2023 Limited Color of the Year Ebony

• This year, Germany’s Rohrer & Klingner launched the latest 2023 limited edition iron gall ink – “Ebony” Ebony. The ebony color is based on Rohrer & Klingner's century-old traditional skills. It is a carefully prepared calm color suitable for daily writing.
• What sets Ebony apart from other inks is its rich color, derived from natural iron gall, providing writers with a strong contrast and a slightly brownish color, just like real Ebony.
• This product is iron gall ink, which is not completely waterproof (also called semi-waterproof). If it is not used frequently, it is recommended to wash and clean the pen. This writing ink is suitable for fountain pens, dip pens, and water pens.
• The definition of incomplete waterproof function is: after the ink writing has dried on the paper, if water is accidentally splashed on it, part of the color will blur, but the writing is still easy to read. This is because the solid oxides in the iron gall ink stick to the paper. Because it is not put in place, it is called not completely waterproof ink.
• An iron-gall-nut ink in a deep, balanced black.

Color: Ebony

Features: Waterproof

Capacity: 50ml

Waterproof ink instructions

Waterproofing, we must first understand what this definition is. Just as there are levels of waterproofing for electronic products, ink is also the same. Different uses will correspond to inks with different characteristics.

In the ink world, waterproofing is the most basic requirement and is also recognized by us.The first level: "The words I wrote on the paper cannot disappear when exposed to water / become mushy"Right? Otherwise, any content originally recorded on it will be unreadable.

Here you will see the most commonly discussed waterproofing principle: iron gall ink. Iron gall ink uses the oxidation of iron ions to completely combine with the paper. You can refer to this partDetailed explanation on wiki. So, in other words, if the color molecules encounter water, they still have a chance to be dissolved. Of course, there are alsoThe second type "the color material will not dissolve directly when exposed to water"Ink, such as Lennon Toolbar's atmospheric color Sky, falls into this category. Basically all pigment inks and carbon inks will be at least the second type.

However, if you are going to use waterproof ink for pen pastel/watercolor painting today, you have to considerThe third waterproof requirement is "the color material will not dissolve when exposed to water or physical friction.". Because when we use watercolor pens to draw or color, the friction of the brush hairs may actually rub the color material down, which may affect the watercolor color we are using. Therefore, all major brands have launched waterproof ink specifically for drawing/sketching, which we currently recommend.Lennon Toolbar’s Atmospheric Color 2.0,as well asR&K's waterproof sketching ink.Intense blue atmospheric color 2.0In current use, it can be regarded as having several characteristics: it is not easy to stain, is not easy to dry on the pen barrel, and resists most physical friction (the color of the water pen friction is not obvious, but the friction of toilet paper is more obvious).R&K sketching inkIt can be used on watercolor paper and has the characteristics of quick drying and resistance to physical friction.

At last,The fourth waterproof characteristic, it can withstand the torrent of history (huh?). It is the bulletproof ink of the famous Noodler Ink. In addition to the front waterproof and physical friction resistance, the main features are also resistant to bleach, alcohol, organic solvents, lasers, etc. Simply put, if you want to remove ink from the paper, the only way is to burn the paper.

Currently, Jia Si has tested Fountain Pen Ink, which is recognized as the blackest black in the world - Heart of Darkness. Use a glass pen to dip and draw Zentangle on Rhodia. After it dries, soak it in water for more than two hours. There will be no blurring or color separation. The same paper was tested again two years later, and the results were still the same. There is currently no sign of fading with the naked eye.

The above are several different waterproof properties.

In terms of cleaning, except for the fourth one, which I have not tested, the other three can basically be used.R&K pen cleanerClean it! There are a lot of experiences shared about Catfish Ink on the Internet. I have also seen pen friends say that they have been using the Heart of Darkness for a whole year and have never encountered any clogging problems. So don’t let the pen dry out and write carefully. This is always the best way to maintain your pen!

Of course, if the combination of ink, pen and paper is different, and the environment is different, different results may occur. Everyone is welcome to discuss your own usage!