Tintenlabor – Dark Blue 2 (New Formula)

[yazeh]

Tintenlabor – Dark Blue 2 – (New formula)

(Eisengallustinte 2, dunkelblau / schwarz)

 Ink Review # 188

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🧾 Description

 

Tintenlabor is a Swiss ink company specializing in Iron Gall inks. What differentiates this ink from other brands is that you would know the iron content. 

 

The samples were sent to me by the Ink-Mesiter, David. 

 

This is the new formula of Dark Blue 2, a Blue Black iron gall with 4 gr/l iron content and low dye. I haven't tested the old formula, so I cannot compare them. But this is a wet ink with below-average lubrication. With Kakuno, it was lovely to write with Safari, depending on the nib sizes.  

 

On most papers I tested, the ink oxidized immediately from light blue to blue-black/ grey and finally charcoal. Midori was the only exception, and it took 12 hours. 

 

As with iron gall inks, it's best to clean them directly with a diluted vinegar solution (to make your life easier). Never use ammonia-based cleaning solutions to clean iron gall inks. 

 

 

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 🧪 Chroma

 

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 ✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

Rhodia  / Iroful

 

 

Midori  /Tomoe River 68gsm

Midori scan is off. Check photo below.

Hammermill 20lb  

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 📸 Photo

8 days later 

Hammermill, Rhodia/ Iroful

 

Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm

 

Oxidation in real time:  Note how the color slowly oxidizes on Midori. 

 

Closeup, Rhodia (top) - iroful - 8 days later

 

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 🔍 Comparison

 

 

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 💧 Water Test

 

 

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 🎨 Artwork

Complicity

Tintenlabor, Violet Blue / Dark Blue 2, Talens Mixed Media Paper

 

 

Nap

 

 

Where do we go now?

Lamy Safari Stub 1.1 - Talens Mixed Media Paper

 

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- Pens Used:  Pilot Kakuno EF,  Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Noodler's Nib Creaper with a Waterman W2 vintage flex nib

- What I Liked: ·  Colour, oxidation from royal blue to blue black

- What I Did Not Like: If I want to nitpick, it's the cleaning. 

- What Some Might Not Like: Iron gall ink, lower than average lubrication.  

- Writing Experience:  Excellent with most pens.

- Pros: Lovely oxidation, well-behaved,  water-resistant. 

- Cons:  IG ink

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading:  Yes. 

- Ghosting:  Yes, on cheap paper. 

- Bleed Through:  Yes, on thin, cheap paper.

- Flow Rate:  Wet

- Lubrication:  Below average, but decent with most pens, 

- Nib Dry-out:  Did not notice.

- Start-up: Excellent.

- Saturation:  Gorgeous.

- Sheen:  No. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line:  Did not notice.

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen):  Iron residue was in the converter and section. Q-tip and vinegar are a must. 

- Clogging:  No.

- Cleaning:  Flush dye away, then soak in diluted white vinegar and rinse.

- Water Resistance:  Excellent. 

 

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 🛒 Availability

 

- [ ] Available in 30/50 ml bottle directly from https://tintenlabor.mycommerce.shop/products/eisengallustinte-2-dunkelblau-schwarz

 

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 💬 Closing

 

This is another excellent colour from Tintenlabor, a darker, low dye, medium iron content. Excellent choice for those needing nice waterproof ink, like IG inks, who use their pen regularly, and don't mind high-maintenance inks.

 

No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review. ;) 

Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. :)  

 

 

 

[LizEF]

Great job, @yazeh!  That water-test image makes me laugh out loud!

 

Good quotes.  I especially like that last one.

 

Love the drawings, especially "Where do we go now?" - the poses really capture the title of it, along with all the emptiness around them.

 

Thanks for all the hard work, and sharing your talents with us!

[yazeh]

32 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Great job, @yazeh!  That water-test image makes me laugh out loud!

Thanks! That was one of the inspired ones  

32 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Good quotes.  I especially like that last one.

I like that one too. I tried to repeat the same quote for all the blue IGs.  

 

32 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Love the drawings, especially "Where do we go now?" - the poses really capture the title of it, along with all the emptiness around them.

🙏 

32 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks for all the hard work, and sharing your talents with us!

Much appreciated, as I enjoy your storytelling extravaganza.   

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for the update, for the fascinating real-time oxidation photos and for your stunning artwork. I like the sleeping cat the most! 

 

This ink supports my initial thoughts about the (for me) preferred iron amount. The fresh ink has a colour I like quite a bit!  

 

Thank you for all the effort you put in this.  Looking forward to your next review!

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for the update, for the fascinating real-time oxidation photos and for your stunning artwork. I like the sleeping cat the most! 

Thank you so much for your kind, and encouraging words. 🙏

6 hours ago, InesF said:

 

This ink supports my initial thoughts about the (for me) preferred iron amount. The fresh ink has a colour I like quite a bit!  

There are two others left, which I just finished reviewing. They are somewhat different, with different degrees of oxidation. I took the time to take photos. @LizEF videos cans how this off better, if she has the patience, inclination and time to do a written line of each on Iroful paper. It's the paper that reacts immediately with IG inks, unlike Midori.

6 hours ago, InesF said:

 

Thank you for all the effort you put in this.  Looking forward to your next review!

A pleasure.

 

[LizEF]

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF videos cans how this off better, if she has the patience, inclination and time to do a written line of each on Iroful paper. It's the paper that reacts immediately with IG inks, unlike Midori.

I'll try it.   (Assuming I survive until Tuesday.  My house has decided to have 4 plumbing problems at once and for some reason, plumbing requires contortion to work on - or lots of money to pay someone else to contort...)

[yazeh]

10 minutes ago, LizEF said:

I'll try it.   (Assuming I survive until Tuesday.  My house has decided to have 4 plumbing problems at once and for some reason, plumbing requires contortion to work on - or lots of money to pay someone else to contort...)

I'm sorry to hear that.   Good luck with the plumbing. Pity, your boys can't be trained as plumbers. They would be perfect for the job.  Now, if mine could wash the dishes from time to time, with gloves, of course.   

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I'm sorry to hear that.   Good luck with the plumbing.

Thanks!  YouTube + Home Depot (plus growing up with a dad who was happy to teach me the same things he taught my brothers) often means a lot of money saved.  Hopefully the remaining two problems are easy to fix.

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Pity, your boys can't be trained as plumbers. They would be perfect for the job.

Amen!

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Now, if mine could wash the dishes from time to time, with gloves, of course.   

First she'd have to overcome her disdain for water!  Klaw runs away as soon as I turn on the faucet - and I've never once used water to "discipline" him - he just hates getting "splashed".

[yazeh]

20 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks!  YouTube + Home Depot (plus growing up with a dad who was happy to teach me the same things he taught my brothers) often means a lot of money saved.  Hopefully the remaining two problems are easy to fix.

My Dad didn't have the patience; lucky you.  

20 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

First she'd have to overcome her disdain for water!  Klaw runs away as soon as I turn on the faucet - and I've never once used water to "discipline" him - he just hates getting "splashed".

Maybe I should train her first with vacuuming. 

 

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

Maybe I should train her first with vacuuming.