Shimmer Ink Study?

[DrPenfection]

Does anyone know of someone who has done a study on the amount of shimmer additives by ink manufacturer? I am curious to know which brands have the most shimmer and which brands have the least shimmer.

[Chrissy]

I don't know of such a study and doubt if any manufacturers make this type of information known. I don't think it would necessarily be limited to a particular amount of shimmer either.
For example: Do all manufacturers use the same sized shimmer particles or do they all use different brands/sizes of particles?
Can they even be sure that each bottle contains a specific amount of shimmer or is it one of the ingredients just mixed into the huge vat before bottling?
Do they use other additives in inks when they add shimmer to them? i.e. do they add something to make it more of a free flowing ink?

I have no idea. I know one piece of information that relates slightly. There is one ink in the Diamine 2023 Inkvent calendar that contains a different type of shimmer particles to those that are considered as standard shimmer particles like those usually used. I don't know whether these particles are bigger or different in some other way, but I know for sure that they are different.

[LizEF]

Colorverse, for example, use smaller glitter particles than some other brands. De Atramentis Whiskey Copper was the most concentrated glitter ink I've tested, but that could just be a fluke of the sample. In order to do this study remotely accurately, one would have to test multiple bottles of every glitter ink out there. The cost of that is staggering. Certainly not something the average human can afford. It would be easy enough to test, but very expensive after the manufacturing process. I'm quite certain the manufacturers know the ratio and type of glitter used, and surely have quality control processes to ensure some degree of consistency. But I doubt they're going to publish that information for the rest of us.

That leaves anecdotal experience, and the best way to get that is probably to go to r/fountainpens (reddit) and ask specifically what you want to know - want the ink with the most glitter, ask that. Want the ink with the least glitter, but still glitter, ask that. If you actually want a study, well, not likely to happen.

[DrPenfection]

I am not much of a shimmer ink person, but I've often thought about the amount and size of the shimmer particles used. Obviously they have been optimized to the criteria that the ink manufacturer wants. I understand your thoughts that the cost could be prohibitive, but it would be interesting information nonetheless. Likely, however, it would vary also not just by manufacturer, but also by individual ink.

[Robalone]

…Methinks it could even come down to ..subjectivity? and such harder to define criteria as type of paper, pooling due to flow etc
My only 2c worth is that Herbin 1798 inks need shaking well before opening ( der ) and filling a pen quickly cos the shimmer particles drop down quite fast, whilst the only Diamine shimmer I have seems to stay suspended a little bit longer.
But……if pushed, I would opine that there is probably an industry standard size that does suspend to 'a degree' and is small enough to not clog feeds ( too badly)

[Chrissy]

…Methinks it could even come down to ..subjectivity? and such harder to define criteria as type of paper, pooling due to flow etc
My only 2c worth is that Herbin 1798 inks need shaking well before opening ( der ) and filling a pen quickly cos the shimmer particles drop down quite fast, whilst the only Diamine shimmer I have seems to stay suspended a little bit longer.
But……if pushed, I would opine that there is probably an industry standard size that does suspend to 'a degree' and is small enough to not clog feeds ( too badly)

I have found that too. It's so annoying if you can't fill your pen quickly enough before all of the particles have landed back at the bottom of the bottle. It's sometimes like a race against time. LOL

[KKay]

Emerald of Chivor was an ink that could clog a pen for me. I bought a spare after I tried it and loved it so much. I think a wet pen seems to be less problematic when using it. I prefer to use that on Tomoe River paper only. I also raise my pen up now and then, to help. It clogged some in my Edson pen with a F nib. It was not a total clog, but found out when flushing the pen later, that I noticed a color that was different from what I was using, showing up. (so not a total clog) I had to use pen flush/cleaner to finally get it clean. I still use some shimmer inks, but Emerald of Chivor seems to have the heaviest load of it, in my collection.

I love shading inks, and have many. Shade and sheen is gorgeous to me. Some are far less cumbersome to clean out of your pens, so I prefer those.

[Sailor Kenshin]

…Methinks it could even come down to ..subjectivity? and such harder to define criteria as type of paper, pooling due to flow etc
My only 2c worth is that Herbin 1798 inks need shaking well before opening ( der ) and filling a pen quickly cos the shimmer particles drop down quite fast, whilst the only Diamine shimmer I have seems to stay suspended a little bit longer.
But……if pushed, I would opine that there is probably an industry standard size that does suspend to 'a degree' and is small enough to not clog feeds ( too badly)

I have found that too. It's so annoying if you can't fill your pen quickly enough before all of the particles have landed back at the bottom of the bottle. It's sometimes like a race against time. LOL

I wonder if using a syringe or pipette to fill would assist particle distribution.

[Robalone]

Hi. As long as one shakes the bottle first, then fills a pen as quickly as possible, the particle distribution seems to be consistent.
However, when it then sits in a reservoir of some description it then settles to the 'bottom', gravity being all powerful 😎 What happens next is probably the next most important thing, if a pen is stored upright, the particles all sink toward the feed and will be the first out when capillary moves ink toward the nib.

So…..what I do…is either, store the pen nib up, or on its side, so that when picked up to write, the particles get shaken to some extent and distributed a bit. Also extended writing will mean the particles all sink again, so it sorta makes sense to keep agitating them in some manner.
As an aside, I only ever put shimmer and sheen in cheaper piston fillers ( except my retractable safeties, in which I often put sheen ink, because they keep the nib and feed immersed in the ink )

[Chrissy]

Emerald of Chivor was an ink that could clog a pen for me. I bought a spare after I tried it and loved it so much. I think a wet pen seems to be less problematic when using it. I prefer to use that on Tomoe River paper only. I also raise my pen up now and then, to help. It clogged some in my Edson pen with a F nib. It was not a total clog, but found out when flushing the pen later, that I noticed a color that was different from what I was using, showing up. (so not a total clog) I had to use pen flush/cleaner to finally get it clean. I still use some shimmer inks, but Emerald of Chivor seems to have the heaviest load of it, in my collection.

I love shading inks, and have many. Shade and sheen is gorgeous to me. Some are far less cumbersome to clean out of your pens, so I prefer those.

I would always use a wetter pen for any shimmer inks. When I used the original J.Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite ink it blocked one of my pens and subsequently so did the Emerald of Chivor. Now I don't use either of them. I regularly use Diamine shimmer inks and don't seem to have any problems with the pens that I use them in. Nor do I have any trouble with cleaning them out.

[ivymichael]

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