My nib got stained :(

[dimins]

I tried to use this J. Herbin Encre de Calligraphie blue ink, which has been sitting on my shelf since I last bought it. The first time I sampled it shortly after it came in the mail, it worked fine, but I preferred practising with the Kuretake Sumi ink, so I gradually forgot about this one. I broke it out again to have some change in routine and I thought it worked really well - until I tried cleaning up!

These stains on my Nikko G nib won't come off even with window cleaner. I've since used my Nikko G nib again with Sumi ink and luckily, it still works all right. Just bummed that it's stained, and even the lovely white rubber grip of my pen holder...

[andy277]

It's a pity about your nibholder, but the nib itself is a consumable, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. You should see my nibs after a day or two of iron gall use! But possibly something with a stronger concentration of ammonia will clean it.

[dimins]

It's a pity about your nibholder, but the nib itself is a consumable, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. You should see my nibs after a day or two of iron gall use! But possibly something with a stronger concentration of ammonia will clean it.

Is this actually a normal thing? I thought that dried ink on nibs would affect its performance. How often would you say a nib should be replaced then?

[Carina_I]

The good thing is that you can replace the white rubber grip on your penholder. And you'll eventually change out your nib, anyway.

[Heebs]

The G nibs are pretty tough thanks to that coating on them, it'll be fine Try some pen cleaner if you haven't already, it removes most inks from my experience.

[Bianca M]

Agreeing with Heebs- they are durable!  A stained nib will be fine, but, of course, an encrusted one won't.  I have had blue inks stain my nibs before... but, I intentionally get dark holders because I can be a bit of a mess, and don't want them all marked up!   

[dimins]

The good thing is that you can replace the white rubber grip on your penholder. And you'll eventually change out your nib, anyway.

Really? I’d have to research more into finding where I can buy new rubber grips. The rubber grip seems pretty firmly in place for this holder (I’m using Tachikawa).

The G nibs are pretty tough thanks to that coating on them, it'll be fine Try some pen cleaner if you haven't already, it removes most inks from my experience.

I don’t have proper pen cleaner solution, but I’ve tried using window cleaner to no avail.

Agreeing with Heebs- they are durable!  A stained nib will be fine, but, of course, an encrusted one won't.  I have had blue inks stain my nibs before... but, I intentionally get dark holders because I can be a bit of a mess, and don't want them all marked up! 

I can’t even tell the difference between it being simply stained or having a thin layer of crusted ink on it. Your strategy of getting dark holders is a pretty good one, I think I definitely have to look into that. XD I usually end up with ink blobs all over, even on my laptop or table, after a practice session.

[Ergative]

Yay, ink stains! They are the mark of a practicing calligrapher. Why are you trying to avoid them? It's like a weight-lifter saying, "I found this great new exercise and now I'm so much stronger, but my muscles got big " Display them with pride!

[rabbitship]

I use rubbing alcohol from Watsons! I left ink on my pen when I had to attend to something very urgent and it wouldn't come off with everything I tried. Days later, I found rubbing alcohol and tried them, and they work wonders.

But don't sweat it! Some ink on the nib does no harm 

[dimins]

Yay, ink stains! They are the mark of a practicing calligrapher. Why are you trying to avoid them? It's like a weight-lifter saying, "I found this great new exercise and now I'm so much stronger, but my muscles got big " Display them with pride!

Haha, I like the way you think, Clara! I was worried because I thought it might affect the performance of the nib, but if not, then I'd be happy to display them with pride! It's funny, but I also don't mind when my fingers get all inky and stained after a practice session. It makes me feel - artistic? XD

I use rubbing alcohol from Watsons! I left ink on my pen when I had to attend to something very urgent and it wouldn't come off with everything I tried. Days later, I found rubbing alcohol and tried them, and they work wonders.

But don't sweat it! Some ink on the nib does no harm 

Awesome! I've only just bought a bottle of rubbing alcohol from Watson's because I was thinking of using it to prime new nibs, but looks like it'll come in handy sooner than expected!