Most Lightfast Iron Gall Fountain Pen Ink?

[fiberdrunk]

I know there are quite a few iron gall inks out there for fountain pens. Can somebody tell me which is the most permanent/lightfast? I know Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa is not lightfast (found that test on the forum), but has anyone else done such a test on any of the other brands of iron gall inks? As they are quite pricey, I'd like to make sure I get a very permanent one. Thanks.

[hari317]

... has anyone else done such a test on any of the other brands of iron gall inks?

 

I am in the process of doing this test, the samples are under the hot Indian sun for more than a month now. I will publish the scans shortly.

 

I am testing"

 

Diamine Registrar's

Scabiosa

Salix

MB Blue Black

 

Best,

Hari

[fiberdrunk]

... has anyone else done such a test on any of the other brands of iron gall inks?

 

I am in the process of doing this test, the samples are under the hot Indian sun for more than a month now. I will publish the scans shortly.

 

I am testing"

 

Diamine Registrar's

Scabiosa

Salix

MB Blue Black

 

Best,

Hari

 

 

Oooh, thank you! I'll look forward to that.

[mstone]

I know there are quite a few iron gall inks out there for fountain pens. Can somebody tell me which is the most permanent/lightfast? I know Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa is not lightfast (found that test on the forum), but has anyone else done such a test on any of the other brands of iron gall inks? As they are quite pricey, I'd like to make sure I get a very permanent one. Thanks.

 

The only ones that I've seen reports of bad fading for are the R&K inks. I've tested Diamine's & Lamy's and they're both fine. I'd expect the same from the MB.

[wallylynn]

I've tested Diamine's & Lamy's and they're both fine. I'd expect the same from the MB.

My Lamy BB (yes bottled) fared poorly in the window. It's still there, I think it's faded as much as it will, but a light brown. It also fared poorly under a CFL lamp. This image is about 1 month.

 

In my notebook, it's fine.

[mstone]

I've tested Diamine's & Lamy's and they're both fine. I'd expect the same from the MB.

My Lamy BB (yes bottled) fared poorly in the window. It's still there, I think it's faded as much as it will, but a light brown. It also fared poorly under a CFL lamp. This image is about 1 month.

 

In my notebook, it's fine.

To clarify: yes, they fade, but not to illegibility like the R&K.

[hari317]

I don't have a scanner at home, so I took some camera pictures of the test sheets. On the 14th of november, I wrote out two test sheets, one sheet was kept in my filing cabinet in complete darkness and the other sheet was stuck using tape to the glass window of my apartment which gets direct sunlight.

 

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IG%20ink%20scans/IMG_5346.jpg

 

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IG%20ink%20scans/IMG_5347.jpg

 

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IG%20ink%20scans/IMG_5348.jpg

 

High resolution pictures:

 

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IMG_5346.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IMG_5347.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/IMG_5348.jpg

 

Results: Most to least lightfast

 

MB Blue Black

Diamine Registrar's

R&K Salix

R&K Scabiosa

 

I will use the scanner at work if there is any further interest in the scans.

 

Thanks!

Hari

[cubic archon]

To clarify: yes, they fade, but not to illegibility like the R&K.

Well, it depends on how long you're likely to leave them there. R&K IGs might well go faster (I haven't tested them) but I have a four month old sample of Lamy BB left in sunlight which *is* practically illegible.

 

I use Lamy BB, Scabiosa and Salix all the time quite happily, extended periods of sunlight aren't a hazard I'm expecting personally, but I wouldn't use any of them if I was expecting it. All of my other inks performed better, whether bulletproof, nanoparticle, or just standard Waterman and Herbin inks.

[fiberdrunk]

Thank you for all the great scans and info! This really helps!

[lapis]

I see it like this:

 

MB > Registrar's = Lamy > Scabiosa > Salix.

 

Mike

[mstone]

Well, it depends on how long you're likely to leave them there. R&K IGs might well go faster (I haven't tested them) but I have a four month old sample of Lamy BB left in sunlight which *is* practically illegible.

Interesting.

[Belles-lettres]

Thanks, Hari, for doing the tests and posting the results. Now I can rest easy with the Registrar's ink that I've been using for months...

[amberleadavis]

OOOO I love these kinds of tests!

[Threadbear]

I've not done any fade tests (not that a north facing window in England would tell us much), but I would expect Pharmacist's urkundentinte to do very well among the IGs. It is the darkest of all the IGs I have (others are scabiosa, ESSRI and a few of Pharmacist's fancy coloured inks), so I imagine there is a higher iron gall content. If there is more of the stuff to start with it should take longer to fade. FWIW pharmacist also says that ferro-gallotannic inks like his are more archival than ferro-gallic ones, but I have no idea which other inks are ferro-gallic or ferro-gallotannic.

[SeeksAdvice]

How on Earth does an IG ink fade? Basically it's the deposition of Fe2+ and/or Fe3+ oxides on a page. I'm from Florida originally, and I assure you that rust doesn't fade in the sun.

 

I'm wondering if it's true "fading" or if it's lost its water content due to being in the hot sunlight?

 

Also, could have some fading/loss of the dye portion of some of those inks. Salix looks quite different without the slight blue component.

 

I'd bet that carbon based inks won't fade at all.

[wallylynn]

How on Earth does an IG ink fade? Basically it's the deposition of Fe2+ and/or Fe3+ oxides on a page. I'm from Florida originally, and I assure you that rust doesn't fade in the sun.

 

I'd forgotten about this old thread. But yes, they do fade. Both my Lamy BB (now discontinued), MB-MB, and my newer Registrars ink. I don't know why, but they do. It's definitely not water loss. I tried to mark some plants with MBMB and that faded to brown.

 

Could be something like changing from Fe2 which is black to Fe3 which is the typical red-orange. Note that it's not pure iron oxide either, it's a gallic/tannic oxide which probably has an influence. Just guessing. After I save up, I'll get a bottle of Pharmacist's ink.