Choosing Ink for the fountain pen.

[John in Covina]

Jaded shading.

If a pen has ink in it but is not used for a while the ink can be concentrated and write darker at the beginning. On the other side if the pen is dry and you dip it in some water to get it started the ink can be watered down and look thinner.

To the collector, shading is the action of the ink as the tines flex and seperate with a flexible nib. Although for stub and italic nibs and overly broad nibs shading can be a function of the flow of the ink across the tip.

 

[John in Covina]

Ultimate ink Sampler Here

See if you can follow this link:

http://www.inksampler.com/

Wow, Man! Colors, I see colors! Groovy!

Flashbacks from the 60's, man!

Wooooooa!

 

[scotrace]

Inks

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I love that Pelikan Blue-Black.

 

[John in Covina]

Q-tip swab

Sometimes to test an ink and show the color the user can take a Q-tip and just dip the tip in the ink and swab some paper with it. I think it can show the density of the ink better.

 

[Harp]

Ink

If you are an attorney and use a fountain pen, only blood will do.lol

 

[John in Covina]

Possible Ink Exchange

Well, we are looking at doing an Ink Exchange at the next Southern California Pen Collectors Club meeting. Probably in January 2007. The idea is: as pen nuts we tend to try out different inks and in the process come up with some colors that just don't float your boat so to speak. With that in mind we are looking at everyone that has a least favorite ink in the original bottle, brings it in and has a sheet of paper with sample of the ink in writing and a swab with the q-tip on some decent paper. THen maybe like some sordid sort of X-mas Gift exchange we draw to see who goes first in selecting from the accumulated naff inks. Any remaining and unclaimed inks goes into a big bottle in an attempt to create: "The Ink From Hell!"

Inky fingers!

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

I used to mix my own dark green from green and black Parker ink. These days I confine myself to plain black.

 

[Barry]

Noodler's Legal Lapis... To me it has sort of a blue black with (according to the seller) a vintage look about it.

I ordered some for my refillable ink ball pen (MEGA).

Legal Lapis at Pendemonium

Barry

 

[John in Covina]

Noodler's Legal Lapis... To me it has sort of a blue black with (according to the seller) a vintage look about it. I ordered some for my refillable ink ball pen (MEGA). Legal Lapis at Pendemonium Barry

Wow Barry, that Mega ball pen is really classic looking. In the japanese caligraphy pens they have a version that uses a brush instead of a nib.

The Legal Lapis i got seems to have a greenish cast to it, not much black as a blue black would have. Works well 'though. Just the thing for writing checks and signing contracts!

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Or in English:

This is Mont Blanc's blue-black, which I've been using for the last few months, through my fine-nibbed Cross. I find that it flows very nicely, and I'm rather fond of the colour.

 

[John in Covina]

Duke Inks

Vroman's in Pasadena has some Duke inks for sale. Their black was considered a super ink in the black category.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

My mother recently told me that when she was a schoolgirl in the 1950s, the "cool" color was "Peacock Blue," though she couldn't remember who the manufacturer was. Perhaps, in those days, it was a local Philadelphia stationary store.

 

[Barry]

My mother recently told me that when she was a schoolgirl in the 1950s, the "cool" color was "Peacock Blue," though she couldn't remember who the manufacturer was. Perhaps, in those days, it was a local Philadelphia stationary store.

HJ,

What a coincidence. I was in a pen store today and talked to the owner. He let me test an ink called "Nantucket Blue." It's an ink specially blended by Noodler's for Swisher Pens. He said if I showed it to my parents they would probably recognize it as "Schaffer Peacock Blue" from their school days.

Here are some links of reviews of Nantucket Blue and Schaffer Peacock Blue.

Swisher Nantucket Blue

Vintage Schaffer Scrip

Barry

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Barry, I knew you were a good man when I met you in New York!

Thank you very much for posting those links.

I must say, that peacock blue is actually a very interesting color. I am more partial to the royal blues, but I see why it was popular.

Thanks again, My Friend.

 

[John in Covina]

Ink for Lefties

Hi All!

I am swinging thru my editions of Pen World International looking for an article I had read about a trip to Italy and came across another article with a piece of ink info.

The is a nice place on line called the Ink Palette which specialized in fountain pen only inks. The lady had suggested Namiki Blue or Black for lefties as a quick drying ink when using a fine point and absorbant paper.

I have Namiki Blue and like it.

Sincerely,

 

[Barry]

I have Swisher's Nantucket Blue and it's quick drying. I can sign my name and then run a finger over it and it will not smear. For me, a quick to fairly quick drying ink is essential. I never thought I would be able to use a fountain pen but thanks to Pen Haven I am using one now. I have to write slower which actually improves my handwriting. A quick drying ink + a pen with a fine to medium-fine STIFF nib is perfect.

Barry

 

[Hemingway Jones]

.

I was in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum today and they have a many of her letters, and letters to her, on displace. Many of these are written in an ink that is, or has faded to, a sort of rich sepia color.

Does anyone have any idea if there is an ink that replicates this vintage look?

 

[moustache]

Not sure...

I was in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum today and they have a many of her letters, and letters to her, on displace. Many of these are written in an ink that is, or has faded to, a sort of rich sepia color.

Does anyone have any idea if there is an ink that replicates this vintage look?

But i have been using Private Reserve's Copper Burst.It gives that slightly sepia/copper colour and dries very fast.
Here is a link to the colour:
http://www.privatereserveink.com/colors.html

The bottle typically costs around $7 to $9 depending.

Hope this helps.

JD

 

[Hemingway Jones]

.

Likes right to my eye, Old Sport.

I much appreciate it.