Diamine Registrars Iron Gall Ink — Ink Review #192

Diamine Registrars

 

Ink Review # 192

 

Originally posted on FPN: Jul 05, 2025 

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Ink: Diamine Registrars

Available: 30ml glass bottles or 100 ml plastic bottles.

Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF,  Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) , Kanwrite Desire, fitted with a FPR flex

 

🧾 Description

Diamine Registrars is a classic iron gall ink. It’s my last blue-black IG ink review. In a perfect world, I would have tested Akkerman’s IG and KWZ’s blue-black. 

It’s my least favorite IG ink, It doesn’t mean it’s bad or anything. No, it’s an excellent IG ink, but I think I’ve reached iron-gall fatigue.😊 

Ink writes blue to blue-black and oxidizes immediately to dark blue-black or black with a wet flex nib. Ink flow is drier than Essri, and on occasion, if forgotten, the pen will need some coaxing to write. In Safari, it did fine. 

 

Cleaning, like all iron gall inks, requires patience and care—ideally, powdered ascorbic acid, pen jacuzzi, soaking, and a bit of scrubbing. 🛁

 

If you buy the 100 ml bottle, you need to transfer it into glass bottles.  Iron gall inks have expiry dates, so depending on the level of oxygen in the bottle, the precipitation process can accelerate. Do not shake IG ink bottles, in case the ink has expired. You don't want iron particles to get stuck in your feed. 

 

Iron gall inks are waterproof, but not lightfast. In case of prolonged humidity above 70%, the ink will deteriorate. 

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 🧪 Chroma

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 ✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

JEF stands for Japanese EF nib.

Rhodia /Iroful

 Midori /Tomoe River 68gsm

 

Hammermill 20lb

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 📸 Photos

Photos were taken two weeks after the review. 

Rhodia /Iroful

Midori /Tomoe River 68 gsm

 

Hammermill

Oxidation



🔍 Comparison

 Note that these swatches will oxidize over time.

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 💧 Water Test

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 🎨 Artwork

I created numerous draft sketches with this ink, but only a few finished pieces. 

 

Cancer (Zodiac)

Inktober yearlong challenge 2025

 

The zodiac sign Cancer originated in Babylonian astronomy, where it was known as AL.LUL, a hybrid creature with the body of a turtle and elements of a fish or crab. It was associated with the summer solstice and symbolized cosmic transition. The Greeks later reinterpreted the sign as a crab, linking it to the myth of Heracles and the Hydra.

Ancient doctors thought tumors with spreading veins looked like a crab’s legs. The Greek word karkinos meant both “crab” and the disease. Latin kept the name—so did the zodiac.

Here is my interpretation: a cigar-smoking crab (incorporating my cat & mouse theme) in the heat of summer, perched atop a hybrid turtle wearing a Mesopotamian headdress.

 

Diamine Registrars' Iron gall, J Herbin Bleu Calanque, Diabolo Menthe, Diamine Sepia,  Strathmore Paper. 

 


Mr. Percival 

 

Inspired by the movie Storm Boy, about a boy who saves three baby Pelicans. In the story, every time a Pelican dies, a storm brews.

Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.

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- What I Liked: The writing was great with M-B nibs. 

- What I Did Not Like:  Writing with Japanese Ef nib. 

- What Some Might Not Like: IG ink.  Lower lubrication. 

- Writing Experience: Good with M/B nibs. 

- Pros: Waterproof, oxidation. Good on copy paper. Comes in 30 ml bottles also. 

- Cons:  Not lightfast. 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

- Shading: Yes

- Ghosting:  Faint on copy paper.

- Bleed Through: Very faint with flex primed nib. 

- Flow Rate: Ok

- Lubrication:  Below average. 

- Nib Dry-out:  Did not notice. 

- Start-up: Good with all pens but Kakuno. 

- Saturation:  Lovely blue-black to black. 

- Sheen:  No. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line:  Did not notice.

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen):  

- Clogging:  No.

- Cleaning:  I went directly with ascorbic acid and pen jacuzzi through several cycles. 

- Water Resistance:  Excellent.

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 💬 Closing

This is an excellent iron gall ink by Diamine, readily available in small 30 ml bottles and big 100 ml plastic bottles. The only hitch for me was that the writing experience in comparison with Essri is not up to par, but this is just a matter of taste. 

 

No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review. 😉 

Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. 😊  

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