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For the last few years I've enjoyed Platinum Carbon Black. It dries quickly, works in practically any paper, and is basically indestructible, so it is good for things like addressing envelopes, making grocery lists, and writing down recipes. I don't use very much black ink, though; my usual Carbon Black pen is a Platinum Plaisir. Ink will live in it more or less indefinitely without drying out, so I only open my Carbon Black bottle once or twice a year. As a result, even though my bottle of Carbon Black is several years old, it's nearly full. This morning I opened it up and it made a *FSSS* sound, and a VERY powerful ammonia smell issued forth. I assume (and the internet seems to agree) that this ink has Shuffled Off This Mortal Coil. This happened to me once before with some Noodler's inks - but those inks were maybe a decade old or older, and since then I have improved my ink hygiene (now filling from a clean dispensing syringe each time). So, sown the drain went my nearly full bottle of PCB. On the other hand, my old bottle of Quink is maybe 15 years old, and just as good as the day I got it (which is to say, not a great ink, but it still seems perfectly fresh). So I'm looking for a new black ink, one that will age well in the bottle. I've used samples of J. Herbin Perle Noire, Aurora black, and Lamy black. I found them to be perfectly nice. Does anyone know how they keep over time? In addition, I'm sure there are other black inks I don't know and/or haven't tried. The three above are somewhat less waterproof (understatement!) than Carbon Black. If there's a more waterproof one that will sit in the bottle without turning into cat pee, that would be great! - N P.S. I should mention, I dislike Noodler's black. I know a lot of people swear by it, but it's so oversaturated that it smears long (I mean weeks or years) after drying.

I've read a lot of topics here and noticed that the first suggestion for many problems on this forum is: "Have you tried soaking in ammonia?" So I decided to get some ammonia to see the magic for myself. Apparently the regular grocery stores don't sell it around here anymore, so it took some time to find some in a chemical shop. I was given the choice of 18% (technical) and 25% (analytical). I chose the 18% one. However, the first thing I noticed when opening the bottle is that it reeks! The smell reminds me of freshly cleaned swimming pools and the toilets in big supermarkets. Even when diluted to a fraction of its original content, it still has a noticable smell. Is this normal? How long should I soak a pen in ammonia anyway? Say, a Parker 51 which is skipping? I would think that only the nib and feed assembly would need to be soaked, and maybe the inside of the filler, but carefully. What is your experience with this? EDIT: Also, what pens are safe to flush with an ammonia solution? Would it damage the celluloid of an Esterbrook or a Parker Vacumatic? And is it safe to use on a metal cap?

Where are you guys finding ammonia in Canada (Ontario)? I looked online at Canadian Tire, 100% pure ammonia perfect! clicked on it and 0 stock/no longer being carried. They have another brand, but lemon scented and such so, not sure what else is in it. Same as the local grocery stores. Checked Home Hardware, and they have a brand called Old Country. I looked online but can't see if it's pure or not. Sadly, I'm in a Hamlet (not even a Village) and it's a fairly long drive to go store to store, and from past experience I've learned that calling does not yield useful answers. Anyone ever try the Old Country stuff? or know where else may carry ammonia?

My ink samples for my first pen arrived yesterday, and I am still waiting for my first pen to arrive in the mail, a Lamy Vista. When I looked at the ink samples, I noticed immediately that the sample vial of bsb was totally stained with blue, and none of the other samples had any staining at all. With all my research online, I knew that bsb has a reputation, but the color is just so breathtaking! I am now having second thoughts about putting this ink into my pen. If (when) staining occurs in my Vista, will an ammonia solution be able to get it out? I have heard of some issues with using bleach with steel nibs and some rubbers, so I am a bit off put about using bleach. Also, I don't know how many of you are aquarium people, but I have a bottle of Dr. Tim's brand ammonium chloride solution for "fishless cycling" of a tank; would this work to clean a pen, or should I avoid it? Sorry for my ramblings here, but hopefully some of you can help me. Thanks!

Hi friends! I need to clean a WE Oscar Wilde FP with a soft ammonia dilution (arround 5% of ammonia), and my doubt is what kind of material is the barrel made. Is a marbled resin or is made of celluloid?? I´ll be expecting your comments and suggestions, obviously I don´t want to damage my WE. Thanks! Cheers from Chile