Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink

[Sandy1]

I've used Lamy blue black which I believe still has some IG content, Mount Blanc Midnight Blue, and R & K Salix. I like the Lamy and the Salix but am absolutely smitten by the ESSRI. I'll write nonsense sentences just to watch the ink change colors. I'm hoping to order some of the Pharmacists wonderful looking inks as well. Best of luck in your search.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

As these things go, Lamy BlBk held no particular appeal for me. (?)

 

Lamy changed the formulation of their BlBk ink quite some time ago, eliminating the I-G content. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199211-lamy-blue-black-plan-to-reformulate-bottled-ink/?p=2028316

 

It is possible that some old stock of the I-G formula might be hiding out on some Vendors' shelves. In the ICS&T Forum next door there are several Topics with comparisons between those two inks.

 

I also look forward to trying some of the I-G inks handcrafted by Member Pharmacist.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sinistral1]

Pharmacist - your inky legions are in need of more of your brew!! Please show yourself, if possible, and join us again! Most, if not all of us are friendly and have money to spend, a deal that can't be beat!

 

Sandy1: My samples of R&K Scabiosa and Diamine Registrars from Goulet Pens are in the mail to me as I write. I'm getting closer to simply breaking down and ordering a bottle of ESSRI - right after I talk my pooch into cutting back on his kibble "for the cause". I kind of like the "white noise" his stomach makes when he's sleeping on a partially empty stomach....

[Fuellerfuehrerschein]

I checked if direct sunshine/light will cause ESSRI to break down and throw a sediment. For that I inked up a Lamy Z26 converter - the converter variant with the clear transparent barrel - with ESSRI and put it in a Lamy Vista demonstrator pen.

After two weeks of light exposure in the Vista the ESSRI had stained the plastic barrel of the converter and the rather persistent staining had to be removed with the help of some chemical solutions for part two of my test.

For that I inked up the converter with ESSRI again and put it in a Lamy Studio pen. In the Studio the converter is not visible and hence gets not exposed to light.

After two weeks I checked the converter and could not see the previously visible staining, so the assertion that ESSRI reacts to light is obviously correct.

[Chiro75]

Re: how the acidic pH of the ink affects a pen. I have been using the same Esterbrook LJ with the same stainless steel Esterbrook 9556 nib and ESSRI in that pen for over a year now. I have flushed the nib maybe three times when it gets gunked up (usually after a two week break from work where I hardly, if at all, use the pen) and I have seen ZERO problems from it. Nib writes great, looks great, shines up fine when I wipe all the ink off it, etc. Very low maintenance, if you ask me.

[Sandy1]

I checked if direct sunshine/light will cause ESSRI to break down and throw a sediment. For that I inked up a Lamy Z26 converter - the converter variant with the clear transparent barrel - with ESSRI and put it in a Lamy Vista demonstrator pen.

After two weeks of light exposure in the Vista the ESSRI had stained the plastic barrel of the converter and the rather persistent staining had to be removed with the help of some chemical solutions for part two of my test.

For that I inked up the converter with ESSRI again and put it in a Lamy Studio pen. In the Studio the converter is not visible and hence gets not exposed to light.

After two weeks I checked the converter and could not see the previously visible staining, so the assertion that ESSRI reacts to light is obviously correct.

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for sharing the results of your test.

 

Some previous Replies discussed decanting into glass bottles, and the aspect of of longer term storage arose. Your results confirm the reaction happens much more quickly than conventional non-IG 'simple' aniline dye-based inks.

 

As IG inks have been around for yonks, perhaps this is where the rule-of-thumb to keep ink in the dark got started. (?)

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 27, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Re: how the acidic pH of the ink affects a pen. I have been using the same Esterbrook LJ with the same stainless steel Esterbrook 9556 nib and ESSRI in that pen for over a year now. I have flushed the nib maybe three times when it gets gunked up (usually after a two week break from work where I hardly, if at all, use the pen) and I have seen ZERO problems from it. Nib writes great, looks great, shines up fine when I wipe all the ink off it, etc. Very low maintenance, if you ask me.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the ongoing updates of your findings when ESSRI is used long-term with your Estie!

 

Your results are much in line with what I'd expect.

 

When you mention that you flushed the nib, did you do a full-on cleansing of the pen? Or just a minimal water flush so the rinse water was pretty clear? Or ???

 

My own little extended dedicated use of ESSRI in a Plumix with no maintenance and only a few lines a day, is going along without a hitch. I'm running the pen dry before charging, so flushing with ink and blotting is kept to a minimum; and I don't rinse the cap.

 

Bye,

S1

[amberleadavis]

Sandy I was given this ink to sample and I must say, it is something special thank you for a great review!

[fiberdrunk]

I now own this ink, too. Thanks for enabling us, Sandy! It's a fine ink!

[setriode]

A Pilot Custom 74 with a CON 70 resulted in the converter fill button sticking and freezing with staining also being difficult to remove.

 

Following Chiro and Sandy1's experience I aim to fill up a Pelikan M200 with ESSR and permanently allocate the pen to this ink. I will keep you posted on how this goes.

[LPWaterhouse]

Can you tell me if you feel ESSRI is the closest substitute for such a fascinating ink that was once MB Midnight Blue? I'm going to get a sample of R&K Salix and Diamine Registrar's BB from Goulet PC but with ESSRI you can either buy the 110ml 'tanker' bottle or nothing so it's a bit of a gamble if it doesn't meet anticipations.

[amberleadavis]

ESSRI was unique and I woudn't use it as a replacement for MB-Midnight Blue, but it is really something special.

[Sandy1]

Can you tell me if you feel ESSRI is the closest substitute for such a fascinating ink that was once MB Midnight Blue? I'm going to get a sample of R&K Salix and Diamine Registrar's BB from Goulet PC but with ESSRI you can either buy the 110ml 'tanker' bottle or nothing so it's a bit of a gamble if it doesn't meet anticipations.

 

Hi,

 

The very nature of I-G inks is that they are reactive over time, to both the oxidation process and the constituents of the paper. As such drawing a parallel is not so easy.

 

As ESSRI appears to have a higher I-G content than the discontinued Montblanc Midnight Blue, it is more sensitive to the above reactions. e.g. ESSRI can change Hue and Value (light - dark) to a greater extent than MBBlBk.

 

However, if one takes a look at the ESSRI dilution samples, and the ESSRI blending recipes, I think there lies a way forward to emulate MBMBl.

 

My current approach is a variation on a blend which I called SalixX: MBBlBk + Rohrer & Klingner Salix. I've not quite settled on the ratio of ESSRI to Salix, or determined if another [aniline dye] ink or distilled water might be asked to join the party. As I am on remote assignment, such efforts hang fire until I return to my ink pots.

 

I agree that the 110ml bottle of ESSRI is a fair bit of ink, so you might want to post a WTB in the Classifieds, or seek a partner which whom to split the purchase. Perhaps that decision is best made after spending some time with R&K Salix and DRI.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

ESSRI Dilution : 33, 50, 66 80, 90 & 100% https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/211406-ecclesiastical-stationery-supplies-registrars-ink-dulution/

ESSRI Recipes 1 to 8 : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/223337-essri-mixes/page__view__findpost__p__2219295

 

[LPWaterhouse]

Thank you Sandy1 for your comprehensive and utterly fascinating insight! A very kind gentlemen on the FPN is mailing me a sample vial of ESSRI. I can't wait to sample it (as well as the samples of R&K Salix and DRI I'm getting from Goulet PC).

 

Now this is just a wild theory but I wonder if trying different recipes mixing the reformulated NON-permanent formulation of Montblanc Midnight Blue with one of the currently commercially-available Iron-Gall blue inks (i.e. R&K Salix, ESSRI, DRI etc.) would produce an ink that would 'iron-gallize' (my technical term) the reformulated Montblanc Midnight Blue...emulating the complex color characteristics of the discontinued Montblanc Midnight Blue as well as making it somewhat permanent again. Do you think I may be onto something here or am I just stabbing in the dark? Please be totally blunt if I'm way off here. Obviously, as you can probably tell, I'm no expert here. I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way to do it without using any discontinued inks. I don't have any MBBlBk. Is there any substance to my naive logic?

[Sandy1]

Thank you Sandy1 for your comprehensive and utterly fascinating insight! A very kind gentlemen on the FPN is mailing me a sample vial of ESSRI. I can't wait to sample it (as well as the samples of R&K Salix and DRI I'm getting from Goulet PC).

 

Now this is just a wild theory but I wonder if trying different recipes mixing the reformulated NON-permanent formulation of Montblanc Midnight Blue with one of the currently commercially-available Iron-Gall blue inks (i.e. R&K Salix, ESSRI, DRI etc.) would produce an ink that would 'iron-gallize' (my technical term) the reformulated Montblanc Midnight Blue...emulating the complex color characteristics of the discontinued Montblanc Midnight Blue as well as making it somewhat permanent again. Do you think I may be onto something here or am I just stabbing in the dark? Please be totally blunt if I'm way off here. Obviously, as you can probably tell, I'm no expert here. I'm just trying to figure out if there's a way to do it without using any discontinued inks. I don't have any MBBlBk. Is there any substance to my naive logic?

 

Hi,

 

Ah, let me put it this way - in the Inky Thoughts Forum there's a Topic 'Experiments and Exercises in Curiosity & Blonde Optimism' c/w video that reflects my attitude to inky explorations. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/271037-inky-t-o-d-experiments-and-exercises-in-curiosity-blonde-optimism/?p=3066866

 

I don't disagree with your 'naive logic', which seems similar to my 'blonde optimism'.

 

Indeed, when I looked at the non-I-G cartridge version of Lamy Blue-Black, and Montblanc Blue-Black and Midnight Blue, it seemed the aniline dye iterations were quite close to the I-G iterations of those inks, except for the charisma and outstanding performance profile that is typical of I-G inks. The aniline dye iterations were body doubles, not the real thing.

 

I speculate that the current non-I-G MB Midnight Blue is that which was previously available only in cartridges - the same dumb move choice taken by Lamy when they stopped producing their BlBk with I-G. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199211-lamy-blue-black-plan-to-reformulate-bottled-ink/?p=2028316

 

As I am presently on the outs with MB for discontinuing one of my favourite inks, I have chosen not to use their inks in my blends, but that should certainly not stop others from doing so. A recipe blending Salix + non-I-G MBMBl seems well within range. As for blending ESSRI with non-I-G MBMBl, I would add [distilled] water to the ESSRI before blending with non-I-G MBMBl:

(X parts ESSRI + Y parts water) + Z parts MBMBl = ??

 

The catch is that the aniline dye in ESSRI is not likely the same hue as that in MBMBl, so a third ink might be invited to join. Nevertheless it is a fair point of departure for an inky adventure.

 

Please note that blending inks is not without risk exposure to an 'unsafe' result, so kindly avail yourself of the method I use for determining the safety of a blend as outlined in my recipe for Gal-Lexi: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/234049-noodlers-lexington-gray-galileo-manuscript-brown/?p=2517090 and this Topic https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/266589-inky-t-o-d-ink-mixing-mad-scientist-v-safety-inspector/?p=2991199

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

- Comparison - MBMBl : ESSRI : MBlBk https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/217013-comparison-montblanc-midnight-blue-ecclesiastical-stationery-supples-registrars-ink-montblanc-blue-black/

- Comparison - Lamy Blue-Black - I-G Bottle :: Colour Component Cartridge https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/202683-comparison-lamy-blue-black-i-g-bottle-cartridge/

- Comparison - Montblanc Blue-Black 50ml Bottle :: Cartridge https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/189912-comparison-montblanc-blue-black-50ml-bottle-cartridge/page__view__findpost__p__1917837

- Ink Review: Montblanc Midnight Blue - Cartridges https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/199390-montblanc-midnight-blue-cartridges/?p=2030867

Edited October 24, 2014 by Sandy1

[Vlad Soare]

I bought a bottle of ESSRI and fell in love on the spot. I find it very different from Diamine Registrar's, in a good way. I didn't quite like the Diamine, while ESSRI seems perfect to me and makes me finally understand why people are so fond of iron gall inks.

 

I asked ESS whether this ink was safe to use in a Montblanc 146, considering that the removal of the nib and feed for thorough cleaning is difficult. Their reply confirms what was stated earlier in this thread, namely that it's perfectly safe as long as one takes a few basic precautions. As I understand, iron salts can precipitate under the action of strong daylight (no problem in the pen, but care must be taken with the storage of the ink bottle), and dried out ink can be removed with plain water and, in more serious cases, with a weak acid solution. They suggested vinegar, though personally I think citric acid would work at least as well, if not better (I've been messing about with alternative photographic processes, and I know that citric acid is a strong chelating agent for iron and is better suited to the removal of iron salts than vinegar is).

 

Contrary to what one might expect from an iron gall ink, I don't find it dry. I'm surprised to find out that it feels like any normal ink, without the dryness and stickyness that I had experienced with Diamine. It dries very quickly, doesn't bleed through cheap papers and has a beautiful color - a medium blue at first, then a nice dark blue, then an almost-black within a couple of days. Simply lovely.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[Albus]

I personally find ESSRI to be extremely reactive.

 

I had an empty 110 mL tanker bottle that is now dried and full of precipitation.

 

Another in Lamy ink bottle has some sedimentation.

 

I am familiar with Ig ink - having used them exclusively for 2 years (Lamy BB).

 

Some of the ink mixing results - tried them last year.

 

ESSRI + pelikan BB = unusable - precipitation

 

ESSRI + lamy BB (non ig) = unusable - precipitation - may need to check again

 

ESSRI + platinum BB (ig) = ok

 

ESSRI + mont blanc bb (ig) = some precipitation - may need to check again

 

Precipitation is confirmed by using a lamy bottle. Filled up with some ink, shake and coat bottle with ink. Look up a strong light to see precipitation.

 

I did it quite long ago (last year) and couldn't distinctively remember the problem.

[Venemo]

Hey Sandy1,

 

I just wanted to say thank you for the effort, thoroughness and thought you put into this review. It was fascinating. I love your style. ESSRI is also one of my favourites and I usually always keep a pen inked with ESSRI just in case I feel the need to watch the magic that it does to the paper.

[Fuellerfuehrerschein]

Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies is mentioned in UK guidebooks as registration ink supplier in appendixes in:

 

A Guide for Authorised Persons, HM Passport Office, General Register Office, Issued: 2012, Last Updated: February 2015, Registration stock, 1.18, Page 5

A permanent type of black ink should be used when registering marriages, preparing quarterly returns and issuing certificates. Registration ink can be purchased from Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies. Contact details are in Appendix C.

 

Guidebook for The Clergy, HM Passport Office, General Register Office, Issued: 2011, Last Updated: February 2015, Ink, 1.9, Page 7

A permanent type of black ink should be used when registering marriages, preparing quarterly returns and issuing certificates. Registration ink can be purchased from Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies. Contact details are in Appendix A.

 

Guidebook for Secretaries (for Marriages) of Synagogues, HM Passport Office, General Register Office, Issued: 2012, Last Updated: February 2015, Ink, 1.12, Page 6

A permanent type of black ink should be used when registering marriages, preparing quarterly returns and issuing certificates. Registration ink can be purchased from Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies. Contact details are in Appendix A.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Fuellerfuehrerschein

[Endoguy]

I have just joined the FPN. However, I have used Vintage Sheaffer Triumph EF nib FP's for more than a Decade with EES Registrars ink. I flush my pens on a monthly basis with a dilute Vinegar solution, followed by clear water and have had no issues in my Vintage pens. I use this ink in all of my vintage pens and have even been told that while they require a bit more maintenance; the vintage pens usually do very well with IG inks because this was a common ink that was used when my pens were manufactured in the 1940's and 50's and the feeds were designed to work well with them.

 

I went to Registrars ink for two reasons, it is Permanent and it is a Blue/Black ink that is easy for the Pharmacies in my area to immediately recognize my prescriptions as being genuine because I always use this "weird ink". Some years ago I had a Prescription pad stolen from my clinic and got a call from one of my pharmacists who is a fellow pen snob asking when I started writing with a blue ballpoint. I told him I hadn't and that it was obviously a forged prescription. The passer of the faked prescriptions was caught and arrested when she came to pick up the forged prescription. This saved me from all sorts of trouble.

 

I just thought I would share my experience with the EES ink.

 

Endoguy

[sciumbasci]

I love these tales of lived life. Thanks Endoguy!