Inks: Consistency and crud...

[stevekolt]

Need a little help from the experts here. Diamine Ancient Copper keeps depositing sludge on every nib and feed that I've tried it on, and a bottle of Private Reserve Orange Crush is thickening in the sealed bottle. Are these the norm with these inks? I love both of these colors but...

[mhosea]

Diamine Ancient Copper has been known to crud up the nib with dried ink. I've never seen it, but it's been reported often enough. No idea whether it is due to properties of different batches or if it is due to use in pens that do not seal properly, or perhaps it relates to how long a pen tends to remain uncapped at a time or something. Anyway, you'll find folks divided into two camps on that one: the ones who have gotten the buildup of dried ink on the nib and the ones who tend to wonder what the first group is "doing wrong". :)

I don't know anything the Diamine Ancient Copper problem. You might try diluting the ink slightly.

[Jon Szanto]

It seems I just mentioned this in another thread somewhere, and yes, many people, maybe most, and certainly myself included, have experienced more than creep but actual build up and crystallization of Ancient Copper in the nibs and feeds of pens. A simple Google image search brings up lots of photos. There are a few other orange/red inks that have been problematic, and I wonder if there are common dye components in the orange spectra that account for this. I have no clue, myself.

So, anyway, here's just one random example:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6721127831_e6d11916ba.jpg

[stub]

I have had the crud (haha) Ancient Copper and Matador. The only inks that have given me crud are on red/orange/brown side of the spectra which leads me to believe that this is a common problem with those dyes that you say, don't get on the blue side of the spectra. Some formulations seem to overcome it with humectants and surfactants and some not.

Normally the dried up crud on the nib would be an instant deal breaker for me. Ancient Copper is an exception. I know eventually it is going to harden and crust over on my nib. I use it anyway as I love the color. I clean after each filling and just use it in non-vintage pens. I try to fill the pen and keep it moving. So far it really hasn't done much but make my pen look ugly on occasion. If it was terrible I would just use it in a preppy or a cheap pen but so far it has just been a gross and a minor nuisance. Man I love that color though. Goodness.

[Jon Szanto]

Yes, in spite of the mess and grunginess, it does seem to be pretty benign, and cleans out/up with not too much effort. While the ink has gone through (I think!) three versions, my first bottle of J. Herbin Rouge Hematite (original formula) would do this, also.

[Marsilius]

Ancient Copper crud is a gentle, loving crud. Easy to wipe off, and not asbad as toejam. Nibjam?