Originally Posted by
Jon Szanto
A few days ago I posted the following over on Pentrace, replying to a question on the rehydration of Penman carts:
If you aren't aware, the Spring 2020 issue of "The Pennant" (thrice-yearly magazine from the PCA) has an article: "Parker Penman Inks - a Classic Contextualized". It is an interview with Parker's chemist of that time, Dr Leighton Davies-Smith, on the creation of the Penman ink line.
Of all the inks, he goes into greatest detail regarding Sapphire, though the article touches on many areas, including modern pens that work best with these. It is interesting to note his comment on rehydration:
"I see people writing about this. You can't do it. The reason why you can't is that there is a unique blend of solvents and preservatives that go into these inks. If the water and other solvents evaporate, and all you do is add more water, you're not adding back those solvents, and you are diluting the preservative. The preservative stops the inks from going moldy, and the color can change as a consequence. The last thing you want to do is dilute an ink, unless you're diluting it with water plus the correct blend of solvents and preservatives. You might think you're solving the problem just because you've got the ink to flow a little better, but you've introduced a number of other potential issues, including feathering."
All in all it is a fascinating 5-page article, full of insight into the complexities of developing advanced ink formulas. Recommended. Unfortunately, it gives no hard dates for start and end of manufacture, but it definitely started in the early/mid-90s.
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