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Can someone explain how an ink would turn lighter in colour in a pen that is capped and unused for several hours?


A Smug Dill

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Oh well done @InesF - I'm very glad to hear there is a sensible scientific explanation. Otherwise it would have had to be magic, and we all know that doesn't exist...

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2 hours ago, InesF said:

Hi @A Smug Dill.

 

No mystery here. Funny, I had the exact same problem with my Santini Libra with exactly the same Waterman Mysterious Blue (pH 2.9).

 

The reason is strange, but follows some logic: when the tip of the nib is in contact with the washer or the screw in the cap (holding the clip), the metal (I don't know if it is copper or iron) works like a catalyst and lets the ink change colours. The contact can be made by a tiny small droplet of condensed water, for example.

 

The solution is the same simple: remove screw and washer, cover them with clear nail polish, let them dry completely (!!!) and put them back.

Alternatively: send the pen back to Santini, they know this problem already....

That's wild. Physics and chemistry.

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I had a similar experience with my Ancora Perla and some Diamine ink. If I’m not mistaken, Santini took over Ancora, so it’s basically the same manufacturer. I already concluded that it must be a catalytic degradation on some dye in the ink that takes place only in the ink close to the nib material. The screw holding the clip definitely shouldn’t touch the nib tip but it may cause an electrochemical potential if a drop of water from condensation connects both. It’s certainly worth checking.

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