Brownish/burgundy ink for vintage pen?

[Runnin_Ute]

I just put Herbin Lie de The' in a vintage pen I recently acquired that is a red celluloid. So it is the first fill, but so far so good. The first two through the pen were Waterman Serenity Blue. This seller does a sketch when he posts pens (instagram and his website) and he used for that in this pen Diamine Ancient Copper.

 

I have Diamine Merlot in my Platinum 3776 Century Borgogne, haven't thought that far ahead, but color wise it might be something you like. I have thought I might try Diamine Saddle Brown at some point in this pen even though it isn't close to matching. Saddle Brown is a nice shading ink.

[essayfaire]

4 hours ago, migla9 said:

 

I like Binder's Burgundy and have mixed up small batches to use on occasion.   Unfortunately Sheaffer Skrip Red is discontinued and the current Sheaffer Inferno doesn't look the same from samples I've seen.  Any suggestions for a replacement for Skrip Red in this mix?

 

What a shame! I would have tried this as if he made it I think it would have been safer than my tolerances are! 

[essayfaire]

1 hour ago, Runnin_Ute said:

Diamine Merlot

Should have noticed this.  Will add to the list.  Thanks.

[Mercian]

On 1/15/2023 at 9:42 PM, essayfaire said:

I would like to ink it with something in the burgundy brown family

Another vote for Waterman ‘Absolute Brown’.

 

I always think that it looks maroon/burgundy-brown rather than ‘straight brown’, and most people think that Waterman inks are safe for old pens.

 

Edit to add:

For a truly ‘vintage’ experience, you could try the German iron-gall ink in this review.

It starts out deep-red/burgundy, but oxidises to a very dark brown.

 

[migla9]

18 hours ago, migla9 said:

 

I like Binder's Burgundy and have mixed up small batches to use on occasion.   Unfortunately Sheaffer Skrip Red is discontinued and the current Sheaffer Inferno doesn't look the same from samples I've seen.  Any suggestions for a replacement for Skrip Red in this mix?

 

 

In this review, lapis shows how Diamine Syrah is a close replacement for Binder's Burgundy.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/174564-diamine-syrah

 

 

[essayfaire]

@Mercian Thanks.  I've tried Waterman's - it isn't bad but I prefer deeper saturation, which I know is not usually recommended for vintage.  Good looking color, though!

 

I keep debating the iron galls.  I worry that they are too high maintenance for me. I think @inkstainedruthhad recommended I try some a while back, and I still haven't bit the bullet!

 

@migla9Syrah looks worth testing.  Thank you.  I need to dig around and see if I have a sample somewhere.

 

[Mercian]

1 hour ago, essayfaire said:

 

I keep debating the iron galls.  I worry that they are too high maintenance for me.

I-g inks should be ok in a vintage pen that has a ‘simple’ ebonite feed with broad-cut channels.

It’s only a ‘worry’ in modern pens that have lots of narrow channels in ‘complex’ feeds. Those are great for dye-based inks, but are more likely to get clogged by i-g sediments/deposits if you ever let the ink dry-out in the pen.

 

Although I must say that I too would be ‘frit’ of using them in any pen that isn’t easy to disassemble/flush/clean-out completely. I learned this the hard way, when some Salix dried-out in a Parker “51”.

 

If you are using the same ink constantly in a ‘hard-to-clean-out’ pen, you probably only need to flush with water every few months - but if you are going to put the pen aside for a while, or are going to switch between inks often, it might be more-sensible to avoid i-g ink.

[HalloweenHJB]

I'll add my two céntimos to the conversation.  Have you looked at either Akkerman Lievens Kardinaal Paars or Birmingham Twilight? Both a lovely shade of burgundy, and the Birmingham has a more brownish tint:  

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best,

 

HalloweenHJB

[kestrel]

On 3/9/2023 at 9:12 PM, essayfaire said:

What a shame! I would have tried this as if he made it I think it would have been safer than my tolerances are! 

PM me if you would like to try a sample of Binder Burgundy.

[TitoThePencilPimp]

4 hours ago, HalloweenHJB said:

I'll add my two céntimos to the conversation.  Have you looked at either Akkerman Lievens Kardinaal Paars or Birmingham Twilight? Both a lovely shade of burgundy, and the Birmingham has a more brownish tint:  

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best,

 

HalloweenHJB

I believe that Akkerman ink is discontinued.

[HalloweenHJB]

13 hours ago, TitoThePencilPimp said:

I believe that Akkerman ink is discontinued.

 

Oh, that's too bad.  I can share samples if anyone is interested.

[essayfaire]

On 3/10/2023 at 5:44 PM, Mercian said:

I-g inks should be ok in a vintage pen that has a ‘simple’ ebonite feed with broad-cut channels.

Is there a master guide to which pens are considered simple feeds and which complex? Not being snarky, real question.

 

On 3/11/2023 at 6:22 PM, HalloweenHJB said:

either Akkerman Lievens Kardinaal Paars or Birmingham Twilight

The Akkerman looks worth trying.  Thanks.  I don't think Ackerman was originally on my safe for vintage list...

 

Oh wait, now that's discontinued, too.

[Mercian]

11 hours ago, essayfaire said:

Is there a master guide to which pens are considered simple feeds and which complex? Not being snarky, real question.

Not that I know of.

 

But if one wishes to buy e.g. a vintage ‘Acme No. 5 Fountain Pen’, and one can find a photo of a completely-disassembled one, one can visually compare its feed to e.g. a Lamy Safari’s two-part feed, or the ‘collector’ unit of a Parker “51”.

 

Vintage pens with ebonite feeds have far-simpler feeds; with fewer channels and fins, and their channels are cut wider than are the channels in the plastic feeds in modern pens.

 

I assume (i.e. I don’t know, but think) that early feeds are ‘simple’ because they were cut in to hard rubber and so less precision in carving was possible then than is achievable nowadays with injection-moulding of plastics.

[essayfaire]

12 hours ago, Mercian said:

Vintage pens with ebonite feeds have far-simpler feeds; with fewer channels and fins, and their channels are cut wider than are the channels in the plastic feeds in modern pens.

 

I assume (i.e. I don’t know, but think) that early feeds are ‘simple’ because they were cut in to hard rubber and so less precision in carving was possible then than is achievable nowadays with injection-moulding of plastics.

Thank you.  This makes sense.  

[amberleadavis]

[RJS]

I've used Oxblood and Writer's Blood from Diamine in vintage pens with no ill effects to date. They're two of my favourites. I've done no extensive testing to ensure they're completely safe, however, so please bear that in mind.

[51ISH]

On 3/10/2023 at 3:27 PM, Mercian said:

Another vote for Waterman ‘Absolute Brown’.

 

I always think that it looks maroon/burgundy-brown rather than ‘straight brown’, and most people think that Waterman inks are safe for old pens.

 

Edit to add:

For a truly ‘vintage’ experience, you could try the German iron-gall ink in this review.

It starts out deep-red/burgundy, but oxidises to a very dark brown.

 

 

I think you have a 'thing' for dark brown inks

 

 

[Mercian]

17 minutes ago, 51ISH said:

 

I think you have a 'thing' for dark brown inks

 

 

Guilty-as-charged, your Honour.

 

My first ‘brown’ ink was Parker Penman Mocha.

For my Pelikan pens (& perhaps my Lamy 2000) I have Edelstein ‘Smoky Quartz’.

In my other pens (& my Pelikans too) I love the colour of Diamine ‘Chocolate Brown’ 😊

[51ISH]

17 minutes ago, Mercian said:

Guilty-as-charged, your Honour.

 

My first ‘brown’ ink was Parker Penman Mocha.

For my Pelikan pens (& perhaps my Lamy 2000) I have Edelstein ‘Smoky Quartz’.

In my other pens (& my Pelikans too) I love the colour of Diamine ‘Chocolate Brown’ 😊

 

It's been a while since I used it (just the same as with all my inks) Last 'record' I have, it was in my Jinaho 159  (MB 149 copy) which is a wet(ish) Med. It kind of looks like I dribbled melted chocolate off the back of  a spoon into my 'Journal'. This may sound mad, as it's such a dark saturated ink, but do you find it shades in some of your pens? Probably just an intermittent ink flow in my #159....

Edited March 25, 2023 by 51ISH
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[51ISH]

On 3/17/2023 at 8:46 AM, RJS said:

I've used Oxblood and Writer's Blood from Diamine in vintage pens with no ill effects to date. They're two of my favourites. I've done no extensive testing to ensure they're completely safe, however, so please bear that in mind.

 

I love Diamine Oxblood, but years ago (not sure if it's still the case) I read it was difficult to clean/remove completely from some pens which is probably not good news if you are using your pride and joy and it has an ink sack, or difficult to flush feed. Not saying it's bad news, just warning it may be worth further investigation. Big fan of Diamine inks, and realize most of them are completely safe.