It seemed like a good idea at the time.

[Mungmul]

Let me begin by saying that I know I was not supposed to do this. I did it anyway.

I had some Akkerman #10 ink in my Pilot 823. That was fine although maybe too dry. I finished that and wanted to put something else in next. I did not feel like cleaning the pen so I just filled it with something else even thought there were Akkerman remnants. I filled it with 3Oysters Giwa and everything was great until...

...the next day.

Less than 24 hours later, I went and tried to write with the 823 and nothing happened. Only little streaks came out, as if it had run out of ink entirely. I could see that the feed was full but still nothing was happening. I ran my finger across the obviously full feed but it was dry! The ink had practically solidified.

I was able to free the piston and expel the ink in the barrel; it was the consistency of syrup! Fortunately I was able to clean the pen completely with water but oh the stuff that came out of it! Ugh. It was like coagulated deep black/green blood.

Do not let Akkerman #10 and 3Oysters Giwa mix! A near disaster it was.

[Chrissy]

Ouch. It sounds like you were fortunate to get it clean again. I haven't heard of 3Oysters Giwa, so not sure what type of ink it is. Akkerman should be a regular dye based ink, so I would have thought that should be safe to mix with other dye based inks, but maybe it is not. :(

Glad you fixed your Pilot 823 though. :thumb:

Edited to add that specifically Akkerman #10 isn't a dye based ink as I first thought it might be, but an IG ink.

[migo984]

Akkerman #10 is an ijzer-galnoten (iron gall) ink. Mixing it with the dye-based 3Oysters Giwa caused your problem.

[SchaumburgSwan]

Akkerman #10 is an ijzer-galnoten (iron gall) ink. Mixing it with the dye-based 3Oysters Giwa caused your problem.

+1

Akkermann #10 is even one of the inks with higher IG content, like Diamine Registrar's.
Great ink, but never mix IG and non-IG stuff...

Best
Jens

[Chrissy]

I should have gone onto the Akkerman web-site and looked for #10 as I didn't know they had a high IG content ink. That may be because I never use them so have no interest in them.

That would definitely be the cause of the problem with the mixture.

[Mungmul]

Yes, #10 is an iron gall ink. That is one reason I like it so much. And now I know it is highly reactive with other inks.

Such an adventure.

[migo984]

Yes, #10 is an iron gall ink. That is one reason I like it so much. And now I know it is highly reactive with other inks.

Such an adventure.

I enjoyed the sample a friend gave me, but not enough to buy a bottle. I can see why you’d like it though.

[Mungmul]

I have two bottles of it: one at home and one at work. I cannot live without it.

[Linger]

Akkerman #10 is an ijzer-galnoten (iron gall) ink. Mixing it with the dye-based 3Oysters Giwa caused your problem.

That Akkerman is an ijzer-galnoten ink is mentioned in the name of the ink itself, which, learning this experience, makes good sense. But what if it wasn't? How would one know the properties of the ink? Better yet, which ink should be avoided in fountain pens? Bit of a noob question as my only answer would be "don't use calligraphy ink". Is there a more comprehensive answer to be found somewhere?

[Chrissy]

That Akkerman is an ijzer-galnoten ink is mentioned in the name of the ink itself, which, learning this experience, makes good sense. But what if it wasn't? How would one know the properties of the ink? Better yet, which ink should be avoided in fountain pens? Bit of a noob question as my only answer would be "don't use calligraphy ink". Is there a more comprehensive answer to be found somewhere?
Most inks mention on their bottles or boxes whether they are IG inks, or Calligraphy inks, Pigment inks or Dye-based inks, or suitable for fountain pens etc. You usually know.

[Mungmul]

I have seen some inks that specifically warn against use in fountain pens. As Chrissy says, they are normally labeled so you can tell.

I really like IG inks. You just have to be careful not to let them dry out in a pen. That is prone to happen if you use all the ink and then just let the pen sit there. If you do not either refill the pen or wash it out, the remaining IG ink can cause some damage, like corroding steel nibs or gumming up the feed and filling mechanism.

And now I know that if I change to another ink I have to make sure to thoroughly clean out the IG ink first!

[Linger]

Thanks Chrissy, just this little list is already useful. I just saw dye ink mentioned on a Shikiori box so i guess you are right. I just need to buff up my high school chemistry (hail wikipedia) to spot the differences between:

iron gall ink
dye ink
pigment ink
calligraphy ink (if that is in fact another category)
permanent/water-solution ink (if these are in fact other categories)

[Chrissy]

Calligraphy ink is definitely another category. These inks should never be used in fountain pens as they will clog their feeds and prevent them from working.
IG inks and pigment (including nano-pigment) inks should always be used with care in fountain pens, and some will have warnings on there against not letting them dry out in fountain pens. There are permanent inks that aren't pigment based, and these should also be used with some care.
Water and dye based inks can be used in fountain pens, and if they do dry out in your pens, you will still be able to clean most of them out easily. :)