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Thread: Ink behavior

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    Default Ink behavior

    I often hear discussion on pens that behave differently when they have certain inks in them. For example a pen that writes well but when a certain ink is put in it the pen skips or becomes hard starting. Why does this happen?

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    Senior Member Paddler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    Different inks can have different wetting properties when used with various feed and nib compositions.

    Also, a pen's feed and nib combination may have a capillarity that works poorly with a given ink. The pen in your example could have a nib that is set too far from the feed, so that the ink all drains back into the reservoir when the pen is stored nib-up and the capillarity can't keep the feed filled when not in use. Each pen will have its own "little ways" when used with a given ink. This is one of the interesting phenomena one encounters with fountain pens.
    "Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." -Epicurus-

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    Senior Member AzJon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    I recently got a vintage Pelikan 400. I felt that the Edelstein Amber would be a great ink to put in it and it was as Pelikan inks are considered rather 'dry'. The Amber, however, is not a very dark ink and it being limited meant I wanted to switch inks. I put Aurora Blue-black into the pen, which is a pretty well lubricated ink. The ink practically pours onto the page. I couldn't use it because it was writing in puddles across the page.

    Some inks are highly saturated, i.e. they have a lot of the dyes that make up the color in them. J. Herbin inks are, by and large, very understaturated versus, say, Organic Studios Nitrogen. The 'thicker' the ink the less easy it will flow. This can be accommodated to an extent by adding surfactants to make the ink more 'slippery' for better flow. This is commonly added to inks and are what contribute largely to that smooth feeling of your nib gliding over the page (a 'well lubricated ink') versus something like R&K Salix, and IG ink, that is very dry and will give every pen you use it in a slight pencil-like feedback. Some people suggest adding a bit of dish soap (a surfactant) to an ink that has flow issues or to cut it with a little distilled water (thin the dyes) to improve flow/performance.

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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    Dish soap, just a tiny drop scooped up with a toothpick and mixed in a small, separate bottle (not you main bottle of ink) does wonders for pens that just won't flow.

    Most of my drier inks have undergone this peculiar addition, and it turned my EFs from faint writers to champs.

    Again, purists suggest this is a bad practice: as a iron gall user, I can say that I see less residues when I flush a pen every month or so.

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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    I have Organics Studio Cuddles Flo-Plus but I've hardly ever needed to use it in any of my inks. Once I dipped the very end of a cocktail stick point in it, wiped it off, then added it to some Parker Penman Ruby in a vial. It turned it into a far too wet and freely flowing ink. So I've never used it again.

    I've found that inks can behave quite differently depending on the pens and paper used. Most inks seem to flow better in pens that have broader nibs especially if you're writing on very smooth paper.
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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    How about an additive that acts more like an astringent? That's what I need more often than not!

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    Senior Member AzJon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Ink behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    How about an additive that acts more like an astringent? That's what I need more often than not!
    The obvious answer would be to add water to thin the surfactants, but that would also dilute the ink dye, so probably not ideal unless you really like the under-saturated look or have very opaque ink to start with.

    I seem to recall a discussion of adding glycerine to ink, which is used in cosmetics to counter the drying effects of soap and alcohol, e.g. the most common ingredients in ink for improved lubrication and dry time.

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