Archival Inks

[BRobbins629]

I recently made a pen to be used for signing a special document. The artist who created this suggested that the pen have acid free, water and fade resistant ink. The pen is a roller ball and I normally use Mont Blanc refills. When I wrote to Mont Blanc, they said their ink is neither water nor fade resistant. Surprised me. I then wrote and called a few friends in the business. Then best information came from Richard Greenwald. Turns out that most rollerball refills do not meet this criteria - high or low end. The good news is that Uni-ball makes some that not only meet the technical requirements but also happen to fit the standard roller ball kits.

More good news is that Office Max carries them and there is no snow on the ground in Richmond.

All is well in pen land.

 

[PenMan1]

Bruce:
Do the Uni-Ball refills look to be about the size of the Waterman refills on the shelf next to the Uni-Ball?

I faced a similar delima a while back, and was told that the Waterman contained archival ink. I could never "really" verify that. If the Uni-Ball is the same size as the Waterman that solves several problems for me.

Here is the link where I found about the archival ink;
http://mikeshea.net/Mikes_Rollerball_and_Foun.html

Thanks for this information!

 

[BRobbins629]

Bruce:
Do the Uni-Ball refills look to be about the size of the Waterman refills on the shelf next to the Uni-Ball?

Didn't see the Watermans on the shelf, so I can't really say. It is very close to the refills supplied with kit pens and I don't see why it wouldn't work with any of them. In any event, its a cheap experiment. I tried it in a Baron and the nib stuck out ever so slightly more than the original, but only we penmakers would notice. Most importantly, it fit and worked.

 

[turbowagon]

Good info. Thanks for sharing, Bruce.

 

[Jgrden]

Mont Blanc is greatly over rated. They don't come close to Cross in their public relations practices or guarantee of their products.
After forty years in banking, using various writing instruments, I speak from experience.

 

[bitshird]

Good information Bruce, I'll put that in the try and remember file, before I forget, and I agree Mont Blanc is a nice name, but a vastly over priced one.

 

[terryf]

Thanks for the link Bruce