What Is The Particular Ink Quality That Determines How Well It Spans The Tines On A Flex Nib?

[beanbag]

Hello folks,

 

I recently got an old pen with a Wahl #2 14K flex nib, and was playing around with a few different inks I have.

What I would like to know is [see thread title]. Initially, the pen was gunked up with the previous owner's old tried out (bleep), yet it seemed to write ok with my Diamine Autumn oak (a purportedly dry ink). Then I took the nib and feed apart to clean them out, did a little heat set on the feed, etc. It flows much cleaner now, but I think it also railroads more often.

 

Now before you say it has something to do with the feed being able to keep up, one of the things I try is to draw a vertical line and slowly spread the tines, and then stop the pen movement (or go super slow). And what happens is that the little web of ink between the tines holds for a few seconds, and then pops. Anyway, it seems I can't make a very broad line with this dry ink.

 

If I use another ink like Diamine Asa Blue (I guess it is wetter?), then I don't have trouble making a thicker line, but then the ink totally gushes out. It seems to create a different problem where the web of ink between the tines gets pushed out when I undo the flex.

 

I read that you can make an ink more dry by adding some water, and so I did that and it reduced the gushing, but again I get railroading from the web popping.

 

I think surface tension has something to do with being able to hold this web?

I tried writing with mostly water (higher surface tension), and I can't spread the tines very far apart.

I added a touch of detergent, and it can hold the web, but the ink also gushes out.

[Algester]

name of the game seems to be inks with high surface tension retain well with a flex nib I find that some of the very saturated inks have these kinds of tendencies however flow must also be good else you can't get the long strokes you want

[ac12]

I hope you know that flex nibs do NOT flex a LOT.

If you are not careful, you can easily flex it beyond what it was designed for, and the nib will spring and be ruined.

Unless you really know the nib, best to be happy with a little bit of flex, than a lot of flex and a ruined nib.

[beanbag]

After some more testing, I decided that there must be some other quality of ink, not necessarily related to dryness or wetness, that affects how well it works for flex writing. For example, many Iroshizuku inks span the tines well and don't railroad (Tsuki-yo, Yu-Yake, Kon Peki, Yama Budo, Tsukushi, etc). Some J Herbin inks just railroad too easily, like Poussiere de lune (which others have said is good for flex pens, but it feels watery and railroady to me), Lierre Sauvage (too wet, still railroads), Cafe des Iles (dry, and railroads), etc. Many Diamine inks also railroad, despite being wet. Diamine Majestic Blue, a very saturated ink, works ok, but not as good as the Iroshizukus.

Edited May 27, 2015 by beanbag

[SNAK]

My goto ink for flexy nib work is iron gall inks. There are Diamine Registrars Ink, R&K Salix and Scabiosa, ESSRI, etc. If you already have access to Diamine inks, I suggest try their 30ml bottle of Registrars Ink. Of course IG inks needs extra care but they are not as scary as people think they are. But I suggest you read up on them first. All these vintage pens were contemporaries with the IG inks back in the day, and they worked perfectly with IG inks.

 

If you aren't willing to try IG inks I also like Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses in flex nib vintage pens.

 

Good luck!

[beanbag]

I got a few ink samples that SNAK mentioned. So far, I've only tried out the Noodler's. I do like the color and it shades nicely. It does railroad easier than the Iroshizuku inks, though. Definitely there is something different about the physical properties of these inks, as the Noodlers looks very hydrophobic inside the plastic sample vial whereas the Iroshizuku coats the walls. I have larger bottles of some Iroshizuku inks, and when I shake the bottle, I can see that bubbles form and persist. So I think that has a lot to do with it.

 

Also, since a lot of other people have good experiences with the Noodler's ink, I figure there is something not quite right about the setup of my pen.