Rite In The Rain

[Gunr]

I'm curious as to if anyone has used the Rite in the Rain style notebooks with a FP? If so how did it perform? I'm thinking it wouldn't be very good as it is designed to keep ink from running in the field if it gets wet. It can be a pain to write on with a ball point pen as well as some of the gel type pens.

 

Here is a link to their site. If this isn't allowed please lock it up or delete it. Sorry in advance.

Mike

 

www.riteintherain.com

[chrevbel]

My few tries resulted only in a small amount of ink ending up on the page, and then beading like on a waxed car.

[Gunr]

My few tries resulted only in a small amount of ink ending up on the page, and then beading like on a waxed car.

 

It is as I guessed then.... I only ask cause I have plenty of these laying around at work as they seem to be slowly replacing the small green "Memorandum" books that I was issued when I first joined. I can still get the memo books but they are getting more difficult to order at work. I think I'll still give the RITR books a try, maybe different inks will act differently on the pages. I'll post an update if I have any success.

 

Thanks!

Mike

[chrevbel]

If you do find an ink that works, I'd certainly like hearing about it!

[Alohamora]

The only things I've found to write well on RITR are pencils and Sharpies.

[Gunr]

The only things I've found to write well on RITR are pencils and Sharpies.

 

They also make an all weather pen for their books. Works fine for writing in nasty conditions.

[welch]

Use a pencil, or their own RitR ballpoints. The paper won't accept a fountain pen.Meant to withstand a battlefield, but not for nibs.

Edited June 11, 2011 by welch

[Black Rose]

The only things I've found to write well on RITR are pencils and Sharpies.

 

They also make an all weather pen for their books. Works fine for writing in nasty conditions.

Their all weather pens use Fisher Space Pen refills.

I think in some, if not all cases, the pens are actually made by Fisher as well.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Black Rose

[RGH]

Almost by definition FPs aren't going to work. We use water soluble inks to write with. The RITR books are treated to be water-repellent (i.e. Rain). Fisher Space pens, and gel pens etc mostly use solvent based inks, which will penetrate the water repellent coating (i.e. they're lipophilic).

[RGH]

Almost by definition FPs aren't going to work. We use water soluble inks to write with. The RITR books are treated to be water-repellent (i.e. Rain). Fisher Space pens, and gel pens etc mostly use solvent based inks, which will penetrate the water repellent coating (i.e. they're lipophilic).

 

Another thought. I've just been reading about people using rubbing alcohol to remove Bay State Blue stains. This fact, and the fact that people complain about it staining demonstrators obviously means that one or more of the dyes is very lipophillic. If you REALLY want to use RitR books with FPs then use BSB or another ink that people complain about staining with. The solvent is still water, which is going to cause problems, but it obviously contains enough surfactants to keep the lipophillic dyes suspended (or possibly they're amphipathic), so it might just work.

 

RGH

[Gunr]

Almost by definition FPs aren't going to work. We use water soluble inks to write with. The RITR books are treated to be water-repellent (i.e. Rain). Fisher Space pens, and gel pens etc mostly use solvent based inks, which will penetrate the water repellent coating (i.e. they're lipophilic).

 

Another thought. I've just been reading about people using rubbing alcohol to remove Bay State Blue stains. This fact, and the fact that people complain about it staining demonstrators obviously means that one or more of the dyes is very lipophillic. If you REALLY want to use RitR books with FPs then use BSB or another ink that people complain about staining with. The solvent is still water, which is going to cause problems, but it obviously contains enough surfactants to keep the lipophillic dyes suspended (or possibly they're amphipathic), so it might just work.

 

RGH

 

Not having any experience writing with FPs, I was curious as to if it would "work". It isn't so much as I have to use them as I have them in abundance around me and thought about whether it would get the job done or not. No big deal really. Thanks for your input on the lipophillic bit!

 

Mike

[WanderingAuthor]

Unless Nathan develops a special Noodlers ink just to write on these, no fountain pen is ever going to work on them. Even with something like BSB, I don't think it will work, because any water soluble fluid beads up and practically leaps off the page, flying up in the air...

 

Well, not quite, but you get the idea. I actually wondered about this, got them to send me a small sample, and found absolutely nothing outside pencils and Sharpies that would work on those pages. Not fountain pens using many different inks, not rollerballs of any variety, not even ballpoints. *shudder* Not markers, either, unless they're of the variety that is permanent on every surface ever known to man. Even a lot of "permanent" markers just leave a faint trace behind on this paper.

 

I suspect, at least in theory, it would be possible to develop an ink that would chemically bond with whatever they coat their paper with, and do so instantly. What I am less sure of is whether such an ink would be safe to use in most fountain pens - whatever plastic or polymer the paper is coated with, if the fountain pen was made out of too similar a substance, the ink would bond to the pen the moment you filled it. So, to develop a workable ink, you'd have to have one that would bond to those specific pages - but wouldn't bond to any of the materials usually used in pens. That is a heck of a challenge...

Edited June 13, 2011 by WanderingAuthor

[HDoug]

They don't work with fountain pens. I use them with the Rite in the Rain version of the Space Pen which can write under water, upside down, etc. I have one by the kitchen sink to write down my grocery list (which happens when my hands are wet or soapy or greasy). I used to keep one in the bathroom so I could write notes in the bath but now I just use an iPad in a one gallon Ziploc baggie.

 

Doug

[jniforat]

i have had no luck w/ fp's, but i use my rite in the rain pad in the lab (with a fisher space pen) or when i'm out in the field. i love them.