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Diamine Bilberry: Strange Problem


richardandtracy

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Am I the only one to have had this happen?:-

 

I've been using Bilberry in my Kaigelu 316 for about a year now. I wash it out every other fill with cooled boiled water, so every three weeks or so.

I have noticed the flow was drying up & it started skipping.

 

Anyway it got so bad I've been reluctant to use the pen, and today I took the pen apart and was appalled.

 

One of the two feed slits was solid with something like black limescale, and the bottom of the c/c not wiped by the c/c piston had a solid black deposit 0.04mm thick all over (measured with a micrometer), with the same brittle consistency of limescale. The metal c/c ball had been attacked by the ink, it was pristine silver when the ink went in, and the pen was 2 years old. The JoWo nib I put in to replace the Kaigelu one has had most of the gold plating etched off where it touches the feed.

 

Furthermore I've always had the ink change colour in the pen. It starts off a dark blue purple, then as the inkful goes on it changes to a more magenta colour.

 

 

I have never had this happen with an ink before, only with this ink.

Has anyone else noticed this behaviour with their Diamine Bilberry?

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

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Strange behaviour I would say.

I have been using this ink as one of my favourites quite a time now and now issues whatsoever

The only drawback , is that the flow is a bit exagerated , with wetty nibs ,like pelikan.

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I have not used that ink but it sounds to me like the chemicals in the ink are interacting with the pen material.

Happiness is a real Montblanc...

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Weren't you the one who warned about the metal ball in the Kaigelu converter being attacked by ink and badly corroding/dissolving? Here is one post of yours regarding it. This seems like a related problem.

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Ouch!

 

I've had some of the super saturated inks clog but you should have been able to avoid this with all that cleaning. I've found that every few times of using a super saturated purple, I need to run a really wet red through for a fill. Preferably something with a lot of detergents. Best choices Rattler Red and vintage Skrip Red.

I've never used Bilberry enough to encounter the problem, but given enough time, it might have happened.

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mmmm I have seen something similar with bilberry and the blue ink (i think it is seragossa sea) and I retired the inks for now. 7

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Interesting. I've owned bilberry since this summer however have only inked a few pens with it once or twice as even though it's a nice ink it isn't to my tastes in the same way Bleu Myosotis or Quink Black-Black.

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I've used Bilberry for a couple of years now in several pens with no issues - I'll keep an eye out after reading this, though. Sorry you're having trouble, it's a great colour.

"Life would split asunder without letters." Virginia Woolf

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Yes. I like the colour.

 

I am also the person who Identified the Kaigelu ball problem. This pen wasn't exhibiting it at all until I put this ink in. I have used it extensively with highly acidic Pelikan Turquoise and a fair bit with Parker boring Blue/Black, and with Diamine Ancient Copper. This is the only ink where I've seen the ball change colour. Now the plating is gone, I'm sure I'll have to replace the ball with one from a cartridge.

 

I have not used this ink in another pen yet. I really, really like this K316 & normally use it a great deal, and have been suffering something remarkably similar to withdrawal symptoms.

 

Regards

 

Richard

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  • 6 months later...

I have exact ly the same problem with the bilberry ink. I filled my Graf with it and need to help the ink to get out of it by turning the converter's knob, otherwise, the flow stops. I never had any problem with other inks as Iroshizuku or Montblanc, Parker, Herbin ..... reason why I suspect that Diamine ink ....

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I believe Sandy1 discussed a similar issue. I wish it didn't do that, it's a lovely ink!

"I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - Franz Joseph Haydn 1732 - 1809
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My guess as to the original poster's problem is galvanic corrosion between the steel ball and the gold on the nib. Diamine bilberry is conductive; some other inks I have tested are not.

 

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