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View Full Version : Iron Gall Inks - How concerned should I be?



dowdyism
April 30th, 2013, 03:49 AM
As I fall deeper into the inkwell I am finding that my favorite colors are the blue black inks. Especially attractive to my eyes are some of the iron gall inks: Diamine Registrars, R&K Salix, among others. I am wondering how much extra TLC you give your pens that you use iron gall inks in?

Put it this way: Would you load your favorite pen with an iron gall ink and be worried about it in any way?

kaisnowbird
April 30th, 2013, 07:46 AM
I use two bottles of iron gall ink - Montblanc Midnight Blue and Parker Quink Blue Black.

The Quink was purchased in 1999 and after a while got left in the deep end of a drawer forgotten for 13 years until it was rediscovered late last year. It is now very concentrated and very intense, nearly black, which I love!

Would I load them in my favourite pen? It depends on how easy it is to clean that pen. I would only put iron gall ink in a pen whose nib unit can be easily taken apart for cleaning (eg. Lamy 2000, any TWSBI, Parker Sonnet, etc) and keep them away from pens much harder to dissemble (eg. Montblanc 146, Parker 51, etc) It's mostly for peace of mind. They won't clog my pens if left unused for a few days, but just in case, you know. The only extra TLC is that I clean iron-gall filled pens very thoroughly before putting it away.

A couple of other things may be relevant:
- I mostly use modern pens and
- I rotate my inks and pens very frequently.

Overall, I would say that I'd gladly use iron gall ink, but I'm always very conscious of the fact that I'm using them.

Uncle Red
April 30th, 2013, 10:21 AM
I use both those inks regularly. I have RI in my Sheaffer Dolphin desk pen at work and if it starts acting up a bit it gets a quick flush and that's it, about every 3rd or 4th fill. The Sheaffer NoNonsense is filled with RI as an Eyedropper and it has acted up a but it's been filled a few times and used this way for about a year, it'll get flushed when it runs dry. I have used RI in a few vintage flex nibbed pens and I just flushed them well when they ran dry. The big issue is interactions with other inks so just flush well. Iron gall inks were standard business inks through the 40's so the pens can take it. I keep Salix in my TWSBI 540, 2 fills at least with no flushing or trouble.
Both inks work well with flex nibs and italics. Do yourself a favor and try Scabiosa too.

dowdyism
May 1st, 2013, 02:24 AM
Great info - thanks to both of you! Time to order some inks. :)

jde
May 1st, 2013, 06:49 AM
Hey Brad!
I've dedicated a single pen to the stuff: I'm using Chesterfield Archival Vault (Diamine Registrars ink repackaged) in my Pilot Heritage 92. That's a piston filling pen, in case you don't know. When I put the pen away, I flush it with JB's Pen Flush (too lazy to make my own ammonia dilution solution!) I just make sure not to leave the IG in the pen if I'm not using it for more than a couple of days.

People who don't like to clean their pens, or don't write a lot with their pens probably should stay away from the whole range of high maintenance inks. Don't know what others will say: but I would not use IG in a pen that had gold trim on the nib section. Reason: I got a hand-me-down pen someone regularly used IG in, and the nib ring was totally corroded. Nib was fine, though!

Have sampled just a few of the IGs...I really like the performance and color of the Registrar's Ink.

Enjoy. Don't be scared!
--Julie

P.S. I haven't flushed between ink refilling...unless I change to a different type of ink. I think Uncle Red's practice is good to follow.

woosang
May 1st, 2013, 07:28 AM
Wait Mont Blanc Midnight blue is IG?

drgoretex
May 1st, 2013, 07:44 AM
I use almost exclusively iron galls. I need inks that are permanent and yet do not show through, and the iron gall inks are excellent this way. Diamine Registrar's is my number one go-to ink, but I also often use R&K Salix, ESS Registrar's Ink, the old Lamy Blue-Black, and a couple of Pharmacist's iron galls (Urkundentinte and Darkening Absinthe).

I tend to use them mostly in my converter-fillers, as they are easiest to clean and flush. However, I do use them as well in my Pelikans, as the Pel piston fillers are dead easy to clean.

I try not to leave them inked for more than a couple of days without a rinse, and when I de-ink pens to take them out of rotation (or to change inks), I clean them very, very thoroughly. Occasionally I have left a pen inked a bit too long and find the ink flow slowing a bit. All I do then is clean it thoroughly, then give a it a good rinse with dilute vinegar (not a soak, just rinse) to dissolve any iron deposit, and then with windex to clean out any pigment deposit, then once again with clean water. This is a cleaning tip I picked up from another i-g ink user on another forum, which I have found to work very well, and restores the ink flow beautifully.

Ken

drgoretex
May 1st, 2013, 07:47 AM
Wait Mont Blanc Midnight blue is IG?

My understanding is that MB Midnight does contain i-g, though not nearly so much as some other i-g inks. If you do a water test on this ink, you will find a large part of the line washes away, though a readable line is left (as compared to some of the other i-g inks, like ESS Registrar's, which runs very little with water)

Ken

Laura N
May 1st, 2013, 08:01 AM
As I fall deeper into the inkwell I am finding that my favorite colors are the blue black inks. Especially attractive to my eyes are some of the iron gall inks: Diamine Registrars, R&K Salix, among others. I am wondering how much extra TLC you give your pens that you use iron gall inks in?

Put it this way: Would you load your favorite pen with an iron gall ink and be worried about it in any way?

I do load my favorite pens with iron gall inks, including those you've mentioned. After years of this, I don't worry at all. One of my vintage Pelikans is loaded with Lamy Blue Black continuously, and has been for nearly two years now. I flush and clean it about every two or three refills; otherwise I just refill.

You need to avoid accidentally mixing regular and iron gall ink, so make sure your pen-cleaning is thorough. On the recommendation of "Pharmacist" on FPN, who makes wonderful iron gall inks, I use a diluted white vinegar rinse after the initial water flush, then I flush again with water.

Also, to avoid corrosion risk, I prefer to use gold-nib pens without metal trim at the tip of the section.

TJM
December 26th, 2013, 12:49 PM
Is an iron gall ink ok for a Lamy Al Star?

It's my first/only pen, and I have two kinds of iron gall ink (I think), plus two other types. I have no idea what should or shouldn't be used in it.

mhosea
December 26th, 2013, 01:04 PM
Welcome to FPG. I'm new to posting here myself, despite that I registered last spring.


Is an iron gall ink ok for a Lamy Al Star?

It's my first/only pen, and I have two kinds of iron gall ink (I think), plus two other types. I have no idea what should or shouldn't be used in it.

I don't know any reason why IG inks wouldn't be OK for the Lamy. Since I gather that you plan to use both IG and non-IG inks over time, get a bulb syringe and learn how to flush and drain/dry your pen very thoroughly when switching inks, remembering that the feed of the pen is designed to hold ink in the fins (which is why just blasting water through with the bulb syringe is often not good enough). Don't switch inks without cleaning the pen, and I predict everything will be OK.

85AKbN
December 26th, 2013, 02:18 PM
Wait Mont Blanc Midnight blue is IG?
they reformulated mbmb into a non-ig, non-permanent ink. old ig permanent - 105194, new 109204.

you can google Montblanc Midnight Blue (Non-Iron Gall Formula) and view the cached fpn thread with a nice pic of both boxes by member bigeddie.

Pterodactylus
December 26th, 2013, 02:21 PM
http://imageshack.us/a/img62/1253/9f49.jpg

(Pelikan 100N - EF ..... Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa)

TJM
December 26th, 2013, 02:40 PM
Welcome to FPG. I'm new to posting here myself, despite that I registered last spring.


Is an iron gall ink ok for a Lamy Al Star?

It's my first/only pen, and I have two kinds of iron gall ink (I think), plus two other types. I have no idea what should or shouldn't be used in it.

I don't know any reason why IG inks wouldn't be OK for the Lamy. Since I gather that you plan to use both IG and non-IG inks over time, get a bulb syringe and learn how to flush and drain/dry your pen very thoroughly when switching inks, remembering that the feed of the pen is designed to hold ink in the fins (which is why just blasting water through with the bulb syringe is often not good enough). Don't switch inks without cleaning the pen, and I predict everything will be OK.

Well, I ordered a converter for it, and have two iron gall and to, um, not iron gall inks. Right now there is a cartridge in it that came with the pen.

AndyT
December 26th, 2013, 03:01 PM
I've said this before elsewhere, but it bears repeating in this context: ammonia is to be avoided for flushing iron gall inks. Normally I'd just give the link to Pharmacist's post on FPN, but with things as they are I'll paraphrase: the ammonia can precipitate out the IG component to form a tarnish-like film on internal parts. 10% white vinegar solution is the way to go, but usually plain water works just fine.

My feeling about modern IG inks in general is the same as Pterodactylus' - they're among the safest especially with gold nibs.

shudaizi
December 26th, 2013, 04:00 PM
I'm hoping Pterodactylus and AndyT are right, b/c I've just switched to MB MB (old ig) as my day-to-day ink. :D

85AKbN
December 26th, 2013, 04:15 PM
I've said this before elsewhere, but it bears repeating in this context: ammonia is to be avoided for flushing iron gall inks. Normally I'd just give the link to Pharmacist's post on FPN, but with things as they are I'll paraphrase: the ammonia can precipitate out the IG component to form a tarnish-like film on internal parts. 10% white vinegar solution is the way to go, but usually plain water works just fine.

My feeling about modern IG inks in general is the same as Pterodactylus' - they're among the safest especially with gold nibs.
here's what pharmacist said...


Posted 05 April 2012 - 21:33

Just to clear up some things about using ammonia to clean IG ink from pens. The most important thing is not to use ammonia the first rinses, because the IG compounds can precipitate into a tarnish like film onto the internal parts of the ink. You might use ammonia to remove the dye stains in the IG ink, but only after the first rinse with vinegar to remove as much IG compounds as possible. You do not want that permanent pigment to attach into the capillary tubes of your pen....The idea of this workflow has everything to do with the composition of IG ink. Remove IG compounds first without precipitation (tap/destilled water or better: vinegar) and then clean out the dye compund (anything you like, including ammonia/(rubbing) alcohol).

kaisnowbird
December 26th, 2013, 04:52 PM
Welcome to FPG. I'm new to posting here myself, despite that I registered last spring.


Is an iron gall ink ok for a Lamy Al Star?

It's my first/only pen, and I have two kinds of iron gall ink (I think), plus two other types. I have no idea what should or shouldn't be used in it.

I don't know any reason why IG inks wouldn't be OK for the Lamy. Since I gather that you plan to use both IG and non-IG inks over time, get a bulb syringe and learn how to flush and drain/dry your pen very thoroughly when switching inks, remembering that the feed of the pen is designed to hold ink in the fins (which is why just blasting water through with the bulb syringe is often not good enough). Don't switch inks without cleaning the pen, and I predict everything will be OK.

Well, I ordered a converter for it, and have two iron gall and to, um, not iron gall inks. Right now there is a cartridge in it that came with the pen.

A good thing about the Al-Star is it's translucent grip section, which allows you to see how much ink is being held in the fins of the feed. I find it very helpful when I flush and then dry the pen.

heraclitus682
December 26th, 2013, 06:03 PM
IG is safe, but for heaven's sake, don't use Noodler's!!!

Sham69
December 26th, 2013, 07:37 PM
but i love noodlers.. and iron gall

heraclitus682
December 26th, 2013, 07:47 PM
I was just kidding. That's been a running thing with Noodler's and Lamy. I apologize for the confusion.

shudaizi
December 26th, 2013, 07:54 PM
FWIW, I found the joke amusing :D


I was just kidding. That's been a running thing with Noodler's and Lamy. I apologize for the confusion.

Sham69
December 26th, 2013, 08:01 PM
ok i thought you were being serious and nearly had an aneurism, i suppose that is funny but noobs reading the thread might not realise and avoid all nathans inks because they are scared they will ruin there precious safari >.>

AndyT
December 27th, 2013, 02:49 AM
I'm hoping Pterodactylus and AndyT are right, b/c I've just switched to MB MB (old ig) as my day-to-day ink. :D

Entirely trouble free in my experience, wish I had more of it. It's even pretty nice with a dip pen. :)

Pterodactylus
December 27th, 2013, 10:53 AM
your an idiot^ what do you mean don't use noodlers, i almost exclusively fill my montblanc with noodlers, and my visconti's i will support nathan at noodlers until i die.

i have never had a problem even with bay state blue which i am not particuly a fan of because it feathers like crap and is too bright when it first goes down then quickly fades to dull. however 54th massacheusets is my favourite ink and i have used it in thousand dollar pens for months with an occasional rinse or so and its fine so don't go fucking hating on noodlers because you are a peasant that knows nothing.

iron gall inks are also fine most ig modern inks have piss all iron gall

I don't like such rude posts, your wording is quite inappropriate.
I would not call somebody an idiot, or a peasant that knows nothing only because he/she has a different opinion. :(

mhosea
December 27th, 2013, 11:17 AM
It was a funny exchange, though. Kudos to heraclitus682 for handling it with aplomb.

dannzeman
December 27th, 2013, 01:44 PM
your an idiot^ what do you mean don't use noodlers, i almost exclusively fill my montblanc with noodlers, and my visconti's i will support nathan at noodlers until i die.

i have never had a problem even with bay state blue which i am not particuly a fan of because it feathers like crap and is too bright when it first goes down then quickly fades to dull. however 54th massacheusets is my favourite ink and i have used it in thousand dollar pens for months with an occasional rinse or so and its fine so don't go fucking hating on noodlers because you are a peasant that knows nothing.

iron gall inks are also fine most ig modern inks have piss all iron gall
There's no need for the personal insult.

Scrib
December 27th, 2013, 02:45 PM
I agree with you Dan, there isn't any need for such a personal insult, even if a thinly veiled excuse is made a post later. Inexcusable though is the foul language used, which has neither been edited, nor is it at all justified.

I assumed since great care has been taken in the past to keep the podcasts PG, equal care and respect applies here in the forum. I don't find such language funny, not in a public forum.

Sham69
December 27th, 2013, 05:54 PM
Sorry i am just over noodlers hate i feel i could brick someone to death if they said that in real life.

But on topic i find iron gall inks fine really. The only problem is they are quite acidic and can react strangely with metal sections such as the Lamy2k, i still use montblanc blu/blk with it however i just make sure i give it a clean occasionally. But use the iron gall inks and enjoy them because there is nothing quite like them i love them.

Jon Szanto
December 27th, 2013, 06:09 PM
Sorry i am just over noodlers hate i feel i could brick someone to death if they said that in real life.

Do try to get a grip - it's just ink.

Sham69
December 27th, 2013, 06:40 PM
just ink?!?!?!

dannzeman
December 27th, 2013, 06:41 PM
just ink?!?!?!

Yes, dude, just ink.

AndyT
December 28th, 2013, 05:20 AM
Seems that Nathan's taken to lacing his ink with testosterone.

Sham69
December 28th, 2013, 11:26 AM
Good one AndyT just because you have low testosterone doesn't mean you should attempt to insult me or nathan.. This is a fountain pen forum.. why post the useless off topic crap..

I do love my iron gall inks though.. Only problem i find with them is pens with metal sections that come into contact with the ink too much

85AKbN
December 28th, 2013, 11:31 AM
http://www.crf2.com/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

Laura N
December 28th, 2013, 04:57 PM
Good one AndyT just because you have low testosterone doesn't mean you should attempt to insult me or nathan.. This is a fountain pen forum.. why post the useless off topic crap..

I do love my iron gall inks though.. Only problem i find with them is pens with metal sections that come into contact with the ink too much

I just spent the better part of a month supervising 120 children between the ages of 8 and 14, and every single one of them acted more mature than this.

Since you seem to fling personal insults with abandon, I will point out that your posts in this thread come across as both rude and thin-skinned, which is a bad combination. It's just ink. If some people don't like an ink you like, well, that means there's more for you. You really can't attack (much less "brick to death") everyone who disagrees with you about ink. Or everyone you think disagrees with you.

Whether you are serious about this, or whether you are trying to incite disagreement and bad feelings on this forum, I think you should take it elsewhere.

Sham69
December 28th, 2013, 06:11 PM
Well naturally that person personally insulted me. Obviously i am going too defend myself...

mhosea
December 28th, 2013, 06:27 PM
Well naturally that person personally insulted me. Obviously i am going too defend myself...

Defending against the particular insinuation that one is a bit testy is a delicate maneuver to be sure. A side-step is best: humor and self-deprecation will win the day. But this is difficult to execute in the heat of the moment, I know. Don't we all, for who among us hasn't been there?

dannzeman
December 28th, 2013, 06:30 PM
Well naturally that person personally insulted me. Obviously i am going too defend myself...
Your comments and attitude are bordering on the intolerable. I'd suggest taking a back seat to posting for a while, do a little more reading, and try to get a better understanding of how the majority of members here converse.

OldGreyGuy
December 28th, 2013, 07:31 PM
I take a lot of notes at work usually on rough office notebooks and refer back to them often months later, etc. It is hot and humid where I live and we get tropical downpours and the buildings I have worked on have been water effected in storms. I really need my notes sometimes so I use IG inks in my work pen (Lamy 2000) that I have had since 1983. Mostly I have used the MB Blue/Black which I bought up when they changed the supply but I am rapidly using the last of that.

I picked up 3 bottles of the last IG Midnight Blue but I suppose in a year's time I'll be searching round for something else. Does anyone have any experience with ESS Registrar's ink in a sub-tropical climate like Florida or South-East Queensland?

welch
December 28th, 2013, 07:49 PM
As I fall deeper into the inkwell I am finding that my favorite colors are the blue black inks. Especially attractive to my eyes are some of the iron gall inks: Diamine Registrars, R&K Salix, among others. I am wondering how much extra TLC you give your pens that you use iron gall inks in?

Put it this way: Would you load your favorite pen with an iron gall ink and be worried about it in any way?

I don't like IG inks, but you don't need to worry about them. They were a risk to steel nibs way back -- roughly in the '30s and earlier. Just flush regularly...but not obsessively.

kaisnowbird
December 28th, 2013, 08:45 PM
As I fall deeper into the inkwell I am finding that my favorite colors are the blue black inks. Especially attractive to my eyes are some of the iron gall inks: Diamine Registrars, R&K Salix, among others. I am wondering how much extra TLC you give your pens that you use iron gall inks in?

Put it this way: Would you load your favorite pen with an iron gall ink and be worried about it in any way?

With Montblanc Midnight, I won't blink an eye before putting it in my favourite modern pen. It's well behaved and not that full-on IG anyway.

On the other hand, I'm slightly worried when it comes to inking up my favourite vintage pens with a bottle of IG Parker blue black that had become super concentrated - it was forgotten in a drawer for at least 10 years and now has that extra strength after considerable evaporation.

But if you are worried, just stick them in your cheaper pens and let their expensive friends feel jealous. :)

Sham69
December 28th, 2013, 09:14 PM
I take a lot of notes at work usually on rough office notebooks and refer back to them often months later, etc. It is hot and humid where I live and we get tropical downpours and the buildings I have worked on have been water effected in storms. I really need my notes sometimes so I use IG inks in my work pen (Lamy 2000) that I have had since 1983. Mostly I have used the MB Blue/Black which I bought up when they changed the supply but I am rapidly using the last of that.

I picked up 3 bottles of the last IG Midnight Blue but I suppose in a year's time I'll be searching round for something else. Does anyone have any experience with ESS Registrar's ink in a sub-tropical climate like Florida or South-East Queensland?
original montblanc blue black is one of my favourites. registrar's is similar but a bit drier, i personally prefer the montblanc. last time i was in montblanc boutique sydney (2 weeks ago) they had as a general estimate 15+ bottles of midnight blue (iron gall formula) you could probably give them a call and they would ship you some! i also find noodlers 54th Massachusetts a really good alternative. It behaves exceptionally well, however it is also high maintenance just like IG inks. But as a benefit it is literally 100% waterproof it will not smear at all

AndyT
December 29th, 2013, 05:15 AM
Does anyone have any experience with ESS Registrar's ink in a sub-tropical climate like Florida or South-East Queensland?

Not in that kind of climate, no, but in my experience it's quick drying, highly reactive and very tenacious. It will take on draughting film and stay there with no signs of bleeding under a running tap, for instance. I have no qualms about its durability at all, but thorough cleaning is probably more than usually important with this one.

shudaizi
December 30th, 2013, 11:41 AM
I'm hoping Pterodactylus and AndyT are right, b/c I've just switched to MB MB (old ig) as my day-to-day ink. :D

Entirely trouble free in my experience, wish I had more of it. It's even pretty nice with a dip pen. :)

I'm wondering if you have a recommendation of a replacement IG ink -- as close to MB-MB as possible? I'm more interested in overall properties (trouble-free, quick drying, good flow and lubrication) than color per se. I have three bottles of MB-MB, but I write a good deal so those won't last forever.

Pterodactylus
December 30th, 2013, 12:09 PM
http://imageshack.us/a/img844/9139/ahrk.jpg

(Pelikan 100N - EF ..... Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa)
(Serwex MB - flex EMF ..... ESS Registrars Blue/Black)
(Noodler´s Ahab - EMF ..... Rohrer & Klingner Salix)

AndyT
December 30th, 2013, 12:34 PM
A couple of suggestions for the MBMB problem. You could mix some of your remaining supply with R&K Salix, experimenting until you get it dark enough for your tastes. This mix is known to be unproblematic - if memory serves Sandy1 over at FPN favours 6 parts Salix to 1 part MBMB or something like that, so you could eke out your remaining supply considerably.

As for alternatives, my chosen replacement is ESSRI, but it's funny stuff. Some people, myself included, find that it very quickly oxidises to near black on most papers, but others get a really vivid blue which takes a long time to react. I can't really offer any wisdom on that except to try and get hold of a sample ... I'll send you one happily. As Pterodactylus says, Scabiosa is splendid stuff too, but purplish. One which hasn't been mentioned here so far is Akkerman Ijzer Galnoten Blau/Zwart (number 10!) which is excellent and very similar in appearance to MBMB.

In truth, you probably can't go far wrong with any iron gall ink.

Pterodactylus
December 30th, 2013, 12:47 PM
True the color change of ESS Registrars Blue/Black is stunning, it starts with a light very vivid blue and strongly darkens soon. The main color change happens (at least on Clairefontaine) within about one minute, but it still darkens IMO at least 24 hours.
When you write with a very wet pen it can appear (almost) completely black.

When you have a pen which really suits the ink it will shade fantastic.

shudaizi
December 30th, 2013, 12:58 PM
Thanks so much, gentlemen! That gives me some good directions to try and experiment. I'm much obliged.

And, AndyT, thanks for the generous offer to send a sample of ESSRI. I may take you up on that eventually, but am good for the moment.

Dreck
January 29th, 2014, 03:14 PM
I'm awfully glad that I found this thread! FPG sure has been a great place to pick up on tips, tricks, and information just in the short time I've been here. I've been using Chesterfield Archival Vault in my Nemosine Fission, and have already done one cleaning with pen flush (homemade sbrebrown recipe). Now I know to mix up a bottle of vinegar flush. :hail:

mangobait
July 6th, 2016, 06:59 PM
I strongly suggest avoiding Iron Gall inks such as the Diamine Archival Registrar's Ink in a Lamy 2000. I've just saved my pen from a long ordeal with this ink.

I bought the Lamy 2000 and the Diamine Registrar's ink at the same time. It was the only permanent ink they sold. After it started to clog the pen, the store kindly switched my "fine" nib to a "medium" one. Then that started clogging up. The ink is beautiful but I don't know what I'll do with it. The owner of the the store speculated that the iron oxide was reacting with the gold nib. Now I'm using Noodler's Black in the pen and it is writing smoothly. It has a lot less character but it writes smoothly with my pen.

I don't know if this would be an issue with all gold nib pens or if it is the lamination process that Lamy uses to coat the gold nib. I just know I will never mix the pen with this ink again.

inklord
July 6th, 2016, 08:08 PM
I strongly suggest avoiding Iron Gall inks such as the Diamine Archival Registrar's Ink in a Lamy 2000. I've just saved my pen from a long ordeal with this ink.

I bought the Lamy 2000 and the Diamine Registrar's ink at the same time. It was the only permanent ink they sold. After it started to clog the pen, the store kindly switched my "fine" nib to a "medium" one. Then that started clogging up. The ink is beautiful but I don't know what I'll do with it. The owner of the the store speculated that the iron oxide was reacting with the gold nib. Now I'm using Noodler's Black in the pen and it is writing smoothly. It has a lot less character but it writes smoothly with my pen.

I don't know if this would be an issue with all gold nib pens or if it is the lamination process that Lamy uses to coat the gold nib. I just know I will never mix the pen with this ink again.
I have been using Iron Gall Inks from Rohrer & Klingner (Salix and Scabiosa) in my L2k's frequently without any adverse effects, and btw, the old formulation of Lamy blue-black was an iron gall ink, so I would assume its a problem of Diamine Registrar's ink. Chemically, it is highly improbable that the ink would react either with 14k gold (the nib material) or Platinum (the plating of the nib); there is, however, a remote possibility that the Platinum would trigger some reaction within the ink, acting as a catalyst. This would then happen with all platinum surfaces. Most likely, the ink was insufficiently stabilized.

Dreck
July 6th, 2016, 08:55 PM
Since the time of my other posting, some 2 1/2 years ago, I've expanded to Diamine Registrar's, ESSRI, and both R&K Salix and Scabiosa. My few remaining pen pals can attest that I write almost exclusively in IG inks. I've used them with steel nibs, gold nibs, ebonite pens, celluloid pens, a glass dip pen, lever-fillers, eyedroppers, and piston fillers. The only problem I ever had was that ESSRI is a bit...aggressive..and requires a bit more TLC inbetween fills (I still love it, and am really wrestling against buying another bottle now that the total +shipping cost is ~$13.50).

As has been mentioned at various times in various places by various people on this forum, it is dangerous to make blanket statements about pens and inks. What works well for one is another's nightmare.

stub
July 6th, 2016, 08:56 PM
FWIW, Platinum Blue Black is barely mentioned in IG threads, but is an outstanding, and handsome IG ink.