Has Baystate Blue damaged your Lamy?

[bpendleton]

I just bought some Baystate Blue. Like many, I love it.

 

So far, I've put it in a Pilot Petit1. However, since I own a blue Lamy Safari, it seems appropriate to use Baystate Blue there, if I can convince myself its safe. I don't care about a stained convertor, I'm just nervous about melting the feed, which has been widely alleged.

 

As a graduate student, I know that data says a lot more about a problem than speculation. I also know, unfortunately, that a self-selecting poll is going to tend to highlight the extreme cases - so, whatever happens in this poll, remember that it *probably* over-represents problems with BSB. But at least it'll be some idea.

 

Also, I only ask about Lamy's in the poll because it seems to be the butt of many of the complaints. Feel free to mention other pens, non-serious damage (staining, of course...) etc. in the discussion.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Nitesiter07]

Im with you... i didn't care about the 'stained converter' issue. I just wanted the fantastic color of BSB. No damage what-so-ever.

 

I recently did stop using the color however because it bled through everything I write on except my journal.

 

 

Dave

Edited March 3, 2010 by Nitesiter07

[lapis]

No, I have never used BSB in my Lamy because I don't have a Lamy. BSB works okay in all of my other pens.

 

Mike

[OiRogers]

I use BSB regularly in several different pens, I've never had trouble with it being an ill behaved ink. I do flush between fills on every pen, but that is more a OCD type issue with me than an issue with the pens or inks.

 

I will say I will not put BSB (or any other REALLY vivid color) into a pen that has a light colored section where ink stains will be highly visible. I ran a fill of BSB through my MB149 with no apparent staining of the section or ink window. I've also run it through my Lamy 2k... it exhibited nib-creep and left a minor stain on the silvery colored part of the section but no damage to the nib/feed or ink window. The minor stain on the section was removed with only the lightest of hand pressure and a damp pot-scrubbing doohickey.

 

Edit to reply to Gillyohan below me: I don't currently own any Safari or Al-Star series pens, as I don't particularly care for them..., my BSB and Lamy interactions have been limited to the 2000 only. I think, if I did own a Safari/Allstar, that I would probably avoid putting BSB (or the other BS inks) into those pens....

Edited March 3, 2010 by OiRogers

[gillyohan]

I don't use BSB, but my friend at school, who loves BSB, had two of his Safari feeds melt. I think the nibs were actually falling off the wilting feed. He had to send them in at $7.50 a pop, which is just barely worth it for a Safari, IMO.

[jgrasty]

I've used BSB in a Parker Sonnet without issues, but not in my Lamy Safari or Vista. It did stain the converter of the Sonnet, initially, but after I used another Noodler's ink (Bad Black Moccasin) that stain is gone.

[Ondina]

You'll hear all sorts of opinions, but at the end, if you're willing to foot the bill, is your pen and your ink of choice. If after all the damage reports you still want to do it, go ahead. Some respect their pens, some worship their inks. Decisions, decisions, isn't what life is all about?

[laplume]

Basically, that's a personal decision. Obviously, if you're doing it thinking "Lamy will repair it anyway" I don't think is very fair. I don't like inks that are experiments, they are plenty of quality products out there. But is just me. An ink that melts pens, gives me skin rashes and fades to nothing in days? I don't think so.......

[BucolicBuffalo]

I won't own a Lamy. Problem solved. BSB does work wonderfully in my blue Parker Vacumatic from the 1940's.

[Possum Hill]

  On 3/3/2010 at 3:55 PM, Ondina said:

You'll hear all sorts of opinions, but at the end, if you're willing to foot the bill, is your pen and your ink of choice. If after all the damage reports you still want to do it, go ahead. Some respect their pens, some worship their inks. Decisions, decisions, isn't what life is all about?

I haven't seen any evidence on FPN of a worshipful attitude toward any ink, but it seems there might be a few people who are that fond of pens, particularly some of those people who pay hundreds of dollars for pens.

 

Anyway, the OP is to be commended for looking for facts, beyond personality characteristics.

 

I've had three feeds fail in a Lamy Safari that has been inked only with Baystate Blue. Here's a photo in this post. Another member also posted a photo in that same thread.

 

I've suggested that environmental stress cracking may be the failure mechanism in the Lamy feeds in this post and others.

 

While the failure has sometimes been described as "melting" I don't recall any pictures of Lamy feeds that would support that. Corners, edges and jagged bits remain sharp in my experience, which is inconsistent with melting either by heat or by solvent action.

 

I've used BSB without any problem in a Reform 1745, Pelikan Pelikano, Pelikan ink roller and a refilled Pilot V5 rollerball. I'm currently trying it in a Pilot 78G and a different Safari, my oldest.

[Possum Hill]

  On 3/3/2010 at 4:00 PM, laplume said:

Basically, that's a personal decision. Obviously, if you're doing it thinking "Lamy will repair it anyway" I don't think is very fair. I don't like inks that are experiments, they are plenty of quality products out there. But is just me. An ink that melts pens, gives me skin rashes and fades to nothing in days? I don't think so.......

Please provide links to accounts of those occurrences.

[bailey philip]

I did not get staining for BSB but from the Baystate Cape Cod Cranberry.

[professionaldilettante]

It's only a converter... 5.00 USD. Now if it were a Vista and got stained, that would be a different thing, but considering how easy it is to have a new converter, I'd just say put BSB in it, and if it stains, well, you've got a converter just for BSB now.

However, if it melts your feed, that's a problem...

Edited March 3, 2010 by professionaldilettante

[Silvermink]

I don't think I'd use it in an AL-star/Safari/Studio, etc., just due to the reports of problems. I'd give it a shot in my other lower-end pens, though.

[tanesiir]

  On 3/3/2010 at 4:47 PM, Possum Hill said:

I haven't seen any evidence on FPN of a worshipful attitude toward any ink,

 

I am thinking there is definitely something wrong with your eyesight then. There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

[Possum Hill]

  On 3/3/2010 at 9:51 PM, tanesiir said:

  On 3/3/2010 at 4:47 PM, Possum Hill said:

I haven't seen any evidence on FPN of a worshipful attitude toward any ink,

 

I am thinking there is definitely something wrong with your eyesight then. There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

That's an interesting opinion, but I'm one of those sometimes accused of worshiping Noodler's and I posted details of Safari feeds failing in pens used with BSB -- now how about contributing facts or experience useful to the OP? Or did my faulty eyesight cause me to miss them?

[Silvermink]

  On 3/3/2010 at 9:51 PM, tanesiir said:

I am thinking there is definitely something wrong with your eyesight then. There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

 

You think? I see a lot more negativity than positivity toward Noodler's around here, and I rarely see anyone crow about how BSB is the perfect ink.

[SamCapote]

  On 3/3/2010 at 9:51 PM, tanesiir said:

There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

 

Only a few of us have attempted the 6th plane of Transcendental Noodling, but weaving enchantment spells with counter-clockwise swirls of BSB is tantamount to having a blissful experience.

 

We are told that Nathan is stocking some ponds in Guyana where we all will be moving to, after giving up all our worldly possessions. What could go wrong?

[Possum Hill]

  On 3/3/2010 at 10:51 PM, SamCapote said:

  On 3/3/2010 at 9:51 PM, tanesiir said:

There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

 

Only a few of us have attempted the 6th plane of Transcendental Noodling, but weaving enchantment spells with counter-clockwise swirls of BSB is tantamount to having a blissful experience.

 

We are told that Nathan is stocking some ponds in Guyana where we all will be moving to, after giving up all our worldly possessions. What could go wrong?

Is there such a thing as blue Kool-Aid? I seem to have a powerful thirst.

 

[SamCapote]

  On 3/3/2010 at 11:02 PM, Possum Hill said:

  On 3/3/2010 at 10:51 PM, SamCapote said:

  On 3/3/2010 at 9:51 PM, tanesiir said:

There is an undeniable Cult of Noodler around here and BSB is one of their holiest relics.

 

Only a few of us have attempted the 6th plane of Transcendental Noodling, but weaving enchantment spells with counter-clockwise swirls of BSB is tantamount to having a blissful experience.

 

We are told that Nathan is stocking some ponds in Guyana where we all will be moving to, after giving up all our worldly possessions. What could go wrong?

Is there such a thing as blue Kool-Aid? I seem to have a powerful thirst.

 

 

There is a Baystate Concord Grape, so we got that covered.