EFNIR: Tintenlabor Iron Gall Ink 1 Dark Green / Black

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Tintenlabor Iron Gall Ink 1 Dark Green / Black

This is review #337 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: German name: Eisengallustinte 1, dunkelgrün / schwarz

This and five other iron gall inks were kindly sent to me all the way from Switzerland by Tintenlabor for review. You can learn more at the Tintenlabor website. (Please check out the site for lots of good details about this ink - it's really interesting!) Also, @christof shows these inks off more beautifully than I could with my Japanese EF.  Check it out here.

Flossed a tiny chunk from between the tines on Sunday (day 5, late). I did have some flow problems on day 7 (Monday), but I could get the ink flowing well again by either flossing or a few short strokes.

Cleaning was a bit of a pain.  The ink left a film of oxidation (?) all over where the ink was, including on the back of the nib. Vinegar had no impact; I had to scrub it off with cotton buds, fingers, toothbrush, and pipe cleaner.

Sorry, once again I forgot to adjust the exposure before recording the video, so it's too dark. And yes, I also forgot to wear my glove for the first part of the video.

Zoomed in photo (Color's fairly close.)

Screenshot (Text is too dark and de-saturated.)

Scan of Completed Review (This is probably the most accurate reproduction. Just know that it's not going to stay this color - it will start lighter and brighter and darken as time goes on.)

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (Color's fairly close on both. As always, it doesn't look blotchy to the eye.)

Line width (The "I" in "Ink:". 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 310µm. With 337 inks measured, the average line width is 298µm.)

Microscope image (400x. Colors are slightly paler in reality, but this is very close to what I see.)

Water Test Results

Chromatogram (The inset is a scan. You can just barely see the pale blue dye above the pale yellow, with a grey line staying put.)

Aging/Oxidation (All written on the first day. Large swatch first, then the water test, then the ink log and the top of the swatch card just before the photo.)

Cleaning (Top shows the section with the film left by the ink. It rubbed off easily, but wouldn't come off any other way.)

Previous Review: Tintenlabor Purple / Black.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

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

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

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

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[LizEF]

I got out the review page, now one month old, and it hasn't changed much.  Instead of looking like the scan, it now looks more like the screenshot.   (So I'm not going to upload a new scan.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

The micro is a map… perhaps an island of safety for our heroes?
 

 I had the green Varsity, which writes forever, and is BRIGHT.  The chroma appears bleached out.

 

Are the groans in response to the tough cleaning?  😝

 

@LizEF, I love reading and watching these iron gall reviews!  And the story of course.  Will you go through all of the Tintenlabor colors?  

(Trust, but verify.)

[LizEF]

47 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The micro is a map… perhaps an island of safety for our heroes?

Hmm.  Maybe something for future use - not sure the yellow tendril-like things are friendly...

 

51 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I had the green Varsity, which writes forever, and is BRIGHT.

Bright is how this ink starts - but it changes really fast to something more muted.

 

51 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The chroma appears bleached out.

Like the micro shows - the yellow and blue dyes are actually very pale - pastel-like. All the darkness comes from the oxidation process, as far as I can tell.

 

53 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Are the groans in response to the tough cleaning?  😝

Yes, anticipatory groans.

 

53 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

@LizEF, I love reading and watching these iron gall reviews!  And the story of course.

Thanks!

 

53 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Will you go through all of the Tintenlabor colors?

I received 6 in total - the maker thought there was no point in me trying any others as they would be too dry.  @yazeh got more since he makes art and uses multiple pens.  Still remaining from me (and coming in this order):

• Iron Gall Ink 1 Violet Blue / Black
• Iron Gall Ink 2 Dark Blue / Black
• Iron Gall Ink 3 Dark Blue / Black

56 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

(Trust, but verify.)

These days, it seems like "distrust until verified" is almost mandatory...

 

Much as I've enjoyed the Tintenlabor inks, I'm glad to be back to the poll - today I'll be recording my review of Noodler's Golden Brown, and then, thankfully, inking a "normal" ink so I can skip the water testing!

[Sailor Kenshin]

👏🏻 😎

[yazeh]

Great review @LizEF  

It is interesting when you see a review of an ink you've already done, discovering it under a new angle.  

I don't recall having the film problem, but then again, I'm so used to cleaning stubborn inks, that a lot of cleaning process step doesn't register. Between plastic cups filled with water, or vinegar and water, or pen jacuzzi it has become second nature Though I'm sure when I return back to non IG inks, I would ask myself why? 

I got the new version of Dark Green 2 and boy it's different from the original. The flow is amazing. So our review will not cross paths simultaneously:)

Your storyline is clever, very visual. It makes me imagine a Star Trek episode, where one person appears in colour....

It would also be amazing opportunity for an artist to juxtapose a grey environment to a color one like The Wizard of Oz.

Thanks for creating a gloveless review this week. 🙏🙏🙏 ( Probably Smoke borrowed it )

 

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Great review @LizEF  

Thanks!

 

2 minutes ago, yazeh said:

It is interesting when you see a review of an ink you've already done, discovering it under a new angle. 

Tell me about it!

 

2 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I don't recall having the film problem, but then again, I'm so used to cleaning stubborn inks, that a lot of cleaning process step doesn't register. Between plastic cups filled with water, or vinegar and water, or pen jacuzzi it has become second nature Though I'm sure when I return back to non IG inks, I would ask myself why? 

Like me and the "noises" in my videos - planes and cars are passing my house so often that I barely register them.  Only when the Apache helicopters buzz the neighborhood, making the whole house shake do I notice it.

 

4 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I got the new version of Dark Green 2 and boy it's different from the original. The flow is amazing. So our review will not cross paths simultaneously:)

Oh, glad to hear it!  I'm not 100% certain whether David will send me new samples or not.  I did tell him that 2mL is enough, should he wish to save a little.

 

5 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Your storyline is clever, very visual. It makes me imagine a Star Trek episode, where one person appears in colour....

Thanks!  I don't remember the ST episode, though my brain is claiming it sounds familiar...  I'll have to go look at an episode guide, or something.

 

[That 30-minute interruption in my reply was brought to you by Klaw, who decided this was a good time to come demand cuddles. After some kneading, instead of curling up on Meowmy's lap and occupying her left arm, he decided to claim her entire torso and right arm, basically resting his head on Meowmy's right shoulder. Smoke noticed and decided he needed cuddles to. One he had secured Meowmy's left side and arm, he proceeded with vigorous grooming of Klaw, until Klaw told him to back off! They then settled into a nap while Meowmy's arms slowly went numb. Thankfully, the streetsweeper is out today and the sound of his airbrakes made Klaw fear a delivery man was coming to the door, and off he went. Smoke decided the recliner looked like a good place to continue his nap and now my reply can continue - though they've lulled me into sleepiness and I'd really like to take a nap now...]

 

8 minutes ago, yazeh said:

It would also be amazing opportunity for an artist to juxtapose a grey environment to a color one like The Wizard of Oz.

All artists are welcome to attempt the scene - a bunch of grey people, a grey snek, and one not-grey Sphinx.

 

47 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for creating a gloveless review this week. 🙏🙏🙏

You're most welcome!  (I did add it part way through the review.)

 

48 minutes ago, yazeh said:

( Probably Smoke borrowed it )

Nope, Klaw's the one who finds it appealing perhaps because it's black, so he thinks it should be his...

[yazeh]

33 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks!  I don't remember the ST episode, though my brain is claiming it sounds familiar...  I'll have to go look at an episode guide, or something.

I wrote imagine and not actual  Star Trek Voyager had a monochromatic holodec environment, inspired by 1930s serial scifi movies, where the 

33 minutes ago, LizEF said:

[That 30-minute interruption in my reply was brought to you by Klaw, who decided this was a good time to come demand cuddles. After some kneading, instead of curling up on Meowmy's lap and occupying her left arm, he decided to claim her entire torso and right arm, basically resting his head on Meowmy's right shoulder. Smoke noticed and decided he needed cuddles to. One he had secured Meowmy's left side and arm, he proceeded with vigorous grooming of Klaw, until Klaw told him to back off! They then settled into a nap while Meowmy's arms slowly went numb. Thankfully, the streetsweeper is out today and the sound of his airbrakes made Klaw fear a delivery man was coming to the door, and off he went. Smoke decided the recliner looked like a good place to continue his nap and now my reply can continue - though they've lulled me into sleepiness and I'd really like to take a nap now...]

Those boys are spoiled.    

33 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

All artists are welcome to attempt the scene - a bunch of grey people, a grey snek, and one not-grey Sphinx.

 

Well, look what I found: A partially Grey Sphinx only with a purple environment

 

Dark Green 1

Purple Black 1

Gold Black

 

33 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Nope, Klaw's the one who finds it appealing perhaps because it's black, so he thinks it should be his...

Maybe he thinks it's a distant relative  

[LizEF]

34 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I wrote imagine and not actual  

Maybe my memory is remembering the good old days when all we had was a black-and-white TV...

 

35 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Star Trek Voyager had a monochromatic holodec environment, inspired by 1930s serial scifi movies

 

35 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Those boys are spoiled.    

I'm such a push-over.   But yesterday Klaw was a very bad boy - escaped (there had been another cat outside and I think he wanted to go challenge it - he was all flooffed) and scratched me in my attempt to catch him - but then a few minutes later let me pick him up and carry him back inside (though he tried mightily to get away, just without scratching).  Anywho, I think he wanted extra cuddles after me being mad at him yesterday.  Hopefully he doesn't get roundworms again.

 

38 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Well, look what I found: A partially Grey Sphinx only with a purple environment

 

43 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Maybe he thinks it's a distant relative  

Yeah, after yesterday, one I skinned!

[yazeh]

47 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Maybe my memory is remembering the good old days when all we had was a black-and-white TV...

Oh, then you're thinking of the original one to be time-appropriate   

47 minutes ago, LizEF said:

I'm such a push-over.   But yesterday Klaw was a very bad boy - escaped (there had been another cat outside and I think he wanted to go challenge it - he was all flooffed) and scratched me in my attempt to catch him - but then a few minutes later let me pick him up and carry him back inside (though he tried mightily to get away, just without scratching).  Anywho, I think he wanted extra cuddles after me being mad at him yesterday.  Hopefully he doesn't get roundworms again.

One thing I learned: don't touch a cat who is floofed. A bit of water goes a long way to calm things down, especially in a big syringe  

47 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Yeah, after yesterday, one I skinned!

 

[LizEF]

28 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Oh, then you're thinking of the original one to be time-appropriate   

Yes!

 

28 minutes ago, yazeh said:

One thing I learned: don't touch a cat who is floofed. A bit of water goes a long way to calm things down, especially in a big syringe  

Yeah.  Water would have made him run farther away. I used water on the other cat (which ran the opposite direction before Klaw could see).  Once I had the other cat gone on the other side of the house, I came back and started calling Klaw's name. By then he was unfloofed and mostly cooperative... He hates being held at all times, so he resisted, but didn't break out the claws.

 

I've been pondering catching this cat (it's always hanging around my house) and calling animal control every time I do.  Eventually they'll fine the owner.  I don't really like that idea, but I like my boys getting upset / trying to escape even less... (No win situation.)

 

Spoiler

Meanwhile, it's been a couple of hours since I reviewed Noodler's Golden Brown, and it's still not completely dry!! I've got a fan blowing on it...   Don't want to stick it on the scanner or under the microscope slide for line width until it's completely dry...  (What the heck is Nathan thinking - that we all use absorbent copy paper!? Ick!)

 

[yazeh]

@LizEF I  pour/ squirt water  at the vicinity and not at the animal. Just the sound of it is enough. There are some pricey fence options to keep cats in and out, or you can install motion activated sprinklers 

As for Golden Brown, that has been my experience with most shading Noodler's inks. This is the attribute I like less in inks, eternal dry times. I wonder if the shading attribute disappear if you use a blotter?

[LizEF]

5 minutes ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF I  pour/ squirt water  at the vicinity and not at the animal. Just the sound of it is enough. There are some pricey fence options to keep cats in and out, or you can install motion activated sprinklers 

Yeah, well, I can't afford the motion-activated sprinklers, and I have no problem spraying the cat with water - I want it to hate my property and associate it with bad things happening.

 

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

As for Golden Brown, that has been my experience with most shading Noodler's inks. This is the attribute I like less in inks, eternal dry times. I wonder if the shading attribute disappear if you use a blotter?

Yes, using a blotter does reduce the shading a bit.  (It took 3 hours for the review page to fully dry!)

[Sailor Kenshin]

9 hours ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF I  pour/ squirt water  at the vicinity and not at the animal. Just the sound of it is enough. There are some pricey fence options to keep cats in and out, or you can install motion activated sprinklers 

As for Golden Brown, that has been my experience with most shading Noodler's inks. This is the attribute I like less in inks, eternal dry times. I wonder if the shading attribute disappear if you use a blotter?

This is the inky attribute a certain southpaw hookwriter hates the most.  
 

Good luck with King Klaw training, @LizEF.

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

This is the inky attribute a certain southpaw hookwriter hates the most.  

Yes, unless you want to pretend like you have liver problems, this is not the ink for you!

 

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Good luck with King Klaw training, @LizEF.

Oh, he's fine.  I just have to be more careful when I open the front door (which is extremely rare anyway).  (It's the alien cat training that will be on-going.  I'm thinking manually running the sprinklers in zone 1 (where the cat usually shows up) will be most unpleasant for it.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Yes, unless you want to pretend like you have liver problems, this is not the ink for you!

 

Oh, he's fine.  I just have to be more careful when I open the front door (which is extremely rare anyway).  (It's the alien cat training that will be on-going.  I'm thinking manually running the sprinklers in zone 1 (where the cat usually shows up) will be most unpleasant for it.)

 

Ooo, if only you could turn it on from indoors.

[yazeh]

11 hours ago, LizEF said:

Yeah, well, I can't afford the motion-activated sprinklers, and I have no problem spraying the cat with water - I want it to hate my property and associate it with bad things happening.

Cats are stubborn, especially if they believe other cats' territory is theirs. There was this big, bully raccoon-sized cat that harassed ours. I put up a deer fence, but either it or some raccoon managed to make holes. I use the sprinkle, hose, voodoo curses, pepper... it was tough, until our neighbours left

11 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Yes, using a blotter does reduce the shading a bit.  (It took 3 hours for the review page to fully dry!)

3 hours in the desert. Boy, glad you're not in the tropics  

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Ooo, if only you could turn it on from indoors.

The (attached) garage is indoors enough.

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

I use the sprinkle, hose, voodoo curses, pepper... it was tough, until our neighbours left

🤔 So, I just need to find the owners and drive them away!

 

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

3 hours in the desert. Boy, glad you're not in the tropics  

More than you'll ever know!  (I cannot stand humidity - and bugs like to eat me! I think I'm in the only climate that solves both problems.)

[InesF]

Thank you, @LizEF, for this ig-ink review, for the B/W story part, for the microscopic landscape and for the cleaning demonstration! 

My first impression after @yazeh's review did not change: it is definitely an ink to have, although I would prefer even a little less iron content.

 

The story plot is highly inspiring - many references were already given. I like to add Schindlers list and Sin City. I can almost see some residual colours among the Grey crowd and I can imagine how coloured people may be the outsiders under a grey majority and vice-versa. However, I can't wait to read if either the grey is covering the native colours or if the native colours had been extracted. In the second case, the re-distribution of colours may not be precise .... I see the scientific challenge and see funny situations ahead.  

 

And, finally, a quote from real life, when my children like to refer to a time long past and relate it to the TV timescale: "... it was at a time when the world was only black and white ..." And then to me: "How did you feel when you were black and white only?"   

 

Looking forward to upcoming inspirations!  

... and to hints about how to create the infini ink drawer ...  

[LizEF]

5 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @LizEF, for this ig-ink review, for the B/W story part, for the microscopic landscape and for the cleaning demonstration! 

You're most welcome!

 

5 hours ago, InesF said:

My first impression after @yazeh's review did not change: it is definitely an ink to have, although I would prefer even a little less iron content.

My recommendation is to wait a little while - Tintenlabor has improved the formula and the inks flow better now. I'll be getting some new versions eventually.  In the meantime, you can work on using some of your existing inks to do a Jackson Pollock so your drawer has room!

 

5 hours ago, InesF said:

The story plot is highly inspiring - many references were already given. I like to add Schindlers list and Sin City. I can almost see some residual colours among the Grey crowd and I can imagine how coloured people may be the outsiders under a grey majority and vice-versa. However, I can't wait to read if either the grey is covering the native colours or if the native colours had been extracted. In the second case, the re-distribution of colours may not be precise .... I see the scientific challenge and see funny situations ahead.  

  (If only my science classes had been oriented this way - how science can inform the creation of magic systems, fantasy worlds/geography, etc.!  School would have been a lot more fun and a lot more useful!)

 

5 hours ago, InesF said:

And, finally, a quote from real life, when my children like to refer to a time long past and relate it to the TV timescale: "... it was at a time when the world was only black and white ..." And then to me: "How did you feel when you were black and white only?"   

Children say the darnedest things.  (I find it much worse when adults say obnoxious things like, "I was born in [some year after Liz finished college]."  It's just rude to point out that I'm at least one adulthood from college!

 

5 hours ago, InesF said:

Looking forward to upcoming inspirations!  

... and to hints about how to create the infini ink drawer ...  

Thank you!

...you will need some rare ingredients and at least one wizard...