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Iron Gall Fp Inks In Steel Nibbed Pen


kingcobradude

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I recently ordered a bottle of Platinum Classic Lavender black IG ink, and I am worried about it corroding my nibs. All of my pens are steel nibbed, even my monteverde Regatta Sport limited edition(my most expensive pen). Is this something I need to worry about if I regularly clean out my pens?

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Clean your pen regularly ...if for some odd reason you only use one ink, 1950's advice from MB and Pelikan when IG ink was more common, said every three months. So clean it regularly every three months, unless you change inks more often.

Second, IG inks are weaker than back when they had steel only nibs not stainless.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I used iron-gall ink consistently in a Platinum Balance pen for several months and observed some plating loss. Although there might have been some other cause, I suspect the ink.

 

My own experience also suggests that the finishes on Monteverde pens are fragile, so if you are trying to keep your Regatta looking nice, I would avoid using iron gall ink in that pen.

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I have used IG inks (ESSRI & Diamine Registrar's) almost exclusively for over 5 years in steel-nibbed pens. The only issue I've experienced is slight, occasional "clotting" in the feed--probably due to my sporadic cleaning habits.

Lux in Obscuro Sumus

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I've inked my Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz 'special edition' fountain pen with a gold-coloured (which I assume means gold-plated) steel nib continuously with Platinum Classic Ink Khaki Black for the past six or so months, with ever flushing or cleaning the pen since the first fill with that iron-gall ink, and so I don't see a problem.

 

I had Platinum Classic Ink Lavender Black in my steel-nibbed Monteverde Rodeo Drive for six or maybe eight weeks, and it hasn't caused any problems that I can see.

 

However, obviously the caveat is "your mileage may vary". I can only tell you about my experience, without actively participating or even taking an interest in a risk management exercise to protect your pens while "allowing" you to use as broad a selection inks (including on what you may have already spent money) as possible.

Edited by A Smug Dill

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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I use IG inks in pens with steel nibs all the time (mostly inexpensive Parker Vectors). there are two things to be understood:

1) Modern IG inks are a lot less strong/toxic than vintage ones.

2) Modern steel nibs for fountain pens are *stainless* steel. The nibs on vintage dip pens were not.

If you're going to use IG inks, they need to be flushed a little more often than otherwise, and to use dilute vinegar solution instead of (or before) using dilute ammonia solution, and flush before, in between and after with distilled water. And I've read that you should not let them dry in a pen (but then, I've heard the same thing about pigmented inks, saturated inks, and many Noodler's inks...).

The only inks that you shoutd really be wary of are India inks (because of the gum arabic) and I've read that some other inks and paints are not good either (even the Winsor & Newton ones that SAY they're safe for fountain pens).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

Newton, thanks for the info. My monteverde is a rose gold coated one, and I only really use noodlers black in it.

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Thanks for the advice everyone.

 

Newton, thanks for the info. My monteverde is a rose gold coated one, and I only really use noodlers black in it.

 

 

EpicDragon7, mine is also a rose-gold coated one, and the coating on the grip section started looking pocked after only a few months of occasional use.

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I have use a variety of steel nibbed pens with Diamine Registrars, one of the high strength IG inks. No corrosion. However I've not tried it on anything with gold plating. The platinum website says IG inks can cause gold plating to peel.

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Some gold plating isn't very good in general, and a few posts on FPN have talked about this in regards to conventional inks as well...specifically with Monteverde plated nibs I believe....

 

Having used IG inks (Diamine, R&K, KWZ) for 12,10, and 4 years respectively, I have seen corrosion only twice in the steel nibs I have used. One was in a vintage Esterbrook 2xxx nib that probably was not as pure stainless steel as can be found in the 9xxx line, and modern nibs in general. The other was a Lamy Z50 nib I found some pitting in while in a Safari, but to be fair it wasn't cleaned well, had a very loose cap overtime, and was left in a soybean field for a week exposed to a variety of elements! The pitting was on the side of the nib facing the feed, and would of taken a very long time to actually make the nib unusable, this was with Diamine Registrars. I have never seen this ink cause any damage to any other of my steel nibbed pens, and R&K and KWZ have shown absolutely no signs of damage to any pens I have used, vintage or modern in the many years I have used them.

Edited by JakobS

FP Ink Orphanage-Is an ink not working with your pens, not the color you're looking for, is never to see the light of day again?!! If this is you, and the ink is in fine condition otherwise, don't dump it down the sink, or throw it into the trash, send it to me (payment can be negotiated), and I will provide it a nice safe home with love, and a decent meal of paper! Please PM me!<span style='color: #000080'>For Sale:</span> TBA

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Here are some tips from the guy behind Platinum's IG inks'

 

https://www.fudefan.com/2019/07/ig-tips/

 

Re. the Lamy 2000: worth mentioning that on a post here (somewhere), Konrad of KWZ's wife noted that he had his L2K continually inked with one of his IG inks for a couple of years without flushing it--to no ill effect.

 

I've been using KWZ IG Blue 3 or 5 in mine for at least that long with no special treatment and the pen is as good as new.

Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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