EFNIR: Gutenberg Museum Bible Ink

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Gutenberg Museum Bible Ink

This is review #180 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Cleaning required a little extra work - a swab in my case.  A flush (perhaps vinegar since it's iron gall) would likely work as well - no staining, it just liked to stick to things. Goes down a light blue-grey, darkens quickly as it dries. Lost blue quickly on my swatch paper, but keeps it on my FP-friendly papers. The pictures seem to be more blue than what my eyes see (though perhaps that's the ink greying as it ages). The water test results might actually be the most accurate image! (Zoom is too blue, not enough grey; scan is too high contrast; screen capture text is too dark.)

The line width measurement is one of the lines used for dry time.  Magnification is 100x.  The grid is 100x100µm.  The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each.  The line width for this ink is roughly 300µm. (For the curious, with 180 inks measured, the average line width is 291µm.)

On the slide, all the ink hugged the edges of the cover slip - I think I need to figure out how to keep it together in the center. The white-ish parallelogram in the middle appeared in random places - no idea why, but since there were multiple of them, I assume it's the ink doing that. The apparent cross-hatching is puzzling - it makes me wonder if in cleaning and drying the slide, I've scratched it - but glass is hard to scratch, no?

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

Line width measured via microscope at 100x:

Microscope slide at 100x:

Water test results:

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Previous Review: Sailor Kujukuri Coast Hakkakuao.

Want to influence the inky sequence?  Take the "next ink" poll.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh?  Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[InesF]

Thank you @LizEF for the review and for exposing Quin and Makhabesh to another hazard - that keeps us all nailbiting at home! 😲

Is the maze resistant agains magic pathfinding?

(In my roleplaying phase we did invent such things to extend the array of possible hindrances for our beloved roleplayers)

 

The slide microscopy is fascinating (🖖) - looks like iron oxide, residual tannin and salts agglomerate during dying (they all are polar and partly ionic and will be pressed together when the water film evaporates) while the, maybe apolar, blue dye has to stay out..

 

Nice introduction, great story, great science! 👍

[LizEF]

13 minutes ago, InesF said:

Thank you @LizEF for the review and for exposing Quin and Makhabesh to another hazard - that keeps us all nailbiting at home! 😲

  You're very welcome!

 

14 minutes ago, InesF said:

Is the maze resistant agains magic pathfinding?

(In my roleplaying phase we did invent such things to extend the array of possible hindrances for our beloved roleplayers)

  You'll have to keep reading and find out.

 

15 minutes ago, InesF said:

The slide microscopy is fascinating (🖖) - looks like iron oxide, residual tannin and salts agglomerate during dying (they all are polar and partly ionic and will be pressed together when the water film evaporates) while the, maybe apolar, blue dye has to stay out..

Thank you for the slide interpretation, professor!

 

15 minutes ago, InesF said:

Nice introduction, great story, great science! 👍

Thank you!

[yazeh]

@LizEF Great review of a great ink   really enjoyed it. It's like meeting an old friend, through different eyes

I was intrigued that your story is animus-centric. Is that intentional Dr. Jung?

 

As for your prompt, In the beginning, the Oracle created the maze... and the maze got everyone lost... and the Oracle was content... only the perseverant will seek his council... and the rest will leave him alone with their petty hopes and wishes for the future....

 

[LizEF]

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF Great review of a great ink   really enjoyed it. It's like meeting an old friend, through different eyes

Thanks!

 

27 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I was intrigued that your story is animus-centric. Is that intentional Dr. Jung?

Well, "wizard" (as opposed to witch, wizardess, sorceress) suggests male to me, so "Five boxing wizards...", and I just sort of tripped into it, and now the story has its own life...  I suspect my subconscious is avoiding a serious female character so I don't have to figure out the dynamic.

 

31 minutes ago, yazeh said:

As for your prompt, In the beginning, the Oracle created the maze... and the maze got everyone lost... and the Oracle was content... only the perseverant will seek his council... and the rest will leave him alone with their petty hopes and wishes for the future....

[mizgeorge]

Thank you @LizEF - a really interesting choice! I like how this looks very much indeed. 

 

I have a bottle of coming to me via family in Germany (shipping is painful otherwise), as a result of Yazeh's recommendation, so I'm looking forward to (eventually) being able to try it out for myself.

[LizEF]

35 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

Thank you @LizEF 

You're very welcome!

 

35 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

a really interesting choice! I like how this looks very much indeed. 

 

36 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

I have a bottle of coming to me via family in Germany (shipping is painful otherwise), as a result of Yazeh's recommendation, so I'm looking forward to (eventually) being able to try it out for myself.

  Lucky you to have family to forward it.  You should do a review when you get it - then there will be all of three!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Ooo, very different-y and interesting ink!  Thanks.  
 

I'll take what's behind Roodrium #3, Alex!  😝

[LizEF]

58 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Ooo, very different-y and interesting ink!  Thanks.  

  You're very welcome!

 

58 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

I'll take what's behind Roodrium #3, Alex!  😝

Hmm.  But what will we call it?  #1 is the Muirdoor, #2 is the Roodrium, #3 could be the Rumidoor, Rumidoro, Ordimour,  Ourdormi ...?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Ourdormi.  Because NEEED SLEEEEEEP.  😒

[LizEF]

19 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Ourdormi.  Because NEEED SLEEEEEEP.  😒

 

Then there's the Ouimrdor - it leads to a small, terrifying mountain where everyone speaks French.

[PithyProlix]

Oh, now I want this ink even more. I think it is difficult to get blue-black right - to my eye, there are very few that are not hohum - but, when right, they sing. 

 

I recall, maybe incorrectly, @yazeh writing that this would be the ink he would pick if he could only have one.

 

But, yikes! They want €100 to ship it to me! 

[LizEF]

36 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

But, yikes! They want €100 to ship it to me! 

Yes, there's the problem.  I'm afraid you'll have to make good friends with a German - surely there's a cheaper shipping method!

[yazeh]

14 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Then there's the Ouimrdor - it leads to a small, terrifying mountain where everyone speaks French.

Quelle horreur

 

[yazeh]

9 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

I recall, maybe incorrectly, @yazeh writing that this would be the ink he would pick if he could only have one.

 

Yep. I really liked it. But now, I am quite content with Essri. 🙏😇

[LizEF]

4 hours ago, yazeh said:

Quelle horreur

Indeed.

[namrehsnoom]

Another really nice-looking ink! Thank you for showcasing it. I definitely feel the urge now to find out where to get this one, and the previously reviewed Urkundentinte. Both have “Gutenberg” in the name, but they don’t seem to be from the same source. This Bible Ink is from the Gutenberg Museum (and with hefty shipping costs) - not sure if its available through other channels. The Urkundentinte seems to be from a different manufacturer altogether, and looks to be easily available in Germany (with reasonable shipping costs within the EU).

[LizEF]

@namrehsnoom, as far as I know, this ink is only available through the museum.  The Urkundentinte G10 I saw at multiple online stores, but I didn't try learning about shipping - just saw that it was available, as you discovered.  And yes, they do seem to be two different Gutenbergs - though the museum sells aniline inks with the same logo as the Urkundentinte G10, so...  My theory is that some ink makers allow the museum to sell their inks as a way to make money, but who knows, there may be more of a relationship...

[frolic838]

I did not know this was a thing until now, but having learned it is I feel like I need it!

[LizEF]

33 minutes ago, frolic838 said:

I did not know this was a thing until now, but having learned it is I feel like I need it!

  Now all you need is a flight to Germany - or a contact there...