What is the worst ink you've ever encountered? And why?

[Shelley]

I have not had a chance to try that many inks doe to the lack of diversity in out little country-however I have a bottle on parker quink blue ink, it always appears washed out to me.

I compare it to vanilla essence, cocoa, custard powder and cinnamon: they smell delicious but when you taste them on their own-yuk, mix them with sugar or whatever and yum - its the same with this ink, Ilke the brand, the bottle is so-so, the colur in the bottle is lovely deep blue, but go to use it and its rather washed out. i use it for cleaning pens, seems to wash out the muck from old P51's...

[bossy]

Without a doubt, for me it's Pelikan Blue-Black.

 

It is to light, watery, pale. I did shake the jar before use, but it looks

like a regular ink (PR or Noodlers) that got diluted with water 4 to 1.

[KCat]

-- Levenger's Cobalt Blue,

-- Levenger's Amethyst, large cartridge:

-- Levenger's Cocoa,

 

That's interesting about cocoa and Amethyst because both have always gushed out of my pens. In fact, Cocoa was the only ink I had that would feather on Levenger 3x5 cards (not new cards.)

 

I haven't had the trouble other people have with Cobalt. The only time it gave me problems was on cheap envelopes with coating. I use it in my Binder XXXF nib. Maybe because I've never used it in a nib broader than XF?

 

Always makes me wonder what variables are involved with our bad ink experiences. How do humidity, nib/feed style preferences, paper preferences, etc. figure into it all.

 

 

[Ernst Bitterman]

How do humidity, nib/feed style preferences, paper preferences, etc. figure into it all.

 

Cogent reply-- I was about to swing into defense of the Pelikan blue-black, until I remembered that it's only my favourite when coming out of a reasonably thin, (usually) vintage point.

 

My least favourite ink was Calli Red, which claimed incorrectly in the 1980s to be OK for fountain pens.

[KCat]

How do humidity, nib/feed style preferences, paper preferences, etc. figure into it all.

 

Cogent reply-- I was about to swing into defense of the Pelikan blue-black, until I remembered that it's only my favourite when coming out of a reasonably thin, (usually) vintage point.

 

My least favourite ink was Calli Red, which claimed incorrectly in the 1980s to be OK for fountain pens.

 

Ouch! I imagine that was a bit of a painful experience.

 

I like the blue-black inks like Pelikan and Lamy in a semi-flex vintage nib. Otherwise they seem rather dull.

 

 

 

[kkbach]

Private Reserve Spearmint - Unbearably slow to dry, smears, smudges -- in short frustrating.

 

Private Reserve Orange Crush - I want to like it - I keep ordering it - 3 out of 4 bottles were muddy messes not orange at all.

[amh210]

PR Burgundy Mist. Nice ink if you want muddy brown, but it certainly wasn't burgundy.

 

Andy

[RLTodd]

Nothing really bad, it is just some inks I've bought were kind of particular how and where they were used.

[jsonewald]

Add Levenger Cobalt to my earlier list or PR inks, for the same reasons.

[PAKMAN]

PR Tanzanite, nice color but the absolute worst nib creep ever.

PR Copper Burst, dull

PR Candy Apple Red, ugh

PR Gray Flannel dull

PR Blue Suede early formulation SITB bad New bottle is great.

 

Noodlers Legal Lapis, love the color, bad nib creep.

 

[CharlieB]

This will probably offend many people here on the board, but my least favorite ink is Waterman Blue Black -- because it turns to green, and then it fades. I so wanted to like this ink.

 

Other inks that bug me are the rich, heavily pigmented, beautiful blue inks by Private Reserve and Levenger. I adore the colors, but I hate the slow drying time and the smearing that inevitably occurs because I am a left-handed over-writer.

 

Finally, I dislike most of the Noodlers waterproof, fadeproof blue inks -- because they all (yep, all) contain elements of green that ruin the color for me. I so wanted these inks to be a color I could use.

[RayMan]

1. Pelikan Red--Big disappointment. Actually a pinkish orange. Who ever named this ink doesn't know what red is.

 

2. Private Reserve Tanzanite--Another disappointment, but for a different reason. I really wanted to like this ink, because I had heard that it was a gorgeous blue leaning toward violet. Indeed, as others have pointed out earlier in this thread, the color is gorgeous. It's the gold standard for this particular color. But it never dries, and therefore smears like crazy. Utterly impractical for an overwriter, whether right or left handed. In fact, even underwriters have to be careful, because folding the paper, or placing pages on top of each other, is enough to smear the ink.

 

3. Private Reserve Sherwood Green--Same comments as #2, just substitute green for "blue leaning toward violet".

[captnemo]

How do humidity, nib/feed style preferences, paper preferences, etc. figure into it all.

 

Cogent reply-- I was about to swing into defense of the Pelikan blue-black, until I remembered that it's only my favourite when coming out of a reasonably thin, (usually) vintage point.

 

My least favourite ink was Calli Red, which claimed incorrectly in the 1980s to be OK for fountain pens.

 

I don't want to drift off the topic of ink, but humidity plays a role. I have not noticed much effect of humidity on ink (not that there isn't one) but humidity affects the feel of the pen on the paper (the amount of drag).

[LDF]

Color is so subjective, that I won't comment on colors I happen to dislike. My response is based on my personal experience with bad-behaving inks. The four worst culprits so far:

 

-- Noodler's Highland's Heather: very dry, and thus horrible flow; prone to clogging

-- Levenger's Cobalt Blue, standard cartridge: so thick that it sticks to the inside of the cartridge, and the cartridge needs to be squeezed every so often to get the ink to flow; prone to smearing; dries very slowly; takes forever to flush out of a pen

-- Levenger's Amethyst, large cartridge: makes every pen I've tried with it so far a slow-starter or no-starter (always requires a dip in water); takes forever to flush out of a pen

-- Levenger's Cocoa, large cartridge: makes every pen I've tried with it so far a slow-starter or no-starter (always requires a dip in water)

 

 

I agree, colour is too subjective.

My seriously bad functioning inks:

 

Quink black - pen stopped working!

Pelikan royal blue - flow became starved.

 

[Viseguy]

This will probably offend many people here on the board, but my least favorite ink is Waterman Blue Black -- because it turns to green, and then it fades.

Yup -- other than that, it's fine.

 

Other inks that bug me are the rich, heavily pigmented, beautiful blue inks by Private Reserve and Levenger. I adore the colors, but I hate the slow drying time and the smearing that inevitably occurs because I am a left-handed over-writer.

The only ink I ever threw out right after opening the bottle was Levenger Blue Bahama. It coated the feed of my pen with a reddish-brownish film. Might have been a bad bottle, but somehow I don't think so. Just too much dye for me -- and I'm a Noodler's fan.

 

Finally, I dislike most of the Noodlers waterproof, fadeproof blue inks -- because they all (yep, all) contain elements of green that ruin the color for me.

I used to feel this way, but the green element has grown on me. In some cases (e.g., Noodler's Blue), it adds life to what might otherwise be a dull color; in others (e.g., Navy, Midnight Blue, Manhattan Blue), it lends a vintage look that can be very attractive.

 

[lisa]

I'm afraid it's Diamine Blue black to me. I finally found the colour I was looking for but I tried it in two pens so far and it clogs them up. The pens just stop writing.

 

I also agree with the comments about fading inks like Quink washable blue, but especially Waterman blue black as that fades to a very light green. At least with the standard (royal) blues you know you'll get a light blue colour.

[Gojira]

I dislike Pelikan Red and Royal Blue. The Royal Blue is sometimes too washed-out although I did notice that letting it air out for a while can result in a deeper colour.

 

As for Pelikan Red.....it's definitely orange-pink! I spilled some on my fingers and they're still a bright neon pink today.

[scribbler77]

Finally, I dislike most of the Noodlers waterproof, fadeproof blue inks -- because they all (yep, all) contain elements of green that ruin the color for me. I so wanted these inks to be a color I could use.

 

 

I thought the topic was "worst ink," not the ink you dislike the most. In my view a color is not "good" or "bad." It is what it is and you either like it or not.

 

A really bad ink is one that can damage a pen, or present a health problem. A slow-drying ink may not be appropriate for lett-handers, but all right for others, particularly those who use a blotter when necessary and love the vivid colors.

 

Also, you have to take into account the type of pen, especially the nib. A gusher in a broad nib may be just the right amount n a fine or VF. There is also the question of humidity and other environmental conditions. And--not least--the purpose of the writing. Is water resistance important--then some inks are out, but that doesn't make them "bad" or worse than others. If you want a washable ink, you certainly don't want a permanent one; if you want a permanent one, you don't want a washable.

 

There are trade-offs in all the characteristics by which we judge an ink. If we want a concentrated color we have to accept that--other things being equal more or less--it is likely to dry more slowly than less dye-concentrated inks, and also will clog a pen faster if it is not used for several weeks. That doesn't make itd "bad"--or "worse" than others, but it may make it inapprpriate for a particular use, or particular pen, or a particular person.

 

Of course, I'm a practical sort of guy and I find that relatively inexpensive pens with good nibs (like some of Binder's special nibs o a Pelikan 200) write better than any $800.00 LE. If you are going to buy the latter, why put ink in it all all! Pit it in your display case and admire it!

 

So, in my view a bad ink is one that can damage a pen, whether cheap or expensive. There are really not many of those, but there are (or were) inks with a greater tendency to clog than others--normally the high-pigmented ones that have been mentioned above. Frankly I have never had a clogging problem with Tanzanite (for example) or any of the Noodler inks I have used (I havent used them all, of course, only about 20), or ,the PR inks (15 or so). But I flush the pens periodically, and if I don't write with one everyday, I will pump ink in and out of the converter a few times to clear any accumulated obstruction. (That is why I rarely use cartridge inks; for me they will clog much more readily than bottled ink in a converter.)

 

Virtually all modern fountain pen inks are safe in pens, though some may discolor and be hard to clean. Some are more prone to nib creep than others, but this has never bothered me. If it did, these inks would not be for me, but I wouldn't call them bad--it is a minor trade-off if one neecs a permanent ink that will not fade or easily wash away.

 

Pardon the rant, but I really don't understand why people would describe their likes and dislikes as good vs bad, or better vs worse.

[captnemo]

Well, I figured the topic referred to ink "performance" and that likes and dislikes of colors was not the question, but it's interesting to see the responses here anyway. We usually discuss things that we like so it's interesting to see the inks that people like the least and why.

[chemgeek]

My personal Hall of Shame:

 

1. PR Dakota Red. Absolutely lovely color, maybe my favorite red, but the dye just won't stay in solution. Especially in the dry winter months, evaporation of this ink causes crystallization on the nib, and sediment (precipitated dye) forms in the bottle. You can literally watch the crust form on your nib while writing. Happens sooner or later with every bottle I have purchased. I give up. Diamine Passion Red is a nice substitute, and is well-behaved.

 

2. Levenger Cobalt Blue. Another lovely color, maybe the best pure dark blue ever. Just will not dry on high-quality paper, and is clog-prone in my pens. I now use a substitute, "Magic Midnight Mix," a 1:1 mix of PR Midnight Blues and Black Magic Blue that is not the same, but comparable to Cobalt Blue.

 

3. PR Orange Crush. Great color--for a while. Then it oxidizes to a dirty brown. Many here at FPN have purchased bottles that were already oxidized to brown. I've dumped my Orange Crush and saved the bottle for mixing my own inks.

 

Now we need a "Hall of Fame" ink topic started...

 

Cheers.

Edited October 12, 2007 by chemgeek