Some Exciting News About My Iron Gall Ink Experiments

[pharmacist]

Thanks Pharmacist. I like the new batch a lot and may order a bottle, not that I need another IG ink. Do you have a sample of what the ink looks like without any dye?

 

Hello,

 

Yes you can produce the sample yourself: dip your pen in tap water and use this to write. This is the colour of iron gall ink without any dye, when freshly applied on paper :roflmho: .

[Silent Speaker]

Thanks Pharmacist. I like the new batch a lot and may order a bottle, not that I need another IG ink. Do you have a sample of what the ink looks like without any dye?

 

Hello,

 

Yes you can produce the sample yourself: dip your pen in tap water and use this to write. This is the colour of iron gall ink without any dye, when freshly applied on paper :roflmho: .

Hmmmm...

 

Precisely how long does it take to blacken?

 

I see no practical use for an un-dyed IG, except perhaps for pure novelty value.

 

Imagine: somebody leaves an open notebook or has a blank looseleaf paper lying around - when they're not looking, or out of the room, you scribble some ominous message. When they return, they get freaked out by some sinister words that slowly begin to appear on an hitherto blank page - looking almost as if it had been seared in...

 

Too much time on my hands? Perhaps... but do I like to mess with the superstitious types (and there's plenty of them around where I live.)

[pharmacist]

It depends on the type of paper: some unbleached papers without optical brighteners will keep the invisibility for a few hours before you can see a slight greyish hue, which will darken more and more overtime until a velvety black. It can take up to 8 days before the oxidation is complete when freely exposed to open air and even longer when firmly pressed between pages of a notebook.

 

Most papers will show a grey tail when the ink starts to oxidise immediately when you write on it: the oxidation on this type of papers will be must faster and often is complete after a a few days. .

[pharmacist]

An update of my experiments.

 

The writing should tell the story :

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2012 by pharmacist

[Uncle Red]

Cool test. I was wondering what the black looked like without and blue.

[mcbender]

This is looking amazing. I can't wait to get my bottle

[pharmacist]

Cool test. I was wondering what the black looked like without and blue.

 

Well actually: the black without dye is a velvety warm black and with blue a dark blue-black. But after a few years when the dye stuff will vanish and bleached out, only the permanent ferrogallotannate pigment will survive and hence it will become a velvety warm black.

[myyrkezaan]

This is looking amazing. I can't wait to get my bottle

 

Same here.

[crabe919]

My bottle arrived yesterday!

Need to say its a very fine writing (wet) ink.

Mine is the old batch (grayish) because i love black ink.

The ink has a very specific scent, with i like.

 

Would say this is a nice quality belgian product :thumbup:

 

cheers Adam

[Uncle Red]

I like Belgian products, especially if they say Chimay or Rodenbach Grand Cru

[pharmacist]

OK Guys,

 

all bottles of this specific batch are gone. For those interested, please have some patient, for I shall brew another bottle of this writing fluid. Please be patient: the ripening process will take up up to 1 week, before the ink can be bottled.

 

Unfortunately the shipping cost within EU and USA is quite expensive (standard shipping 8.30 euro and 13.30 euro for registered shipping with tracking for up to 2 bottles of 100 ml's). Please take notice of this, before sending me a PM for asking me the total price.

 

Some upgrade: mij MB fountain pen still seems to like the ink, but only if I write with it everyday, because after a few days I have to shake the pen a few times before the ink flows towards the tip of the nib. The other fountain pens still work great, even with the nib kept upwards for a few days.

[mcbender]

I recently received my bottle of this ink. So far, I'm very impressed, although I haven't tried it in very many pens yet.

 

The first thing to stand out is that this ink is actually rather wet, especially when compared to other IG inks (in particular, ESS, which is the other one I use). I have a fine-nibbed Lamy Safari which runs a bit dry, and which has a hard time using ESS (unless I apply extra pressure while writing, which isn't pleasant), but pharmacist's ink works great in it.

 

I've also tried this ink briefly in a vintage flex Waterman, and it behaves well there too. It's very capable of keeping up with the pen even at full flex, although in fairness so is ESS, so that's probably not too difficult. I do get a broader line with this ink at full flex than I do with ESS, but the hairlines turn out just as thin, so I'm very satisfied with the performance. It's also good for writing unflexed with this pen (unflexed, it's a dry XF), although still a bit too dry for me to do so comfortably (this pen doesn't seem to do very well with iron-gall inks when not flexed; it behaves better with something like Waterman Blue-Black). Nonetheless, that isn't really a problem, although I probably won't use this ink in anything narrower than the Safari (which is a bit wide for a F).

 

I haven't tried it in any other pens yet. I'll keep these two inked overnight to see how difficult they are to start later.

[crabe919]

I like rodenbach grand cru, but also like this IG ink a lot.

I use it mainly in my mb safety pen and it behaves very well.

[mcbender]

A few further comments on this ink:

 

After sitting idle for a day, the Lamy still starts right up. The Waterman had some trouble, but I think the inner cap might be in bad shape so I can't blame this on the ink, and once I got it flowing again it worked just fine.

 

It's interesting how different the oxidation behaviour is on different papers. On cheap notebook paper, it turns dark almost instantly, but on others (even copy paper) it takes significantly longer, from minutes to hours, and it's interesting to watch. It's probably related to the bleach content of the paper, but I've noticed significant differences even with identical-looking white papers from different sources. This is in contrast to ESS, which seems to darken much more quickly (I still see variation with it depending on the choice of paper, and both inks take a matter of days to fully mature, but this ink can evolve much more gradually).

 

This is definitely good stuff; thanks again, pharmacist, and keep up the good work.

[cellmatrix]

This is really cool Pharmacist! Hats off to you for doing this. Also having a lab background, I can appreciate the challenge and enjoyment you must feel in making your own traditional iron gall ink. To tell you the truth, I would love to learn how to home brew it too, and wonder if you might be able to mentor others with what you have already learned? Anyway, good luck on your ink work whatever you choose to do!

[myyrkezaan]

After sitting idle for a day, the Lamy still starts right up. The Waterman had some trouble, but I think the inner cap might be in bad shape so I can't blame this on the ink, and once I got it flowing again it worked just fine.

 

It's interesting how different the oxidation behaviour is on different papers. On cheap notebook paper, it turns dark almost instantly, but on others (even copy paper) it takes significantly longer, from minutes to hours, and it's interesting to watch. It's probably related to the bleach content of the paper, but I've noticed significant differences even with identical-looking white papers from different sources. This is in contrast to ESS, which seems to darken much more quickly (I still see variation with it depending on the choice of paper, and both inks take a matter of days to fully mature, but this ink can evolve much more gradually).

 

I loaded a Pilot Knight with it and do not have problems with it sitting idle when the cap is on. However, if there is a pause in writing (haven't measured the time) it will stop writing and I have to coax it a little, after that it writes great again.

 

Some samples on index cards, picture was taken today 2/17. The 'M' card turned dark while writing.

 

I used it to fill out a bank deposit slip today and it performed very well. It performed better than the Prera F filled with Pilot Blue-Black cartridge that I usually use.

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6892867183_32816df06e.jpg

IMG_0345-2 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

[pharmacist]

Hi All,

 

thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate those loving my ink. Actually it is just a hobby I do, just for fun and to share others with my experiments. Most do not realize the cost of making this ink is really significant, because I use pharmaceutical quality chemicals and therefore I only make relatively small batches for those interested in this ink.

 

I am currently brewing a new batch, but I am lacking the necessary dye stuff (which is really very expensive: I onced tried a cheaper supplier and it turned out desastrous, as the dye was contaminated with impurities causing a rapid formation of sediment) to make the ink and it will take some time to get it. Those already having paid me for a order of this ink, please be patient, because I want to do it good. I will tell when the ink is ready for bottling and for those interested to grab one or two bottles of this ink .

[pharmacist]

For those interested: the new batch is ready. Same formula like the one mentioned at the very first post of this topic, including same shade of blue and it behaves as the previous one: a rather wet writing IG ink, flows a nice blue from the nib and darkens into an indelible black. Can be used in fountain pens, dip pens and calligraphy pens and has that vintage phenol scent of good old iron gall ink.:clap1: . This ink has one of the highest content of the ferrogallotannate pigment and is considered to be archival.

[The Royal Pen]

That is my colour. Consider you've gained a fan!

[pharmacist]

There seems to be some question what I am asking for 1 bottle for this ink. Though this is not a selling forum I have to mention the cost for 100 ml's of this ink, which is € 10. Is is this expensive: I don't think so, because the chemicals to produce the ink are very expensive and this is the reason why I only make relatively small batches each time (1 liter) and is just enough to cover the costs of the chemicals and packaging materials and bottles and I can buy myself 1 pint of beer for each bottle sold, so I do not make much money with selling this ink :roflmho: . Also making this ink takes up to 1 week, because it needs ripening.

 

Now the shipping costs: € 8.30 for 1 or 2 bottles for standard shipping (EU and USA only) and if you want the safer registered shipping version with tracking the shipping cost will be € 13.20. Unfortunately there is not alternative for this, or you want to come and pick up the bottle from me directly here in Belgium.