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Pharmacist - Iron Gall Ink

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spot Mint

spot

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Posted (edited)

After reading through this topic about pharmacist's new Iron Gall formula, I decided to go buy myself 2 bottles of the ink. I've written a lot of pages now with this ink and start to like it more and more.

Here I am couple of days later and the result is this review :)

 

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2012/dsc0533s.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/9099/cci0203201200001.jpg

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7479/cci0203201200000.jpg

Edited by spot

"To remember what needs to be remembered is the secret of success" Nisargadatta Maharaj

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teengkoh NOS (New Old Stock)

teengkoh

Posted
Posted

Looks gooooooood!!

I'm among the Aussie contingent who have ordered a batch -- can't wait :)

Happy kitty.

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jandrese Vintage

jandrese

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OMG, can't wait for mine to arrive.

 

Anyone know how this compares to R&K Salix or MB blue/black (or MB Midnight)?

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JefferyS Antique

JefferyS

Posted
Posted

It seems very similar to ESS and Diamine Registrar's ink. Even the bottle ...

Jeffery

In the Irish Channel of

New Orleans, LA

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mcbender Mint

mcbender

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Posted (edited)

This is good stuff. I have a bottle myself :)

 

Jeffery, I have both this and ESS, and there are definitely significant differences (although both are great inks, and they're both IG blue-blacks so of course there will be some similarities). Pharmacist's ink is wetter and better flowing (although it's still very much an iron-gall ink, so it's still on the drier side), it goes on as a more saturated blue, and takes longer to fully oxidise in my experience (though that seems to be very dependent on the paper used). I haven't used the Diamine, so I can't compare them to that.

 

Pharmacist has also said that one of his main goals for this ink was for it to work well with both dip pens and fountain pens. I haven't been able to test this particular property because I'm not a dip pen user, but if anyone has I'd be interested in seeing the results.

 

Edit: It's very different from R&K Salix, although admittedly I've not used the latter much. I'm not sure why, but Salix seems to remain very blue even after a long time on the page; this ink (as well as ESS) will become a very dark, greyish-black colour eventually.

Edited by mcbender
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JefferyS Antique

JefferyS

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I like ESS, except for the dryness. It's good in my Hs pens. This is an Australian ink?

Jeffery

In the Irish Channel of

New Orleans, LA

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lapis Museum Piece

lapis

Posted
Posted

Pharmacist is Belgian, I believe.

Yup, that's true. Good for postage in the EU.

 

Hugh

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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spot Mint

spot

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Posted

thanks for the compliments.

Looking at the written review of the IG ink now I definetily see a significant darkening has taken place.

Now the most blue hints are replaced by dark greys/black.

I'll make a scan to compare the current colour with the previous one.

"To remember what needs to be remembered is the secret of success" Nisargadatta Maharaj

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pharmacist Rare

pharmacist

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Many thanks for the review.

 

For those thinking it might be a relabeled brand. It is 100 % home-brewed roflmho.gif. Well for shipping: the price to Germany or USA is the same, so no benefit at all for us, Europeans..... I am planning to make another batch if there is enough demand for it. So please drop me a PM, if interested. Note: shipping for 2 bottles is as much as for 1 bottle, so for better economy you might order 2 bottles at the same time.

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gmrza Mint

gmrza

Posted
Posted

OMG, can't wait for mine to arrive.

 

Anyone know how this compares to R&K Salix or MB blue/black (or MB Midnight)?

 

Once the combined shipment arrives, I am happy to do some comparisons. I still have a little bit of MB Blue-black left (about 4ml), Lamy BB, R&K Salix, R&K Scabiosa.

 

For my own purposes, I look at performance on different papers, including cheap and nasty office paper, copy paper and Clairefontaine.

 

I am just having a bit of a crazy life at the moment - busy working on a few RFP responses, so it may take a little while.

 

 

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gmrza Mint

gmrza

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Posted

Looks gooooooood!!

I'm among the Aussie contingent who have ordered a batch -- can't wait :)

 

I'm guessing the ink should arrive next week sometime... unfortunately the public holiday in Victoria on Monday doesn't help....

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Chris Collectors Item

Chris

Posted
Posted

Hi Pharmacist

 

Will it be available in the shops? I am often in Brussels and would happily use this as an excuse to call into any particular retail outlet you might have in the city. Or is it mail order only?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

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pharmacist Rare

pharmacist

Posted
Posted

Hi Chris,

 

This ink is made in very limited editions/batches. mail order only. Please PM me to put you on the list, because it will take a few weeks to prepare as the ink needs ripening after it has been brewed.

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