Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 29

Thread: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    347
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 33 Times in 22 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Alright I have a new to me vintage Wahl Decoband with a serious wet noodle flex nib. I love the pen and it writes great, but even Waterman Blue takes forever to dry on a page when doing some basic daily writing, with little pressure, due to how wet this pen writes. Does anyone have any good recommendations for a nice quick drying ink, for daily writing use, that's vintage pen friendly? Something in the Blue, Blue-Black, Black, or Green family perhaps?

  2. #2
    Senior Member silverlifter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    616
    Thanks
    359
    Thanked 772 Times in 355 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Iron galls would be my recommendation. Dry writers, that shade beautifully, and don't smudge. DRI or ESSRI would be great in your pen.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

  3. #3
    Senior Member carlos.q's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    On a hill in Puerto Rico
    Posts
    1,698
    Thanks
    2,215
    Thanked 1,818 Times in 797 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    I agree that iron gall ink is a good choice. You can also consider Pelikan 4001 inks like Royal Blue and Blue Black that are very dry.

    However if even these inks are no match for your "serious wet noodle flex nib" you should really consider using ink blotter paper. https://inkophile.wordpress.com/2010...little-secret/

    You can get blotter paper from Jetpens or Goulet.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    3,885
    Thanks
    2,412
    Thanked 4,804 Times in 1,697 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    In my eyes silverlifter and already gave the answer, IG ink is the way.

    My favorites are:
    ESS Registrars Blue-Black
    Rohrer & Klingner Salix
    Pelikan Blue-Black
    Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ole Juul's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Coalmont, BC, Canada
    Posts
    404
    Thanks
    561
    Thanked 400 Times in 208 Posts
    Rep Power
    4

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Noodler's Bernanske series might be a good candidate.

  6. #6
    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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    IG all the way.

    It’s still going to write wet. There’s no way around that.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Posts
    347
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 33 Times in 22 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Don’t so much mind the wet writing, just after something that will dry faster

  8. #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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Pelikan 4001 Black works nicely with my Wahl Ringtop which flexes. It also works great with my flex dip pens.

    Edited to remove stuff corrected by penwash.

    Other bone dry inks you could try are Diamine Twilight and Damson. The former only works properly in my absolute gushiest pens. The latter I haven't tested in too many pens but it's really dry in the ones I've tried.
    Last edited by azkid; October 8th, 2020 at 09:45 PM.

  9. #9
    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Dallas, as in the 80's TV Series
    Posts
    3,662
    Thanks
    3,364
    Thanked 6,703 Times in 1,972 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by mcannad1 View Post
    Alright I have a new to me vintage Wahl Decoband with a serious wet noodle flex nib. I love the pen and it writes great, but even Waterman Blue takes forever to dry on a page when doing some basic daily writing, with little pressure, due to how wet this pen writes. Does anyone have any good recommendations for a nice quick drying ink, for daily writing use, that's vintage pen friendly? Something in the Blue, Blue-Black, Black, or Green family perhaps?
    Usually, a good quality vintage flex nib does not dump a whole lot of ink on paper for the dry time to be noticeable -- especially when you're not even flex writing. And a Wahl Decoband nib certainly classifies as excellent.

    You may want to examine the nib to see why it writes that "wet".

    The typical reasons for this:

    1) the tines a bit open (separated), just enough to cause pooling of ink
    or
    2) the feed has a too deep ink channel (some of these happen due to age and usage, so the ink channels are worn)
    or
    3) the feed's position is a bit too close to the tip of the nib.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

  10. #10
    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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Just a word of warning on the IGs - KWZ iron galls buck the trend and write wet, so avoid those for your purpose. Also, I think Will makes a valid observation that it appears that there's something rotten in the state of Denmark not right with your pen. To his list of potential reasons I'd suggest there could be a teeny-tiny air leak.
    In the words of Paul Simon, you can call me Al.

  11. #11
    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    3,885
    Thanks
    2,412
    Thanked 4,804 Times in 1,697 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Just a word of warning on the IGs - KWZ iron galls buck the trend and write wet, so avoid those for your purpose. Also, I think Will makes a valid observation that it appears that there's something rotten in the state of Denmark not right with your pen. To his list of potential reasons I'd suggest there could be a teeny-tiny air leak.
    I donˋt own a Wahl, but in my personal experience e.g. old Waterman can be real gushers, especially the flexible ones, without anything wrong with them.

    The feed has to provide a lot of ink to support the nib when flexed (otherwise it would railroad or dry out), on the other hand these old feeds had no complex ink storage capabilities (fancy fins) to regulate the flow.

    I prefer using IG ink in such pens.
    My extremest pen with respect to this is a Mabie Todd Swan 4660 with an incredible super flexible nib.
    It is a real gusher and I prefer using it with IG inks to tame it.



    Show_response_274

    (Mabie Todd Swan 4660.....P.W. Akkerman Hofkwartier Groen)

    The grid is 5mm.

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to Pterodactylus For This Useful Post:

    Yazeh (October 9th, 2020)

  13. #12
    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    3,885
    Thanks
    2,412
    Thanked 4,804 Times in 1,697 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Just a word of warning on the IGs - KWZ iron galls buck the trend and write wet, so avoid those for your purpose. Also, I think Will makes a valid observation that it appears that there's something rotten in the state of Denmark not right with your pen. To his list of potential reasons I'd suggest there could be a teeny-tiny air leak.
    True, all KWZ IG inks I own do not behave “IG like”, they are wet and feather quite a lot.

  14. #13
    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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by Pterodactylus View Post
    I donˋt own a Wahl, but in my personal experience e.g. old Waterman can be real gushers, especially the flexible ones, without anything wrong with them.
    Sadly I don't own a Wahl either. Indeed all my really flexible pens are eyedroppers, and their flow seems to depend on their mood, my mood, and the phase of the moon. But do yours write so wetly even when written with no pressure, as the OP describes?
    In the words of Paul Simon, you can call me Al.

  15. #14
    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    3,885
    Thanks
    2,412
    Thanked 4,804 Times in 1,697 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Pterodactylus View Post
    I donˋt own a Wahl, but in my personal experience e.g. old Waterman can be real gushers, especially the flexible ones, without anything wrong with them.
    Sadly I don't own a Wahl either. Indeed all my really flexible pens are eyedroppers, and their flow seems to depend on their mood, my mood, and the phase of the moon. But do yours write so wetly even when written with no pressure, as the OP describes?
    Normally not, but some of my old Watermans are like yours always good for a surprise.
    It can happen that one of them releases a ink blotch out of nowhere onto the paper during writing.

    As you said, depending on the mood of all involved parties.

    One could say as older they are the more character they get.

    But as said, e.g. the Mabie Todd above is with wet inks almost unusable, so here the ink makes a big difference.
    Last edited by Pterodactylus; October 9th, 2020 at 07:23 AM.

  16. The Following User Says Thank You to Pterodactylus For This Useful Post:

    Detman101 (October 17th, 2020)

  17. #15
    Senior Member Tleek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Posts
    156
    Thanks
    22
    Thanked 19 Times in 10 Posts
    Rep Power
    4

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Pelikan 4001 Royal blue is pretty dry.
    I used to use it in my wetter pens sometimes.

  18. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Posts
    238
    Thanks
    45
    Thanked 97 Times in 71 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Is all Pelikan inks considered dry? I find it a bit dry in one of my older Pelikans, but flawless in others. I tend to use, black, green and blue black. I may have to consider trying a wetter ink. I tend to go by color and how sharp the line comes out.

  19. #17
    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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    I don’t use the black or the green, but the Pelikan 4001 blue black is quite dry. I use it often in my vintage pens.

  20. #18
    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: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by Pterodactylus View Post

    I prefer using IG ink in such pens.
    My extremest pen with respect to this is a Mabie Todd Swan 4660 with an incredible super flexible nib.
    It is a real gusher and I prefer using it with IG inks to tame it.

    (Mabie Todd Swan 4660.....P.W. Akkerman Hofkwartier Groen)

    .
    Ptero, the Akkerman isn't IG though, is it?

  21. #19
    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Austria
    Posts
    3,885
    Thanks
    2,412
    Thanked 4,804 Times in 1,697 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Pterodactylus View Post

    I prefer using IG ink in such pens.
    My extremest pen with respect to this is a Mabie Todd Swan 4660 with an incredible super flexible nib.
    It is a real gusher and I prefer using it with IG inks to tame it.

    (Mabie Todd Swan 4660.....P.W. Akkerman Hofkwartier Groen)

    .
    Ptero, the Akkerman isn't IG though, is it?
    No it isn’t (but also more on the dry side).
    But I wouldn’t recommend it as dry ink.

  22. The Following User Says Thank You to Pterodactylus For This Useful Post:

    Yazeh (October 18th, 2020)

  23. #20
    Member Baisao's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    77
    Thanks
    93
    Thanked 40 Times in 22 Posts
    Rep Power
    4

    Default Re: Good Dry ink for wet writing Wahl Flex Nib

    Quote Originally Posted by carlos.q View Post
    I agree that iron gall ink is a good choice. You can also consider Pelikan 4001 inks like Royal Blue and Blue Black that are very dry.
    Do you have a US source for Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black in the US?
    Last edited by Baisao; October 20th, 2020 at 09:12 PM.

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
  •