Long Lasting Ink

March 20, 2013

While I am a long, long time fountain pen user, interest in different inks is a new adventure for me. In the past, it was always --- just buy another bottle of black ink when the bottle I was using gets down to about 1/4 full. Since I am becoming interested in different inks, I have a question for you.

I read a lot about "wet and dry" inks, lubricating inks, saturated ink, etc., please inform me on "long lasting inks." I am a very serious journal keeper, for over fifty years, and I would like to think that the ink on my pages would still be readable after a hundred years ----- that is, if anyone still can read cursive! So, are some brands of ink more "long lasting" than others? Are some colors more "long lasting?" Thanks in advance.

C.

March 20, 2013

Writings made with India ink have been around for thousands of years. It is just carbon black and a glue binder. Elemental carbon is forever. You need a dip pen to write with India ink, though. This is what I do most of my journaling with.

The next longest proven track record goes to iron gall ink. This goes back many hundreds of years. If it is not made properly, it will eat through the paper, leaving holes where the writing was. Modern iron gall inks will supposedly last indefinitely. Who knows? Modern inks have not been around indefinitely. I have some records that were written with iron gall ink in the mid-1800s. They still look very good and show no sign of corrosion. You can use these inks in fountain pens.

I use Noodler's bulletproof inks for some of my journaling. These supposedly bond chemically with the cellulose in the paper. I don't know if time can destroy the bond or not. I am willing to gamble that it won't.

Most modern inks have not been around long enough to show longevity. Ink manufacturers change their formulations at will and without notification, so those are a gamble.

March 21, 2013

The nearly 100% guaranteed to last the long haul are the pigmented inks. There are fountain pen specific ones from Sailor and Platinum that are safe to use. Sailor Sei-boku blue-black, and Kiwaguro nano-carbon black, and a blue/black/red from platinum.

Iron galls have history, and the newer ones should be friendly to both the pen and the paper (preventing the ink "burning" the paper after decades/centuries). They're weak against strong light, and bleaching agents.

The noodler's cellulose reactive bulletproof inks, like Black and Legal lapis, are short term far more durable than an iron gall, and maybe even the pigmented inks under some circumstances. It's hard to say how they'll hold up after a few decades but all the accelerated tests point to the darker ones as being the equal of a pigmented ink. The lighter ones will fade with exposure to strong light, though even those tend to be more light resistant than an iron gall or most conventional inks.

edit: All 3 of these types of ink are completely waterproof, though in the case of iron galls sometimes the color component isn't waterproof, it will leave the black/grey iron gall component on the paper.

Noodler's bulletproofs vary, the ones that are 100% cellulose reactive like the Black and Legal Lapis are immune to pretty much any liquid or chemical and retain their color, some have a small amount of non-bulletproof ink mixed in to change the vividness of the color and that will often spread out or wash off leaving only the bulletproof ink behind.

The Cellulose reactive inks MUST be in contact with the paper fibers to work, if the paper is coated with some kind of polymer or sizing agent the ink will remain liquid on the page. (I've experienced this with USPS Money orders, priority mail envelopes (the boxes are fine), some Hallmark cards, and many artists using special papers have run into the problem)

All 3 are considered "high maintenance" inks. The cellulose reactive bulletproofs are probably the safest for the pen, as they will not dry solid or crystalize in the pen, the ink must react with paper. All you need to clean/flush the ink out is plain tap water.

A few "bulletproof" inks like Kung Te Cheng and Bad Blue Heron actually dry, with only a tiny fraction of the ink reacting with the paper, these are very high maintenence and you need ammonia or a strong pen cleaner handy in case they ever dry out in the pen. Very strong alkaline cleaners can also cause them to spread/run a bit if spilled on a page, this is pretty damn rare in real life though. On the upside they work on coated papers very well.

Blue heron is probably my most used ink even though I was initially put off by the drying/not cellulose reactive aspect due to it being able to work in a pinch if I run into the aformentioned "problem surfaces" like coated holiday cards and things.

As far as cleaning/maintence with iron galls and the japanese pigmented inks, I haven't gotten a chance to experience them first hand yet, maybe it's time to order some sample vials.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Yoda4561

March 22, 2013

Just to weigh in ... with a limited knowledge ... Noodler's KTC has been recreated from ink stones used during the time of Confucious.

From the torture tests I conducted, I can tell you that the Iron Gall ink did last, the Sailor Pigmented inks lasted and KTC lasted. KTC was the most durable of the inks.