Alternative To Iron Gall Inks ?

[paviva]

Hi folks,

I use FP at work, and, to this date, I still have not found any dye-based ink that could emulate all the desirable properties of IG.

My own field is medicine, but I think the following requirements apply for virtually any businesses :

1. No feathering on the cheapest paper available.

2. No bleedthrough on the cheapest paper available.

3. Fast drying.

4. Water resistant. (Waterproof is better, but rarely an absolute requirement).

5. Somewhat fade-proof. (Medical records -- as other business documents -- are usually stored for a period of ~ 20 years, so the ink doesn't have to be designed to last for centuries).

6. Not overly dry -- I want to write as fast as I can.

I am yet to find a non IG ink that fulfills those requirements.

The closest I got is Noodler's X-feather, but its definately slower drying than IG and does bleed through some of the cheapest papers I use.

Any suggestions ?

[RudyR]

Momtblanc permanent blue

Pilot/Namiki blue or black

Pilot blue black

But why not stay with a IG ink? I always have a pen loaded with an iron gall ink and have not suffered any consequences that differ from using non-iron gall inks. Plus it's easier to flush out than other water resistant inks.

[Cyber6]

Can I ask what exactly are the issues with IG inks... I mean, if IG inks meet all your requirements, why not just use IG inks..

 

 

 

C.

[paviva]

IG do fill all my criteria, but I am really afraid to put them into my the Parker "51".

 

Do you have any experience on long-term use with vintage pens ?

[Randal6393]

Iron gall inks were pretty common, older ink recipes were much harder on pens than today's formulations. A good IG ink should work very well with your Parker 51. Particularly good rep's: R & K Salix and Scabiosa, ESS Registrar's Ink, Diamine Registrar's Ink, Chesterfield Archival Vault.

 

Best of luck,

[RudyR]

IG do fill all my criteria, but I am really afraid to put them into my the Parker "51".

 

Do you have any experience on long-term use with vintage pen

Get a new pen. Modern materials used in quality pens are unaffected by iron gall inks. Also the workload you place on your vintage pen would do more harm to your vintage pen than a modern iron gall ink would. Plus if you bust your vintage pen, drop it or lose it (very possible in your environment ) you are going to have a harder time replacing, repairing or grieving than you would with a new pen.

Edited November 25, 2015 by RudyR

[Cyber6]

Iron gall inks were pretty common, older ink recipes were much harder on pens than today's formulations. A good IG ink should work very well with your Parker 51. Particularly good rep's: R & K Salix and Scabiosa, ESS Registrar's Ink, Diamine Registrar's Ink, Chesterfield Archival Vault.

 

Best of luck,

 

+1..

 

 

 

The comment from Rudy is pretty accurate too (re: flushing waterproof inks). You might run into bigger problems with highly saturated bulletproof/eternal inks than with modern day IG inks.

 

 

 

C.

[lapis]

A. I use IGs all the time in my 51 (Aeromatic). Not yet seen any problems.

B. Seeing as how that thing came out in the 60s (when I bought it brand new) and the IGs of those days were not as "mild" as today's IGs, there should be even less problem today using an IG in a 51 than there ever was earlier.

 

I'm sure about that.

[dcwaites]

I find plain old boring Noodler's Black useful for the OP's situation.

It meets all the criteria, but is quicker drying than X-Feather, especially in a dryer Parker 51.

[alaskazimm]

If you want to stick with IG and also want a wetter ink, try KWZ iron galls - they are, imo, wetter than the R&K or Pelikan 4001 blue-black.

[alaskazimm]

Double post

Edited November 26, 2015 by alaskazimm

[Algester]

I don't know about the issue of an IG ink on a pen that was made with an ink that ate other pens...

unless you think IG inks wont even cut it as it would feather on your paper then I do not know....

Edited November 26, 2015 by Algester

[Buzz_130]

KWZI iron galls have also impressed me. I've loaded in modern pens and vintage, and I've only had great results.

 

To specifically answer your question, another ink with similar characteristics that meets your definition is nano pigment inks. Sailor and Platinum both make them in professional blue and blacks. I use them out of my modern Japanese pens, and I can also affirm they have no issues with pen or paper. I just clean carefully before storing the pens.

 

Buzz

[Abner C. Kemp]

First of all, there is absolutely no ink that will not feather or bleed on the cheapest paper available. But, an IG ink is going to fit all your requirements. In terms of non-IG formulations, I suppose you could look at Noodler's Bulletproof inks. That said, the majority of super saturated Noodler's Bulletproof inks aren't really any easier on a pen than a modern IG ink and, as you noticed with anti-feather, the extra saturation will cause a longer dry time and increase the chance of feathering/bleedthrough. Montblanc Permanent Blue has received some positive reviews and is not IG. But, as others have said, your Parker 51 was introduced in an era filled with much more aggressive IG inks than we have today. There should be no issues especially if you flush the pen fairly regularly.

[Algester]

I did have positive results with pigmented inks like Kiwa-guro but again... after using Kiwaguro yyou have to make sure you have your pen cleaned down to the nib considering that parker 51 has a shellaced section I can't say how easy that would be

[dcwaites]

I did have positive results with pigmented inks like Kiwa-guro but again... after using Kiwaguro yyou have to make sure you have your pen cleaned down to the nib considering that parker 51 has a shellaced section I can't say how easy that would be

 

I have used Sailor Kiwaguro Carbon Black in a Parker 51, and was able to clean it out with no problems, so long as you don't let it dry out.

 

Even if you do, there is no shellac in Kiwaguro, so a good soak and multiple flushes would clean it out. At worst, you might need to visit a jeweller and ask them to use an ultra-sonic bath (warm water only, or perhaps a bit of detergent) to clean out the pen.

 

I was using a XF Parker 51 special with Kiwaguro on really soft, feathery paper, and it worked where other inks wouldn't.

Sailor Sei Boku Blue-Black is a nicer colour, but it does bleed through a tiny bit on the very worst of papers (like my office-supplied diary...)

[paviva]

Thanks everyone ! I'll give IG a shot in my "51".