EFNIR: Parker Quink Permanent Royal Blue (vintage)

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Parker Quink Permanent Royal Blue (vintage)

This is review #364 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: This ink was gifted to me by a generous FPNer. While it is a vintage ink (possibly from the 1940s), it is apparently not difficult to find, nor excessively expensive. If I have to use a "royal blue", I choose this one - it's more like a blue black! The ink is over-saturated in the video (too blue, should be a little greyed).

The slide had many patterns we've seen before, but did not have the silt / cloud bank pattern common to pigmented inks (and Noodler's where it's the binder that makes this pattern). No idea why it doesn't or how it achieves its permanence. It does have the same chemical odor as Noodler's Bad Blue Heron (and perhaps others, but I remember this one), so I'll be interested to see that under the microscope whenever I get to it.

Sheen from this nib wasn't strong enough to photograph-you can barely see it when going to look for it.

Cleaning was quick and easy with plain water, but required a swab in a couple places where there was dried ink.

Erratum: There's a "t" missing, and an "s".

Zoomed in photo (This is very close to the actual color.)

Screenshot (Text is a little too dark.)

Scan of Completed Review (Also very close to the actual color.)

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (Ink is a little too dark.)

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 312µm. With 364 inks measured, the average line width is 298µm.)

Swatch card comparison (Colors are a little too dark and saturated.)

Microscope image (400x. Actual color should be a baby blue - very pastel.)

Microscope image (400x. Actual color should be a baby blue - very pastel.)

Microscope image (400x. Actual color should be a baby blue - very pastel.)

Microscope image (400x. Actual color should be a baby blue with some purple - very pastel.)

Water Test Results (Text is too dark, smeared ink should be a brighter blue-more like royal blue.)

Previous Review: Robert Oster Orlando Sunrise.

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. Or read Part 8: The Ice Fields Adventure.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[InkyProf]

I like that! My only vintage ink is a Parker Quink "Washable Blue" dateable to the 1950s by its packaging, which I picked up on a whim, and don't really like to write with -- it's simply a little too light for my tastes. I, too, am curious how "permanent" inks of this era acquired their permanence and will be interested to see whether any specialists in... what field? "historical chemistry?" ...will chime in.

[LizEF]

3 minutes ago, InkyProf said:

I like that! My only vintage ink is a Parker Quink "Washable Blue" dateable to the 1950s by its packaging, which I picked up on a whim, and don't really like to write with -- it's simply a little too light for my tastes. I, too, am curious how "permanent" inks of this era acquired their permanence and will be interested to see whether any specialists in... what field? "historical chemistry?" ...will chime in.

 It's possible that in this case, "permanent" simply means "not washable" - I don't know.  This is my first vintage ink, gifted to me, and I've never made any effort to research vintage inks (they don't interest me, given the sheer number of lovely current inks available), so others are going to have to chime in if we're to learn more.    I'll simply say I was surprised by how well it worked and it leads me to conclude that one needn't "fear" vintage inks - at least, not the vintage Parkers, which seem the most commonly referenced (perhaps along with Sheaffer).

[Sailor Kenshin]

An oceanic, fluffy-cloud wonderland that turns into a hairball.  

I have/had this ink, but a modern version. It was the first ink bottle I drained dry. I also have Shin-kai. But can't recall if Shin changes color from this to that.

There may be iron gall in Royal's formulation… these tend to dry grayish when old. (Perhaps that's the cause of the groans and whizbangs.)

Crossing my fingers for our heroes! ❄️ 🐍 ⛺️
 

Thanks, @LizEF, for magically brightening our Tuesdays.

 

[LizEF]

38 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

An oceanic, fluffy-cloud wonderland that turns into a hairball.  

 There was a lot going on under that cover-slip.

 

38 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I have/had this ink, but a modern version. It was the first ink bottle I drained dry. I also have Shin-kai. But can't recall if Shin changes color from this to that.

There may be iron gall in Royal's formulation… these tend to dry grayish when old. (Perhaps that's the cause of the groans and whizbangs.)

 It seems unlikely there's be iron gall - if so, it surely would have oxidized and created solids by now.  But dyes (and even pigments) can change with age.

 

39 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Crossing my fingers for our heroes! ❄️ 🐍 ⛺️

 

39 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks, @LizEF, for magically brightening our Tuesdays.

You're most welcome!

[yazeh]

Great review @LizEF.  I really like this soothing blue-black. Is this your type of blue-black? or is too pale?

I like it most on copy paper. 

I like the story line where hero has to debate personal debt, guilt, life of friends, and saving another life? It is said that if you save one life, you save the world. Quin and his friends have taken life to save the world and saved Quin's father. I doubt if the universe / creator is an accountant.  

 

You were right about your reasoning about the ink not to be IG. Another way, is just touch the ink. IG inks on skin have metallic, rusty feel to them.

 

I'm going to be a pain again, if you B or U the line measure, it would make it easier for "me" to read: : roughly 312µm. Too many numbers confuses my brain.  🙏 

 

Those microscopic are so beautiful. I love the description how pigment inks create cloud patterns. 🙏

 

Thanks bringing this vintage ink back to life. To think this ink was created during WW2, makes me feel the weight of history.

 

Thanks for bringing magic to this cold-ish winter-looking-outside fall day. 🙏🙏🙏

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

There may be iron gall in Royal's formulation…

A second party on another forum has said that this is absolutely iron gall.  I don't know more, and it seems interesting that there was no sign of settling or solids, but then, I only know what I was told about the ink...  At this point, I'm just adding info.  

[LizEF]

23 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Great review @LizEF.

Thanks!

 

23 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I really like this soothing blue-black. Is this your type of blue-black? or is too pale?

It's OK.  Too little black for my preference.

 

23 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I like it most on copy paper. 

Yes, it's darker there.

 

24 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I like the story line where hero has to debate personal debt, guilt, life of friends, and saving another life? It is said that if you save one life, you save the world. Quin and his friends have taken life to save the world and saved Quin's father. I doubt if the universe / creator is an accountant.  

Thanks!    Fiction is a nice safe place to explore these things, and long days of trudging in the cold tend to lead to deep thoughts...

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You were right about your reasoning about the ink not to be IG. Another way, is just touch the ink. IG inks on skin have metallic, rusty feel to them.

I'm not sure my bone-dry skin would be capable of telling the difference, though I tried it and it didn't feel metallic or rusty.  I just posted about a second person thinking it's iron gall.  No idea whether there are some old Parkers that are and others that aren't or what.

 

28 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I'm going to be a pain again

 

28 minutes ago, yazeh said:

if you B or U the line measure, it would make it easier for "me" to read: : roughly 312µm. Too many numbers confuses my brain.  🙏 

For some of the sites where I post, this would be easy.  This one would require me to do it manually every time - my memory isn't that good.  And YouTube and Instagram have no way to do it at all.  So how about a compromise? I'll format it like this:

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

Line width (Roughly 312µm. Measured from the "I" in "Ink:". Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each. With 364 inks measured, the average line width is 298µm.)

Then it's the first thing and you can ignore all the other numbers.  Will that work?

 

32 minutes ago, yazeh said:

 Who could say no to that sweet kitty!?

 

32 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Those microscopic are so beautiful. I love the description how pigment inks create cloud patterns. 🙏

Yeah, I couldn't help myself - had to include them all.  The last one is my favorite.

 

33 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks bringing this vintage ink back to life. To think this ink was created during WW2, makes me feel the weight of history.

You're most welcome!  I didn't really think about it while using it - silly me - was in auto-mode - but I was using an ink that was older than I am!

 

33 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for bringing magic to this cold-ish winter-looking-outside fall day. 🙏🙏🙏

 Gladly!

[Sailor Kenshin]

All I know is that my bottle of Pelikan Blue Black (old issue, definitely IG) eventually turned into a gray color.

 

(Then I mixed it with the dregs of Pel Turquoise.  Now it's green, but still Gallic).  😹

[yazeh]

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

It's OK.  Too little black for my preference.

I never thought I would here that from you.  

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thanks!    Fiction is a nice safe place to explore these things, and long days of trudging in the cold tend to lead to deep thoughts...

Indeed, fiction is a landscape to explore our psyche.

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

I'm not sure my bone-dry skin would be capable of telling the difference, though I tried it and it didn't feel metallic or rusty.  I just posted about a second person thinking it's iron gall.  No idea whether there are some old Parkers that are and others that aren't or what.

Yep. I read @Ron Z's post. I did a deep research with ChatGPT and found an article that analyzes Parker Quink Black Permanent ink

https://www.scribd.com/document/446902589/Chemical-Composition-of-a-Fountain-Pen-Ink

I can post the whole reasoning, if you want, as I'm not a chemist I cannot verify if 'GPT has got it right, but here is the conclusion: 

1940s Parker Quink Permanent Royal Blue isn’t a classic oak-gall manuscript ink, but it isn’t completely iron-free either. Chemical analysis of vintage Quink shows ~1% iron(II) sulfate, compared to 15–20% in traditional iron-gall inks. That small amount of Fe²⁺, plus the ink’s acidity and sulfates, is enough to corrode steel nibs over time and to leave a brown ghost line after the blue dyes fade in light. In conservation terms it’s a low-iron, dye-based “iron-gallotannate” fountain-pen ink: much gentler than historic IG, but not as benign as modern purely dye-based inks.

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

For some of the sites where I post, this would be easy.  This one would require me to do it manually every time - my memory isn't that good.  And YouTube and Instagram have no way to do it at all.  So how about a compromise? I'll format it like this:

Then it's the first thing and you can ignore all the other numbers.  Will that work?

Yes, that's perfect.  

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 Who could say no to that sweet kitty!?

 

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

Yeah, I couldn't help myself - had to include them all.  The last one is my favorite.

Glad you did.

44 minutes ago, LizEF said:

You're most welcome!  I didn't really think about it while using it - silly me - was in auto-mode - but I was using an ink that was older than I am!

 

I believe ink reviews go beyond us. We see, or feel stuff when reviewing, but we're too busy doing. Then when the review is done and posted, others comment and see the "invisible".

 

[LizEF]

56 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

All I know is that my bottle of Pelikan Blue Black (old issue, definitely IG) eventually turned into a gray color.

 

(Then I mixed it with the dregs of Pel Turquoise.  Now it's green, but still Gallic).  😹

  This ink still has some of its blue, but it's really only royal blue when wet.

[LizEF]

8 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I never thought I would here that from you.  

 Well, I like my blue-blacks to be quite dark.

 

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I did a deep research with ChatGPT and found an article...

Wonderful!  Thank you!

 

10 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Yes, that's perfect.  

 Excellent!  Code already updated and the three already-scheduled reviews have had their YT description text updated.

 

11 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I believe ink reviews go beyond us. We see, or feel stuff when reviewing, but we're too busy doing. Then when the review is done and posted, others comment and see the "invisible".

 Another reason why the interactions are the best part of reviewing.

[Sailor Kenshin]

2 hours ago, yazeh said:

Great review @LizEF.  I really like this soothing blue-black. Is this your type of blue-black? or is too pale?

I like it most on copy paper. 

I like the story line where hero has to debate personal debt, guilt, life of friends, and saving another life? It is said that if you save one life, you save the world. Quin and his friends have taken life to save the world and saved Quin's father. I doubt if the universe / creator is an accountant.  

 

You were right about your reasoning about the ink not to be IG. Another way, is just touch the ink. IG inks on skin have metallic, rusty feel to them.

 

I'm going to be a pain again, if you B or U the line measure, it would make it easier for "me" to read: : roughly 312µm. Too many numbers confuses my brain.  🙏 

 

Those microscopic are so beautiful. I love the description how pigment inks create cloud patterns. 🙏

 

Thanks bringing this vintage ink back to life. To think this ink was created during WW2, makes me feel the weight of history.

 

Thanks for bringing magic to this cold-ish winter-looking-outside fall day. 🙏🙏🙏

 

Awwww, KITTEH!  💝

[yazeh]

10 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Awwww, KITTEH!  💝

 

[yazeh]

@LizEF thanks. The interaction is the fun part.

 

[LizEF]

7 minutes ago, yazeh said:

 

 

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF thanks. The interaction is the fun part.

[knarflj]

Whoa, those microscope images are gorgeous!  I like the colour, but fortunately I already have and like Shin Kai, so don't feel any pressure to dive down the vintage ink hole.   Thanks for the review and the story.  I do hope our intrepid friends can find the Professor quickly!

[inkstainedruth]

OOOH!  Thanks for reminding me I think I may have a bottle of this someplace in a box (not sure if what I have is the "permanent" formula or not).  

And here I was just thinking that I hadn't used any of the vintage 51 Aeros for a while....  Now I have an (additional) excuse! 

@yazeh That video is ADORABLE! 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

35 minutes ago, knarflj said:

Whoa, those microscope images are gorgeous!

 

36 minutes ago, knarflj said:

 I like the colour, but fortunately I already have and like Shin Kai, so don't feel any pressure to dive down the vintage ink hole.

I like the color, but not enough to buy a bottle of anything - I have tons of samples in this range.

 

36 minutes ago, knarflj said:

Thanks for the review and the story. 

You're most welcome!   

 

37 minutes ago, knarflj said:

 I do hope our intrepid friends can find the Professor quickly!

 We can't leave the professor to freeze!  (Or can we....? Bwahahaha.  You'll just have to tune in next time.  And the time after, and....)

[LizEF]

37 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

OOOH!  Thanks for reminding me I think I may have a bottle of this someplace in a box (not sure if what I have is the "permanent" formula or not).  

 You're most welcome.  Sometimes, ink you already have is the best ink!

 

38 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

And here I was just thinking that I hadn't used any of the vintage 51 Aeros for a while....  Now I have an (additional) excuse! 

Bonus!