Inks That Have Stood The Test Of Time

[abstract49]

No suggestions here, just thinking about what I see frequently in my work. I research land title records (and various court records and other original documents which affect land titles), mostly in Texas.

 

By East Coast standards, Texas is very young, but records I read go all the way back to the 1830's, most are written in ink, and most are still readable insofar as the ink has not faded too much to see (can't always say the same for the penmanship).

 

Probably iron gall inks which laid down black but turned to brown as the iron oxidized.

[amberleadavis]

Penwright, I was just commenting about this ink earlier today. Almost two years later, this ink is the one that I keep loaded up in my go to pen on my desk. The color is not perfect (I'm not a fan of teals), the ink is not perfectly water proof and it's not sheeny or shiny, but it does behave perfectly. I still keep it inked in an every day carry pen, and I give this ink to newbies.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_747b.jpg

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_748b.jpg

[northstar]

Penwright, I was just commenting about this ink earlier today. Almost two years later, this ink is the one that I keep loaded up in my go to pen on my desk. The color is not perfect (I'm not a fan of teals), the ink is not perfectly water proof and it's not sheeny or shiny, but it does behave perfectly. I still keep it inked in an every day carry pen, and I give this ink to newbies.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_747b.jpg

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_748b.jpg

So what's the name of the ink?

[dcwaites]

It's a Dromgoole exclusive - Noodler's Texas Blue Steel.

As a result of reading Amber's trials with it yesterday, I have inked up a pen and taken it to work with me.

I tried it last night at home on some old stock Reflex copy paper, which I use as my go - no go gauge for ink bleed-through. And it worked very well, especially for a Noodler's ink*.

 

 

 

* Due to the wetness of many Noodler's inks, most of them, except Noodler's Black, will bleed through on this paper.

[Flaxmoore]

Penwright, I was just commenting about this ink earlier today. Almost two years later, this ink is the one that I keep loaded up in my go to pen on my desk. The color is not perfect (I'm not a fan of teals), the ink is not perfectly water proof and it's not sheeny or shiny, but it does behave perfectly. I still keep it inked in an every day carry pen, and I give this ink to newbies.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_747b.jpg

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/2013-Ink_748b.jpg

Gads, I want some of that. Pity Dromgoole doesn't sell on Amazon- kind of broke at the moment, earning gift cards via various medical surveys is my only route to inkdom.

[writewright]

Here is a summary of inks that have stood the test of time--as I have it at this time:

 

1. Aurora
   1. Black
   2. Blue
2. Chesterfield
   1. Antique Crimson
   2. Archival Vault
   3. Rose
3. Diamine
   1. Crimson
   2. Ultra Green
4. J. Herbin
   1. Lie de The
   2. Lierre Sauvage
   3. Poussiere de Lune
5. Graf von Faber-Castell
   1. Hazelnut Brown
   2. Moss Green
6. Montblanc
   1. Blue-Black
   2. Burgundy
   3. Racing Green
   4. Royal Blue
   5. Toffee Brown
7. Noodler’s
   1. Apache Sunset
   2. Bernanke Black
   3. Black
   4. Blue Black
   5. Blue Velvet
   6. Emerald
   7. Eternal Brown
   8. Green
   9. Gruene Cactus
   10. Heart of Darkness
   11. Navajo Turquoise
   12. Purple
   13. Red-Black
   14. Swishmix Glacier Blue
   15. Texas Blue Steel
   16. Verdun
   17. Violet
   18. Walnut
8. Parker
   1. Quink Black
9. Pelikan
   1. Blue
   2. Blue-Black
   3. 4001 Brilliant Black
10. Pilot Iroshizuku
    1. Yu-Yake
11. Sailor
    1. Oku-Yama
12. Sheaffer
    1. Red
    2. Blue
    3. Black
    4. Blue-Black
    5. Turquoise
13. Waterman
    1. Black
    2. Blue Black
    3. Green
    4. Serenity Blue
    5. South Seas (a.k.a. Inspired Blue)

So the question now is: What surprises you about the list?

[OCArt]

What surprises me is that they are so few Diamine inks on the list especially as the firm is 150 years old.

[shea2812]

I found a few bottles of these old sheaffer blue. I remember using these years ago, so I am keeping this unopen for a while yet. At the moment I am using an black Manuscript, also purchased recently, NOS. I am familiar with current sheaffers and I cannot complain too much because around here we don't get that many choices.

[Arkanabar]

I should mention thta the Noodler's Red-Black I've been using for years is all in a single bottle.

[shea2812]

Many years ago when a FP was my main writing implement that it what happenned too. Just used that single bottle that I had, never had any issue despite our warm and humid climate. That was Parker Black with solv-x. Now that I am toying with FP again I am hoarding four bottles of sheaffer ink because from this forum I learn that they are better than the current crop and they are no more being made they way they used to. I suppose I better mention that I got them cheap too, paid less than dollar and a half per bottle in local currency! Current ones cost four times that.

I will pass those on because I know their value can only be realised with use. Sadly around here there is no knowledge about them inks, they just see colors and nothing else. Hardly anyone around that I see use a FP so demand for them and inks that are necessary to keep them alive hardly exist.

[AlanO]

Sadly, Quink no longer contains Solv-X.

 

It's worse than that - modern Quink inks are completely new formulations from the old ones and not remotely similar.

 

Alan

[shea2812]

Only a few hours ago I saw some stocks of what I think is Royal Blue Quink with solv-x. It is quite current think. Being produced in Indonesia.

[AlanO]

Only a few hours ago I saw some stocks of what I think is Royal Blue Quink with solv-x. It is quite current think. Being produced in Indonesia.

 

That's interesting - it does sometimes seem to happen that when old products are discontinued or replaced in the West, the older versions continue to be made and sold in the East. (For me it's Old Spice aftershave - the first and best version is now only made in India.)

 

Alan

[tonybelding]

The ones I keep coming back to are: Noodler's Black and Noodler's Texas Blue Bonnet.

 

Not sure I can add anything about Noodler's Black that hasn't already been said. It's a modern classic.

 

Texas Blue Bonnet is a beautiful blue, the shading is fantastic, and it's almost fully waterproof (or "bulletproof"). It's a high-maintenance ink, but I've come to accept that. It's worth it.

[perfaddict]

What surprises me is that they are so few Diamine inks on the list especially as the firm is 150 years old.

 

From my pre-online purchasing experience, i do not recall ever coming across Diamine inks in the b&m outlets i always visited, especially in the UK

[AlanO]

 

From my pre-online purchasing experience, i do not recall ever coming across Diamine inks in the b&m outlets i always visited, especially in the UK

 

I grew up and live in Diamine's home city of Liverpool, but in the pre-internet days I'd never heard of them either. I've certainly never seen any for sale in any shops, not even here.

 

Alan

[lapis]

What do b&m outlets have to do with the test of time? (No harm meant, for sure....)

 

Mike

[fplover01]

Lamy Blue and Black as well as Pelikan 4001 Blue and Black have consistently worked for me for 6 years. I had been using Quink for a couple of years before.

 

Pelikan 4001 Blue Black was known to me, but I never really appreciated it until i tried it with wet broad nibs on my M800s. Now it is my standard personal ink for diary, appointments, notes, signatures. Has been so for about a year and I am on my second bottle this year.

Edited December 5, 2015 by fplover01

[AlanO]

Pelikan 4001 Blue Black was known to me, but I never really appreciated it until i tried it with wet broad nibs on my M800s. Now it is my standard personal ink for diary, appointments, notes, signatures. Has been so for about a year and I am on my second bottle this year.

 

I haven't been using Pelikan 4001 Blue Black for very long, but I like it a lot, especially with its modest price. It works very nicely for me with a TWSBI 1.1mm stub nib.

 

Alan

Edited December 6, 2015 by AlanO

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Fun Topic!

 

Parker Quink Blue-Black c/w SOLV-X. I make an effort to seek it out and maintain a cache so that it remains my in-the-office daily writer ink.

 

Pelikan Blue-Black. Resides above the clouds on my ink shelves. A daily writer ink when I'm in the field.

 

Visconti Blue. An ink that sings. Herbin Eclat de Saphire and PI asa-gao also have exquisite voices.

 

Private Reserve American Blue. The body double for Parker Penman Sapphire.

 

Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise. A beach party in a bottle, though Pelikan E Topaz makes me want to hula til dawn.

 

Herbin Bleu Nuit. Ahh.

 

Visconti Bordeaux. More than a handshake.

 

Montblanc Royal Blue. Let's just write.

 

R&K Scabiosa. We have an ongoing series of first dates.

 

Waterman Serenity, née Florida Blue. For sampling pen+paper combos. (Lamy Blue and I are having more than a fling.)

 

Parker Quink Red. Mostly for my cheque book. I hope that over time it will fade.

 

Noodler's Ottoman Azure and Pilot Iroshizuku tsuki-yo are amongst those inks that were love at second sight.

 

I'd like to add the iron-gall iterations of Montblanc Blue-Black and Midnight Blue, but Eine Gruppe Bozo, http://mail.yimg.com/a/i/mesg/tsmileys2/29.gif, das nicht Füllfederhalter benutzen has discontinued production.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited December 6, 2015 by Sandy1