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My daughter and I are running out of one of favorite inks and thought we would contribute a review in a light hearted format on really cheap copier paper. Diamine ancient copper flows well, lubricates nicely, no feathering, slight bleedthrough and excellent shading. It is one of the best inks for sketching that we have tried and while not at all waterproof, a watercolor brush with water creates shadows and tone variation that is really pleasing. In a dry pen, the color tends toward orange, but in a wet pen it is a magnificent dark brownish-red. I originally bought the ink for for marking student papers, but liked it so much I drained the 30 ml bottle in just over a month. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7459/11004052974_8ba3bb925d_c.jpg

Earlier this summer I searched for an ink that would 'go' with a Pelikan Toledo which I purchased in the spring. I tend toward earth tones so I focused my attention on greens, browns, and reds. I got a lot of great suggestions here and members graciously sent me many samples. As a result my meager ink collection expanded by three. I purchased Sailor Jentle Epinard, Stipula Verde Muschiato, and Diamine Ancient Copper. After some use, I settled on Ancient Copper as the primary ink for this pen. It looked great on paper and performed well as I have come to expect from the Diamine inks I have, ...but. (there is always a but, isn't there?) After a week or two I noticed something like crystals or sludge developing on the feed and nib. This was very disturbing so I emptied the ink out of the pen and thoroughly cleaned it. The pen is now filled with Diamine Syrah and working flawlessly. I sent a note to one of the members here who has helped me in the past asking if he had had a similar experience. Fortunately he was able to talk me in off the ledge. He said he had not had this experience in his pens but that he had not used Ancient Copper in a Pelikan. He suggested I search the 'Inky Thoughts' forum for 'Diamine' and 'Crud' which I did. I learned that many have used this ink without incident while others have had a similar eperieince. It's great to have this forum to share and learn about these things, I don't feel like I am stuck on an alien planet. Recently I scored another fabulous pen, a Pelikan M800 tortoise with an IB nib. It has been a long time since I have had so much fun with a new pen, this nib is a great writer even if I am not. Once again, I am looking for a 'primary' ink for this pen. I've gone through my meager stash of inks, they are all pleasant enough but I have not seen anything that said "Me, Me, pick ME!". With this broad nib I find that I am more inclined toward an ink that is not too dark but shades well. As I've worked my way through my inks that bottle of Ancient Copper has been sitting at the back of the box, staring silently back at me. Yesterday I buckled and loaded the M800 with Ancient Copper. In two days time I've filled 8 pages in the journal. Partly it's my musings on the govenment shut down (I am a furloughed Fed employee so have time on my hands) but I know also the combination of this ink and this pen has egged me on. My desk calendar has seen a 25% increase of 'doodleage'. If not for that one disturbing characteristic I would say this ink is the perfect match for this pen. So far all is well but I suspect since the Toledo and the M800 are so similar (though the Toledo is 80's vintage I think) that in time I shall see the hideous growth appearing on the IB nib. I'm on the horns of a dillemma and ask your thoughts to help me resolve the situation. If you have used Diamine Ancient Copper with no untoward developments, which pens have you used? If you have had an experience similar to mine, which pens were you using? If you continued to use this ink despite the crud development, were there any long term negative effects, and are you employing any special care and treatment? It must be obvious where I am going with this: I love this pen and I really like the ink but am concerned about long term effects if I continue to use this combination. And finally, do you think I am crazy to be considering using this ink in this pen which has rapidly settled in as a top five pen in my budding collection? your thoughtful comments would be greatly appreciated.