Red ink and nib creep

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I have a nice dark red Pilot Decimo with a fine nib fitted. The intention from the beginning was to use it as a mark-up pen using a red ink of some kind. However, all the red-leaning inks I've tried (from Diamine Ancient Copper to Oster Fire Engine Red) have resulted in significant nib creep, and also noticeable drying out of the nib if it isn't used every day.

Is it a general truth that inks with red base are more likely to exhibit nib creep?

So, for the moment I have flushed the pen and inked it up with Oster Emerald, which is flowing beautifully and giving no problems.

To note: I've currently got a Wing Sung 698 filled with the Oster Fire Engine Red, and there are no problems with either flow or creep. Which makes me wonder if there is some property of the Pilot nib that is responsible (this was an afterthought as I wrote this post).

[guyy]

I have a Capless which i would like to use for similar purposes. I find that reds gunk up the tiny nib and feed so much that i’ve given up on it as a marking/editing pen. It’s much happier with blues and blue-blacks. I may have to switch mark up colors to turquoise or green to use it.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Do you think it's the ink or the nib? Perhaps both? I think it also gunked on my Pilot FA nib, which is much bigger than the Decimo nib. I'll have to try it on some of my Jowo nibs (I am reluctant to put any red inks in a vintage pen at this stage).

[junglejim]

Could also be due to the high dye loads some of these inks have. I've been using the generic Sheaffer Scrip red in a medium nibbed Pilot Metro for the past 2 years at work to mark corrections. No nib creep and no problems with flow.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Good to know, may have to look into other reds.

[FredRydr]

...high dye loads some of these inks have....

Is that the same as saturated?

[Chrissy]

...high dye loads some of these inks have....

Is that the same as saturated?

Usually, yes. Brian Goulet explains it very well:

[amk]

My Latin teacher used what I think was a Parker 51 Insignia for corrections and it had the teensiest of tiny fine nibs. That was with Parker Quink red, I think - well in 1970s England there weren't any other inks, basically! Give that a try, maybe.

[guyy]

EoC: I think it’s the combination of red dye being sticky and hard to clean out and the Capless having such a tiny nib and feed.

Larger, more free flowing pens work better with reds.

[silverlifter]

I have had RO Fire Engine Red in a Wing Sung 3008 for the better part of two years. Nib creep is minimal, but the pen did dry out when I left it on my desk for three months over the lockdown... Now I leave it in my desk drawer.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

EoC: I think it’s the combination of red dye being sticky and hard to clean out and the Capless having such a tiny nib and feed.

Larger, more free flowing pens work better with reds.

I'm idly wondering what component of red dye makes it stickier than other colours now!