Ink Degrading Over Time?

[jasondmillar]

I have an old, pre-reformulation glass bottle of Diamine Blue-Black, and a pre-reformulation glass bottle of Diamine Onyx Black.

 

Both of these inks were purchased around 2010 and have been used periodically since then, but not very often as I don't particularly like the purple undertone of the black, and the teal undertone of the blue-black.

 

Recently, I have noticed that both inks are drying out in multiple different pens' feeds after they have been unused for a day or so. If the pen is shaken then some ink enters the feed and a dozen or so words can be squeezed out before the pen runs totally dry again. Even then, ink flow is much reduced and proper flow can only be restored by priming the feed.

 

For many years these inks flowed perfectly. I wonder if perhaps the inks have thickened, so to speak, as air has evaporated. Or perhaps they have just chemically degraded. I have noticed that the blue black appears to have some small solids that are adhering to the inside of the glass, even through the ink itself looks perfectly liquid otherwise. Both have been stored in a dark and relatively humid closet with a stable environment.

 

Does anyone else have experience of inks degrading over time like these Diamines? Is this, perhaps in part, why they were reformulated?

[welch]

"Small solids" sounds bad, like mold. Do you smell anything off? An ink from 2010 should last. I've noticed nothing odd about Diamine Sapphire and Diamine Imperial Blue from 2009 or 2010. Same with a bottle of Asa-gao and a few others. Odd.

 

In fact, I routinely use some Parker Quink Permanent Blue ("With Solv-X") in a mid-1950's bottle. The ink is a little darker and more intense, probably because some water has evaporated. Otherwise it's fine.

 

Many of us use Sheaffer and Parker ink from 1970 or earlier. Unless those companies made super-hero ink, recent inks should not go bad in nine years. Even if ink-makers were forced to give up the biocides they had used before.

[jasondmillar]

"Small solids" sounds bad, like mold. Do you smell anything off? An ink from 2010 should last. I've noticed nothing odd about Diamine Sapphire and Diamine Imperial Blue from 2009 or 2010. Same with a bottle of Asa-gao and a few others. Odd.

 

 

You can see some imperfections that looks like the ink has precipitated, but it smells fine. Perhaps a bit less inky and slightly more solventy than some other inks but certainly it doesn't smell mouldy.

 

Edit: I should also say that I've stored Pelikan 4001 Violet and Green inks in the same place with absolutely no loss of condition, and they were bought at the same time.

Edited May 25, 2019 by jasondmillar

[bone215]

Do you shake your ink bottles before use?

[jasondmillar]

Do you shake your ink bottles before use?

Yes, if it has been sitting for more than a month or two.

 

I have given this one a thorough shake before taking the photo.

[The Good Captain]

I used to have a few 'starting' issues with the initial version of the Blue-Black but the re-romulation cleared all that up, along with the teal colouration.

[Karmachanic]

I'm degrading over time.

[Noihvo]

 

[eharriett]

My first thought when I saw that was "crud from nib when you refilled." Sometimes we forget that it isn't always the ink. We very often dip our pen nibs and feeds -- you know the parts that come into contact with all the paper we are writing on -- into the ink bottles. And sometimes dried ink residue catches on the feed. While you could be correct that there's something going on with the ink, there's also a chance the ink is fine and you just had a little schmutz drop in there.

 

I've taken to trying to refill all my pens with an ink miser and dumping what remains.

[jasondmillar]

My first thought when I saw that was "crud from nib when you refilled." Sometimes we forget that it isn't always the ink. We very often dip our pen nibs and feeds -- you know the parts that come into contact with all the paper we are writing on -- into the ink bottles. And sometimes dried ink residue catches on the feed. While you could be correct that there's something going on with the ink, there's also a chance the ink is fine and you just had a little schmutz drop in there.

 

I've taken to trying to refill all my pens with an ink miser and dumping what remains.

That could be it, I suppose. As good an explanation as any! Thanks.

Edited May 26, 2019 by jasondmillar