Ink Review: 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.

[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