Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink

[visvamitra]

Essri doesn't offer huge variety of products. Basically you can get two inks: blue-black and black that contain iron-gall and are fully waterproof. There's long conversation about this ink under Sandy1's excellent and in-depth review of this ink and you should definitely read it.

 

To my big surprise it seems that ESSRI has a huge following, mainly because of the unpredictability of the resultant color when it dries. Depending on the pen - paper - nib combination you use writing can have nice shade of blue or look nearly black.

 

It's fully wateroproof and shouldn't fade with time even if you post it in the window.

 

Personally I can't understand all the hype about this ink. I've received 8 ml of Essri and tried it in few pens. The ink is dry and writing with it is unpleasant. It doesn't offere reasonable lubrication. The color is dull. My biggest criticism isn't the dryness though (although for me it's deal breaker) but the fact Essri tends to clog pens. I've tried it in four pens and with time it's clogged every one of them (between 2 - 7 days of not using the pen).

 

I say no to Essri. I believe at the moment you can easily buy well behaved inks with similar properties.

 

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Software ID

Tomoe River, FPR Dilhi, M

Leuchtturm 1917, Waterman Phileas, M

Kokuyo Campus, Kaweco Skyline, M

[Rednaxela]

Sounds like a great dip pen ink.

[Tas]

This ink has a mighty following here. Hope you don't get any haters

I'm just about to send my remaining 1/2 bottle to amberleadavies as I never use it anymore. I find Akkerman's No10 just so much nicer to use.

Do you have a sample of Akkerman's No 10 ? If not let me know and I'll pop a small vial in the pos to you.

[visvamitra]

Hi Tas - it seems I haven't tried this one. I also hope there won't be any haters. If they come - guys, I only decribe what I experienced nd what I experienced is in no way positive.

[bobje]

As always, reviews from Visvamitra display detail, instructive photography, integrity, and humor. If haters commence, I stand with him!. Visvamitra backs up his case with evidence, though, and builds a challenging argument to overcome. Well-done, Visvamitra!

[Tas]

A sample of my favourite ink will soon be in the post to you.

[JonSzanto]

I've used this ink, problem-free, for at least 4 years. It is still my main IG ink, though it is now joined by inks from KWZ. I would miss it if it were not available.

 

So, without vitriol, I disagree with the OP. Just my $0.02.

[lapis]

Great! I don't hate it but I ignore it. I have it, I used it but it's boring. Worse yet, as you say, too dry. It's the second driest IG I know of. In that respect, Diamine's Registrar's is the very lowest on the totem pole. Akkerman's #10 is the very best blue-black iron-gall ink, IMO. Check out my review on that winner.

 

Mike

[Tas]

Great! I don't hate it but I ignore it. I have it, I used it but it's boring. Worse yet, as you say, too dry. It's the second driest IG I know of. In that respect, Diamine's Registrar's is the very lowest on the totem pole. Akkerman's #10 is the very best blue-black iron-gall ink, IMO. Check out my review on that winner.

 

Mike

 

'Twas your review way back then that made me order a large bottle of the stuff. I thank you.

[Cyber6]

LOVE THE COLOR!!!!... Too bad about the behaviour... I have a big bottle of Akkerman #10... so won't cry much over this ESSRi ink..

 

 

Thanks Vis!!!!

 

 

 

C.

[amberleadavis]

Vis, the dryness is a deal breaker for me too. Thanks for the review.

[JonSzanto]

Think of all those firehose pens. A good ink collection needs a wide variety of inks, not only in color, but in behavior. As they say in another realm: it's not a bug, it's a feature.

 

[jasonchickerson]

Great review, Vis. You always give it to us, good, bad or ugly. I appreciate that.

 

As for the ink, looks like Parker Quink with extra waterproofness.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for yet another generous contribution.

 

I am unaware that ESSRI has a "huge following" or why that might be the case. (?)

 

No doubt that ESSRI is not for everyone, and I have expressed that numerous times, along with techniques to avoid clogging.

 

There are indeed simple aniline dye inks, such as Pilot BlBk, that are robust daily writer work horse inks, but are they in full regalia? do they have charisma?

 

Bye,

S1

Ms Blue-Black

Edited September 6, 2016 by Sandy1

[Tas]

Vis, the dryness is a deal breaker for me too. Thanks for the review.

 

erm, shall I not send it you then ?

[jandrese]

Thanks for this review(?). I have ESSRI in my stable of iron gall inks. I've generally had good success with it. The dryness helped in a Dani Trio gusher. It did, however, destroy my TWISBI. I admit I left it in the pen for awhile, but I used it up and it did not dry out in the nib. When I went to flush the pen the piston would not move. I could see the ink coating the wall of the chamber was preventing the piston from moving. I had to remove the piston from the back and was able then to push out the ink coating the walls. Problem is that I somehow cracked the end of the pen. I guess it was when trying to reinsert the piston mechanism. I'm not too broken up by it, but it does kind of suck.

[gmax]

Thanks for the review. I think I'll stick with Pelikan 4001 BB

[stephanos]

As I understand it, this is the archival ink that registrars in the UK have to use for recording formal life moments, such as births, deaths and marriages. It therefore has a very particular (and rather captive) market: why rock the boat catering to a few enthusiasts...

 

I have a bottle of Diamine's registrar's ink, which I understand is essentially the same thing as ESSRI, and to my mind it is perfectly serviceable - not exciting, but useful to have and very occasionally use.

 

Of course, my understanding on both points could be entirely wrong.

[JonSzanto]

Of course, my understanding on both points could be entirely wrong.

 

Actually, I think it's spot on. And I use ESRRI for precisely that reason (permanence and look), and the ritual of using such an ink imbues itself into the process. I very much enjoy that part of it, and while I have other IG inks that I use as well, I don't plan on ditching ESRRI, as there is no reason to.

[visvamitra]

Thanks for input guys, it's good to discover the other side of everything