Bad Ink-Example (Iron Gall)

[bunnspecial]

I have mentioned many times here my fondness for the old iron gall formula Montblanc Midnight Blue.

 

I had a bottle that I'd bought in 2012 or so, and was nearly empty and I'd been saving it. The last couple of times I'd used it, I noticed that it seemed off somehow-there was no hint of blue and it overall just seemed to have a strange color.

 

More recently, I was able to acquire two bottles of it-one a mostly full open bottle, and the other still sealed.

 

I'd inked a pen(in this case MB 14 EF) with my old bottle the other day, and again noticed the strange color. The EF nib lays down a lot less ink than the larger nibs I normally used, and this morning with sunlight shining across the table where I was working, something really strange hit me-my old ink seemingly had turned green!

 

I dumped it(back into the old bottle) then carefully refilled with one of my recently acquired bottles. The difference is striking, and I thought you all might be interested in seeing. I should have been tipped off by what looks to be sediment in the older bottle.

 

[Mr.Rene]

Notice Mont Blanc Midnight Blue IS NOT  iron gall formula. I guess the best iron gall ink for fountain pen was old Pelikan blue black, made in south america specially. Regards. 

[silverlifter]

1 minute ago, Mr.Rene said:

Notice Mont Blanc Midnight Blue IS NOT  iron gall formula.

 

1 hour ago, bunnspecial said:

I have mentioned many times here my fondness for the old iron gall formula Montblanc Midnight Blue.

 

[bunnspecial]

Yes, I am quite comfortable considering any ink in a box marked as such below carrying the catalog number 105194 and marked "Permanent for Documents" an iron gall ink. Montblanc called it as such at the time, and note that the revise(109204) Midnight Blue did not carry the "Permanent for documents" designation. This box has an intact sealing sticker that shows a 2017 expiration

 

 

The "good" bottle I drew from has a sticker on the bottom indicating a manufacture date of May 2012, or in other words well before the formula change(plus they have distinctivley different smells and tastes).

 

Incidentally, the Permanent Blue and Permanent Black inks were introduced around the time Midnight Blue was reformulated, or at least when the bottles were reformulated to match the cartridges.

 

 

[bunnspecial]

Swabs of both bottles, bad on top, good on bottom.

[Detman101]

What a perfect shade of green!
How long did it take yours to "turn"?
I may invest in an older used bottle if I can find one...

...well before the formula change(plus they have distinctivley different smells and tastes).

Uhhhh...hold up a second...
you taste your ink!?!?

[yazeh]

42 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

Swabs of both bottles, bad on top, good on bottom.

You forgot to attach the swabs

 

[bunnspecial]

45 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You forgot to attach the swabs

 

Sorry, fixed now 😊

[yazeh]

They both look visually appealing

[lapis]

The green stuff looks almost as good as the Stipula/Calamo Verde Mushiato.  😁😁