Parker Quink

[Poetman]

I always see Parker Quink ink at my local Staples and Office Depot. It is in a good size bottle for a very affordable price; I've always shied away from purchasing it because I only like to use waterproof/very water resistant ink. Is Parker quink waterproof? Are there any reviews of the ink? Any thoughts? There also seems to be a few different versions? Any information would be great.

 

Thanks!

[penmanila]

i'm not sure how waterproof the "permanent" version is, but parker permanent blue-black has always been one of my favorites. never had a problem with clogging, etc. and i love the color--and yes, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

I always see Parker Quink ink at my local Staples and Office Depot. It is in a good size bottle for a very affordable price; I've always shied away from purchasing it because I only like to use waterproof/very water resistant ink. Is Parker quink waterproof? Are there any reviews of the ink? Any thoughts? There also seems to be a few different versions? Any information would be great.

 

Thanks!

 

[Headache Corporation (TM)]

Parker Quink doesn't seem to be water resistant, and it's not saturated to the point where there would be anything left behind after being soaked- although I don't have any scans to prove that.

 

But, it won't clog your pens and it's been used for generations, although I've heard anecdotal evidence that the formula has changed a bit over time. I would almost say it's the opposite of Noodler's - it's a watery ink in comparison. I don't use Quink much now but I use it in new pens to make sure they're working right. Also, Quink (with the possible exception of Red?) won't stain pens with transparency, and for that reason I would use it in vintage pens like a Parker Vacumatic (if I could afford one in good condition).

 

My opinions, but I hope that helps.

 

-dave

[Shangas]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'waterproof', but I will say that Parker Quink is a very good quality ink. I've used it for years without any problems at all. If you're looking for a good, dark, black, writing ink, then Parker Quink is best, I think. (wow, that rhymed... )

[Anorakus]

The current formula doesn't appear to contain SOLV-X. It doesn't have any smell to it, whereas I remember the Quink bottles I used when I was at school had a definite solvent smell to them.

 

I'm using Quink at the moment, and it flows very nicely.

 

A.

[mr T.]

Is Parker quink waterproof?

 

In cartridges you can find these waterproof/permanet inks: permenant black, black/blue, permanent red, permanent green and permanent blue. In bottles there are permanent blue, permanent blue/black, permanent black, permanent red and permanent green. When it is the permanent/waterproof Quink it must be indicated on the packaging. The red and the green Quink will be as far as I know be discontinued. Parker Quink is very good quality ink for a reasonable price. Don't expect however that a 'permanent' ink is total waterproof. When it's essential to use total waterproof ink, it's best to use a ballpoint with oil based ink.

[jdooney]

I have tried many inks and the washable blue is all I use. I realize that this isn't waterproof, but I suspect the same quailty for washable is also good for the permanent inks!

 

 

[jmcollis]

I'm not an expert, however I thought that the definitions of Washable versus Permanent related not to their effect on paper, but whether they could be washed out of clothing. It seemed to be expected that no fountain pen ink was "water proof" as writing - but more of an issue was what happened if a pen leaked. Is this what others have heard also?

[kwinana]

I'm not an expert, however I thought that the definitions of Washable versus Permanent related not to their effect on paper, but whether they could be washed out of clothing. It seemed to be expected that no fountain pen ink was "water proof" as writing - but more of an issue was what happened if a pen leaked. Is this what others have heard also?

 

 

I believe it to be true that is what was meant by waterproof or not: whether it could be washed out of clothing or not.

[lisa]

I have washable blue, blue-black and black Quink.

 

The washable blue is a light blue colour, a bit washed out to me.

The blue-black looks nice and dark blue when you write with it, it dries blue-green, lighter than when you write with it but a bit darker than the washable blue.

The black is a nice dark black in a wet writer.

 

I haven't had any flow issues with any of them. I also believe that washable means washes out of clothes.

[RLTodd]

I'm not an expert, however I thought that the definitions of Washable versus Permanent related not to their effect on paper, but whether they could be washed out of clothing. It seemed to be expected that no fountain pen ink was "water proof" as writing - but more of an issue was what happened if a pen leaked. Is this what others have heard also?

 

 

I believe it to be true that is what was meant by waterproof or not: whether it could be washed out of clothing or not.

 

This is what I also understand. Various inks are water resistant to some degree or another and G. Clark so rates them from his tests in his Ink Sampler Book. (It seems some old "Permanent" inks are awful on clothes put can be washed out of paper. Then there is the story that some analine inks were made to be more permanent on paper with the addition of finely ground things being added to them, like carbon.)

 

AFAIK, Noodlers is the only company making certain fountain pen inks that are specifically made to be water proof when written on paper.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I always see Parker Quink ink at my local Staples and Office Depot. It is in a good size bottle for a very affordable price; I've always shied away from purchasing it because I only like to use waterproof/very water resistant ink. Is Parker quink waterproof? Are there any reviews of the ink? Any thoughts? There also seems to be a few different versions? Any information would be great.

Quink is just the opposite of waterproof, and deliberately so. The story as I have it is this: In parts of Europe they still require school kids to learn to write using fountain pens. But of course the little monsters angels are going to get the ink all over the place, including all over themselves and each other. The teachers and parents are not going to like permanent stains. So in some countries it is mandated that only a "washable blue" ink may be used in all fountain pens in schools. So of course manufacturers want to sell to that large pool of customers so they make the "washable blue" inks. It is indeed more in consideration of clothing, etc., but that ink comes right off paper instantly too. The "washable blue" inks, including Waterman's Florida Blue, could have an entire page erased with a couple of drops of judiciously applied water.

 

The current formula doesn't appear to contain SOLV-X. It doesn't have any smell to it, whereas I remember the Quink bottles I used when I was at school had a definite solvent smell to them.

Apparently SOLV-X was or contained Phenol, which is now considered a carcinogen. You're not going to see it in any new ink bottles.

 

Is Parker quink waterproof?

 

In cartridges you can find these waterproof/permanet inks: permenant black, black/blue, permanent red, permanent green and permanent blue. In bottles there are permanent blue, permanent blue/black, permanent black, permanent red and permanent green. When it is the permanent/waterproof Quink it must be indicated on the packaging.

While those "permanent" colors are not as easily water soluble as the "washable blues" they come off paper pretty easily, in my, and others', tests. Soak them and the writing will go away after a while.

 

When it's essential to use total waterproof ink, it's best to use a ballpoint with oil based ink.

Noodler's Black is a lot better than the ballpoint pen ink. Both will last through water, but the Noodler's Black will actually survive solvents, which the ballpoint pen ink will not. Also, on some papers, over time the ballpoint pen ink will sort of migrate as the oily base spreads.

[christob]

Can anyone say anything about (black) Quink's resistance to fading? My feeling is that it fades, and that it did not do so before.

 

(Sorry to repeat myself, but I didn't really get many comments the last time I raised this question.)

[JimStrutton]

Can anyone say anything about (black) Quink's resistance to fading? My feeling is that it fades, and that it did not do so before.

 

(Sorry to repeat myself, but I didn't really get many comments the last time I raised this question.)

 

I have some school papers I wrote with my original "51" in Quink Blue/Black that are still fine, not that they get exposed to much daylight.

 

I still have some Blue/Black and Permanent and Washable Blue Quink of that vintage, that still writes well. The new stuff might not be as permanent though, but I have not tested it! Quink is still my 'reference ink' and the washable blue with Solv-X works wonders on cleaning out a pen if I am too lazy to take it apart and clean it properly.

 

I have a suspicion, that the Quink is not universally the same, the US made Permanent Black does have clogging problems I believe, whereas the the older UK made or newer EU manufactured stuff does not have those problems, at least in my experience.

 

Jim

[Paddler]

Can anyone say anything about (black) Quink's resistance to fading? My feeling is that it fades, and that it did not do so before.

 

(Sorry to repeat myself, but I didn't really get many comments the last time I raised this question.)

 

Hi, Christob,

 

I have been experimenting with various inks in different environmental conditions. Permanent black Quink was one of them. Let me say at the outset that this was a formulation of black Quink that contains many colors other than black. Some other folks have also done paper chromatography on black Quink and have found only black. This indicates that Parker has changed the formulation in the last couple of years.

 

In the experiment I wrote on college ruled notebook paper and put one paper in a sunny window. Another paper was put on an exposed porch where it got direct sun and indirect rain. A third paper was put on a sheltered porch where it got no rain and no direct sunlight. The fourth paper was left in the notebook as a control. The test lasted for 52 days.

 

Inside Sun: Black Quink faded but was still very legible. Levenger Cobalt Blue did not fade noticably.

Outside Shade: Black Quink shows no fading. Levenger Cobalt Blue did not fade either.

Outside Sun and indirect rain: Black Quink very faded but completely legible. Levenger Cobalt Blue nearly washed away but still legible.

 

(I compared the Quink to Levenger Cobalt Blue because the Levenger ink is nearly fade-proof. I have had a sample in the sunny window for five months and it still doesn't show fading compared to the control.)

 

The best black ink I have tested so far is J. Herbin's Encre Noire. It seems to be fade-proof and nearly waterproof.

 

Paddler

Edited June 14, 2007 by Paddler

[christob]

Thank you Paddler. Very interesting to see Quink Black may have gone from a mix to a true black. Perhaps the solv-x version also was a mix? Who knows?

People say the Mars bar of the 1930s contained more chockolate than now, but are they just being nostalgic? Someone knows, but they ain´t telling.

 

Glad to see your fade test gave the same answer as my quick and dirty, leave in the windowsill-test. Parker faded fast, then stabelized. Pelikan stayed much blacker. Didn´t compare it to my present standard black, Noodlers, though.

Edited June 17, 2007 by christob

[Paddler]

I have not yet tried Noodler's Black. Of the black bottled inks I have tried, I think Herbin's Encre Noire is the most water and fade resistant. However, nothing has come close to the black ink in a throwaway Bic rollerball! Go figure.

 

Paddler

 

[scribbler77]

I have not yet tried Noodler's Black. Of the black bottled inks I have tried, I think Herbin's Encre Noire is the most water and fade resistant. However, nothing has come close to the black ink in a throwaway Bic rollerball! Go figure.

 

Paddler

 

Then you should try Noodler's black. If is more stable than the ink in any rollerball!