Rohrer & Klingner Iron Gall Nut Ink Ebony

[yazeh]

Rohrer & Klingner Iron Gall Nut Ink Ebony

Thanks @Lithium466 for the sample. 

 

This is a limited-edition 2023 ink by R&K . It’s a purple tinged iron gall ink, that depending the light, pen, it will look brown, purple or grey. As of the date of this review it is still available at Jet Pens in North America,  and Stilo et Stile in Europe.

It’s one of those inks, that I wanted keep using and using and was sad when I had to empty the pen. 

It has a lot of character. 

At first, I was surprised by the lack of lubrication at the beginning but as time went on, it became a very pleasant writer. So, give it a chance to settle in the pen. 

It’s a water resistant ink, but only with time. What surprised me most, was its bad behaviour on copy paper. It didn’t behave like a “normal” iron gall ink. If you think using this for artwork, note that the purple dye washes away. 

It’s very easy to clean, but I believe a wet, well sealed pen would be best suited for it. 

 

 

The Chroma is simply gorgeous

 

 

 

Writing Samples:

I reverse wrote with an Ef nib to create the Ultra Ef nib.  Surprisingly, dry times are long  

 

 

 

Here I added two final lines by a "true" Iron gall ink, to show you how a "real" Iron gall ink should behave  

Photo:

I took the photo a week later to see if it darker. Note the scan is grey, the photo purple

 

Comparison:

Water test:

Left side 10 seconds under running water. Sample was written with glass nib. So amount of nib is more than a normal nib. 

The paper was still humid when I scanned the image. Ink has been applied 24 hours before. 

 

Art Work:

I really enjoyed doing artwork with this ink. 

Talens pocket book paper. 

This is a nod to Some Like Hot 1959 movie, on a tan Clairefontaine mix media paper (A5)

and finally the Egyptian Queen, inspired by Ancient Egyptian cat art. Paper is an A5 Talens notebook. 

The outfit is pure R&K Ebony, the blue is Monteverde Malibu,  and the grey is diluted Lexington Gray 1:1, and the darker part is mix with Sailor Kiwa-guro. 

 

 

 

·      Pens used: Lamy (Reverse Ef, EF/F/M/B, BB), Nib creeper semiflex

·      What I liked: The colour, writing, doing washes, and cleaning. 

·      What I did not like: It is not a "true" Iron gall. 

·       What some might not like:  It's a bit dry at first. 

·      Shading: Faint

·      Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper. 

·      Bleed through: Yes, on cheap paper.

·      Flow Rate: Wet

·      Lubrication: Slightly below average 

·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

·      Start-up:  Ok

·      Saturation:  Nice and dark

·      Shading Potential: Diant

·      Sheen: No. 

·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. 

·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.

·      Staining (pen): No. 

·      Clogging: Did not notice.

·      Cleaning: Very easy

·      Water resistance: Very good with time, but note if the ink is just applied and it rains, the purple dye will separate and you'll have mess  

·      Availability: Limited Edition 2023. 50 ml bottles.

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

 

 

 

[Lithium466]

Thank you @yazeh for your excellent review 😊

 

Ebony is a strange but attractive ink, once you get to know it. It has been living on my desk in a EF Sailor for a while, not the best choice for Ebony's somewhat lacking lubrication, but good to tame its flow.
Maybe it's living in the shadow of other "weird almost blacks" like Doyou or some dark grey/purple Diamine, but for some reason I always come back to Ebony first, and I wish R&K would make it a permanent offering, next to Salix and Scabiosa.

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Thank you @yazeh for your excellent review 😊

🙏

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Ebony is a strange but attractive ink, once you get to know it. It has been living on my desk in a EF Sailor for a while, not the best choice for Ebony's somewhat lacking lubrication, but good to tame its flow.

I would say it'll be better in an European Ef or even with a M or B, but then you'll need good paper. 

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Maybe it's living in the shadow of other "weird almost blacks" like Doyou or some dark grey/purple Diamine, but for some reason I always come back to Ebony first, and I wish R&K would make it a permanent offering, next to Salix and Scabiosa.

I think, it's a mistake not to add this to the lineup. For such a gorgeous ink to be limited is a crime  

[Sailor Kenshin]

@yazeh, this ink is totally not for me, for lots of the reasons you listed.

 

BUT!  I loved reading it.  The sketches are wonderful, the detail amazing, the quotes funny.  And it does have a cool chroma.  I probably have MI 50, but haven't used it recently.

 

Poor Kitteh, the object of Mousie's derision!  Thanks so much for another Ink-Sploration.  😸 👏🏻 💝

[Lithium466]

39 minutes ago, yazeh said:

 

I think, it's a mistake not to add this to the lineup. For such a gorgeous ink to be limited is a crime  

Maybe they will pull a Pelikan and eventually incorporate it in the regular lineup? Or at least they could pull a MB, rename it and make it the 2025 special edition 😂

[yazeh]

41 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

@yazeh, this ink is totally not for me, for lots of the reasons you listed.

I always think of you, when I check dry-times. But if you ever take-up drawing again, it's a lovely color. 😊

41 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

BUT!  I loved reading it.  

 

41 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The sketches are wonderful, the detail amazing, the quotes funny.  And it does have a cool chroma.  I probably have MI 50, but haven't used it recently.

🙏🙏🙏

41 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Poor Kitteh, the object of Mousie's derision!

As the ink is water resistant, I wonder if the joke is on Mousie 😁

41 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 Thanks so much for another Ink-Sploration.  😸 👏🏻 💝

A pleasure !

[yazeh]

51 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

Maybe they will pull a Pelikan and eventually incorporate it in the regular lineup?

Hope so 😁

51 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

 

Or at least they could pull a MB, rename it and make it the 2025 special edition 😂

[LizEF]

Your ink is on fire!! (chroma)   Ah, Mr. Swatch-Kitty is ready for his black-tie event!   Poor water-test kitty.  A little damp fur and still mousey makes fun...

 

Love your piano!  Your Some Like it Hot drawing is spot on as an image from movies of the time.  And absolutely love the Egyptian goddess, Marge!

[yazeh]

6 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Your ink is on fire!! (chroma)  

I should have used the chroma for @InesF monthly challenge 😁

 

6 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Ah, Mr. Swatch-Kitty is ready for his black-tie event!   Poor water-test kitty.  A little damp fur and still mousey makes fun...

 

Well.cats.cannot have always the fun, can they 😁

6 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Love your piano!  Your Some Like it Hot drawing is spot on as an image from movies of the time.  And absolutely love the Egyptian goddess, Marge!

Glad you like the drawings.🙏🙏🙏 Sometimes inspiration comes from out of nowhere ☺️

[LizEF]

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I should have used the chroma for @InesF monthly challenge 😁

That occurred to me, too!

 

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Well.cats.cannot have always the fun, can they 😁

Blasphemy!  I predict your kitty will be howling you awake in the  wee hours tomorrow.

 

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Glad you like the drawings.🙏🙏🙏 Sometimes inspiration comes from out of nowhere ☺️

[yazeh]

34 minutes ago, LizEF said:

That occurred to me, too!

I know you saw it first

34 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

Blasphemy!  I predict your kitty will be howling you awake in the  wee hours tomorrow.

[lapis]

Thanks again for such a great review, again.  Your comparisons and sketches are not only informative, but also inspiring. As to this ink itself, it's one of those I treasure most: in general, a colour begging the question, "what colour is that, exactly?". Specifically, ditto but for something/anything in the blue and/or black realm..

[yazeh]

32 minutes ago, lapis said:

Thanks again for such a great review, again. 

🙏

32 minutes ago, lapis said:

Your comparisons and sketches are not only informative, but also inspiring.

Thank you!

32 minutes ago, lapis said:

As to this ink itself, it's one of those I treasure most: in general, a colour begging the question, "what colour is that, exactly?". Specifically, ditto but for something/anything in the blue and/or black realm..

Yes, indeed it's a unique colour. R&K have a winner this time

 

[Claes]

@yazeh Have you ever tried R&K Salix?
How does their ebony compare to Salix (or Scabiosa)?

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

 

[LizEF]

3 hours ago, yazeh said:

I know you saw it first

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh Not sure how I missed hearing about this ink before now.  I'm curious about it, but the slow dry time might make me give it a hard pass.  But thanks for the comprehensive review, nonetheless (and I just showed my husband the video you posted of the cat banging away at the Mac keyboard).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Claes said:

@yazeh Have you ever tried R&K Salix?

A long, long time ago!

1 hour ago, Claes said:

 

How does their ebony compare to Salix (or Scabiosa)?

Color or behaviour?

IMHO, Ebony is not a "real" Iron gall ink, like Essri, Registrars, Büroservice and a few select iron gall inks. I'm saying that because a true Iron gall ink behaves excellently on cheap copy paper. This one doesn't. If you check the Hammermill pages, you can see the comparison. The ink is dryish and I won't use it with a Japanese Ef nib. Other than that, maybe @LizEF can be more helpful.  She reviewed both inks. Also, I didn't notice any major darkening in the week that followed using these inks. 

Büroservice, for ex, turn almost black. On the other hand, Ebony has a beautiful, complex colour. And that's something worth considering  

1 hour ago, Claes said:

 

Have fun!
Claes in Lund, Sweden

Ink reviewing is fun, most of the time

 

 

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

@yazeh Not sure how I missed hearing about this ink before now.  I'm curious about it, but the slow dry time might make me give it a hard pass.

It's understandable. When I checked @LizEF review her dry time, it is the same for both Scabiosa and Ebony.  It might have been that my feed was saturated  

3 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

 But thanks for the comprehensive review,

🙏

3 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

 

nonetheless (and I just showed my husband the video you posted of the cat banging away at the Mac keyboard).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[LizEF]

3 hours ago, Claes said:

@yazeh Have you ever tried R&K Salix?
How does their ebony compare to Salix (or Scabiosa)?

 

5 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Other than that, maybe @LizEF can be more helpful.  She reviewed both inks.

 

I've reviewed all three.  I doubt I remember enough to tell you anything not found in the reviews themselves.  Looking at the database of results, it looks to me like they all behave roughly the same as far as flow and lubrication (I called Scabiosa wet, but that was probably because back then I was lousy at judging flow ).

 

Was there something specific you were interested in, @Claes?

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for another so comprehensive and informative ink review! 

I used R&K Ebony for some time, recognized and disliked it's traces of lubrication, put that on the account of iron gall, but continued to use it in a Stipula pen with wet flex nib and started loving it for being "not black"!   After some time of use, I continued sleeping well during night (as the imaginal "black ink wolf" had disappeared).  

 

Well, cat resisted the water test quite good, only the hairstyle got a bit messy, nothing permanent. Mouse should better not make bad jokes! 👆  

 

OMG, I love your art interpretation of the Some Like It Hot movie. Great! 

Do you have some secret information about the connection between ancient Egyptian Queens and future inhabitants of desert planets? Hmm, I think there is much sand in both cases ... and maybe some DNA transfer ... 🤫