Quink inks

[TheRedBeard]

11 hours ago, corniche said:

 

 

Hi Red, Mr. Rene, 

 

Don't let it spook you; I'm very fond of Diamine Marine and Sherwood - and I'm as sane and even-tempered as anybody I know. 

 

- Sean 

Hi Sean,

Diamine Sherwood Green is the one I am planning to try shortly :)

I was told it was real "green" green.

[bunnspecial]

11 hours ago, corniche said:

 

Btw, the 149 & Asa Gao sounds like a great combination.  👍

 

I've really been enjoying it.

 

TBH, I've avoided the Irozhizoku inks until recently. I've never heard anything short of glowing praise for their colors, wetness, and overall quality, plus I like the bottle. Still, though, I hadn't tried any because they come in SO many colors with names in a language I don't understand. I haven't actually counted, but I'm guessing there's something like 20 colors(don't hold me to that number, but there are a lot) and for someone who knows no Japanese it's impossible to get something that makes me think "Dark Blue" from the name "Asa Gao" for example. The whole sheer variety plus the cost per bottle(which is well worth it) keeps me from my usual strategy of buying one of every color . Amazon at least does give a rough translation in the listings(i.e. Asa-Gao is listed as "Morning Glory" and "Vivid Purplish Blue") plus the bottle label does give some approximation of the color, but it still can just be a bit intimidating.

 

With as much as I've enjoyed Asa-Gao, though, and am also looking forward to opening a bottle of Shin-Ryoku that was the first bottle from the line I'd bought, I see more of these in my future and will probably try a representative bottle of each general color.

[corniche]

8 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I've really been enjoying it.

 

Hi Bunn,

 

That's great to hear - it sounded like a winning combo to me.

 

Quote

TBH, I've avoided the Irozhizoku inks until recently.

 

This amuses me because I feel the same way about MB pens. I do have a 145 Classique that I enjoy using, but I've always shied away from the 146/149 because their hermetically sealed against nuclear attacks and flushing them can only be done one way - the HARD way! 

 

Quote

I've never heard anything short of glowing praise for their colors, wetness, and overall quality, plus I like the bottle. Still, though, I hadn't tried any because they come in SO many colors with names in a language I don't understand. I haven't actually counted, but I'm guessing there's something like 20 colors(don't hold me to that number, but there are a lot) and for someone who knows no Japanese it's impossible to get something that makes me think "Dark Blue" from the name "Asa Gao" for example. The whole sheer variety plus the cost per bottle(which is well worth it) keeps me from my usual strategy of buying one of every color . Amazon at least does give a rough translation in the listings(i.e. Asa-Gao is listed as "Morning Glory" and "Vivid Purplish Blue") plus the bottle label does give some approximation of the color, but it still can just be a bit intimidating.

 

With as much as I've enjoyed Asa-Gao, though, and am also looking forward to opening a bottle of Shin-Ryoku that was the first bottle from the line I'd bought, I see more of these in my future and will probably try a representative bottle of each general color.

 

I know. I had the same problem concerning the language barrier. 

 

The way I got around it was by selecting the colors I thought I might like and then googling them under the "IMAGE" tab; I then picked the ones I thought would turn me on and get me all warm & fuzzy and checked out reviews for them here and online.

 

That's how I ended up opting for Aso-GAO, Tsuki-yo and a few more.

 

- Sean 

[bunnspecial]

29 minutes ago, corniche said:

 

This amuses me because I feel the same way about MB pens. I do have a 145 Classique that I enjoy using, but I've always shied away from the 146/149 because their hermetically sealed against nuclear attacks and flushing them can only be done one way - the HARD way! 

 

I have enough that I rotate through(2x 146 and 2x 149, I like one of the 146s more than the other, but the two 149s are different but give me equal enjoyment) that my "lazy" flush works well enough. Basically, I run them under the faucet while working the piston until the water runs more or less clear, and then fill them up with water and let them rest for anywhere from a few minutes to overnight depending on how ambitious I get. Even if the water is initially colorless going in, letting it sit will generally pick up some of the more pesky inks. I do this a few times(letting them sit full of water) until the water stays colorless after an hour or so, then let them dry upright over paper towels overnight to be put away. It's not as easy as a C/C pen, but to me at least the piston makes flushing water through easier than something like a Vacumatic.

 

Of course they can be stubborn, and I've had two of mine open before. One was before I knew better, while the other was because I'd bought it after it had sat a few years with only sporadic use filled with ink. The latter I ended having to knock the nib and feed out to get it right. I need to get some of the proper sealant for them, but silicon grease has worked fine for me.

 

The really bad one to flush is the 147...

[MoriartyR]

28 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I have enough that I rotate through(2x 146 and 2x 149, I like one of the 146s more than the other, but the two 149s are different but give me equal enjoyment) that my "lazy" flush works well enough. Basically, I run them under the faucet while working the piston until the water runs more or less clear, and then fill them up with water and let them rest for anywhere from a few minutes to overnight depending on how ambitious I get. Even if the water is initially colorless going in, letting it sit will generally pick up some of the more pesky inks. I do this a few times(letting them sit full of water) until the water stays colorless after an hour or so, then let them dry upright over paper towels overnight to be put away. It's not as easy as a C/C pen, but to me at least the piston makes flushing water through easier than something like a Vacumatic.

 

Of course they can be stubborn, and I've had two of mine open before. One was before I knew better, while the other was because I'd bought it after it had sat a few years with only sporadic use filled with ink. The latter I ended having to knock the nib and feed out to get it right. I need to get some of the proper sealant for them, but silicon grease has worked fine for me.

 

The really bad one to flush is the 147...

You make a fine argument for cartridge/converter pens when your ‘lazy’ method of cleaning takes several days.

 

I do the same, incidentally. Haha.

 

[inkstainedruth]

On 3/7/2021 at 10:10 AM, TheRedBeard said:

However, while Waterman inks are not bad, I found their Green not "green" but "green-blueish".

 

Ironically, that was pretty much my reaction to a bottle of vintage bottle (1940s era, from the shape of the bottle) of Quink Green.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

On 3/7/2021 at 4:14 PM, OleJuul said:

This may be of interest to some people in this thread. Not Quink and not Parker but  "Reminiscent of the PARKER Penman Fountain Pen Inks from the 1990’s, by the original developer."

Interesting.  Anyone know where these are available?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:32 AM, Mr.Rene said:

 

🤣 😂 The Literature Nobel Winner  Pablo Neruda was  communist  😱 😱  and he loved to write in Green Inks...several manuscripts show that...

 

Interesting.  Although on my screen it looks more turquoise/teal than green.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[bunnspecial]

13 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Interesting.  Anyone know where these are available?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I emailed via the email at the top of the web page, and he got back to me with a price($25/50mL bottle). I'm going to buy one of each and give them a shot.

 

Sapphire is the only Penman I have on hand, but his words were that if I liked Sapphire I'd be "very pleased" with Indigo and that it was his most popular one. I just bought a bottle of Mocha on Ebay. I'd fill out the others in the series if availability weren't sporadic and price all over the place(my Sapphire was close to $100, but the others can usually be had for less).

[inkstainedruth]

10 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I've really been enjoying it.

 

TBH, I've avoided the Irozhizoku inks until recently. I've never heard anything short of glowing praise for their colors, wetness, and overall quality, plus I like the bottle. Still, though, I hadn't tried any because they come in SO many colors with names in a language I don't understand. I haven't actually counted, but I'm guessing there's something like 20 colors(don't hold me to that number, but there are a lot) and for someone who knows no Japanese it's impossible to get something that makes me think "Dark Blue" from the name "Asa Gao" for example. The whole sheer variety plus the cost per bottle(which is well worth it) keeps me from my usual strategy of buying one of every color . Amazon at least does give a rough translation in the listings(i.e. Asa-Gao is listed as "Morning Glory" and "Vivid Purplish Blue") plus the bottle label does give some approximation of the color, but it still can just be a bit intimidating.

 

With as much as I've enjoyed Asa-Gao, though, and am also looking forward to opening a bottle of Shin-Ryoku that was the first bottle from the line I'd bought, I see more of these in my future and will probably try a representative bottle of each general color.

There should be plenty of ink reviews of the various Iroshizuku colors on here (as well as for various online retailers, and sites such as Mountain of Ink).  

Not sure where you're located from the flag, but a number of online retailers (at least here in the US) sell sample vials so you could try a few and see which ones you like and don't.  (If you're looking for a "dark blue", you might have a look at Iroshizuku Shin-kai, which is a grey-leaning -- as opposed to teal-leaning -- blue black, although I have a slight preference for Edelstein Tanzanite.)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

3 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I emailed via the email at the top of the web page, and he got back to me with a price($25/50mL bottle). I'm going to buy one of each and give them a shot.

 

Sapphire is the only Penman I have on hand, but his words were that if I liked Sapphire I'd be "very pleased" with Indigo and that it was his most popular one. I just bought a bottle of Mocha on Ebay. I'd fill out the others in the series if availability weren't sporadic and price all over the place(my Sapphire was close to $100, but the others can usually be had for less).

Thanks for the information.  Oh, and the last time I priced a bottle of PPS, it was more like $125 US (!) -- and that was several years ago: one of the few times I got my husband to a pen show was the Triangle Show about four years ago, and he offered to buy me a bottle of PPS that one of the vendors (I think it was the Toys from the Attic table in the front hallway) but I decided that it was just too expensive.  And let him suffer through me being the high bidder on an English-made Navy Gray Parker 51 Aero with an oblique nib instead...  (after having already bought a Midnight Blue 51 Areo earlier in the show). 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[I-am-not-really-here]

43 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I emailed via the email at the top of the web page, and he got back to me with a price($25/50mL bottle). I'm going to buy one of each and give them a shot.

 

Sapphire is the only Penman I have on hand, but his words were that if I liked Sapphire I'd be "very pleased" with Indigo and that it was his most popular one. I just bought a bottle of Mocha on Ebay. I'd fill out the others in the series if availability weren't sporadic and price all over the place(my Sapphire was close to $100, but the others can usually be had for less).

Also available through PenRealm -

 

https://www.penrealm.com/product/scribe-ink/

[Mr.Rene]

39 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Interesting.  Although on my screen it looks more turquoise/teal than green.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

The paper is aged and yellowed..it seems has changed the ink color aspect...photo comes from Chilean National Archive. and Turquoise is kind of green really ...although some believe that it is a type of blue.

Regards

[OleJuul]

A review of Scribe Indigo.

 

[bunnspecial]

1 hour ago, MoriartyR said:

You make a fine argument for cartridge/converter pens when your ‘lazy’ method of cleaning takes several days.

Hey, I do the same with C/Cs also

 

I just did a massive "Let's get the ink out of all these pens that I haven't used in a while" clean-up the other day. 10 pens, mostly Montblancs but also a Pelikan, two Parkers, and a couple of Lamys. There was one C/C Montblanc in there, and the Lamys were C/C. They all got basically the same treatment(and a poignant reminder to me to not break my "maximum 3 pens inked" rule).

 

58 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

There should be plenty of ink reviews of the various Iroshizuku colors on here (as well as for various online retailers, and sites such as Mountain of Ink).  

Not sure where you're located from the flag, but a number of online retailers (at least here in the US) sell sample vials so you could try a few and see which ones you like and don't.  (If you're looking for a "dark blue", you might have a look at Iroshizuku Shin-kai, which is a grey-leaning -- as opposed to teal-leaning -- blue black, although I have a slight preference for Edelstein Tanzanite.)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

My flag is Kentucky -my home state, although I've not lived there since August of last year. I've always been a bit reluctant on sample vials for a lot of ink other than tacking on a "Surprise me" when I make a Goulet order, but when you start getting close to 50¢/mL for a full bottle those little $2 vials are tempting. When bottle prices are in $10-15 range, I generally don't do samples, especially on Noodlers inks because a full bottle isn't that expensive and there's no guarantee that a full bottle will be the same as your sample. It definitely does make sense with something like Iroszhizoku, though. It would also make sense with Edelstein were it not for the fact that I'm enough of a collector to just buy them anyway whether I end up liking the color or not.

[bunnspecial]

1 minute ago, OleJuul said:

A review of Scribe Indigo.

 

 

Thanks for that link.

 

I'm excited to try it.

 

With that said, as far as the color-the newest Penman bottles are now roughly old enough to buy alcohol in the US. I wonder if what we THINK as Penman Sapphire now when writing fresh samples is actually darker/more saturated than it was when new. I was 12 years old when the Penman line was discontinued(assuming the 2000 date is correct) so it was quite a ways off my radar and even though I was aware of FPs(just not that they were called that) and had tried more than once to find cartridges for my mom's old Sheaffer No-Nonsense that she'd let me use.

[bunnspecial]

On 3/8/2021 at 6:50 PM, corniche said:

 

I hate to tell you this, but Quink Permanent Blue is also erasable. I can demonstrate this for you, if you need proof.

 

The "Washable" / "Permanent" designations on Quink blue refer to contact with clothes, not paper, (although I haven't tested any vintage Quink formulas).

 

You actually have me very curious about this, although I need to test it myself.

 

It seems as though as the "permanent" designation sort of serves no purpose to me. I tend to like washable blues as a general rule, but one nice upside is that if they happen to leak in your shirt pocket, they are easy to clean.

 

I'll trade off this benefit for document permanence, especially since my slip-cap Parkers and my screw cap Montblancs don't leak as a general rule(and unlike my Pelikans, neither come uncrewed in my jacket pocket).

 

That begs the question for me, though-what good to me is an ink that is not permanent on paper but will stain my clothes? Also, just thinking out loud, but the same cellulose-binding properties that make inks permanent on paper are also what make "permanent" inks also not easy to wash out of cotton fabric.

 

The patent application for SolvX, which I think you were the one who posted, describes the inclusion of Ammonium Vanadate for permanence, although the description as I read it makes it sound like it acts-in effect-more like an iron gall ink in that the vanadium salts/vanadium precipitate out in the paper to give an indelible line

 

 

I actually would love to try making up this formula, but priced out reagents I'd have to order and it pretty quickly adds up to being a fairly expensive experiment to finance out of pocket(unless...and now the wheels in my head are turning...I could work it into a student lab, but I'd have to think of what they would do with it and how I could tie it into a topic in a class I'm teaching).

 

Unfortunately, I no longer have access to purchase at the contract pricing below, and have no idea if my current affiliations would offer as good of a price since we are a maybe 3x a year Fisher buyer and not 3x a week on a light week as we were then...not to mention at my former employer I could easily spend an amount on a single order equal to about 1/3 of our entire budget at my current employer(I pulled these from Fisher because I can still see pricing easily).

 

 

As another thought, I also have a vintage bottle of Quink SolX "Permanent Blue Black" that I've not experimented with. I'm wondering if the above formula would in fact give more of a blue-black ink considering the color changing metal salt/blue dye interplay. From my own experience, current Quink BB has no semblance of water resistance, while at least vintage Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black does(I'm almost positive Skrip Blue-Black is an IG ink, but quite heavy on iron as what I've used goes down dark blue and will have gone nearly black by the time I'm writing the next line). I've heard that Quink BB isn't iron gall, but I have no first hand experience to tell me yes or no.

[corniche]

2 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

That begs the question for me, though-what good to me is an ink that is not permanent on paper but will stain my clothes? Also, just thinking out loud, but the same cellulose-binding properties that make inks permanent on paper are also what make "permanent" inks also not easy to wash out of cotton fabric.

 

Hi Bunn,

 

Here is where you're confusing modern inks with old school inks.  Noodlers uses cellulose reactive dyes to make their inks permanent on paper.  But the old school inks didn't contain these special dyes or they'd be permanent, too.

 

We're looking at this from the wrong direction. In the old days, ink makers didn't design special dyes to be permanent; in those days, it was the washable dyes that were special. Designed for all the "harried housewives" who had to deal with the clothes of ink-stained husbands and children- so they formulated special dyes that would wash out.

 

So, the "washable"/"permanent" designations were there so people knew what they'd be facing if they got it on 'em.

 

The permanent inks always had a deeper/richer color, and were preferred by those more interested in the aesthetic than safety... or a "happy homemaker."   

 

The rest of your post, I'll have to get back to you on; there's a lot to digest and it's getting late, here.

 

- Sean 

 

[TheRedBeard]

13 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Ironically, that was pretty much my reaction to a bottle of vintage bottle (1940s era, from the shape of the bottle) of Quink Green.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

My last experience was with Quink Green aroudn 2001-2002 :)

 

[bunnspecial]

Well, in my usual fashion, I've just hit Ebay for a couple of bottles of Quink green of a couple of vintages.

 

I'm eying a listing with the 4 oz. "Pyramid" bottles(not sure if that's the proper name of them, but the ones with a squarish base that sort of tapers upwards), 2x green and 2x brown, but I'm not sure if I want to pay $100 for that lot.