Büroservice Bergmann — Blaufliessende Eisengallustinte — Ink Review #39 ( Discontinued)

Büroservice Bergmann Blaufliessende Eisengallustinte (blue flowing iron gall)

 

Ink Review # 39

 

Originally posted on FPN: Jan 6, 2023

 

Ink: Blaufliessende Eisengallustinte (blue flowing iron gall)
Type: Iron gall ink
Brand: Büroservice Bergmann
Country: Germany
Availability: Discontinued
Pens Used: Jinhao 450 (M, fude), Jinhao X159 (F), Conway Stewart 330 oblique-flex, Pilot Kakuno

Description

The name is a mouthful.

I discovered this ink thanks to @christof.

This is a lovely blue-black iron gall ink. The red and blue inks were made in Germany and exclusively sold by the maker, Thomas Bergmann.

They came in 2 colors: red and blue in De Atramentis type bottles.

This is an almost black ink, in the true IG sense. If you’ve written with dip pen IG inks, like Bach’s which turns into a glossy black, this one comes close. The more ink laid down, the more it oxidizes to black.

While I enjoyed using it, I prefer the red, mostly because it isn't as waterproof as ESSRI. If you’re looking for a fully waterproof ink, consider the wonderful Swiss iron gall inks by Tintenlabor, Diamine Registrar’s Ink, or ESSRI (UK customers can order one bottle; international orders require a minimum of two).

Cleaning Note: Like all IG inks, flush with water first. For stubborn residue, use a small pinch of pure ascorbic acid in water, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners with iron gall inks.

Chroma

Writing Samples

Rhodia

With a reverse-M Jinhao to create an EF nib. 

Midori

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

Apica

Field Notes

The ink behaved flawlessly on this fountain-pen-unfriendly paper. 

Unknown cheap pad

On this atrocious, cheap, very thin, absorbent paper, the ink oxidized instantly to black. While there seems to be ghosting and bleed-through, it doesn't look as bad as in the scan below.

Comparison

Water test

I rubbed the sample text (on the cheap paper) with a wet Q-tip, after 24 hours. Essri didn't budge. The blue component of the Bergmann ink smudged. I also did the Q-tip test on a week-old text on Tomoe River paper. The blue component smudged.

Artwork

Here is a little fun sketch I did for Inktober on a Fabriano sketch pad: The background is all done with the IG ink.

Ink Characteristics

·      Shading: Yes.
·      Ghosting: Only on cheap paper. It didn't ghost on Field Notes, an unfriendly fountain pen paper.
·      Bleed through: No.
·      Flow Rate: Wet.
·      Lubrication: Quite good for an IG.
·      Nib Dry-out: On the badly sealed X159.
·      Start-up: Same as above.
·      Saturation: Yes, the ink oxidizes to a very dark blue-black.
·      Shading Potential: Yes. 
·      Sheen: None.
·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed.
·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: No.
·      Staining (pen): No.
·      Clogging: Nope.
·      Water resistance: Good. But not as good as Essri.

 

Feel free to share your experience, feedback, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊