Robert Oster inks safe for Vacuumatic?

[writerlydoohickey]

Would anyone know if Robert Oster inks are safe to use in a Parker Vacuumatic. I recently bought a Debutante with a lock-down filler and was wondering if Robert Oster inks (am considering Smokescreen, specifically) are safe to use. According to the maker, his inks tend to be more alkaline than acidic, but he cannot say definitively if the ink is safe to use on the Vacuumatic or other vintage pens.

 

 

[corniche]

Hi there, 

 

I would have some qualms using it. Acid based inks do not mix well with alkaline based inks and vintage pens are difficult to thoroughly flush clean - especially when you factor in that you're using aged parts to do the work.

 

Furthermore, your pen was designed with acid-based inks in mind - and the materials used to make it, reflect that engineering. Acid is what most Western pen and ink manufacturers used; alkaline based formulas were typically only used in the East - primarily, Asia.

 

Also, bear in mind that pen has parts that are over 80 years old. You want to use a gentle ink that is easy to flush and easy on the aged materials.

 

I recommend and use J. Herbin,  Waterman, Sheaffer, or Quink inks in my vintage pens... those are the inks those pens used in their prime - so, that's what I feed them in their dotage. 

 

- Sean 

[writerlydoohickey]

37 minutes ago, corniche said:

Hi there, 

 

I would have some qualms using it. Acid based inks do not mix well with alkaline based inks and vintage pens are difficult to thoroughly flush clean - especially when you factor in that you're using aged parts to do the work.

 

Furthermore, your pen was designed with acid-based inks in mind - and the materials used to make it, reflect that engineering. Acid is what most Western pen and ink manufacturers used; alkaline based formulas were typically only used in the East - primarily, Asia.

 

Also, bear in mind that pen has parts that are over 80 years old. You want to use a gentle ink that is easy to flush and easy on the aged materials.

 

I recommend and use J. Herbin,  Waterman, Sheaffer, or Quink inks in my vintage pens... those are the inks those pens used in their prime - so, that's what I feed them in their dotage. 

 

- Sean 

 

Thanks for the response. You're the second person to tell me that today so I might just follow your advice.

 

What's making my decision difficult is that I'm getting conflicting advice on it. I started my FP hobby with Esterbrook Js, so J. Herbin and Waterman were my go-to inks for them before. However, a vintage restorer/vendor I spoke to also said that it's fine as long as the ink doesn't have particles/shimmer. Another said that it's okay as long as the ink doesn't stay in the pen for more than a day.

[corniche]

55 minutes ago, writerlydoohickey said:

 

Thanks for the response. You're the second person to tell me that today so I might just follow your advice.

 

What's making my decision difficult is that I'm getting conflicting advice on it. I started my FP hobby with Esterbrook Js, so J. Herbin and Waterman were my go-to inks for them before. However, a vintage restorer/vendor I spoke to also said that it's fine as long as the ink doesn't have particles/shimmer. Another said that it's okay as long as the ink doesn't stay in the pen for more than a day.

 

Hi Writerlydoohickey,

 

You're welcome. 

 

As far as the restorer who says, "its okay"; I would ask him if he would back that up by repairing the pen gratis; if anything goes wrong.  My guess is you'll only hear crickets chirping - which I must admit, is a pleasant sound in small doses. 

 

He is right about one thing - definitely never use those metallic shimmer inks in a vintage pen... and the other guy with, "it's okay for a day"... why the hell bother with it?!

 

I know it's not what you wanted to hear - I've heard fateful words myself in this hobby, but believe me; ten years from now, you'll still be enjoying that pen with no regrets. 👍

 

- Sean 

 

 

[Buzz_130]

Some great advice given above. Ink is cheap, pens are expensive. 

 

You have other great options for ink. Take a look at Diamine’s line (except the shimmers). Mont Blanc, Sheaffer, and Pelikan also have amazing ink selections. 

 

I’ll put just about anything in my Parker “51”s, but my Vacs get a diet of Waterman, Sheaffer, Diamine, or Mont Blanc.

 

Buzz

[ENewton]

I tend to use J Herbin and Waterman inks in my vintage pens, extending that range to Rohrer & Klingner for my Parker 51 aerometric pens.

 

It is interesting to hear that Robert Oster inks are alkaline.

 

As for Diamine, the only Diamine ink I have is Grape, and I would never use it in a vintage pen. It is too prone to turn to sludge and too difficult to flush out.

 

 

[corniche]

3 hours ago, Buzz_130 said:

Some great advice given above. Ink is cheap, pens are expensive. 

 

You have other great options for ink. Take a look at Diamine’s line (except the shimmers). Mont Blanc, Sheaffer, and Pelikan also have amazing ink selections. 

 

I’ll put just about anything in my Parker “51”s, but my Vacs get a diet of Waterman, Sheaffer, Diamine, or Mont Blanc.

 

Buzz

 

Thanks for the support, Buzz, and I concur with your brand choices as well, (with the only exception being some of the NEWER Diamine inks like Sargasso Sea, which seem more "saturated" than their earlier inks). There are quite a few "safe" brands; it gets difficult to name them all.

 

- Sean  

[inkstainedruth]

I'm mostly in agreement with what others have said.  And I ran Waterman Mysterious Blue through the Red Shadow Wave Vac for over 3 years without any sort of flushing or other maintenance.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[writerlydoohickey]

Thank you everyone! I ended up putting in J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

[ENewton]

6 hours ago, writerlydoohickey said:

Thank you everyone! I ended up putting in J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

 

I have used Poussiere de Lune in my Parker Victory, a button-filler from the 1940s, for five years without any trouble.  

 

I use only distilled water for flushing, and to minimize the risk of interaction among inks, I do not switch from one ink to another in any pen with a sac.  I have enough cartridge/converter pens to satisfy my need to rotate among inks.