Rohrer & Klingner - Document Brown (Dokumentus Braun)

[Yazeh]

Rohrer & Klingner Document Brown (Dokumentus - Braun)

This ink is one of the best, permanent inks I’ve ever used. It has wonderful low dry time, below 30s with broad nib on all paper. It’s a joy to write or sketch with.
It is the epitome of German efficiency. It works, it’s solid and it’s simple.
There’s nothing “sexy” about this ink, it hasn’t got a complex chroma or an unusual name.
Chroma.jpeg

For simplicity’s sake, I limited my testing to two pen, and avoided flex and fude nibs.
Writing samples:
Rhodia.jpg
TR 68gr.jpeg
Midroi.jpeg

Hammermill 20lb copy paper (back)
Hammermill - Back.jpg

Photo
63BF08BF-1E84-48C7-8756-71C768C614F9.jpg
A full written page with a broad nib, might have a hint of green, or a lovely grey haze, depending on the light. As a sketch ink, it looks almost black, especially on absorbent paper, as you can see on this sketch:
Paper is Fabriano Sketch - Very absorbent paper.
Grim - Cat & Mouse.jpeg
Cat: I identify as a mouse. They didn't even let me audition for Ratatouille.
Mouse (sigh): I smell a rat.


Watertest:
I cut the paper into two. The left side was held under running water for 10 seconds.
Watertest.jpeg

Comparaison
Comparaison.jpeg

· Pens used: Pilot Elite (Ef/Stub) Lamy Safari (Ef/F/M/B)
· What I liked: Well lubricated, classy, fast dry times, lovely in all pens.
· What I did not like: Nothing.
· What some might not like: Price – Lack of shading.
· Shading: None.
· Ghosting: Faint
· Bleed through: None
· Flow Rate: Wet
· Lubrication: Excellent
· Nib Dry-out: None.
· Start-up: None
· Saturation: Dark
· Shading Potential: None.
· Sheen: None.
· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None
· Nib Creep / “Crud”: Nope.
· Staining (pen): No.
· Clogging: No.
· Cleaning:
· Water resistance: Excellent
· Availability: 50 ml bottles

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

[LizEF]

Ha! You changed the mouse-cat discussion.

Great review, Yazeh. Thank you! It looks quite appealing in the photograph. I'll bet it's very easy on the eyes.

[Jaguarish]

Reminds me of J Herbin's Cacao du Bresil, which has decent water resistance and a slight purple tone.

[Yazeh]

Ha! You changed the mouse-cat discussion.

Well I got some feedback. And rewrite is the soul of writing, if you know what I mean

Great review, Yazeh. Thank you! It looks quite appealing in the photograph. I'll bet it's very easy on the eyes.

Thank you. It's quite nice. It's an unassuming ink. On a cloudy day, my notebook was open and it had the lovely grey haze about it, that can only a FP lover, can appreciate

[Yazeh]

Reminds me of J Herbin's Cacao du Bresil, which has decent water resistance and a slight purple tone.

I haven't tried, Cacao du Bresil, but it looks quite similar. Though I see either green or grey in certain lights

[Thom.]

Reminds me of J Herbin's Cacao du Bresil, which has decent water resistance and a slight purple tone.

I haven't tried, Cacao du Bresil, but it looks quite similar. Though I see either green or grey in certain lights

The difference is that you will still see the dokumentus lettering in certain lights in 300 years (if it hasn't been eaten by a bibliophile mouse by then).

[LizEF]

The difference is that you will still see the dokumentus lettering in certain lights in 300 years (if it hasn't been eaten by a bibliophile mouse by then).

[Thom.]

I once had a discussion with R&K at the brown dokumentus. The dark blue has the highest demand. And I said I don't really understand why the brown one is falling behind, it's a good ink, the contrast is good for legibility. But brown inks have been a bit of the enfant terrible in the past, too.

[Yazeh]

I once had a discussion with R&K at the brown dokumentus. The dark blue has the highest demand. And I said I don't really understand why the brown one is falling behind, it's a good ink, the contrast is good for legibility. But brown inks have been a bit of the enfant terrible in the past, too.

They are not very imaginative in the colour department with their their document inks as opposed to their Sketchinks. To be honest, while I love the colour blue, I find it boring in inks, especially the Parker type blue or even worse the ballpoint blue.

[Yazeh]

Reminds me of J Herbin's Cacao du Bresil, which has decent water resistance and a slight purple tone.

I haven't tried, Cacao du Bresil, but it looks quite similar. Though I see either green or grey in certain lights

The difference is that you will still see the dokumentus lettering in certain lights in 300 years (if it hasn't been eaten by a bibliophile mouse by then).

I pity historians, who in 300 years, have to go through my journals

[Thom.]

... They are not very imaginative in the colour department with their their document inks as opposed to their Sketchinks. To be honest, while I love the colour blue, I find it boring in inks, especially the Parker type blue or even worse the ballpoint blue.

It was a bit tricky with enough permanent pigments of the required size, especially red.

[Robert]

Thanks for the excellent review, Yazeh. I've not bought any new ink in quite a while, but I really like browns - and this one looks like a keeper.

[Yazeh]

Thanks for the excellent review, Yazeh.

Most welcome!

I've not bought any new ink in quite a while, but I really like browns - and this one looks like a keeper.

Me neither. I mostly buy samples. But this one is quite tempting

[Yazeh]

... They are not very imaginative in the colour department with their their document inks as opposed to their Sketchinks. To be honest, while I love the colour blue, I find it boring in inks, especially the Parker type blue or even worse the ballpoint blue.

It was a bit tricky with enough permanent pigments of the required size, especially red.

Thanks for posting this. What is the highest Fastness property? Is it 8, like the black?
DO you mean that the De Atramentis document inks are not as light fast as the archival black or blue?

[Thom.]

... They are not very imaginative in the colour department with their their document inks as opposed to their Sketchinks. To be honest, while I love the colour blue, I find it boring in inks, especially the Parker type blue or even worse the ballpoint blue.

It was a bit tricky with enough permanent pigments of the required size, especially red.

Thanks for posting this. What is the highest Fastness property? Is it 8, like the black?
DO you mean that the De Atramentis document inks are not as light fast as the archival black or blue?

8. It's hard to say, it's also due to the pigment size. At the time I told R&K you could mix magenta and yellow. And the answer was, you have to see what settles first, and the inks were already certified. And that was like 2014, I'm not up to date with pigments. But black is Carbon.

[Yazeh]

... They are not very imaginative in the colour department with their their document inks as opposed to their Sketchinks. To be honest, while I love the colour blue, I find it boring in inks, especially the Parker type blue or even worse the ballpoint blue.

It was a bit tricky with enough permanent pigments of the required size, especially red.

Thanks for posting this. What is the highest Fastness property? Is it 8, like the black?
DO you mean that the De Atramentis document inks are not as light fast as the archival black or blue?

8. It's hard to say, it's also due to the pigment size. At the time I told R&K you could mix magenta and yellow. And the answer was, you have to see what settles first, and the inks were already certified. And that was like 2014, I'm not up to date with pigments. But black is Carbon.

Really helpful, info Thom! Thanks a lot!

[Thom.]

Yazeh, it still depends on how exactly the ink is composed. Pigment, dye or both (this is a concession to fountain pen suitability). For example, the Eternal Black is both.
https://www.higginsinks.com/product-page/eternal-ink

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the review and sketch, Yazeh! 👌🏻

[Yazeh]

Thanks for the review and sketch, Yazeh! 👌🏻

Most welcome

[Yazeh]

Yazeh, it still depends on how exactly the ink is composed. Pigment, dye or both (this is a concession to fountain pen suitability). For example, the Eternal Black is both.
https://www.higginsinks.com/product-page/eternal-ink

Interesting. This seems like the worst ink possible:
What's the point of this ink, eternal dry times?