Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Newbury, MA
    Posts
    59
    Thanks
    26
    Thanked 26 Times in 22 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    I just had my first smudge while writing which also resulted in ink marks on my fingers. This is using a Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ink from a bottle. I'm curious as to why slow dry inks are still produced. Anyone have any knowledge for this nubie FP user? FWIW, I did a search but didn't find my answers.


    Last edited by hogwldfltr; April 8th, 2020 at 06:46 AM.

  2. #2
    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    2,016
    Thanks
    3,725
    Thanked 1,703 Times in 822 Posts
    Rep Power
    9

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Good question.

    Like, why can't all inks be quick drying? How does one make an ink that dries quickly? Maybe there is some kind of trade off in using chemicals that promote faster drying. I never really grasped chemistry very well so I have far more questions than answers, sadly.

  3. #3
    Senior Member INeedAFinancialAdvisor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    636
    Thanks
    882
    Thanked 671 Times in 277 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Someone went out of their way to make the quickest "drying" ink once. They even bragged that you didn't need a blotter!

    Of course, they had to invent a special pen just to HANDLE that ink...

    the results were... mixed (great pen, not so great ink...)

    http://www.richardspens.com/ref/care/51_ink.htm

    As noted in Mr Binder's article, quick drying doesn't really "dry" faster, it absorbs into the paper. A coated paper will resist penetration better than say the cheap recycled Staples pad I have that I hatefully refer to as "The Worst Paper IN THE WORLD" (read it in a Jeremy Clarkson voice, it's better that way) Where just about ANY ink dries almost instantly due to the paper soaking it up (and spreading, and feathering and bleeding through...)

    I have a bottle of noodler's Q-E'ternity, a quick drying blue black, and I can watch it sink into the paper. There is little/no "wet trail" behind the nib. A lot of the bulletproof noodler's inks do that for me. Of course, those same inks are the ones I have feathering and bleeding issues with... (I'm looking at you Legal Blue and 54th Mass...)

    so azkid basically called it: "...Maybe there is some kind of trade off in using chemicals that promote faster drying."

  4. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to INeedAFinancialAdvisor For This Useful Post:

    Ahriman4891 (September 1st, 2020), NumberSix (August 26th, 2020), welch (April 13th, 2020)

  5. #4
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    8,352
    Thanks
    9,830
    Thanked 6,098 Times in 2,213 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    This is personal reflection and not anything scientific...
    You have dry pens and wet pens... No two pens are alike...

    Try a Kyo no Oto ink in a dry pen. It feels like writing with a fingernail on chalkboard.....
    And then there's the paper... Most Inks on Tomoe River take their sweet time to dry....
    Polar Brown dries in less than 2 seconds on Rhodia with a medium nib.. On TR it takes 45 seconds.....though it shades..
    Which brings me to the nib, a Jinhao 450 fude nib with the same Polar Brown takes much longer to dry, than a fine nib....
    So traditional extra fine/fine nibs will alleviate the "smudge" problem..

    Some inks take their sweet time to dry and some never, like Noodler's Red black, (a beautiful ink, btw) but unless diluted they will smudge for eternity....
    Personally I like wet inks. There's a sensual feeling of smoothness when the nib glides on the paper and dries in reasonable time. I have bought a bottle of ink just for that sensation.
    And then there's the hypnotic way how the ink pools and how it shades when wet...... with a dry ink you won't achieve that.....

    I've also had wet inks that dry fast. Noodler's General of the Armies is super wet, but dries instantaneously.

    Moral of the story is pair the right pen with the right ink and you'll be fine....

    And a little smudge here and there is the beaut of fountain pens, something that you can never achieve with a ball pen....

  6. #5
    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Where pigs run free!
    Posts
    4,003
    Thanks
    6,231
    Thanked 3,427 Times in 1,716 Posts
    Rep Power
    17

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by hogwldfltr View Post
    I just had my first smudge while writing which also resulted in ink marks on my fingers. This is using a Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue ink from a bottle. I'm curious as to why slow dry inks are still produced. Anyone have any knowledge for this nubie FP user? FWIW, I did a search but didn't find my answers.



    Welcome to my southpaw world.

    I've gotten used to shielding the page with a piece of paper. Some inks need it more than others, especially on some papers. I am talking to YOU, Tomoe River!
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

  7. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Newbury, MA
    Posts
    59
    Thanks
    26
    Thanked 26 Times in 22 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Is there a listing of inks and their rate of drying or adsorption anywhere; it seems awfully complicated to try to unravel the mystery either by experimentation or research. FWIW, although I started as an English major I eventually ended up with a Chem E. degree as well. Thanks all for taking the time to reply. Also enjoyed the article on Parker ink formulation!!!
    Last edited by hogwldfltr; April 8th, 2020 at 12:02 PM.

  8. #7
    Senior Member grainweevil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Cornwall, UK
    Posts
    1,572
    Thanks
    269
    Thanked 885 Times in 461 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by INeedAFinancialAdvisor View Post
    (read it in a Jeremy Clarkson voice, it's better that way)
    An oxymoron if ever there was one.

    My own technologically advanced solution to slow drying inks is... blotting paper.
    In the words of Paul Simon, you can call me Al.

  9. #8
    Senior Member azkid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Colorado, USA
    Posts
    2,016
    Thanks
    3,725
    Thanked 1,703 Times in 822 Posts
    Rep Power
    9

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    You can definitely ask for ink recommendations here and ask about faster drying or other parameters and get some good input.

    Most of the reviews I've seen here and online mention drying time. Also online stores like Goulet sometimes have customer ratings that include a dry time rating scale (like 1-5).

    These days I get samples based solely on color and then evaluate dry time and water fastness, flow, and other behaviors in a couple of well-known pens for myself before thinking about buying a bottle.

    I keep an ink and pen journal to write how different inks work in different pens. Over time I get a feel for a few key inks and pens. That's probably overkill though

    Nothing wrong with keeping it simple!

  10. The Following User Says Thank You to azkid For This Useful Post:

    Detman101 (August 27th, 2020)

  11. #9
    Senior Member INeedAFinancialAdvisor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    636
    Thanks
    882
    Thanked 671 Times in 277 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    hogwldfltr

    one word: Inkcyclopedia

    Youtube. there are other great review series, but this is the one that started it all and still one of if not the best.

    as to an all knowing list? not that i am aware of.

    An Ink Guy has also turned out a fair number of ink reviews. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMy...I6_KGHvq0TttOw

  12. #10
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    8,352
    Thanks
    9,830
    Thanked 6,098 Times in 2,213 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Noodler's Polar Brown
    And Noodler's BERNANKE series....they are supposed to dry instantly....

    Oh and use cheap paper.....any Ink will dry/ feather instantly

  13. #11
    Senior Member guyy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Brooklyn NY
    Posts
    775
    Thanks
    381
    Thanked 618 Times in 344 Posts
    Rep Power
    8

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Pelikan 4001 isn’t really slow drying. However, if you put a lot of it on less absorbent paper, it makes take a while to dry. In other words, there are factors other than ink at play. I doubt you’d get smudging if you used your Pelikan ink on newsprint with a dry writing pen with an extra fine nib.

  14. The Following User Says Thank You to guyy For This Useful Post:

    dneal (April 9th, 2020)

  15. #12
    Senior Member Yazeh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    8,352
    Thanks
    9,830
    Thanked 6,098 Times in 2,213 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    I've small list for you for now.
    Noodler's Polar Brown
    Noodler's Polar Green (Bullet Proof - it can feather with very wet/wide nibs)
    Noodler's Blue Nose Bear (Semi waterproof - Can feather with very wet/wide nibs)
    Noodler's 54th Massachusetts (Bullet Proof -Very wet ink)
    Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng (Bullet Proof - Amazing ink though not to be put in a difficult to clean pen)
    Noodler's Bad Blue Heron (Bullet Proof)
    Rohrer and Klingner Scabiosa (iron gall)

  16. #13
    Senior Member Detman101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Lost...help.
    Posts
    718
    Thanks
    1,566
    Thanked 590 Times in 294 Posts
    Rep Power
    4

    Default Re: Quick vs Slow Dry Inks?

    Tag for later...

    Sent from my LG-M210 using Tapatalk
    "I can only improve my self, not the world."

  17. The Following User Says Thank You to Detman101 For This Useful Post:

    Yazeh (August 27th, 2020)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •