Vintage Sheaffer's Skrip Permanent Blue/black

[JonSzanto]

Courtesy of a good find from another FPN member, I'm now an owner of a vintage NOS bottle of Sheaffer's Skrip Permanent Blue/Black (also known as Sheaffer's 24, per the carton?)

 

Anyway, I thought I would ask if, because of both it's permanent formula, along with the age of the ink (I'm pretty certain the bottle had never been opened in around 60 years or so), I wondered about the safety of using it in any particular vintage pens. I *did* load up a Sheaffer TRZ that uses a mini-converter, being that it isn't a pen I fret over, and also it is an easy to clean pen (along with a 14k gold nib). The ink seems fine, no sediment, and while it isn't a very saturated color, it seems to flow well, if a bit dry.

 

I think it would be kind of fun to dedicate a Sheaffer from around this era to have inked up with some nice perm b/b, but if people more knowledgeable than myself tell me that it changes over time and will destroy a pen's innards, I'll just have it as a souvenir (actually, the bottle has the cool dipping well, so I'd probably put a different ink in there...)

 

Any advice greatly accepted!

[blopplop]

Hmm, well I can't speak as an expert, but I bought two bottles of the exact same ink (and bottle size) several years ago, and have been using them with no problems at all. Mine were unopened, and didn't appear to have residue floating around. So I opened them and have been enjoying the wonderful color ever since.

 

I've finished one of the bottles, and about 35% through with number 2. If I can find another one in the same condition I'll pick it up for sure.

 

Have fun!

[blopplop]

BTW, if you know where I can obtain another one please let me know.

 

blessings,

Dave

[JonSzanto]

BTW, if you know where I can obtain another one please let me know.

Dave, check out this link.

[blopplop]

Hey thanks for the link.

 

I'm wondering though, looks like one that he has left is the chemopure type. I don't even know what that means.

 

Dave

[blopplop]

I just pm'd him anyway. If he still has it I'll take it.

 

Dave

[fast14riot]

I am using vintage Skrip #32 permanent jet-black in my Sheaffer's school pen and my Esterbrook J. Works very well. I bought mine at a flea market for a dollar with just under 1oz left. Shook it up nice and good (discovered a leak in the cap as well) searched for SITB and checked viscosity. Loaded up my cartridge in the school pen and it writes wonderfully. Writes very well and dries quickly on Canson XL recycled sketch 50lb paper. Haven't tried it with any flex nibs yet, though.

 

-Xander

[kernando]

Permanent is opposed to washable, which refers to laundry. And Skrip is not known as being particularly saturated. It's known for being watery. I wouldn't expect them to clog or stain pens. The worst thing I'd worry about with old ink is the acidity combined with any trim rings on pens.

 

The pens that were new when today's old ink was new are today's old pens.

 

In 24, 2 is for blue-black and I see you got a 4 ounce bottle. The ink left in my 236 bottle is not as blue as that in my 216 bottle. Mine's dry too.

 

Wait, you want to put something else in a full Skrip bottle? What are you going to do with perfectly good ink?

 

What's on the packaging? If it advertises Snorkels, you can guess when it's from.

[welch]

Hey thanks for the link.

 

I'm wondering though, looks like one that he has left is the chemopure type. I don't even know what that means.

 

Dave

 

Chemopure is old enough that it preceded the magical RC-35, the super-ingredient that made Skrip readable under ultraviolet light even if the ink washed away. I have two 4-ounce bottles of Permanent Royal Blue (Number 54) that advertise the Snorkel: "Takes the 'Dunk' out of filling".

 

The ink should work well. My Royal Blue looks like a less-saturated PR Supershow Blue. Nice and wet.

 

Congratulations on using a great ink.

[Roger W.]

I only use Skrip that is from the 1950's or so. Ink made generally after the 1920's is fairly stable. Sheaffer had introductory problems with interactions with other inks in 1920 or so. I think they reintroduced in 1924 and from that time on has been reliable. Other ink makers needed to be compatible and safe with competing ink brands as well so with exceptions like Parker's super chrome ink from the later 1900's is very usable and often safer than the super saturated inks being marketed today.

 

Roger W.

[JonSzanto]

Permanent is opposed to washable, which refers to laundry. And Skrip is not known as being particularly saturated. It's known for being watery. I wouldn't expect them to clog or stain pens. The worst thing I'd worry about with old ink is the acidity combined with any trim rings on pens.

 

The pens that were new when today's old ink was new are today's old pens.

 

In 24, 2 is for blue-black and I see you got a 4 ounce bottle. The ink left in my 236 bottle is not as blue as that in my 216 bottle. Mine's dry too.

 

Wait, you want to put something else in a full Skrip bottle? What are you going to do with perfectly good ink?

 

What's on the packaging? If it advertises Snorkels, you can guess when it's from.

Wow, Kern, thanks for all that information. Ok, so having tried it (see below), the ink is eminently useable, and I will do so! I value the bottle for the design, but am happy to be using that vintage ink, if no other reason than the fun of it. Everything was close to pristine, including the box, which although there was just a tiny bit of wear, looks great - and, indeed, has the adverts for the Snorkel pens! I'm ball-parking this as late 50's/early 60's, is that correct? After trying in a pen I really didn't worry about, I've got it now in a Tuckaway Sentinel from late 50's.

 

On the other hand, this is making me want to get my first Snorkel. Damn!

 

I only use Skrip that is from the 1950's or so. Ink made generally after the 1920's is fairly stable. Sheaffer had introductory problems with interactions with other inks in 1920 or so. I think they reintroduced in 1924 and from that time on has been reliable. Other ink makers needed to be compatible and safe with competing ink brands as well so with exceptions like Parker's super chrome ink from the later 1900's is very usable and often safer than the super saturated inks being marketed today.

Thanks, Roger. All this confirmation from people more knowledgeable than I gives me a good degree of confidence. BTW, here is a note I posted in the thread that the seller had started:

 

[kernando]

I was using the Skrip BB for a while, long enough that everybody else got used it. Then I got a bottle of Carter's BB that started full but broke and leaked in the mail (moronically packed), so I'm using what's in vials. It's grey-blue, and I don't have anyone to ask whether that's age or normal. I think that's dry too, but none of those feathers.

 

Did they have anything Tuckaway in the late '50s? All the online write-ups of Snorkels call then '52-'59. I figured that anything Touchdown, like the last Tuckaways, went away at about the time Snorkels came in. So yeah, if you're going to point to a decade for your Skrip, '50s are it. If you like a grey Statesman, write to Ron and ask whether he sold the one he brought to the Dublin show.

[JonSzanto]

Did they have anything Tuckaway in the late '50s? All the online write-ups of Snorkels call then '52-'59. I figured that anything Touchdown, like the last Tuckaways, went away at about the time Snorkels came in. So yeah, if you're going to point to a decade for your Skrip, '50s are it. If you like a grey Statesman, write to Ron and ask whether he sold the one he brought to the Dublin show.

It was just for fun, but I'm not totally certain on the Tucky date. It's a Touchdown Sentinel, and so I figure it - as you say - comes just prior to the Snorkel. It is probably very late 40's or early 50's. But considering my next Sheaffer after that is an Imperial II Deluxe from the early 60's, that is the best I can do.

 

As to Ron's pen: I like Ron a lot (from reading his posts and picking up a couple pens from him), but at no point in my life will I ever buy a grey - or gray - pen. Life is too short to do grey. But it has made me think about adding a Snorkel to the family, and filling that gap in the 50's...

[ticoun]

i have some, and it's very dry. my sheaffer Imperial II, which is a very wet writer, dried up while writing! it's wonderful though for my Eclipse's flex nib. all other inks were too wet for this firehose of a pen. with this ink the flow is just perfect. and the shading is nice.

 

edit: too tired to type properly

Edited November 11, 2011 by ticoun