Ink Review: Diamine Ancient Copper

[Chrissy]

My latest ink is Diamine Ancient Copper

I haven't used Diamine Ancient Copper for quite a while. I had a sample from Goulet's Ink drop ages ago, and it's an ink I never went back to after using the sample. I was surprised how much I really liked the colour, and wondered why I didn't have it in my collection. It's a rich dark copper colour with plenty of shading.

I am aware that some users have had a problem with Ancient Copper drying onto their nibs, so as soon as I received my sample, I filled my Lamy converter in my Lamy Next M pen and left it in there for a few days without using it. I didn't notice any ink on the nib when I came to write with it. I wonder if it depends on how airtight the caps are on the pens that are filled with it.

It wrote straight away without any hard starts or skipping. It lubricated the nib well enough, but the flow felt a little dry, as I couldn't see any moist ink as I was writing. However, despite this, it took longer to dry than I thought it would.

It's quite a water resistant ink. I could see the writing, even after several minutes, and though I blotted my water test with a piece of kitchen roll, the ink was still legible.


Although this isn't a waterproof ink, it shows quite good water resistance, as do many Diamine inks.
Bearing in mind the paper I use is thick with a shiny surface, and I used a Lamy F nib and 1.1mm nib, this ink took 18-20 secs to dry. That's slower than some other inks I've reviewed recently.
It felt a bit drier than some other inks I've reviewed, but still seemed to lubricate the nib well. I saw no skips or hard starts while I did swabs and dry time tests.
It is currently available in 80ml glass bottles or 30ml plastic bottles
Diamine (http://www.diamineinks.co.uk/listings.aspx?catid=14) sell it directly to end-users on their web-site.
It's a reasonable price.


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[ppmiranda]

The name really suits this ink. Thanks for the review.

[penwash]

Excellent ink review as usual.
This ink is one of my mainstay (in fact, I'm ordering a 80ml bottle in my next batch purchase from Vanness).
The first moment I saw a writing sample with this ink, I knew I have to have it.

What I like about this ink is that it instantly impart "ancient" look to my writing and sketches,
but it has more "punch" than a typical sepia-type colors.

[Chrissy]

......it has more "punch" than a typical sepia-type color.

Thank you. That's a great description of Ancient Copper.:)

[naimitsu]

I agree with your train of thought about why it crusts. I think if the ink remains moist, it won't crystallize and crust up. A buddy of mine had left Ancient Copper in his Jinhao for a couple weeks when it crusted up enough to lift the nib off of the feed. I think he didn't have more than a few drops left in the converter when it sat unused.

I think it is much like an overly bright, mischievous toddler. They're cute and adorable and do some rather entertaining things, but as soon as your attention wanders, *BAM* trouble!

[penwash]

I agree with your train of thought about why it crusts. I think if the ink remains moist, it won't crystallize and crust up. A buddy of mine had left Ancient Copper in his Jinhao for a couple weeks when it crusted up enough to lift the nib off of the feed. I think he didn't have more than a few drops left in the converter when it sat unused.

I think it is much like an overly bright, mischievous toddler. They're cute and adorable and do some rather entertaining things, but as soon as your attention wanders, *BAM* trouble!

This is strange, I have Ancient Copper in my TWSBI mini, a full month that I didn't touch it, when I use it again, no crust, no residue, nothing. Just writes as usual (or sketch, in this particular case).

I also have this ink in my Esterbrook, and it never "crust-up" there either.

[HoLmeslice]

I'm a fan of this ink. I just put it into my new ebonite Noodler's Konrad (Methuselah's Pine Cone variety, for those curious). Thanks for the review, Chrissy.

[Chrissy]

I have a few pens that always seem to dry out, no matter what ink I use in them, and others that never dry out. I will try Ancient Copper in a range of pens and report back. So far, I have not had a problem with this ink in any of my pens. :)

[LilDivette]

I've also recently rediscovered this color. Generally I prefer to use a converter in my FPs but I'm currently using the Diamine cartridges in Ancient Copper in my Kaweco Brass Sport with an EF nib. Loving it! No hard starts and it looks gorgeous on Tomoe River paper. I bought a box of 18 so it'll last for a while.

[fountainpagan]

THank you for the excellent review.

I love this color. Even with fine nibs there is a little shade coming out of it.

[Chrissy]

THank you for the excellent review.

I love this color. Even with fine nibs there is a little shade coming out of it.

You're welcome. :)

[DaveT]

Thanks for the review.I currently have it in my Twsbi mini, (fine nib) and it is one of my favorites and no problems so far.

[KKay]

I am glad you posted this. I have this sample, but have not tried it yet. I am almost through with all my sampling. I wanted to save a couple I was pretty sure I'd like for the end of the journey. From what you said about it, and what I can see, I believe I'm gonna like it!

[Pira]

I also have this ink in my Esterbrook, and it never "crust-up" there either.


I have often used this with my Esterbrook J (the copper brown one of course) and like yourself it just sits there waiting patiently, no problem.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Nice review, as always, Chrissy. I have this ink - it was one of the first inks I bought when I jumped on the fountain pen wagon, and it is currently in a Ranga pen with a Jowo 1.5 mm stub. Shades galore!

[Chrissy]

Nice review, as always, Chrissy. I have this ink - it was one of the first inks I bought when I jumped on the fountain pen wagon, and it is currently in a Ranga pen with a Jowo 1.5 mm stub. Shades galore!

You're welcome, and that's good to hear. :)

[benjitzu]

Thanks for your great review!

I LOVE THIS INK!

This is one of my all-time favorite inks, if not my absolute favorite. Since the day I received a sample, I have always had one of my pens inked with it. I ordered a bottle within 5 minutes of writing with the sample and am now on my second bottle.

This ink works best in a juicy nib no matter the size. One of my all-time favorite pairings is this ink in my Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age Maxi with medium nib (it writes more like a fine and I seem to be the only one on the planet who has experienced this with a Visconti nib haha). In the years I've been using this ink, not once have I expereinced the 'nib crud' some others have.

I'll say it again - I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this ink!

[Inkflow]

Has anyone tried this ink in a glass dip pen? I tend to prefer a dip pen with difficult inks.

[Chrissy]

When I'm writing ink reviews I use a J. Herbin glass dip pen to dip into inks in order to write the names of my comparison inks. However, Ancient Copper isn't a difficult ink so I regularly use it in many of my FP's :)

[Pterodactylus]

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/259fb5e6-8a21-42f5-a528-43fbc5b86e8d/dcs5ce7-080f2a6d-0b15-490d-b2af-9a7f8b8f29ae.jpg (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Henry-Ford-772872703)
Quote Henry Ford (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus/art/Quote-Henry-Ford-772872703) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.deviantart.com/ptero-pterodactylus) on DeviantArt

(Waterman 12 1/2 BCHR ..... Diamine Ancient Copper)

[calamus]

I like the color, but I've gotten horrible crud creep with this in the one pen I've tried it in so far, a vintage Parker Duofold. Normally, this pen works fine with other inks, but with Ancient Copper, brownish-blackish sludgelike stuff accumulates at the base of the nib, especially from between the nib and the feed where they meet the section, and also along the slit. When I cleaned it off, it was back after a few days. I'm going to limit my use of this ink to modern converter pens for short periods of time, making sure to flush whatever pen I use as soon as I'm done.

Here's a photo. Sorry I don't have a decent closeup lens.


https://i.imgur.com/7CB3aKX.jpg

[Chrissy]

There are several posts about inks that contain this particular dye forming stuff like this on FP nibs after a while. I also mention it on my original review sheet.

It's not mould, but merely the ink losing water and drying out back into it's original powder. If you like to use that colour ink maybe you should not fill your pen fully and use up the part fill quickly. Or only use it in pens that have more airtight caps.

[titrisol]

Thanks everyone,
I just bought a bottle, and loaded a Sheaffer XF
Color is nice, with some small variations (even with the XF)
Dries quick and pops out of the page.

Will keep an eye for crud

[titrisol]

PS 1
After a couple of weeks with this ink, I have to say that it works better in wet pens, where the ink can flow freely and find way to create shading
I used it in a Sheaffer XXF pen and it is orange; but in a M Sheaffer it ranges from orange to brown with accents and variations in the color

[Cyril]

I also have this ink. I never use any red and this ink in my vintage pens.
Basically any ink bottle that gives a dried crusty over the mouth of the rim (when you open the lid) tends to clog the section when leave unused. That is just an observation I found. So some red inks will have the pigment drying and this is the result of ""ancient copper" I guess.

[Monsoon]

My small sample of this remains unused. The crusting on the nib was way more annoying than my liking for the color, and so it does not get used much. Once it is gone it is gone. Perhaps autman oak would be a better choice?

[Chrissy]

Try it in a different pen first. All inks that contain that particular earth dye will cause the same effect.

[Monsoon]

Ta, will dig out some pens with other kinds of nibs. What do you mean by earth dye? I know nothing of chemistry so if the explanation is complex please water down accordingly! :)

[Chrissy]

All dye based fountain pen inks contain some sort of dye. Google is your friend for more information on dyes.

[Monsoon]

Ta again. Kind of shied away from Google expecting the explanation to be over my head.

[titrisol]

Earth dye is a dye that comes from clay, rocks, minerals, etc (i.e. from the earth)
I guess as compared to synthetic and plant based