Why Do Sailor Jentle Inks Smell Funny?

[Oranges and Apples]

Best smell ever! I love it!

[Noihvo]

 

 

Agreed. The number of solvents, cleaners and detergents, preservatives in foods, treated fabrics, etc. that we come in contact every single day are much more likely to be a danger to us than Sailor inks. Perhaps someone with greater medical training could confirm or contradict me on this.

 

I am no chemist, but the amount of phenol necessary to inhibit mold growth in inks is actually miniscule. I have a bottle of a 2% phenol solution that I use for new inks that are unlikely to have any biocides (Private Reserve, for example). Of that 2% solution, I add 2-3 drops into a full bottle of ink (40-75 ml). As a result, the actual amount of phenol that you could come in contact with is quite, quite small, it seems to me.

 

[Fuzzy_Bear]

You should smell some of the Noodlers inks!

 

Love the smell of Texas Bluebonnet!

[Corona688]

Abolishing it in inks will not protect the industry from it, we manufacture 7 billion kg of phenol a year. Fortunately it's not to difficult to protect from or control.

[minddance]

Sailor has to put in some Phenol to remind you that you are writing, else you will fall asleep with that easy smoothness.

[Honeybadgers]

I adore the smell of jentle inks. Reminds me of rain in the desert.

[penzel_washinkton]

Reviving this old thread.

Just want to know if phenol content in inks are harmful to humans in any way?

Think I saw one reddit thread claiming them to be carcinogenic.

 

I have a Sailor Ishida Bungu Hakodate Twilight that really reeks of that chemical smell but after reading that reddit thread I don't want to use the ink often.

[WalterC]

Reviving this old thread.

Just want to know if phenol content in inks are harmful to humans in any way?

Think I saw one reddit thread claiming them to be carcinogenic.

It is toxic, but not carcinogenic. Whether it is at all harmful in the low doses in ink is unknown, but you may be exposed to more phenol from other sources. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp115-c1.pdf

 

A separate problem: small ink makers using toxic chemicals may cause themselves or the environment harm because they would use it in larger quantities than a pen user. Large manufacturers, if responsible, have more capability to protect workers and the environment from exposure to harmful chemicals. A small ink maker should be very cautious about using harmful chemicals. Some small ink makers have a chemistry background and should be familiar with proper lab procedures and should use standard laboratory protection. Of course, some inks are pretty benign: iron gall ink or walnut ink are likely pretty safe even for someone making large quantities.

Edited September 25, 2019 by WalterC

[BaronWulfraed]

In the Peoples Republic of California, fountain pens are probably carrying Prop. 65 warnings.

 

https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/prop65

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/cross-style-black-ink-refills-10pk?via=573621f669702d06760016d9%2C57645b8469702d2f2f0014b8%2C57645c1969702d2f2f0014bd

06S75 PEN REFILL BLACK- BAG OF 10 WARNING: Use of this product can expose you to Methyl-n-Buryl Ketone which is known to the State of California to cause Cancer and can expose you to Ink thinner, components of which are known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm.

Edited September 25, 2019 by BaronWulfraed

[sombrueil]

I'm not going to report any posts, but could people please refrain from stating their opinions, snarky or otherwise, about government efforts to protect the populace from harm? Not everyone agrees with you and in the present political climate it is highly inflammatory, much like carbolic acid. Just stay on the subject.

Edited September 25, 2019 by sombrueil

[WalterC]

To be clear, I am not saying that small ink makers do use toxic chemicals.

[Olya]

Reviving this old thread.

Just want to know if phenol content in inks are harmful to humans in any way?

Think I saw one reddit thread claiming them to be carcinogenic.

 

I have a Sailor Ishida Bungu Hakodate Twilight that really reeks of that chemical smell but after reading that reddit thread I don't want to use the ink often.

Phenol used to be present in European & American inks in the past (Quink with solv-x as example). This back in the day when people wrote almost exclusively with fps, when an individual's "danger" to being exposed to phenol containing ink was higher, but I think the grave effects are quite limited (I daresay non-existent!).

 

I have read comments on this for many years and the general conclusion seems to be that phenol was banned because of the workers, as they'd deal with much much higher quantities on a daily basis than the average pen user.

 

But then you have to consider that phenol is apparently still available in cleaning products and throat sprays (I think... and not sure where: US? EU? Both? Anywhere else?).

 

Also consider the longevity and general health of Japanese people (in spite of phenol in ink!) and I think Japanese ink is as safe as any other ink which does not contain any phenol.

 

I believeall inks from Japan contain phenol, eg Pilot Blue has certainly a very similar smell to Sailor inks.

Full disclosure: I am one of the weirdos who like the smell very much!

[penzel_washinkton]

After reading it and confirmation from you guys, I can say I am a bit relieved that phenol isn't a carcinogen (which is my main concern).

Funnily, I don't find the Yama-Dori I owned to have the same smell as the Ishida Bungu Hakodate Twilight. Do they not put the same level of phenol content in each and every ink they produce?

Edited September 25, 2019 by penzel_washinkton

[AndyYNWA]

Best smell ever! I love it!

 

Agree!

[sirgilbert357]

I'm not going to report any posts, but could people please refrain from stating their opinions, snarky or otherwise, about government efforts to protect the populace from harm? Not everyone agrees with you and in the present political climate it is highly inflammatory, much like carbolic acid. Just stay on the subject.

 

 

To me, this post is actually more inflammatory than Baron's post. It's tone is meant to intimidate and control others. We can all have different opinions and as long as said opinions are expressed within the rules of the forum, I think we can all act courteously and just agree to disagree and keep on moving. If you feel the rules have been violated, report the post. You are within your rights -- even though I find it a bit unnecessary -- to do so. Let the mods decide. I feel the mods have more than enough already on their plate though. And Baron's post would have died right there and likely no one else would have said anything about it if you hadn't posted what you did.