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An interesting article from Scientific American New Scientist (edited - thanks to those who pointed out the error), 1959, outlining the history of the development of quick-drying fountain pen ink, and how the ink and paper interact to influence perceived feathering or line spread. It also is clear how ink recipes can affect pen components or reliability thereof. http://bit.ly/Science_of_Quick_Drying_Fountain_Pen_Inks

I have always wanted to try mixing my own ink. Right now I have access to a very large variety of chemicals including triphenylmethane dyes (methylene blue, coomassie blue, cresol dyes etc), surfactants, solvents, antimicrobials and ways to pipette/weigh them with precision. What I don't have is a reliable recipe that I could follow. Most people seem to mix already existing components to create mixtures with desired colors but I want a list of ingredients down to the chemical level. I have an idea as to what types of compounds go into an ink but I have no idea about the range of concentrations for each compound that could give good results, at least as a starting point. I have tried reading patents for famous inks but they only provide vague information, like all patents do. Does anyone have a good chemical recipe for ink? I have a background in chemistry so please DO become technical if necessary!

Is anyone aware of recipes for inks! I really like the idea of making up your own ink but can't really find anything (like a recipe) online.

I'm mixing my own colours. I keep samples in these small airtight lab tubes. I kept this small amount overnight with the tube standing upright. Next day, the ink is still sloshing all over the tube, but it seems like some of it is "stuck" to the walls of the tube. Is this surface tension from the tube? I believe if I keep it upside down, the amount WILL eventually go down, and will not stain. I was actually worried about it staining my pens, but having tried it, it doesn't. Any inky thoughts?

Ok, I know that I said some time ago that I wouldn't be making any more replicants of Parker Penman Sapphire after FPS #9 Then I got involved with Amberleadavis in this thread - https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/293633-the-super-duper-co-razy-parker-penman-sapphire-blue-comparisons-psp/ That woke up my interest in PPS replicants, soon followed by NIS, Noodler's Inkyman Sapphire. More recently I was having a close look at Iroshizuku's Asa-Gao, and having received a 15 ml bottle of Kon-Peki, decided to have another go. The result is Faux Penman Sapphire #10 Recipe 1 part Iroshizuku Kon-Peki 3 parts Iroshizuku Asa-Gao 0.1 part (or less) Iroshizuku Take-Sumi Results Colour - Correct Sheen - Same as PPS Feathering - None Shading - Same as PPS Bleeding - Same as PPS I am not that happy with the scan. It real life the colours are much closer.

I once read somewhere online that there was a time in the middle east when people would use honey instead of gum arabic when making their inks. Might anyone know if this is correct and if so what might be the honey to gum arabic conversion?

So during the day I make my own lotions, soaps, lip balms and other personal care products. What I make is pretty similar to what you can find at a Gardener's or Craft Market. So my love of crafting has spilled over into my letter writing. I got frustrated with the limitations of most sealing wax and the expense of the really good sealing wax so I decided to make my own. Here is my recipe so you can try it out yourself! I have it in both grams and ounces so use whichever you prefer. 80 grams Beeswax 16 grams Emulsifying Wax (You can find this at most cosmetic supply stores.) 4 grams Soy Wax (This helps stiffen the mixture just a tiny bit to make sure you get that tamper evident seal that is mailable!) A pea size to a bean size of Oil Soluble Lip Color (The color must be oil soluble! I get most of my colors mixed into oil already because it is easier to use and less messy than powders.) 2 0.15 cc Silver Mica (You can use other pearlescent powders but I found glitter to be too large for my sealing wax. If I used glitter, I couldn't get a smooth texture. 0.15 cc scoops are these tiny scoops used for measuring various powders. These work great!) 2.82 oz Beeswax 0.56 oz Emulsifying Wax 0.14 oz Soy Wax A pea size to a bean size of Oil Soluble Lip Color 2 0.15 cc Silver Mica Measure everything but your colors into a microwave safe container. Heat until the mixture is liquid. Caution! It will be hot! While the waxes are still liquid add your colors and silver mica. Or don’t add any color if you like the natural look. Pour the hot mixture into molds or containers. I used an ice cube mold from IKEA but you can use anything you have on hand. I found that pouring the mixture into silicone molds made it easier to remove from the mold when cool. I like the longer sticks because I can keep my fingers away from the flame. I guess next thing for me is a sealing wax spoon. Here are my waxes in action. These are all of the colors I made. Thanks for letting me share!

Wouldn't it would be entertaining to post favorite recipes written using favorite pens and/or old handwritten recipes that came from friends and family? I am starting with a German Stuffed Turkey recipe given to me by a long ago exchange student's mother. If you are so inclined, please share your own and we can all join in two exciting obsessions! As Jacques Pepin would say, "Happy cooking!" written with my Edison Nouveau Premiere F nib

Hello all, Like many others it seems, I'm a fan of Diamine Sherwood Green. I'd like to use it for work, but I think it's a little too light for my office (on Rhodia paper anyway). I'd quite like to darken it with a mix, possibly but not neccessarily adding a hint of blue. Has anyone got a good mixture using this colour? Any recommendations on mix colours or ratios? If it helps, I currently have: Diamine: - Ancient Copper - Havasu Turquoise - Grey - Oynx Black - Damson - Bilberry - Eclipse - Umber - Marine - Majestic Blue - Sargasso Sea & Waterman Audacious Red Thinking Eclipse might be a good one, but I don't want to get a muddy colour. Thanks, Evy

So I caved in and bought a bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo for a really decent sum of less than $20. That said, I'm not sure if that kind of a deal will always be around. Has anyone tried to approximate it using some basic inks? I think I've come close with mixing a bit of Pelikan Blue, Green, and Turquoise, along with a hint of Lamy Black, but it's still not quite there yet. Any other simple recipes for other Iroshizuku inks?

Are there any suggested alteratives for castor oil in a rosin sealant recipe? Why has castor oil been the default?

I am new to fountain pens. I have read that inks with gum arabic in them can clog pens/nibs. All the home made inks I see on here so far have gum arabic. Is there a non-gum arabic home made ink recipe list?

So i was curious which noodlers inks can be mixed with other brands. Just got a bottle of kon-peki (expensive!!!) And wanted to play with the color a bit. I tried mixing diamine poppy red with noodlers black. Worked well for a day then the next day it write just red... went to my vial i mixed them in and the inks had separated.... :-/ So anyone who knows.... can only non-bulletproof, non-baystate colors be mixed with other brands?!? Is it because of the chemical properties of those inks?! I have a whole lot of noodlers and it would be sad if i couldbt mix any of them and have them stay mixed. Is precipitate the right word for them separated?? I dont know all the words and abbreviations and acronyms for the inks like BBK for bad belted kingfisher everyone uses... Someone should have a thread of all the abbreviations for people that dont know.... Hint hint admins and moderators.... :-) Thabks in advance for tge info!!