pelikan "india" ink

[j...@nettally.com]

I have some Pelikan ink labeled

"fount India drawing ink for fountain pens"

It provides a very black line, but I use it with trepidation. I have
always heard that India ink would permanently clog a fountain pen.
What is this ink?
Will it clog up my favorite Dunhill fountain pen?
BTW, who actually made the flat Dunhill pens?

J A Guttman
Tallahassee, Florida

[fdu...@aol.com]

j...@nettally.com wrote:
>
> I have some Pelikan ink labeled
>
> "fount India drawing ink for fountain pens"
>
> It provides a very black line, but I use it with trepidation. I have
> always heard that India ink would permanently clog a fountain pen.
> What is this ink?

Its something that belonds in NO fountain pens. No matter what the
label says. FD

[Tony Roberts]

I have been using HIggins brand "Fountain Pen India" Non-waterproof Black
Ink in my pens (Pelikan, Schaeffer, Rotring) for about 2 years. I make sure
that they never dry out, and I clean them thoroughly between fillings. I
have not had any problems but I trust your opinion: am I really doing some
long term damage that I am unaware of?

thanks, tony
<fdu...@aol.com> wrote in message news:3D5A73...@aol.com...

[Curtis L. Russell]

<fdu...@aol.com> wrote in message news:3D5A73...@aol.com...

I always find 'India Ink' somewhat humorous, as the India Ink I know is
formed from water and a Chinese ink rubbing block (in the appropriate ink
tray). One block I have is clearly marked in both English and Chinese as
"The best India Ink from China".

That stuff would clog up a soda straw, given time. OTOH, it is truly, truly
black - and meant for brushes.

--
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, Maryland (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

[fdu...@aol.com]

Tony Roberts wrote:
>
> I have been using HIggins brand "Fountain Pen India" Non-waterproof Black
> Ink in my pens (Pelikan, Schaeffer, Rotring) for about 2 years. I make sure
> that they never dry out, and I clean them thoroughly between fillings. I
> have not had any problems but I trust your opinion: am I really doing some
> long term damage that I am unaware of?

You asked for opinions and I and othes have given it. Its your pens and
you can fill them up from gallon buckets of paint from Home Depot if you
want. You never let a pen dry out? Never? What happens if you forget
or misplace one or a cap is loose and allows dry out? Frank

[Dik F. Liu]

In article <nGx69.15103$iQ4....@atlpnn01.usenetserver.com>, "Curtis L.
Russell" <sagw...@bellatlantic.net> writes:

>I always find 'India Ink' somewhat humorous, as the India Ink I know is formed
from water and a Chinese ink rubbing block (in the appropriate ink tray). One
block I have is clearly marked in both English and Chinese as "The best India
Ink from China".<

Actually, real Chinese ink - made from the ink rubbing blocks you mentioned -
is water-soluble. That is, you can dissolve the dried ink with water. India
ink, used for technical drawing, is only water-misible. Once it is dried, it
can no longer be dissolved with water.

Dik

[fdu...@aol.com]

Even more actually, the Chinese ink will not realy ever "disolve" in
water. It uses pigment. Thats what the solid "ink" block really is--a
solid cake of pigment and so the resulting "ink" is bascially sort of a
water color black paint. In other works--think very fine black powder
mixed in water. Once dry the black powder may again come loose and
re-mix with the water--but it does not ever actually disolve in the
water. Thats the big difference between dyes and pigments and its why
no pigments belong in a fountain pen. The pigment powder can build up
internally and be difficult to impossible to ever remove fully.

One can fill a fountain pen with black water color paint if you
want. Its not illegal anyhwre and no one is in jail for doing it. One
can also use black latex paint, enemal paint, oil paint, chicken soup,
orange juice, pea soup, ox blood, honey, tree sap, or molasses as well.
:) If and when the pen clogs up or otherwise has eventual poor flow
because you did it is your problem. Frank

[Curtis L. Russell]

"Dik F. Liu" <dik...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020814163517...@mb-fn.aol.com...

Won't argue. What I think that they are doing is using the 'fact' that India
Ink is associated with the deepest blacks. But they do say 'India Ink' on
them - twice actually...

[QuarterHorseman]

Just as a side comment to this thread, I wouldn't put *anything* with a
Pelikan label on it into *any* pen with their recent track record.

QH

[Dik F. Liu]

In article <3D5AC4...@aol.com>, fdu...@aol.com writes:

>Even more actually, the Chinese ink will not realy ever "disolve" in water.
It uses pigment. Thats what the solid "ink" block really is--a solid cake of
pigment and so the resulting "ink" is bascially sort of a water color black
paint. <

That's right. The pigment in Chinese ink is usually made from burnt wood. There
is a shinier variety that is made from burnt oil. India ink is also pigment
based. It is generally just what the color merchants in the Western world
called lamp black, which is also made from burnt oil. Pigment based inks as
Chinese and India inks require a binder. The binder is the glue that holds the
powdered pigment together. I don't think that fountain pen inks, which is dye
based, need a binder. Pigment inks as Chinese and India ink do. The binder in
Chinese ink is very similar to gum arabic. I am not sure what is the binder in
India ink.

Dik