"safe" Inks

[NathanGrimaud]

Could someone please give a list of ink companies that claim to make PH nuetral inks? Also how long does it take for alkaline or acidic inks to begin to cause damage to fountain pens and do i really need to worry about it? Im reletively new to fountain pens. Thanks!

[lynxcat]

modern-day fountain pens, you don't usually need to worry about; they tend to use materials that can stand up to quite a bit. it helps, too, that modern-day inks aren't (usually) nearly as corrosive or extreme as some vintage brands were. so long as you don't venture too deeply into vintage territory, you're reasonably safe.

 

mentioning specific manufacturers wouldn't help much, however. different inks even from the same manufacturer and in the same product line can differ dramatically in chemical composition. the way they're sold might make it seem like they're just the same thing only with different colors, but the chemistry of them may be drastically different underneath the label. we'd have to mention specific color shades, in specific product lines, by each manufacturer --- and come to think of it, having a list of pH values organized thusly might be interesting. does anyone have a digital pH meter and the time to measure a long series of ink samples?

[haruka337]

Good pen hygiene goes a long way. As long as one regularly flushes one's inked pens, the pens will do just fine.

 

A while back, some members tried testing for PH Balanced inks, but it resulted in the following issue:

Differing results for the same inks

Cross contamination during testing

Incorrect calibration of electronic PH testers

Incorrect use of PH strips

Some immature disagreements on who was right or wrong and so on

 

Search the forums for PH tests and it should bring up some threads.

 

I believe the most accurate way to go about a list is to contact ink manufacturers directly and ask (some list this information on their site). Whether or not one will get a response is, of course, beyond me.

[Abner C. Kemp]

I would argue that if you are looking for a "safe" ink it goes well beyond pH levels as I have tried plenty of pH neutral inks that were an absolute pain to clean out or flowed poorly in my pen. The general rule that I use is that most pen manufacturers standard inks are fine. I.E. Montblanc, Pelikan 4001, Waterman, Parker, Lamy, Visconti, Pilot/Namiki, Sheaffer. Now, the issue with this "rule" is that there are plenty of other great inks out there that are relatively fuss free. Even if we talk about Noodler's, which has a reputation for some troublesome inks, there are plenty of inks in the line that are completely "safe" for fountain pen use. The same goes for Diamine. In general, when you start seeing words like "permanent", "bulletproof", or "Iron Gall" then you are getting into a different class of inks. There's nothing wrong with the vast majority of these inks, but they do require more careful maintenance of your pen.

 

If you want an all around "safe" ink that is easy to clean out of a pen and gives good flow I think a lot of us would suggest something like Waterman Serenity Blue, Montblanc Royal Blue, Pelikan 4001 Konigsblau, Pilot/Namiki Blue or Blue-Black, or Pelikan 4001 Black or Blue-Black. If you're looking for something with a brighter color, I've had very good experiences with Sheaffer Purple, Waterman Inspired Blue, and Visconti Green -- and heard very good things about Lamy Turquoise, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown, and Omas Blue.

Edited January 11, 2016 by Abner C. Kemp

[amberleadavis]

Since you are in Australia, may I suggest Blackstone inks. I have personally attempted to abuse them and so far, they are SAFE!

 

http://justwrite.com.au/Blackstone-Fountain-Pen-Ink/Blackstone-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Colours-of-Australia

[amberleadavis]

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2016-Ink/01-January/2016-01-11_33.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2016-Ink/01-January/2016-01-11_34.jpg

[dcwaites]

I second the Blackstone inks - Justwrite.com.au

 

Also go to Peters of Kensington and search for ink.

The Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, Pelikan, visconti and Lamy inks are all reliable and safe inks. The prices for the Pelikan Edelstein and the Visconti inks are particularly good.

The only reason I don't mention the Faber and Faber-Castell inks is that I haven't tried them yet.

[tonybelding]

The only ink in widespread use today that's been reported as acidic is some Waterman's. Under some circumstances it can corrode metal parts. However, even that is very uncommon. If you don't leave it sitting in the pen for long periods of time (months) and don't let it dry out, you're unlikely to run into this problem. In fact, Waterman is often named as a "safe" ink.

 

Letting ink dry out in a pen is the number one cause of problems, regardless of ink brand. Flushing and rinsing out the pen with water once in a while (once a month is more than enough!) or when putting the pen into storage will prevent this.

 

Mold is another problem to watch out for. I suggest sniffing the ink when you open a new bottle and from time to time when refilling. If it smells moldy, there's a good chance it's moldy.

 

You must not use india ink or calligraphy ink in a fountain pen. They will cause immediate damage.

 

Aside from that, the only brand of fountain pen ink that I recommend avoiding is Private Reserve. I've had a whole laundry list of problems with PR over the years, far more than with any other brand.

Edited January 12, 2016 by tonybelding

[NathanGrimaud]

Good pen hygiene goes a long way. As long as one regularly flushes one's inked pens, the pens will do just fine.

 

A while back, some members tried testing for PH Balanced inks, but it resulted in the following issue:

Differing results for the same inks

Cross contamination during testing

Incorrect calibration of electronic PH testers

Incorrect use of PH strips

Some immature disagreements on who was right or wrong and so on

 

Search the forums for PH tests and it should bring up some threads.

 

I believe the most accurate way to go about a list is to contact ink manufacturers directly and ask (some list this information on their site). Whether or not one will get a response is, of course, beyond me.

How regularly would you suggest to flush pens? I was reading anywhere from a month to 8 week intervals, would this be adequate?

[NathanGrimaud]

I would argue that if you are looking for a "safe" ink it goes well beyond pH levels as I have tried plenty of pH neutral inks that were an absolute pain to clean out or flowed poorly in my pen. The general rule that I use is that most pen manufacturers standard inks are fine. I.E. Montblanc, Pelikan 4001, Waterman, Parker, Lamy, Visconti, Pilot/Namiki, Sheaffer. Now, the issue with this "rule" is that there are plenty of other great inks out there that are relatively fuss free. Even if we talk about Noodler's, which has a reputation for some troublesome inks, there are plenty of inks in the line that are completely "safe" for fountain pen use. The same goes for Diamine. In general, when you start seeing words like "permanent", "bulletproof", or "Iron Gall" then you are getting into a different class of inks. There's nothing wrong with the vast majority of these inks, but they do require more careful maintenance of your pen.

 

If you want an all around "safe" ink that is easy to clean out of a pen and gives good flow I think a lot of us would suggest something like Waterman Serenity Blue, Montblanc Royal Blue, Pelikan 4001 Konigsblau, Pilot/Namiki Blue or Blue-Black, or Pelikan 4001 Black or Blue-Black. If you're looking for something with a brighter color, I've had very good experiences with Sheaffer Purple, Waterman Inspired Blue, and Visconti Green -- and heard very good things about Lamy Turquoise, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown, and Omas Blue.

Thankyou for your insight!

[NathanGrimaud]

http://www.sheismylawyer.com/2016-Ink/01-January/2016-01-11_34.jpg

I really appreciate the time you have take to write this for me! Thankyou for your insight and i will do just as you have suggested!

[NathanGrimaud]

The only ink in widespread use today that's been reported as acidic is some Waterman's. Under some circumstances it can corrode metal parts. However, even that is very uncommon. If you don't leave it sitting in the pen for long periods of time (months) and don't let it dry out, you're unlikely to run into this problem. In fact, Waterman is often named as a "safe" ink.

 

Letting ink dry out in a pen is the number one cause of problems, regardless of ink brand. Flushing and rinsing out the pen with water once in a while (once a month is more than enough!) or when putting the pen into storage will prevent this.

 

Mold is another problem to watch out for. I suggest sniffing the ink when you open a new bottle and from time to time when refilling. If it smells moldy, there's a good chance it's moldy.

 

You must not use india ink or calligraphy ink in a fountain pen. They will cause immediate damage.

 

Aside from that, the only brand of fountain pen ink that I recommend avoiding is Private Reserve. I've had a whole laundry list of problems with PR over the years, far more than with any other brand.

ill make a note to be careful with private reserve inks, thanks!

[NathanGrimaud]

I second the Blackstone inks - Justwrite.com.au

 

Also go to Peters of Kensington and search for ink.

The Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, Pelikan, visconti and Lamy inks are all reliable and safe inks. The prices for the Pelikan Edelstein and the Visconti inks are particularly good.

The only reason I don't mention the Faber and Faber-Castell inks is that I haven't tried them yet.

Thankyou!

[NathanGrimaud]

Peters of Kensington sell inks fro a considerably cheaper amount that other places i have looked at, thanks a bunch

[lynxcat]

How regularly would you suggest to flush pens? I was reading anywhere from a month to 8 week intervals, would this be adequate?

 

personally, i tend to flush (with tap water, at least) each time a pen runs empty, or before each new fill, even if i'm refilling with the same ink. but i write fairly little, and i use frugal pens; they still often go a month or two between flushes.

 

i'd recommend flushing at least every time you change ink in a pen, and of course every time you intend to take the pen out of rotation to leave it un-inked for a while.

[NathanGrimaud]

 

personally, i tend to flush (with tap water, at least) each time a pen runs empty, or before each new fill, even if i'm refilling with the same ink. but i write fairly little, and i use frugal pens; they still often go a month or two between flushes.

 

i'd recommend flushing at least every time you change ink in a pen, and of course every time you intend to take the pen out of rotation to leave it un-inked for a wOkay

Okay thanks!

[ac12]

 

How regularly would you suggest to flush pens? I was reading anywhere from a month to 8 week intervals, would this be adequate?

 

 

 

IMHO 4-8 weeks is just fine, for safe inks. When I keep the same ink in the pen, it may go for a year without a cleaning. But I may have to floss the nib slit, to clean out paper dust and sometimes dried ink.

 

The other factor is usage and paper. The more you use the pen, the more paper dust and "junk" the nib can collect. Some papers have more dust and "junk" that gets onto your pen than other papers. This dust and "junk" can get into the nib slit and under the nib (between the nib and feed) and clog the pen, requiring a cleaning. I've run into paper where "something" comes off the paper and clogs the slit in the nib in less than half a page of writing.

 

There are also certain inks that require more frequent cleaning. Example, Diamine is usually referred to as a safe ink. But Diamine Sherwood Green seems to be a saturated ink with a high dye load. It will clog some of my pens, and require flossing of the nib slit or cleaning of the feed, to restore ink flow. How often you need to clean the pen will depend on YOUR pen and how often you use or don't use the pen. You may go several fills without needing a cleaning or you may need a cleaning on every fill.

 

When I rotate a pen out of use, I will clean it.