Lamy Blue-Black - Plan To Reformulate Bottled Ink

[KrazyIvan]

Wow, I did not know it was an iron Gaul ink when I bought a bottle. It's good ink that works good on cheap paper.

[fiberdrunk]

I hate to see an iron gall ink bite the dust. Thanks for alerting us so we can contact Lamy about it!

[The Good Captain]

Do you think it could just be to do with its constituents being 'undesirable' in the US and it's the 'export' of it to The US and similar places that's been stopped? Rather like the panic that ensued when rumours started Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black was being discontinued and in fact it was the export of this ink to the US that was ceasing.

[Sandy1]

Do you think it could just be to do with its constituents being 'undesirable' in the US and it's the 'export' of it to The US and similar places that's been stopped? Rather like the panic that ensued when rumours started Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black was being discontinued and in fact it was the export of this ink to the US that was ceasing.

Hi,

 

My query made no mention of political boundaries. The reply from Lamy Germany was about their plan to reformulate the bottled ink - no mention of political boundaries, or 'undesirable' ingredients. It is my hope that their plan will not be enacted.

 

BTW, I have not received any back channel chatter from Lamy since posting this Topic.

 

Of those who have politely requested Lamy to reconsider their plan, the gist of replies from Lamy may be of interest to some readers who have yet to write Lamy.

 

Bye,

S1

 

EDIT - to add:

 

Perhaps I am underestimating the ability of Lamy to reformulate an i-g ink as a colour component ink that has all the properties of an i-g ink, including the 'it factor' that makes i-g inks so unique.

 

S1

Edited July 5, 2011 by Sandy1

[gmrza]

Wow, I did not know it was an iron Gaul ink when I bought a bottle. It's good ink that works good on cheap paper.

 

Hmm, I don't know about "iron Gauls" - maybe Asterix and Obelix would be able to advise on that point....

[fiberdrunk]

 

Hmm, I don't know about "iron Gauls" - maybe Asterix and Obelix would be able to advise on that point....

 

 

There's the Iron Gall Ink Website which will tell you all you want to know about iron gall ink, including its history and how to make it yourself. I've made my own iron gall inks (3 different recipes, in fact). You can read about them here. I'm quite fond of this ink!

 

eta: essentially, there's a chemical reaction between iron sulfate and tannic or gallic acid (which comes from oak galls or other plant sources, such as pomegranate peels) to create this ink.

Edited July 5, 2011 by fiberdrunk

[spiv]

I have 2 bottles on hold at the nearest pen shop...

[wallylynn]

Arrrgh, and here I've been deliberately trying to use up my Lamy Bl-Bk so I could fill the bottle with something else.

 

Am I supposed to save it now? Is that even possible? Anyone with old i-g ink? Does it precipitate out? Is plastic okay (although I'll use glass)?

[picautomaton]

The Suits have spoken, the numbers declare and follow they must. As long as they keep making their excellent range of fountain pens I guess we'll be o.k.

[gmrza]

 

Hmm, I don't know about "iron Gauls" - maybe Asterix and Obelix would be able to advise on that point....

 

 

There's the Iron Gall Ink Website which will tell you all you want to know about iron gall ink, including its history and how to make it yourself. I've made my own iron gall inks (3 different recipes, in fact). You can read about them here. I'm quite fond of this ink!

 

eta: essentially, there's a chemical reaction between iron sulfate and tannic or gallic acid (which comes from oak galls or other plant sources, such as pomegranate peels) to create this ink.

 

*grin* Take a careful look at my reply to KrazyIvan's post about "iron Gaul(s)", not "iron gall". The difference is subtle but may be amusing. Maybe Getafix had a good recipe for iron gall ink.... Only Goscinny would know. *grin*

[The Good Captain]

Hmm, I don't know about "iron Gauls" - maybe Asterix and Obelix would be able to advise on that point....

 

 

There's the Iron Gall Ink Website which will tell you all you want to know about iron gall ink, including its history and how to make it yourself. I've made my own iron gall inks (3 different recipes, in fact). You can read about them here. I'm quite fond of this ink!

 

eta: essentially, there's a chemical reaction between iron sulfate and tannic or gallic acid (which comes from oak galls or other plant sources, such as pomegranate peels) to create this ink.

 

*grin* Take a careful look at my reply to KrazyIvan's post about "iron Gaul(s)", not "iron gall". The difference is subtle but may be amusing. Maybe Getafix had a good recipe for iron gall ink.... Only Goscinny would know. *grin*

Maybe Frantix would be able to comment on the speed of global Lamy B-B purchasing.

[The Good Captain]

I've received this information in an e-mail just a few minutes ago.

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

ppa.

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

I did complete the on-line form a few times, probably in error, so there might be more replies. No doubt the information will be the same.

We shall see.

[koa]

Argh!! This has been one of my daily users! I guess I may have to buy Salix to go with Scabiosa. Or go the homemade route. I guess there is always Diamine Registar's.

 

{loved the Iron Gauls! and Asterix! But I don't think Iron Gauls used iron gall ink. I mean, what have the Romans ever done for us?}

[gmrza]

I've received this information in an e-mail just a few minutes ago.

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

ppa.

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

I did complete the on-line form a few times, probably in error, so there might be more replies. No doubt the information will be the same.

We shall see.

 

I think Marco is busy sending out a form email to all queries. I received the same email:

 

Dear Mr. Rehmet,

 

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

 

ppa.

 

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

[The Good Captain]

I've received this information in an e-mail just a few minutes ago.

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

ppa.

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

I did complete the on-line form a few times, probably in error, so there might be more replies. No doubt the information will be the same.

We shall see.

 

I think Marco is busy sending out a form email to all queries. I received the same email:

 

Dear Mr. Rehmet,

 

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

 

ppa.

 

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

 

It sure looks like Marco has been given the short straw!

[Sandy1]

...

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

...

We shall see.

 

Hi,

 

Thank-you for sharing.

 

The rationale is driven by Lamy internal factors - not external factors such as a country's 'HazMat' law & regs, expense/availability of ingredients, facility limitations, etc.

 

The colour component BlBk ink is a good enough performer, but ... Perhaps it is time to ask Lamy to reformulate the colour component Blue Black to more closely emulate the performance and appearance of the iron gall Blue Black.

 

Bye,

S1

[gmrza]

...

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

...

We shall see.

 

Hi,

 

Thank-you for sharing.

 

The rationale is driven by Lamy internal factors - not external factors such as a country's 'HazMat' law & regs, expense/availability of ingredients, facility limitations, etc.

 

The colour component BlBk ink is a good enough performer, but ... Perhaps it is time to ask Lamy to reformulate the colour component Blue Black to more closely emulate the performance and appearance of the iron gall Blue Black.

 

Bye,

S1

 

I think the bottom line is around the economics. Lamy can't justify the cost of two types of blue-black ink.

Iron gall inks do also stir up some controversy, because of their acidity. (I am not saying that is good

or bad - it just is like that.) As a pen manufacturer, Lamy also has to deal with the consequences of pen

owners who do not flush their pens out regularly - this is an artifact of our modern society where people

blame the manufacturer, when they do not use the product correctly. As a result, manufacturers land up

having to make their products as idiot-proof as possible. (Fortunately Nathan Tardif does not believe in that

rubbish, so he still makes nice inks!) I think ink manufacturers like Diamine, Noodler's and Rohrer und

Klingner who are not bound by the constraints of running a pen manufacturing business will increasingly

be the best choice when looking for good inks... (Just my 0.02 worth)

[jayschares]

Maybe someone could convince Nathan to replicate it. Does anyone know why he doesn't make an iron gall ink?

[gmrza]

Maybe someone could convince Nathan to replicate it. Does anyone know why he doesn't make an iron gall ink?

 

Nathan, it would appear, doesn't like acidic inks. Most of the Noodler's inks are pH neutral.

 

There are good reasons why iron gall inks can be problematic for archival purposes, due to the acid eating holes in the paper. (This may depend on the amount of iron gall compounds in the ink.)

 

Iron gall inks are probably also not as resistant to forgery as Noodler's bulletproof inks, which are based on dyes which react with the cellulose of paper.

 

Also, take a look at the Noodler's site to see what iron gall inks can do to aluminium foil! I am hazarding a guess that one of the inks mentioned may be Mont Blanc blue-black ink. (I may be wrong.)

[Alohamora]

I've received this information in an e-mail just a few minutes ago.

Thank you for your e-amil and your interest in Lamy inks.

Due to production standardization and needs of reducing the programme complexity we decided to standardize the formula of the blue-black ink

to the one of the LAMY T10 cartridges.

Which means, that we will discontinue the iron gall content.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

 

C. Josef Lamy GmbH

ppa.

Marco Achenbach

Leiter Produktmanagement/Entwicklung

I did complete the on-line form a few times, probably in error, so there might be more replies. No doubt the information will be the same.

We shall see.

 

 

Lamy blue-black is too dry in most of my pens. BUT, the current formula just happens to be a perfect match in flow for one particular pen I have.

 

How's Salix in comparison?