Dried up ink- salvageable?

[greenmtnguy]

I am tracking down some fountain pen ink and some of it is dried up . Is it easily made usable, and if so, reconstituted with what? Anyone ever tried this?

 

[les-smith]

Might I ask why you are trying to re-constitute some of the ink? Ink is very inexspensive.

 

[greenmtnguy]

I haven't seen the ink yet. It is supposedly in old bottles, so I have no idea what I will actually get. I bought some fountain pen nibs and a Waterman's ink bottle, and there is supposed to be some fountain pens and ink. It may be a waste of time. If the bottles are attractive, possibly display items.

 

[Daniel]

My bet is that you can't. At least not on any fountain pen ink that is worth using. One of the best things about fountain pens and rollerballs is that the inks are not washable. this means nobody can lift the ink off a check or other document. I'm not sure how much of this is intentionally designed into the ink but I suspect it is to some degree at least. Leading me to think you are swimming against a current on this idea.

 

[wdcav1952]

Daniel, are you sure about the non-washable ink comment? For example, Noodlers offers a bullet proof ink that will not wash, but I don't think old style fountain pen inks stood up to water.

Regardless, I agree that trying to reconstitute ink likely will not work.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Well, the ink would be best washed out and the bottles refilled with new ink. It can be done, but might have some nasties in the ink that should not be put into a pen. Maybe for dip pen use, but that is about it.

Next, most all FP ink is rather poor when it comes to "wash out" with the Noodlers bulletproof inks being the exception. (well, and the near-bulletproof). To top that off, ballpoints and roller balls can be washed easy enough if you know how. In fact, some ball points are down right scary when you see how fast it can be removed from a check.

 

[nava1uni]

Fountain pen has come in washable and/or permanent for years. I have been using fountain pens for almost 40 years and bith Parker and Schaeffer have had both since at least the 60's. Most fountain pen ink can be washed out of clothing if it is treated properly.

 

[holmqer]

I am tracking down some fountain pen ink and some of it is dried up . Is it easily made usable, and if so, reconstituted with what? Anyone ever tried this?

I am assuming that you are trying to reconstitute vintage ink. If so you can have success at this. I copied this from Pendemonium's Vintage Inks page.

Old Inks in Your Pens
Many people ask us if they should use old ink and we believe this is another one of those common sense issues! We use 50+ year old ink frequently in new fountain pens and vintage fountain pens with excellent results. Before using old inks, you need to take a few precautions.

Vintage Ink Precautions:

1. Check to make sure there is no sediment, mold or other non-ink substance floating around or in the bottom of the bottle. Solids don't flow well, keep them in the bottle and out of your pens.

2. Look at the color of the ink, if it has taken on an odd hue that just doesn't look right - keep the ink in the bottle.

3. Unscrew the lid and take a little sniff, if you notice any unusual odor, screw the lid back on and refrain from using the ink.

Vintage Blue and Blue-Black inks
seem to have survived the years better than other colors of inks and are a pretty good place to start if you're looking to try vintage inks. Older Sheaffer Skrip, Parker Quink and Carter's Inks are generally pretty stable inks and we've had good results using these.

Never, never, ever use Drafting, Drawing or India Inks
in a fountain pen - these contain shellac which can gum up the insides of a fountain pen quickly. Early iron gall based inks can also be very corrosive to a fountain pen and I urge that you try them out with a dip pen or glass pen instead of a fountain pen.

Once you actually have the ink, or if you know exactly what you are seeking, check out the ink Forum on Fountain Pen Network, there may be a FAQ on that ink.