Pelikan Fount India - Safe?

[Maurizio]

I know I have posted about this before so I apologize in advance for my lapse of memory and the perhaps dumb question. I like finding and using things that are not necessarily popular but just as good as that which is popular. 
 

I know that Platinum Carbon Black is safe for use in good fountain pens, with all the appropriate caveats about regular flushing because it’s a pigmented ink. 
 

What I would like to know is if Pelikan Fount India ink is similarly safe for use in fountain pens, or, like other permanent black inks which will damage pens due to shellac and other harmful substances, Pelikan Fount India should not be put into fountain pens. 
 

Thanks for your answers. 

[LizEF]

Check out the index of ink reviews:

"Pelikan Fount India (non shellac, made for FPs, black only)"

[lapis]

At least it says on my label of it that it's safe in fountain pens.

Also, it's called Fount India, not Font India. (I've just corrected the spellings your title and text.)

[A Smug Dill]

5 hours ago, Maurizio said:

What I would like to know is if Pelikan Fount India ink is similarly safe for use in fountain pens, or, like other permanent black inks which will damage pens due to shellac and other harmful substances, Pelikan Fount India should not be put into fountain pens. 
 

Thanks for your answers. 

 

Never mind my answer as in something from my own user experience and/or independent research, this is what Pelikan officially states:

 

Unlike regular india ink, which cannot be used in fountain pens, Fount India can be used in barrel fountain pens, provided it is ensured the ink does not dry out. 

[Maurizio]

Thank you Lapis for correcting my errors. 

 

Thank you Liz and Smug for your answers. That review compilation was impressive Liz. Thanks for the link to the Pelikan site Smug. I will now confidently load this ink in a good pen and draw away. 

l’ve really developed a passion for drawing in pen and pencil (usually pencil first then pen), and for using watercolors. If I get a new drawing executed with this Pelikan ink in a few days I may post it here if I feel it’s good enough to share. 

[LizEF]

4 minutes ago, Maurizio said:

Thank you Liz and Smug for your answers. That review compilation was impressive Liz.

You're very welcome.  That compilation is maintained by the mods for the ink reviews section (I'm not one of them), and yes, it's very helpful & impressive!

 

5 minutes ago, Maurizio said:

If I get a new drawing executed with this Pelikan ink in a few days I may post it here if I feel it’s good enough to share. 

I for one would love to see it!

[AmandaW]

16 minutes ago, Maurizio said:

l’ve really developed a passion for drawing in pen and pencil (usually pencil first then pen), and for using watercolors.

 

Take care to test your watercolour over the Pelikan Fount ink. I find it pretty good, but with some papers and/or a wet pen that lays down a lot of ink I can get some lifting of the ink into the watercolour. A nice effect for sure, but only if that's what is wanted!

[Maurizio]

Thanks for that tip Amanda. I was planning to do a watercolor test to see how it stands up to water. About a year ago I did a test with 3 inks. Line drew some flowers with Noodlers Black, Sailor Kiwa-guru, and Platinum Carbon Black. After more than ample time to dry, applied watercolor. The only ink which held steady and didn’t bleed was the Platinum. 
 

I’m curious to see how the Pelikan will hold up. 

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Maurizio said:

The only ink which held steady and didn’t bleed was the Platinum. 
 

I’m curious to see how the Pelikan will hold up.

 

 

14 hours ago, Maurizio said:

I like finding and using things that are not necessarily popular but just as good as that which is popular. 

 

Pelikan Fount India is not all that.

[Ron Z]

Pelikan Fount India is not all that.

 

This is not an editorial comment - I just don't quite understand what you mean here.

 

 

 

 

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

1 hour ago, Ron Z said:

 

 

 

This is not an editorial comment - I just don't quite understand what you mean here.

 

 

 

 

I believe A Smug Dill is asserting that Pelikan Fount India isn't as good as the more popular carbon-pigment inks ( Platinum Carbon Black, Kiwa Guro) based on reviews he's seen or personal experience.

[A Smug Dill]

47 minutes ago, Ron Z said:

This is not an editorial comment - I just don't quite understand what you mean here.

 

I meant Pelikan Fount India isn't nearly “as good as” Platinum Carbon Black for waterproofness in a black ink. (Nor is it “as good as” Sailor Kiwaguro for ‘taming’ wet nibs without itself feeling dry or lacking in lubrication.) I don't think it is even “as good as” Hero 234, which is a much cheaper ink (using the street prices in their respective home markets as a guide). Hence, I think there is good reason why Pelikan Fount India isn't more popular in the face of such competition.

[Maurizio]

Thanks Smug for your incisive analysis as usual. Your test proves Fount India is not waterproof. Saving me some more time. 
 

I freely concede that writing “ as good as” in reference to Fount India was inaccurate and incorrect. I will happily revise it to say that Pelikan Fount India is a good pigmented black ink useful for sketches when you want a permanent ink without the ability to brush watercolor over it.

 

I’ll stick to my initial point that I like finding things which are functional and useful and not necessarily popular or “in”. I just ordered another bottle of Platinum Carbon Black, but I still like the idea that an ink like Pelikan Fount India can provide useful features at about half the cost of a bottle of PCB. I love PCB, but it will remain - for me - as special ink to be used when I want to try to execute a drawing to be used with a watercolor wash. Now that I can feel confident to put it into my good drawing pens,  I will use Pelikan Fount India as an everyday ink for pages and pages of pen and ink sketching practice.