Pharmacist's Iron Gall Ink

[LostInBrittany]

My first review here...

 

Two weeks ago, I received a parcel from Belgium. Inside, two bottles of Pharmacist's iron gall ink. Since then, I've been using it as my main daily ink in my Parker Frontier.

 

Pharmacist's ink is truly superb, a true blue-blac waterproof ink faithful to the spirit of old iron gall inks, but fountain pen friendly. It's very close to be my Grail ink, so I told myself it deserved a review. And here you have it !

 

 

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6218/6857074862_92e89eaca0_c.jpg

 

The power of Iron Gall : This text has been placed in water for one minute, and this drawing too :

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7043/6857074710_34e50a5193_z.jpg

[lapis]

Nice review! The water test is better than I expected, although I've been using this ink for weeks.... but.... my own test a minute ago with a NN pen and a M nib on Rhodia proved that you're right!

 

[Uncle Red]

LIB, how long did you let the ink oxidise before you made the scan and what paper is that. Nice review.

[chris.hale]

This is probably my desert island ink, I love the stuff!

[LostInBrittany]

Thanks !

 

I let ink dry for only 5 minutes. Then I put the corner of the page into the water sink for

1 minute, for the waterproof test. Ink in water becomes almost black immediately.

 

Ink oxidation time is very dependent of paper, in some papers ink remains light blue for hours,

in other (like this photocopy quality paper) ink becomes dark blue in seconds...

[lapis]

LIB, how long did you let the ink oxidise before you made the scan and what paper is that. Nice review.

Red, this is Mike, not LIB... I let the ink -- as mentioned above -- immediately after writing, dry on paper (on my desk) for about 1 minute, at the very most 2 minutes. Then into a glass of water and out. Then dry on y'know paper for 10 minutes, then in the air.

Here's a scan. (No I don't work for him....)

[jandrese]

Thanks for the review, I love this ink, and I am thinking seriously about making it my only (gulp) ink.

[gmrza]

Thanks !

 

I let ink dry for only 5 minutes. Then I put the corner of the page into the water sink for

1 minute, for the waterproof test. Ink in water becomes almost black immediately.

 

Ink oxidation time is very dependent of paper, in some papers ink remains light blue for hours,

in other (like this photocopy quality paper) ink becomes dark blue in seconds...

 

I think it also depends which batch you have as to how quickly the ink oxidises. Maybe pharmacist should name or number the batches for the sake of clarity. ;-)

 

I agree though that the rate of oxidation depends on the paper as well. I am busy writing notes on copy paper and a ruled A4 notebook right now, and that difference in the rate of oxidation is very visible.

 

Another factor I have found is also the amount of ink your pen delivers. The more the sooner the oxidation becomes visible.

Edited March 21, 2012 by gmrza

[MaikeruS]

Thanks !

 

I let ink dry for only 5 minutes. Then I put the corner of the page into the water sink for

1 minute, for the waterproof test. Ink in water becomes almost black immediately.

 

Ink oxidation time is very dependent of paper, in some papers ink remains light blue for hours,

in other (like this photocopy quality paper) ink becomes dark blue in seconds...

 

I think it also depends which batch you have as to how quickly the ink oxidises. Maybe pharmacist should name or number the batches for the sake of clarity. ;-)

 

I agree though that the rate of oxidation depends on the paper as well. I am busy writing notes on copy paper and a ruled A4 notebook right now, and that difference in the rate of oxidation is very visible.

 

Another factor I have found is also the amount of ink your pen delivers. The more the sooner the oxidation becomes visible.

 

I can confirm that paper choice is a huge factor in the rate of oxidation. Darkening of the ink seems to chase the nib moving across the paper, when I use a cheap notebook, but when I write on a Rhodia 80gsm pad, it takes hours for it to darken appreciably.

[pharmacist]

Hi gmrza,

 

Both LostinBrittany and the Down Under guys are using the same batch of ink, so there should be no difference . Only the older batches with another type of dye and slightly other composition will have other flow properties (not suitable for dip pens).

[lapis]

Same player shoots again!

Same pen, same nib (see above, time allowed to dry before submerging = 60 seconds). But this time soaked for 12 hours in water. Paper = el cheapo block pad 70 g/m². No worries, I don' think I need to extend any further...

[pharmacist]

Same player shoots again!

Same pen, same nib (see above, time allowed to dry before submerging = 60 seconds). But this time soaked for 12 hours in water. Paper = el cheapo block pad 70 g/m². No worries, I don' think I need to extend any further...

 

I am afraid the paper will completely desintegrate into a fluffy mesh.....

 

 

 

[LostInBrittany]

This ink will outlast paper

[lapis]

This ink will outlast paper

I'll buy that. So if you have any birth certificates, driver's licences, marriage licences, testaments, cartoons which you want to remain yours for eternity, just soak them first in a pail of this ink.

[SmoovD]

Thanks for the review. I will have a few bottles in the post next week. Looking forward to using this ink.

[kenmc]

Where can this ink be purchased?

[SmoovD]

Where can this ink be purchased?

 

I purchased a few bottles directly from pharmacist. PM him if you wish to inquire about the status of his stock.

[Nic13]

Waiting "patiently" for my package to arrive! the contents of which are the ink in question

[laureat]

I got my Iron Gall Pharmacist bottle yesterday by special delivery! (The pharmacist himself delivered the bottle) Thank you, Nelson! :clap1:

 

I'm experimenting with this wonderful ink. I wish you could smell this ink for nostalgic reasons!

It brought me right back to when I was 6 years old and was handed out a dip pen. I learned to write with this dip pen. The ink came from a large bottle (1 liter Gimborn) and that bottle had a measure-ball and a sprout. Like a Whiskey-bottle in a pub. I can't remember if this ink was Iron Gall. Probably not because I would have remembered the special effect of the recoloring of the ink to black-blue. :hmm1:

 

The ink is very well behaving. Bright teal-blue when fresh in the dip pen. And then the chasing of the recoloration starts: I cannot write fast with a dip pen so my writing changes to black almost as soon as I finish my word.

It is not a fast drying ink. It takes some time to dry fully. When dry, it is completely waterproof. I let a piece of writing soak for 1 hour. Nothing. Not a smear, not a blot or feathering.

It gave me a purpose too: as I was cooking from a self-written receipt (with fountain pen)and the paper got wet. (I washed my hands a couple of times and droplets of water stained the paper.) AAHHHRGGHH could not read the ingredients properly. Stained and watery beyond visible writing......had to improvise.....

Next time I will use my Iron Gall Pharmacist Ink when writing down a receipt from internet.

I have been trying to write some sort of review for you here. But I have to check in later to see how I can attache my pictures.

But I am very pleased with the results so far.

This Iron Gall fountain pen friendly ink is sensational.