EFNIR: Gutenberg Urkundentinte G10

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Gutenberg Urkundentinte G10

This is review #181 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Cleaning was was quick and easy, though the ink left a "witness line" in my converter - thankfully, you can stuff a cotton swab in Pilot converters. This ink is absurdly pale. Don't know if that's by design. It reminds me of writing with lemon juice, then using heat to cause it to show. On cream paper, it's like the paper color is slightly darker where the writing is (and I like it!), on white paper, it's just absurdly pale... It does darken as it dries. It's a brown shade. The images actually seem quite accurate to me.

The line width measurement is one of the lines used for dry time.  Magnification is 100x.  The grid is 100x100µm.  The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each.  The line width for this ink is roughly 300µm. (For the curious, with 181 inks measured, the average line width is 293µm.)

Still haven't figured out how to keep the ink from fleeing to the edges of the slip cover. The smear image shows one corner of the cover slip. It's kinda interesting, so I'm including it. The color is darker and redder than what my eyes see.

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

Line width measured via microscope at 100x:

Microscope slide at 100x:

Water test results:

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Previous Review: Gutenberg Museum Bible Ink.

Want to influence the inky sequence?  Take the "next ink" poll.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh?  Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[InesF]

Hi @LizEF thank you for the story snipe and for reviewing such a strange ink.

To be honeth, the thory ith more intherething than the ink, thith time.  

 

But I also like the green dots on the slide - ink colour composition seems to be a big mystery.

[LizEF]

3 minutes ago, InesF said:

Hi @LizEF thank you for the story snipe and for reviewing such a strange ink.

You're very welcome!

 

3 minutes ago, InesF said:

To be honeth, the thory ith more intherething than the ink, thith time.  

 

4 minutes ago, InesF said:

But I also like the green dots on the slide - ink colour composition seems to be a big mystery.

Yes, that corner was pretty interesting.  Yet another mystery that may go unsolved - makes you wonder why all those physicists are so focused on explaining the universe, doesn't it? 🤔🤨

[InesF]

18 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Yet another mystery that may go unsolved - makes you wonder why all those physicists are so focused on explaining the universe, doesn't it? 🤔🤨

These physicists know how to safe and guarantee their job for the next generations. We can learn a lot from those nerds.  

[LizEF]

3 minutes ago, InesF said:

These physicists know how to safe and guarantee their job for the next generations. We can learn a lot from those nerds.  

[mizgeorge]

Another one that's on its way to me. I like absurdly pale inks, I don't mind if they're a bit dry and it's different enough for me to want it!

 

Thank you as always @LizEF for reminding me why I've had a bottle sent to the German family to bring over on their next visit.

 

(and I'm loving the little snake...)

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Another one that's on its way to me. I like absurdly pale inks, I don't mind if they're a bit dry and it's different enough for me to want it!

  Try it on cream paper - it really is oddly pleasing when the ink really just seems to be a darkening of the paper!  Hope you enjoy it.

 

3 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Thank you as always @LizEF for reminding me why I've had a bottle sent to the German family to bring over on their next visit.

You're very welcome!

 

3 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

(and I'm loving the little snake...)

  He's quite the endearing little fellow.  I suspect he'll be with us for quite a while.

[yazeh]

What a delightful review  I loved your new character, Ethri and how it stimulates everyone's creativity

Did you "witness" any darkening of the lines over time or did it remain pale?

[LizEF]

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

What a delightful review

Thank you!

 

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I loved your new character, Ethri and how it stimulates everyone's creativity

😊 Thank you.

 

10 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Did you "witness" any darkening of the lines over time or did it remain pale?

It did darken as it dried, but as far as I can tell, it still looks as pale today as it did once dry.

[yazeh]

3 minutes ago, LizEF said:

It did darken as it dried, but as far as I can tell, it still looks as pale today as it did once dry.

Yep. that's what I thought. It's a great ink for sketching, as it's quite neutral. It seems as if the makers were trying to conceive an ink that emulates the brownish tinges of 300 year old IG manuscript. I wish it were slightly bit darker. Then it would have been perfect. It's quite interesting when you wash the pen. At least in my case. 

From the https://irongallink.org website...

 

[LizEF]

Thanks for the additional info, @yazeh!  I agree that it would make a great ink for art - the pale color means it layers well (as long as your paper will take multiple layers of ink) - as the image shows.

[Sailor Kenshin]

EineLongenInkenNamen!  And it seems even more pale than the palest ink I have, which would be a sample of MB Miles Davis.

 

And yet, like the story, it intrigues me.  Thanks once again.  Sssnakkkesssss…..takes me back.

[LizEF]

16 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

EineLongenInkenNamen!

That's German for you.

 

17 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

And yet, like the story, it intrigues me.

Exactly!  My first thought upon first use was, "Oh no!  This will never show up in the video."  But fortunately, it did.  (I actually did a brief test video first to be sure.)

 

18 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks once again.

You're most welcome!

 

18 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Sssnakkkesssss…..takes me back.

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

It just might be Iron- gallotannic compounds in the ink, judging by the colour. Another great review, by the way.

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, IlikeInksandIcannotlie said:

It just might be Iron- gallotannic compounds in the ink, judging by the colour.

You mean with nothing else added (i.e. no dye or pigment or other color-adding-chemical)?  You may be right.  That would be interesting.

 

2 hours ago, IlikeInksandIcannotlie said:

Another great review, by the way.

Thank you!

[PithyProlix]

Thanks for another great and useful review. It's especially useful for me because I have a lot of interest in this ink.

 

I'm wondering: do you think it looks close to my images of PenBBS 269 below? The top is not a Japanese EF - it's a Parker 51 which I think is probably EF - the line is thin but not as thin as yours, of course. (As for the second photo, I can't remember what flex pen I used to have it in!)

 

 

 

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, PithyProlix said:

do you think it looks close to my images of PenBBS 269 below?

Yes!  It looks very similar.  This is good news at the PenBBS 269 should be easier to get (for me).  Checking...  Well, it looks way darker on Vanness, but I've added it to my list of samples to try anyway.   Sure, it'll be a year or more before I get more samples, but I'm going to try it.

[PithyProlix]

5 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Yes!  It looks very similar.  This is good news at the PenBBS 269 should be easier to get (for me).  Checking...  Well, it looks way darker on Vanness, but I've added it to my list of samples to try anyway.   Sure, it'll be a year or more before I get more samples, but I'm going to try it.

 

The image at Vanness doesn't look much like the PenBBS 269 I have. I think it might be a slight bit darker than the Gutenberg ink here but it really depends on the pen & paper, of course. Those photos were on Tomoe 52g - I think it might have a tendency to spread a good bit (not feather) on one of the types of paper I have (Maruman loose leaf or one of the Kokuyo Campus papers - I can't remember which) but has been working good on my high-value 'planted tree' loose leaf paper from Muji and, as you can see, Tomoe River 52g.

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

The image at Vanness doesn't look much like the PenBBS 269 I have. I think it might be a slight bit darker than the Gutenberg ink here but it really depends on the pen & paper, of course. Those photos were on Tomoe 52g - I think it might have a tendency to spread a good bit (not feather) on one of the types of paper I have (Maruman loose leaf or one of the Kokuyo Campus papers - I can't remember which) but has been working good on my high-value 'planted tree' loose leaf paper from Muji and, as you can see, Tomoe River 52g.

  Thanks!

[mizgeorge]

Now I want the PenBBS ink too...