Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa Review

[Ambrose Bierce]

This ink is my new EDC, and will most likely find permanent home in my Kaweco Sport classic because of that. I really love it, and I can't find an issue with it at all. I suggest you go and get a bottle immediately

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If you liked my review and would like to see more like it check out my blog at

http://fpinkgeek.blogspot.com/

Edited April 20, 2015 by FP_Ink_Geek

[tinta]

I just finished a letter using Scabiosa, my daily go-to ink for at least one of my pens in rotation.

Thank you for your review.

Enjoy this wonderful ink. You can't go wrong with your Kaweco Sport Classic, a great little pen.

Edited April 21, 2015 by tinta

[helene20]

Thank you for your review, I like this ink.

[helene20]

Can you tell me how long you keep a bottle of ink before it goes bad?

[Ambrose Bierce]

Can you tell me how long you keep a bottle of ink before it goes bad?

I have never heard of an ink bottle going bad before. Sometimes mold can get in them or something, but that isn't really time sensitive. As long as you store them properly they should last as long as you need them.

[tinta]

Can you tell me how long you keep a bottle of ink before it goes bad?

Helene, a bottle of ink should not go bad if you observe a few simple procedures.

You do not want to introduce any contaminants (fungus spores etc....) into the bottle & keep the bottle securely capped, except when filling your pen.

It is better not to empty the ink that's left in your pen back into the same bottle.

I use the sink, but some folk have a bottle or two for mixing left over inks.

My Sheaffer Skrip Permanent Jet Black #32 is close to 40 years old & is still in excellent condition.

[Goudy]

I have never heard of an ink bottle going bad before. Sometimes mold can get in them or something, but that isn't really time sensitive. As long as you store them properly they should last as long as you need them.

 

However, Scabiosa is an iron gall ink, i.e. metal held in solution. "When iron gall type inks are exposed to air after writing the metal will precipitate ‘out of solution’ and deposit on the surface. Once this occurs it will not re-dissolve. This can happen in the bottle as the ink ages and a precipitate or sludge will build up on the bottom. The relatively large and irregular particle size makes attempting to resuspend the sludge impractical and writing impossible. As the ink gets older some of these insoluble particles can float on the surface and cling to the nib when dipped into to the ink." Source

 

See also this thread

[tinta]

The second source cited seems to be discussing iron gall inks that are formulated for fountain pens.

Indeed IG inks do age, but not if you're using them up within a reasonable amount of time.

Sandy1's posts in particular are worth reading.

I'm using up my ferrogallic inks as fast as I can. Fortunately the blue/black & purple palate happens to be my favourite.

[The Good Captain]

This is a fabulous ink and thanks for the review. Two non-iron gall options which are similar are Diamine Amazing Amethyst and Akkerman Voorhout Violet. In my opinion, of course!

[ENewton]

How long does it take for the color to change?

[tinta]

This is not an ink that will give you dramatic colour change. Some iron-gall blue blacks are much more "active" in this regard.

Scabiosa cures to a lovely greyish violet & shades particularly well with wide & wet nibs.

[ENewton]

This is not an ink that will give you dramatic colour change. Some iron-gall blue blacks are much more "active" in this regard.

Scabiosa cures to a lovely greyish violet & shades particularly well with wide & wet nibs.

 

Thank you, tinta. I have been experimenting with a sample, and so far the ink is staying lilac gray, which pleases me greatly because I already have several red-leaning purples.

[RMH]

This ink is in my top ten- would like to add that I prefer using it with a medium nib. IMO a fine nib doesn't project enough contrast.

[tinta]

I would like to install three taps in my study.

Hot water, cold water & a small tap dispensing Scabiosa.

I'm half way through my second bottle & have ordered a backup.

[Goudy]

Does anyone else love the smell of this ink?

 

I can't quite pin it down, but I'm getting notes of marzipan, paint, and raspberry liqueur.

[zuph]

I agree with some of the others in this thread, this ink is way better in a wider/wetter pen. I first tried this in a pen that tended to run fine and dry, and I was really disappointed in the depth of the color relative to a lot of the reviews I was seeing. I'm glad I gave it a second chance in a broad pen.

[Abner C. Kemp]

I have a bottle and quite like it although I don't find myself using it as much as I had thought I would. The only real downside to this ink is its dry flow but that is very common in IG inks. Unfortunately, the majority of my EDC pens are on the dry side. Thanks for the review.

[lynxcat]

Scabiosa is my current journalling ink, and i rather like it. as noted it doesn't really change its shade very much, but it might get a slight bit darker overnight as compared to freshly laid down. it's a very calm, restful color; it won't jump off the page and drag your eyeballs to each line and letter, rather it's the sort of color you can keep reading for page after page without getting eyesore. there is a bit of shading, too, which i quite like.

[Biber]

Scabiosa is my current journalling ink, and i rather like it. as noted it doesn't really change its shade very much, but it might get a slight bit darker overnight as compared to freshly laid down. it's a very calm, restful color; it won't jump off the page and drag your eyeballs to each line and letter, rather it's the sort of color you can keep reading for page after page without getting eyesore. there is a bit of shading, too, which i quite like.

 

A bottle of Scabiosa arrived just yesterday, and having written with it and seen it in person for the fist time, the above is a perfect assessment. Kinda grape-like in color. I quite like it and look forward to a long relationship with it as one of my primary journaling inks. Right now I'm using it in a fairly wet German piston filler from the 30s/40s and it seems to be a great if not perfect combination, and it certainly is playing quite nicely with my Piccadilly journal.

[cleosmama]

 

However, Scabiosa is an iron gall ink, i.e. metal held in solution. "When iron gall type inks are exposed to air after writing the metal will precipitate ‘out of solution’ and deposit on the surface. Once this occurs it will not re-dissolve. This can happen in the bottle as the ink ages and a precipitate or sludge will build up on the bottom. The relatively large and irregular particle size makes attempting to resuspend the sludge impractical and writing impossible. As the ink gets older some of these insoluble particles can float on the surface and cling to the nib when dipped into to the ink." Source

 

See also this thread

I had a bottle of Lamy Blue-Black that this happened to, and I don't think the bottle was more than 4 years old, if that.