Japanese Waterproof Inks

[solitaire]

There was a very useful exchange of posts about waterproof inks starting in 2006 and continuing to summer this year.

 

But I would like to add to this by mentioning the tests I have been doing on Japanese throwaway pens.

 

These pens contain liquid ink that survives dipping in water.

 

The inks in the Uniball pens (eg 'eye' micro) have been particularly good.

Pentel Pula Man had only very slight feathering.

Several gel pens of various brands were equally waterproof.

 

I wonder if these inks are soon going to become available in bottles.

Does anyone know more about them?

 

Solitaire

 

[Melnicki]

i'm making a guess, but i would imagine that you shouldn't be putting gel inks and rollerball inks (and such) in fountain pens because it might gunk up the feed. there might be an exception, but i'm not sure.

 

If you're suited with just using dip pens, then using India Ink is one of the best ways to get a waterproof ink (and it will work better with dip nibs than FP ink does, because FP ink is more runny.) You just can't put India ink in a FP (although I know one FPN'er who put some in a Pilot Varsity and reported no problems!)

 

 

[Siv]

There are three Japanese waterproof black inks on the market (in Japan):

 

Sailor Kiwagura,

http://ujuku.ath.cx/ujuku-shop/kaimono/fountain_pen/sailor/ink/Jpag/ink-30-2.jpg

 

Pilot Security

http://ujuku.jpn.ph/Kaimono/pen/ink-30-do.jpg

 

Platinum Carbon

http://www.nakaya.org/carbon_ink.jpg

[solitaire]

Thanks to you both

Are the bottled inks in the pix for FPs?

 

Although the throwaway pens that I have so far tested have some sort of ball tip (no magnifier with me on this trip) they are very fine 0.3-mm and the collector looks the same as one sees on FPs. And the visi panel shows a very liquid ink inside.

 

And these throwaway pens really get abused. Imagine your favorite FP hung on the wall of a heated supermarket for a couple of months after a trip across the Pacific and then the Atlantic too.

 

And they are abused in use too because the users treat them like the ballpoints with their oil-based inks.

 

Solitaire

Edited November 23, 2008 by solitaire

[Neill78]

When I saw a bottle of Pilot Security Ink in Japan this spring, it clearly said "do not use in fountain pens" on the box. Some people on the Web seem to have used it successfully in fountain pens, though it makes for some hard starting. If you're using throwaway pens then it might be worth a try.

 

The two carbon inks are fine; they are actually made specifically to be used in FPs. Sailor Kiwaguro is in my Lamy 2000 constantly.

 

Neill

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I am always very leery of these carbon based inks. What keeps the ones that don't use shellac liquid? I've smelled some of these carbon based inks, I'm not talking about the India Inks which contain shellac, and the odor is other than pleasing. Those inks are certainly not just a mixture of carbon particles and water. What keeps the carbon particles in suspension, anyone know?

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

On Pilot's website, it says that the Security ink is not for fountain pens.

 

Dillon

[pengoddess]

There was a very useful exchange of posts about waterproof inks starting in 2006 and continuing to summer this year.

 

But I would like to add to this by mentioning the tests I have been doing on Japanese throwaway pens.

 

These pens contain liquid ink that survives dipping in water.

 

The inks in the Uniball pens (eg 'eye' micro) have been particularly good.

Pentel Pula Man had only very slight feathering.

Several gel pens of various brands were equally waterproof.

 

I wonder if these inks are soon going to become available in bottles.

Does anyone know more about them?

 

Solitaire

 

There are many excellent Japanese waterproof inks, most are pigmented, most contain alcohol and other things that you do not want to put into your fountain pens, at least not pens that you want to hang on to and continue to use. Permanent & Waterproof markers, rollers, gels have been around for many years now, they're not a new thing, but they do seem to be continually improving.

 

Sam

[dcwaites]

I am always very leery of these carbon based inks. What keeps the ones that don't use shellac liquid? I've smelled some of these carbon based inks, I'm not talking about the India Inks which contain shellac, and the odor is other than pleasing. Those inks are certainly not just a mixture of carbon particles and water. What keeps the carbon particles in suspension, anyone know?

When particles are small enough, a phenomenon called Brownian Motion will do this.

 

 

[Neill78]

I am always very leery of these carbon based inks. What keeps the ones that don't use shellac liquid? I've smelled some of these carbon based inks, I'm not talking about the India Inks which contain shellac, and the odor is other than pleasing. Those inks are certainly not just a mixture of carbon particles and water. What keeps the carbon particles in suspension, anyone know?

 

Of the various carbon inks I've only used Sailor Kiwaguro so far, but I don't find it smells any worse than Parker Quink or other Sailor inks, which have a distinct smell. In fact I kind of like it, as it reminds me of the smell of sumi ink used for brush calligraphy, or sticks of charcoal for drawing. It's an art studio smell... much better than the chemical smell many other inks give off. Purely subjective, of course.

 

If the particles are small enough they should stay in suspension well. I've had Kiwaguro in my Lamy 2000 since May, no flushing, no cleaning... and it still works wonderfully. Probably my favorite ink. It's too bad carbon only comes in black!

 

Neill