumberSix]

Oh, and I lost a nib down the drain once, but it was the kitchen sink disposal side, and it didn't actually go down the drain. One of those expandy, three-prong, grabby things fished it back out for me. Dual lessons:

 

1) Put a screen or something over the drain

 

2) Those expandy, three-prong, grabby things are really useful - get more than you think you need!

 

I have not yet lost a nib. But I have lost two ink syringe needles that my hand was too big to pull out of the drain -- and I can't count how many Noodler's Ahab breather tubes. I tend to lose those within 24 hours of first use.

[LizEF]

I have not yet lost a nib. But I have lost two ink syringe needles that my hand was too big to pull out of the drain -- and I can't count how many Noodler's Ahab breather tubes. I tend to lose those within 24 hours of first use.

Clearly you need one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Z67MPW/

[Paul-in-SF]

Oh, and I lost a nib down the drain once, but it was the kitchen sink disposal side, and it didn't actually go down the drain. One of those expandy, three-prong, grabby things fished it back out for me. Dual lessons:

 

1) Put a screen or something over the drain

 

2) Those expandy, three-prong, grabby things are really useful - get more than you think you need!

 

Well, I lost a nib down the bathroom sink drain, I was amazed how fast and easy that happened. It didn't make it to the trap, which I was able to get into, it was stuck in the crud in a sort of seam near the top of the drain pipe. I couldn't get it out without taking the pipe and sink drain apart, and I wasn't really up to that, so there it sits I presume. One day, if I ever need to have a plumber work on that drain, I'll see if it's still there and maybe get it out. In the meantime, I make sure the drain is closed if I'm ever working with small objects like nibs and feeds.

 

The only other noob mistake I can think of is buying way more ink than I will ever use, seeing how old I am and how relatively little I actually put on paper, and seeing how much I am finding I like EF nibs after all. I may end up imitating Inky Rocks and just pouring it into water to see the pretty patterns.

[LizEF]

Well, I lost a nib down the bathroom sink drain, I was amazed how fast and easy that happened. It didn't make it to the trap, which I was able to get into, it was stuck in the crud in a sort of seam near the top of the drain pipe. I couldn't get it out without taking the pipe and sink drain apart, and I wasn't really up to that, so there it sits I presume. One day, if I ever need to have a plumber work on that drain, I'll see if it's still there and maybe get it out. In the meantime, I make sure the drain is closed if I'm ever working with small objects like nibs and feeds.

 

The only other noob mistake I can think of is buying way more ink than I will ever use, seeing how old I am and how relatively little I actually put on paper, and seeing how much I am finding I like EF nibs after all. I may end up imitating Inky Rocks and just pouring it into water to see the pretty patterns.

I couldn't be that patient. I would have left the trap off, put a bucket under the drain, and used a pipe cleaner or some such to clean and rinse and whatever until I could get that nib out! It would become my mortal enemy until I had conquered it!

 

Yes, me too - too much ink. I've tried writing letters to family, but they never write me back. I hesitate to get pen pals because my life is pretty darn boring - which is probably why my family never write me back. Ink reviews are helping use some of it up, but yeah, Japanese EF nibs don't exactly guzzle ink.

[inkstainedruth]

Oh, and I lost a nib down the drain once, but it was the kitchen sink disposal side, and it didn't actually go down the drain. One of those expandy, three-prong, grabby things fished it back out for me. Dual lessons:

Oooh, been there done that. Once with a nib, and then, one time before that, with PART of the clutch ring assembly on a Parker 21. Don't remember now why I had taken the hood off the pen, but did not realize I'd actually dropped anything down the drain (unfortunately the mechanism for the bathroom sink's drain plug had been non-functional for several years). When I went to re-assemble the pen, I couldn't get the hood to line up correctly with the nib and feed.... Eventually I figured out WHY I couldn't get the hood back on correctly (who makes a 2 piece clutch ring, anyway? I mean, apparently BESIDES Parker...). Got lucky both times, and the parts hadn't been flushed down past the J bend and past the trap. But my husband wasn't pleased, because there isn't a lot of room between the vanity and the bathtub and he had to lie on the floor to get at the pipes. TWICE (the second time being a Noodler's nib, IIRC -- but at least I knew I'd dropped it right away; with the clutch ring part I was convinced that it was so light weight it would have long since been rinsed int the sewer because it had apparently happened a couple of days before....

After that I got a cheapie plastic dish tub at the local Dollar General, and it lives in the bathroom for when I'm flushing pens (the ammonia solution -- or vinegar solution, for IG inks) goes into the tub, and then I rinse the excess liquid with tap water, so it's further diluted before going down the drain -- and if I'm doing disassembly beyond just pulling the cap or removing the barrel, I do THAT over the tub as well...

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Parker51]

I used up a box of Waterman C/F cartridges, then when I tried to replace them I learned they hadn't been made in a few decades. I still have a couple of new boxes of cartridges, but I use a convertor in my C/Fs.

[azbobcat]

Oooh, been there done that. Once with a nib, and then, one time before that, with PART of the clutch ring assembly on a Parker 21. Don't remember now why I had taken the hood off the pen, but did not realize I'd actually dropped anything down the drain (unfortunately the mechanism for the bathroom sink's drain plug had been non-functional for several years). When I went to re-assemble the pen, I couldn't get the hood to line up correctly with the nib and feed.... Eventually I figured out WHY I couldn't get the hood back on correctly (who makes a 2 piece clutch ring, anyway? I mean, apparently BESIDES Parker...). Got lucky both times, and the parts hadn't been flushed down past the J bend and past the trap. But my husband wasn't pleased, because there isn't a lot of room between the vanity and the bathtub and he had to lie on the floor to get at the pipes. TWICE (the second time being a Noodler's nib, IIRC -- but at least I knew I'd dropped it right away; with the clutch ring part I was convinced that it was so light weight it would have long since been rinsed int the sewer because it had apparently happened a couple of days before....

After that I got a cheapie plastic dish tub at the local Dollar General, and it lives in the bathroom for when I'm flushing pens (the ammonia solution -- or vinegar solution, for IG inks) goes into the tub, and then I rinse the excess liquid with tap water, so it's further diluted before going down the drain -- and if I'm doing disassembly beyond just pulling the cap or removing the barrel, I do THAT over the tub as well...

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

I have never done that -- dumb luck? -- but have come close a few times. Fixing a bathroom plunger type is not that hard -- there is usually a strip of metal that has holes in it, and there is a "stick" coming out that pushes or lower the plunger. If you pull up on the plunger it lowers the plug; push it down it raises that plug so water can drain out. For reasons unknown sometimes the "stick" separates from that little metal tab with the holes in it, and when that happens the plug does nothing. If you MANUALLY push the plug down it ain't coming back up!! (ask me how I know), but in that event go under the sink and see if you can put the "stick" back into the hole and then if you then pull on the plunger it should work; if the strip has rusted out you can manually move the stick up or down to open or close the plug.

 

As to flushing out my pens that I can do in a sink and there are not parts that are large enough that will go the drain; OTOH if I take the entire pen APART I first usually that over a paper towel, and then I I toss the the various parts into a glass desert dish that has some Dawn and DI water, after 2-3 changes of water + dawn 99.99% of the inks has been soaked out, I then refill the dishes with fresh DI water and soak for a few hours, empty (parts removed to another clean paper towel ) refill with fresh DI water throw the parts back in for a final soak, and after about an hour fish them out to another paper towel and allow the parts to air dry. I usually use a paper towel to remove any water from inside the cap. Then I put the pen back together, put the pen away until it next comes up in the rotation to be refilled.

[Mech-for-i]

leaving Carbon ink in a pen and then proceed to forget all about it , it end up all dried out ; needless to say in the end the cleaning took just as long or even longer perhaps

[TheDutchGuy]

I’ve made quite a few mistakes from not yet understanding the interplay between ink, feed, nib, paper, wetness, feedback, line width, etc. I’ve let some pens go that I didn’t like back then, which I probably would have loved with my current understanding of such matters. And vice versa, I’ve bought pens that I never would have bought now. Also, I dove into nib tuning and re-grinds almost from day 1 and I’ve made some casualties. All part of the journey, I guess.

[Noihvo]

 

[AmandaW]

My stupid error involved a Hero 86 with a fude nib. That pen drove me crazy because it would dry out so fast, that at it's worst, in summer the ink was would be wasted overnight. Yet I still loved it because it was fantastic for drawing - so wet, so veratile. The compromise was to ink it with only a partial fill and then clean it out when I was finished for the day. That went on for a long time.

 

Then, with no warning, the end of the barrel cracked clean off while I was pulling it out of a pen cup, so I tossed it in the bin.

 

Without even thinking to keep the nib,

 

I thought I could just order another one... Still looking.

 

More experienced me knows that a broken pen is a 'parts opportunity'

[Astronymus]

Nothing to report. Because I read instructions and FP forums.

[Dip n Scratch]

My worst ink mistake was also Noodlers Baystate Blue, because of the way it stained flesh & even a porcelain basin. Thank goodness it was only a sample. It also faded rather faster than I expected. Being a US import ink even a 2ml sample was somewhat pricey. No way was I ever going to buy a bottle of the stuff.

Fast-forward a few years & i'm in this cafe in Scarborough, which is a seaside resort on the East coast of England. Two tables over there's this guy writing with a fountain pen. Oh Dear God the state of his hands. "Excuse me mate" I said "From the state of your hands I do hope that ink isn't Baystate Blue".

"How on Earth did you know" was his reply. The pen was also by Noodlers & was as ink-tight as a tea-bag if his hands were any clue.

I apologised in advance in case my advice offended him: "Throw the pen in the nearest bin & go find some bleach".

I was using a Wality Eyedropper & Diamine Registrars Ink that day. I felt really sorry for that guy.

He was a journalism student. I just hope that his bad experience didn't put him off fountain pens for life.

 

BTW: I mentioned FPN to that poor guy if he ever wanted to know about future pen or ink purchases.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Dip n Scratch