Dr. Ph Martin’s Pen White and a bit on Humidity

I had gotten this bottle together with the hoard of nibs via House of Flair a month ago. I’ve been playing with it since then, but haven’t gotten the best writing “formula” until last week.

When I first tried it, I dipped my pen right into the bottle. Writing those first strokes was incredibly frustrating, as the ink would gush and spew like a drunkard regurgitating. I hated it. I wanted to throw the stupid bottle against the wall. I stopped myself. I went online to read up beyond the good reviews (which was the reason why I chose to buy this ink).

I recently learned that humidity (oh how unfortunate that I’m in a tropical country too) is one big monster with inks and paper. The wetness in the air creates a minute film of moisture around surfaces and makes paper fibers swell. This makes pigments prone to gushing (wet is a magnet for wet) and nibs to snagging up bits and pieces. The ideal is somewhere between 30% stretching it to about 60%. I might need to get a dehumidifier soon as we usually operate on 75% humidity.

Higher temperatures also makes the solvents in the ink evaporate faster. This makes the ink gunky and stubborn. The nib gets clogged easier and this causes a whole new level of frustration.

The good thing about the ink is that it could be diluted and CLEANED with water. Big plus – cleaning with just water! I started experimenting with the amount of water to be mixed in. It was pretty hot today so I added a couple of drops more.

I like this ink. Actually much more than the FW Acrylic in White that I’ve been using before. This one gives very clear upstrokes. Each stroke is absolutely white. As the label would say, it’s a “dazzling white”. Like those insanely happy people smiling at the end of a toothpaste commercial. It has this slightly weird odor but you get over it after a while.

I do keep a page to do a few light slashes on before I actually pen, for when the nib is newly dipped. And then a damp paper towel to wipe in between envelopes or lines.

I’ll be doing another review on a new bunch of inks I got as a pressie. That’s coming up next!