Registrar's Ink...a Rollerball Alternative?

[sinisterjon]

Hi,

 

Some of you may have had experience with registrar's ink, legally required in the UK for certain kinds of documents, such as marriage certificates. The usual options come from Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies or Diamine. But both are iron gall inks and clog up pens, especially when they're used infrequently, which they are in my case. It's a bit of a faff.

 

So, I was wondering if there are rollerballs, or indeed even gel ink pens, that are indelible like registrar's ink is. Ballpoint pens actually strike me as being indelible, but I don't know if this meets whatever the UK legal requirements are. Thanks.

[yogalarva]

I don't know what the UK legal requirements are, but Pilot Juice gel pens are pigment based and water/light resistant. They are also available in a myriad of colors, three line widths, and are great writers as well!

[hari317]

Hi,

 

Some of you may have had experience with registrar's ink, legally required in the UK for certain kinds of documents, such as marriage certificates. The usual options come from Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies or Diamine. But both are iron gall inks and clog up pens, especially when they're used infrequently, which they are in my case. It's a bit of a faff.

 

So, I was wondering if there are rollerballs, or indeed even gel ink pens, that are indelible like registrar's ink is. Ballpoint pens actually strike me as being indelible, but I don't know if this meets whatever the UK legal requirements are. Thanks.

 

Uniball Signo gel pens are indelible with document grade ink.

 

The governing standard for Ballpoints for Document use is ISO12757 part 2. So any refill that carries this number should be safe for documents. However UK legal requirements may be different.

 

BTW, does anyone know which British standard governs the document inks?

[Cal_D]

Noodlers makes a rollerball pen you can refill, you can put whatever ink you want in it, including registrars ink. Now, I suspect, but only that, never having done this, that a refillable rollerball will be less likely to clog then a fountain pen. Just speculation though. Honestly, if you are using the ink for something legal or work related, then you need to check the regulations.

Another option, much more fun, is to use a dip pen. That way you are not wasting ink, and you know you are following regulations.

[Erik Dalton]

My solution: Through trial and error I've come up with this system and I'm feeling really happy and secure with it. I know there are other perfectly acceptable alternatives but this is the one is working best for me right now. Maybe some of you will find this helpful.

I use a J.Herbin refillable Rollerball, and DeAtramentis Document Ink in Blue or Dark Blue. Both from Goulet Pen. Normally, I write everything with a fountain pen except for Carbonized Forms and Checks. Here, I use a rollerball. The rollerball allows me to put pressure on the point so the copies underneath come out nice and clear. The ink insures that the top copy is waterproof. Copies of the top sheet show up clear and crisp from my copier.

The J.Herbin rollerball only comes in a clear demonstrator version. It's a very light weight pen that is also shorter than most pens. For me, its too short to use Unposted. I've read several reviews of this pen and it's very common to hear that it writes scratchy and sometimes dry, with a Fine Ink Line.

Posting brings the pen up to a standard length. The cap posts securely. Because the thing is so light, the cap gives it some extra weight without making it top heavy. It's very comfortable to write with.

The only document ink from DeAtramentis that I have used are the Blue, and Dark Blue so that is all I can comment on. This ink is thicker than most. Not quite paint but not your regular fountain pen ink.

The biggest surprise to me was how free flowing this ink is. It's the wettest flowing ink I've seen, and It dries almost the second it touches the paper, but does not gunk up the nib. The ink seems to have really good lubricating properties.

In the J.Herbin Rollerball, the ink comes into its own. The pen takes standard International Cartridges. It will also take a Monteverde Mini Converter. When the converter is filled with the Document Ink, it gives this little pen a pretty reasonable amount of writing.

I don't write a lot of checks or fill out carbonized forms. I filled the pen up with ink a couple months ago and it's still going strong. I store it tip up. No hard starts, dry out, or gunk on the tip.

Storing the pen on its side with a cartridge, caused the collector area to fill with ink and I got some leakage into the body.

The pen body has a vent hole at the dumb end. There is no metal in there, so I suppose you could fill the hole and turn this into an inkdropper extending the write time further. Maybe someone will try this and tell us how it works.

When this pen and ink are paired up, the thick nature and lubricating properties of the ink turn the scratchy rollerball into a pretty smooth writer. The waterproof properties make me happy, happy.

I've tried several inks in the pen. The DeAtramentis document ink gives the smoothest, wettest ink line that is more a medium in thickness. Other standard inks I've tried, gave a scratchy write with a thinner ink line than I like.

To change inks I thought that I would have get a new pen. To my surprise I found that the section and rollerball nib clean up easily with a bulb syringe and water, just as you would a fountain pen. When done flushing, shake it down like a thermometer. Then place it point down on a doubled up paper towel to dry overnight. The next day you are ready to go with a new ink.

I just stumbled on this waterproof ink combination. It works well for the little I use a Rollerball. Thought some of you might find it helpful too.

The Pix give you an idea about size relative to a Parker Jotter and Lamy Studio Fountain pen.