Three Ig Inks

[alexander_k]

THREE IG INKS

 

Waterproof, bulletproof, all kinds of inks that can withstand abuse from human malice or carelessness, the weather, time; I read about them and fail to find the fascination. First of all, I like inks that wash off easily from my hands, clothes and pens. I'm not that accident-prone but when I used to carry a Pelikan M600 in by breast pocket, many were the times when the cap unscrewed by itself and the pen decorated me with large blue blots. If those blots hadn't washed off, I might have given up on fountain pens - or carrying them around, at least. Secondly, what's the use of resistant inks when I write on paper, a carrier that can be completely destroyed so easily? Does it matter that the ink is still there when the sheet of paper has become pulp? I don't write anything that important that would be severely damaged by a droplet of fluid.

 

So, you appreciate that I didn't get the inks I'm comparing here because they're waterproof; I just liked the colours and was curious to see how they behaved in my pens. The first is IG Blue #1 by KWZ Inks. Since I now have the delight of a local store that stocks KWZ (Fontoplumo), I decided to explore their products, including their IG range, since everybody told me that they were very well behaved. I liked it immediately, although it seemed rather dry for the Waterman Taperite I first inked with it. So, I tried it in one of my gushers, too, a Visconti Homo Sapiens with a medium nib reground into a CI by Oxonian, and the combination was a success. Interestingly, with time, ink flow in the Taperite improved, not to the level of e.g. Diamine Denim, but then that was a bit too much.

 

The second IG ink I got was Rohrer & Klingner's Salix, just so that I would be able to make a comparison. I'm quite impressed by their inks, so I decided that yet another blue ink (I must have about twenty at the moment) was not superfluous if I were to form an opinion on IG inks through a hands-on comparison (I often use this excuse, that's why I have too many inks). It also helped that Couronne du Comte at Tilburg offered a generous discount to a visiting group of pen enthusiasts. Then I remembered that one of my favourite inks, Akkerman's Diep-duinwaterblauw, is reputedly an iron gall one, too, so I decided to include it in the comparison.

 

THE SETUP

 

 

OBSERVATIONS

 

I love the colours of all three inks. The way the colour of IG Blue #1 and Salix changes as they dry on the page still catches my attention. Diep-duinwaterblauw remains the same but then it's the richest colour of the tree. The final greyish blue of IG Blue #1 is very much to my taste but the brighter blue of Salix seems more interesting in a finer nib. All three have enough shading. Concerning smearing, Diep-duinwaterblauw is the quickest to dry on paper, some twenty seconds ahead of the other two, which seem safe to touch after thirty seconds (or slightly longer in the case of Salix). Water resistance after a minute or so was high for Salix and IG Blue #1 (with the former performing slightly better in this respect) but less so for Diep-duinwaterblauw, which is nevertheless not marketed as water-resistant. In the smearing and water tests, the Taperite was used to represent IG Blue #1, as it was more comparable to the Marlen Aleph that was inked with Salix.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend all three inks to people who know how to care for their pens. I don't know yet what the long-term effects of IG inks on the pens can be. More on that in a year or more; for the moment, I can confirm that the Parker 51 and Sheaffer Targa I keep inked with Diep-duinwaterblauw for a three years now have never given me any kind of trouble.

 

THE PROOF

 

 

The paper used must be in the area of 80g and is slightly less absorbent that common 80g copy paper. In the scan the colours seem just a smidgeon darker than in real life but their differences are well captured.

Edited March 9, 2017 by alexander_k

[antichresis]

Wow, I think I need KWZ #1.

 

edit: A problem (or is it a good thing since you save money) with KWZ is that the difference between the IG Blues—and IG Blue-Black—is very minuscule from the scans I've seen and even from the scans from KWZ himself that under normal writing you won't miss getting one over the other or all the others.

 

For someone who has a particular shade in mind, the penumbra of shades is great but for someone who easily gets stuck in the "paradox of choice" (me) this is quite worrisome.

Edited March 10, 2017 by antichresis

[alexander_k]

Wow, I think I need KWZ #1.

 

edit: A problem (or is it a good thing since you save money) with KWZ is that the difference between the IG Blues—and IG Blue-Black—is very minuscule from the scans I've seen and even from the scans from KWZ himself that under normal writing you won't miss getting one over the other or all the others.

 

For someone who has a particular shade in mind, the penumbra of shades is great but for someone who easily gets stuck in the "paradox of choice" (me) this is quite worrisome.

 

On the positive side, ink doesn't cost too much (even KWZ) and it doesn't last for ever. A bottle more does little harm (at least compared to a pen more).

[antichresis]

Ah, but then *blink* and we've turned into this guy. (not that it's a bad thing, but...)

[The Good Captain]

Great review and I'll keep my eyes on the comments as they progress.

[amberleadavis]

Great review. I don't think that this Akkerman is an IG. The IG ink is Oost Indigo. Nevertheless, great comparison.

 

Edited to correct, I meant Akkerman #10. - See Below -

[inkstainedruth]

Great review. I don't think that this Akkerman is an IG. The IG ink is Oost Indigo. Nevertheless, great comparison.

 

Actually, the IG ink is #10 Izjer-Galnoten (I know, I have both it and #9 Oost Indigo). Unless they've changed the formula for Oost Indigo in the last couple of years....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for formatting

Edited March 23, 2017 by inkstainedruth

[Tas]

Wow, I think I need KWZ #1.

 

edit: A problem (or is it a good thing since you save money) with KWZ is that the difference between the IG Blues—and IG Blue-Black—is very minuscule from the scans I've seen and even from the scans from KWZ himself that under normal writing you won't miss getting one over the other or all the others.

 

For someone who has a particular shade in mind, the penumbra of shades is great but for someone who easily gets stuck in the "paradox of choice" (me) this is quite worrisome.

 

 

Everyone needs KWZ IG BB #1

 

[inkstainedruth]

 

 

Everyone needs KWZ IG BB #1

 

 

I have both IG Blue Black and IG Blue #3. I also have R&K Salix (which stays bluer and lighter) and Akkerman #10. All of which are enough different to justify having full bottles of them.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for IG inks, and for blue-blacks in general (especially the ones that don't lean teal). Oh, I also have permanent non-IG inks like Noodler's 54th Massachusetts and Kung Te Cheng, too.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Tas]

 

I have both IG Blue Black and IG Blue #3. I also have R&K Salix (which stays bluer and lighter) and Akkerman #10. All of which are enough different to justify having full bottles of them.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for IG inks, and for blue-blacks in general (especially the ones that don't lean teal). Oh, I also have permanent non-IG inks like Noodler's 54th Massachusetts and Kung Te Cheng, too.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Marvellous, I agree. The are all, to me too, different enough and lovely enough to stand on their own.

 

I have KWZ IG BB, IG BB#1, IGBB#4,

Akkerman #10 (see my avatar) is and has been for a long time my favourite coloured ink for writing.

[Tasmith]

Great review!

 

I have Akkerman #10 and Rorher & Klingner Salix. Although they're both well behaved, I find the Akkerman #10 writes dryer than Salix. Really enjoy the slight shading from each.

 

I currently have Salix in my TWSBI Eco with a 1.1mm, TWSBI 580 with a 1.1mm and Pilot Decimo with a fine nib.

 

Been looking for a water resistant/proof ink to use in my Decimo. Tried Montblanc Permanent Blue, but it would dry out in the nib and feed. Salix works great!

 

Akkerman #10 and R&K Salix comparison:

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by Tasmith

[amberleadavis]

 

Actually, the IG ink is #10 Izjer-Galnoten (I know, I have both it and #9 Oost Indigo). Unless they've changed the formula for Oost Indigo in the last couple of years....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for formatting

 

 

YEP, you are right.

[alexander_k]

Great review. I don't think that this Akkerman is an IG. The IG ink is Oost Indigo. Nevertheless, great comparison.

 

Oh, I'll have that one, too. Time for another comparison? At Akkerman's I'd been warned that Diep-duinwaterblauw may cause clogging in some pens and some people suggested that it was IG. How can one tell with certainty?

[amberleadavis]

Alexander, forgive my misquote, the IG ink was #10 not #9. If you have ink, usually you can tell if it is IG by the cool color change (though some inks change color that are not IG inks - Noodler's General of the Armies is an example). Most modern IG inks are marked as IG (like #10 Akkerman). I think DDWB may be a clogger for some only because it is super saturated. Which ink have you been looking for?

[Nick T]

Thank you for these comparisons and review. I'm trying Salix in my MB149C today. The KWZ colors look great too!