Super Pinks - Operation Stone Age

[ScienceChick]

I love the 30ml wide-mouthed Nalgene bottles. They're better for shipping, IMO - less expensive than glass and no breakage.

 

I think there's a definite place for 15ml bottles. Look how quickly the 15ml bottles of Iro sold out. It's a great travel size and a good mid-point between a sample and a full-sized bottle.

[white_lotus]

OK, I searched through the thread trying to see how much Thistle should be diluted. All I could find was "dilute" which isn't very specific. I searched for "thistle" finding many jokes, and "dilute" which was less ink specific but didn't yield much info other than general: dilute ¼ instead of ½ and the like.

 

I have the T2, the Thistle2.

 

Is this an IG ink? What concerns are there? Is it easy to clean out? Does it stain?

 

I looked at the review and I don't think it stains, and probably is easy to clean out.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

T2 at 50% was quite washed out but I have not tried anything else yet. 1/4 or 1/8 would probably be a good start - unless you don't mind unsaturated. No staining/cleaning issues here.

Edited February 24, 2015 by TheRealScubaSteve

[amberleadavis]

I may need to have a look.

 

The Blue Steel is not working well for me in my Pilot Custom 74, but to be fair that nib acts kind of funny sometimes. I think it is too soft, and the tines are too tight when not flexing. It has some issues with feathering on cheap paper.

 

Sorry to hear that.

[white_lotus]

T2 at 50% was quite washed out but I have not tried anything else yet. 1/4 or 1/8 would probably be a good start - unless you don't mind unsaturated. No staining/cleaning issues here.

Thanks for the info. OK I'll try 1/8th to start, maybe ¼ to see where we go. I don't mind unsaturated, but that depends on how unsaturated we're taking about. Amber was pretty generous, so I feel like I can sacrifice an ml if that's what it is.

[amberleadavis]

OK, I searched through the thread trying to see how much Thistle should be diluted. All I could find was "dilute" which isn't very specific. I searched for "thistle" finding many jokes, and "dilute" which was less ink specific but didn't yield much info other than general: dilute ¼ instead of ½ and the like.

 

I have the T2, the Thistle2.

 

Is this an IG ink? What concerns are there? Is it easy to clean out? Does it stain?

 

I looked at the review and I don't think it stains, and probably is easy to clean out.

 

 

T2 at 50% was quite washed out but I have not tried anything else yet. 1/4 or 1/8 would probably be a good start - unless you don't mind unsaturated. No staining/cleaning issues here.

 

 

Thistle 2 was the second batch of Thistle.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2015-Inklings/2015-Ink_0012.jpg

 

Thistle 1 was mixed at this concentration:

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inked_Today/slides/20140526_121659.jpg

[amberleadavis]

So, to answer. Thistle2 was supposed to make 1 Qt. Instead I mixed it with 300 ml. I would suggest diluting in small amounts. I think at full strength it is boring.

[amberleadavis]

Kevin, while I prefer amber glass or cobalt glass (for personal reasons), I think the Nalgene bottles are wonderful for practical use.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

Wow T1 is very dark! I didn't get any so I didn't know there was such a difference. I do like T2 even at 50% (it still shades) but I will mix it stronger next time just to make it more interesting.

[amberleadavis]

I think T2 could be used at the strength I sent it to you, T1 was too dry and a little cloggy.

[Cyber6]

I LOVE T!... and it was not that dark.. that is the SHEEN!!!!! :puddle: :puddle:

 

 

TI was a sheen monster !!! :wub:

[Cyber6]

Thistle 1..

 

 

 

Check out the SHEEN!!!!!!! Is a different kind of sheen.. but it looked AWESOME!!!

 

 

 

On Tomoe River... :puddle:

 

[musicman123]

Here are comparison swabs between Thistle #1 and Thistle #2

 

http://files.goviralforyou.com/Inks/Samples/Thistle%20%231.JPG

 

http://files.goviralforyou.com/Inks/Samples/Thistle%20%232.JPG

 

Thistle #1 Sheening a bit

 

http://files.goviralforyou.com/Inks/Samples/Thistle%20%231%20Sheen.JPG

[amberleadavis]

Claudia's right, that Thistle that looks so dark, it's sheen, it looks burgundy in real life. That part was with a dip pen. T1 was also mixed at 150 ml compared to the same amount of powder being mixed to 300 ml as it was in T2.

[ScienceChick]

I didn't dilute T2 and didn't have any problems, staining, etc. Tons of shading with a B nib on TR paper. It isn't blue-black, it's teal - with this nib, on TR paper. Haven't tried it on anything else.

 

So diluting T1 by 50% will produce (approximately) T2? Woo hoo!

Edited February 24, 2015 by ScienceChick

[amberleadavis]

I didn't dilute T2 and didn't have any problems, staining, etc. Tons of shading with a B nib on TR paper. It isn't blue-black, it's teal - with this nib, on TR paper. Haven't tried it on anything else.

 

So diluting T1 by 50% will produce (approximately) T2? Woo hoo!

 

 

In theory it should. I added more phenol to T1 and I don't remember adding anything else.

[AustinMalone1999]

Thistle 2 was dry at first, but as it sat in the feed of my TWSBI 580, it got sheeny and wetter. It's very similar to Waterman's Mysterious Blue. Also, the KWZI Iron Gall Red is fantastic, it goes down pure red and dries to a burgundy.

[TheRealScubaSteve]

I LOVE T!... and it was not that dark.. that is the SHEEN!!!!! :puddle: :puddle:

 

 

TI was a sheen monster !!! :wub:

 

[white_lotus]

I've asked Amber and she has suggested I defer to the collective wisdom and experience of the Superpinks on this.

 

What do you think of selling ink in Nalgene HDPE 15, 30 and 60ml wide mouth bottles? Is 15ml too small?

 

Personally I have a preference for ink in glass bottles. I just like the look and feel of glass. But from a selling perspective there are too many advantages to the Nalgene to ignore. Despite this, the most important thing is what fountain pen users prefer.

 

I'd really appreciate any comments, observations and opinions.

 

I wanted to bring this up again, just because of the slightly heated thread going on now about "mold and bacteria".

 

I didn't want to jump in there as I've never (knock on wood) had mold or bacteria in any on my inks or even ink samples. And I'm an ink collector, they mostly sit in their bottles inside their boxes. And they live inside the vintage secretary desk with it's drop-down writing board. So, I took a quick look through my inks, especially the Organics Studio ones. Not a drop of anything bad, foul-smelling, nothing. Looks like ink. Smells like ink.

 

Most ink containers that I have are either bottles or plastic (nalgene?). Well nearly everyone is glass except OS. And all of them use dark glass/plastic, except Sailor, Iroshizuku, Akkerman. The others you have to take the tops off to check the ink. And the vintage bottle of Sheaffer Skrip permanent blue-black looks ready for me to fill a pen with it. "What ya waitin' for, babe? I may not be thistle but I'm permanent, for keeps!"

 

Now I went looking for "mold remediation" and found that some of our regular pen cleaning fluids can clean up mold: eg ammonia, vinegar. Common household items such as borax, bleach, and others. Also UV rays can destroy molds.

 

Also, since some of our pinksters and inksters may have biology/chemistry backgrounds, have we given thought to analyzing this Thistle ink powder to determine its chemical composition, and determine the dye from which it was made?

 

Sorry for babbling, maybe I'm just drunk on ink, too early in the day…

[dcwaites]