Decision: New Sailor Imperial Black Pro Gear...Do I put only Sailor ink or safe alkaline-leaning ink in it?

[scottydog1911]

The blue Sailor ink I see is pigmented and I don't want to mess up the pen, either, but the ion-plating needs non-acidic ink, as I understand it.

 

I'm currently a Diamine fan, but I guess that changes now. I am eyeing Pilot asa-gao and J. Herbin's few non-shimmering blues.

 

Am I being overcautious or too reckless by going off-brand? This pen was a big purchase for me on my income and I want to treat it right and make it last.

 

Thanks!

Scott

[dragondazd]

Is this a normal pro gear? Does it have a rare coating or is it vintage...? If this is the standard black pro gear there is no problem using other brands of ink.

 

The most important thing is to never let it dry out. Do not let it sit filled and unused for weeks or uncapped overnight. If you clean it periodically, the vast majority of fountain pen inks will be fine. Maybe avoid the shimmers.

 

[dragondazd]

Ah. I went and read up on it. If you bought it at the domestic market price, you may want to take advantage of the duration of the warranty and stick with sailor inks. After that, Japanese inks are more likely to be alkaline, the opposite of what is anecdotally recommended for vintage pens.

[dragondazd]

AND sorry for the spamming but sailor inks are my favorite. Some popular ones are:

 

Rikyu-cha

do-you

souten

Nekoyanagi/haha

All three pigmented ones

look at the Manyos for reasonable value.

 

It's like being stuck on a desert island at a well-stocked resort. 

[scottydog1911]

No worries - not spamming at all! I am sweating it out waiting for delivery of this pen and the Sailor inks are harder to get the info on than some of the others.

This pen has a gold nib but is ion-plated for the "matte black" finish look overall. I hear that acidic ink will strip that plating off, so there is my concern.

And, I was/am afraid of pigmented ink because I didn't want to get particles of that or shimmering nature stuck in there. 

You mentioned the pigmented inks are good. Would you put this in your pen if it was more delicate like this with the plating if the pen were yours?  https://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Sei-Boku-Pigmented-Bottle-132002242/dp/B081DBRBWV

 

Maybe I am overthinking it?

Edited December 20, 2022 by scottydog1911

[dragondazd]

28 minutes ago, scottydog1911 said:

No worries - not spamming at all! I am sweating it out waiting for delivery of this pen and the Sailor inks are harder to get the info on than some of the others.

This pen has a gold nib but is ion-plated for the "matte black" finish look overall. I hear that acidic ink will strip that plating off, so there is my concern.

And, I was/am afraid of pigmented ink because I didn't want to get particles of that or shimmering nature stuck in there. 

You mentioned the pigmented inks are good. Would you put this in your pen if it was more delicate like this with the plating if the pen were yours?  https://www.amazon.com/Sailor-Sei-Boku-Pigmented-Bottle-132002242/dp/B081DBRBWV

 

Maybe I am overthinking it?

I use kiwa guro and sei boku in my sailor 1911L. I don't think the particles will impact the plating, that sort of stuff clings to cartridge crevices and feeds, not metal. I clean between changes in ink color (almost every fill).

 

[scottydog1911]

2 minutes ago, dragondazd said:

I use kiwa guro and sei boku in my sailor 1911L. I don't think the particles will impact the plating, that sort of stuff clings to cartridge crevices and feeds, not metal. I clean between changes in ink color (almost every fill).

 

 

Thanks for getting back to me! I am leaning towards that sei boku now. Maybe it is the perfect ink and I need to give it a chance.

[Olya]

For some people the black plating has worn off in spite of using Sailor inks exclusively.

 

If you want to be really safe stick with Sailor, as said esp. during the warranty period, but bear in mind that plating-loss remains a possibility and ultimately it is impossible for a manufacturer to know which inks you used (unless you used something that can leave behind serious and solid sediments, iron galls, pigments (though Sailor makes those, so should be fine), glitter or be really reckless and use India ink (never do that!), but simple dye inks.. who could tell?).

[scottydog1911]

3 minutes ago, Olya said:

For some people the black plating has worn off in spite of using Sailor inks exclusively.

 

If you want to be really safe stick with Sailor, as said esp. during the warranty period, but bear in mind that plating-loss remains a possibility and ultimately it is impossible for a manufacturer to know which inks you used (unless you used something that can leave behind serious and solid sediments, iron galls, pigments (though Sailor makes those, so should be fine), glitter or be really reckless and use India ink (never do that!), but simple dye inks.. who could tell?).

This is a healthy perspective: I should enjoy it and just make sure I take care to maintain it properly. I shouldn't be psyched out, I should let it bring me the pleasure that it can by being a gorgeous and fine-writing pen. Thanks Olya.

[Uncial]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but this was much discussed here at one point. It would seem the stability of this 'plating' is very random. Many have had it peel or crumble off. It's still a lovely pen without it so I'd cast another vote for learning not to worry and love all kinds of inks.

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, scottydog1911 said:

Would you put this in your pen if it was more delicate like this with the plating if the pen were yours?

 

I did, fully as intended from the beginning; but I found the flow of Sailor Seiboku just not quite right in that pen for some reason, and so moved on and got on with writing with it.

[scottydog1911]

44 minutes ago, Uncial said:

...I'd cast another vote for learning not to worry and love all kinds of inks.

Thank you Uncial.

[scottydog1911]

15 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I did, fully as intended from the beginning; but I found the flow of Sailor Seiboku just not quite right in that pen for some reason, and so moved on and got on with writing with it.

I appreciate the input and reference link. I will probably just be picky with acid/base levels and enjoy my pen.

[arcfide]

My theory is that rubbing of the nib combined with penetrating inks can lead to the plating wearing off faster than otherwise. I don't think you can guarantee that the plating will not come off on the pen, however, Sailor makes *excellent* standard colors in Blue, Blue-Black, and standard Black. They all flow very well, and I wouldn't hesitate at all to use those inks in your pen. People have reported that the pigmented inks from Sailor can be a little more aggressive, so you may be risking plate wear a little more than with non-pigmented Sailor inks, but it's all a gamble really. 

 

Generally speaking, Sailor inks are relatively gentle (pigmented inks notwithstanding) and designed to be very low maintenance, so I wouldn't worry too much about them, not to mention that Sailor offers a staggeringly diverse range of premade colors.