Can I use No-Shellac India Black Ink in my good fountain pen?

Basically, our Pen & Ink No-Shellac India Black Ink can be used in any fountain pen. Clogging is generally caused by the addition of shellac to certain inks. To explain a little further, normal fountain pen ink (dyestuff ink) is made using dyes that are soluble in water. They give nice bright colors but they have the disadvantage that they are not waterproof when dry, nor are they very light resistant and will fade in time. So for artistic use dyestuff inks are not suitable.

However, if shellac is added to the formulation this will protect the dried ink and make it waterproof. Unfortunately when the shellac dries in the feed of a fountain pen it blocks the fine channels, and as it is waterproof you cannot wash it out.

The Pen & Ink No-Shellac India Black Ink product is not a dyestuff ink, rather it is a pigmented ink. The difference is that the pigment is not soluble but in suspension and once it has dried on paper it is waterproof and light fast.

You may wonder why pigments were not used before; the basic problem was one of particle size. In former times it was not possible to grind pigments to a small enough particle size for them to remain in suspension, so they would separate. With the introduction of modern techniques and equipment, it is now possible.