October 2000
The Research Results on Sun Fading Included In
"Fountain Pen Inks - A Sampler, 2000 edition"
Sun Fade Tests.
One of the many valuable tools included in the Fountain Pen Ink Sampler book has always been the information on sun fade tests. Each summer I would climb onto my roof every morning, for ten mornings, and place a several hundred samples of fountain pen inks up there. Every evening I would bring them back in to prevent damage to the samples from the night dew. Well, all but one weekend one summer when I forgot to take them down, but that's another story, and it appeared in Pen World International magazine sometime in early 2001.
Anyway, I decided I would post some of this info on the net for all to read. This is only a partial list and it hasn't been updated since 2000. The most current data is always in the most recent edition of the Fountain Pen Ink Sampler.
Remember, this data is fully copyrighted. You can use it but you can't reprint and distribute it in any way without my written permission.
Sun Fading Resistance
Brand / Color 10 days Brand / Color 10 days
Campo Marzio Roma Gray Fair Herbin Bleu Azur Poor
Campo Marzio Roma Verde Poor Herbin Bleu Pervenche Fair
Campo Marzio Roma Vert Olive Good Herbin Bleue Nuit Poor
Caran d'Ache blue Poor Herbin Blue Myosotis Poor
Cartier Black Fair Herbin Caf�des Iles brown Good
Cartier blue Poor Herbin gray Very Good
Cartier Bordeaux Very Good Herbin Jaune Bouton D' Or Fair
Colorado Pen/Rubinato blue Poor Herbin Orange Indien Very Good
Colorado Prn/Rubinato Cyclamen Poor Herbin Poussiere de Lune Poor
Colorado Pen/Rubinato Red Fair Herbin Rose Cyclamen Fair
Colorado/Rub. Bord. Scented Good Herbin Rouge Caroubier Good
Colorado/Rub. Sepia scented Very Good Herbin Rouge Fuchia Poor
Colorado/Rub. Violet, scented Poor Herbin Vert Olive Very Good
Colorado/Rubinato green Fair Herbin Vert Pre Good
Colorado/Rubinato Sepia Fair Herbin Vert Reseda Poor
Colorado/Rubinato violet Poor Herbin Violette Pensee Poor
Delta Black Excellent Hero Black Excellent
Delta blue Poor Hero blue Good
Delta Brown Good Higgens Font. India black Excellent
Delta green Poor Lamy Black Good
Delta red Good Lamy Blue Good
Delta Yellow Very Good Lamy blue-black Fair
Doctor Black Excellent Lamy green Good
Doctor blue Fair Lamy Red Poor
Dupont Black Very Good Lamy Turquoise Fair
Dupont Blue Poor Levenger red Fair
Dupont Night blue Poor Levenger black Excellent
Dupont Sienna Brown Fair Levenger blue Excellent
Dupont Turquoise Fair Levenger Cocoa Good
Gnocchi Black Fair Levenger green Excellent
Gnocchi blue Poor Levenger violet (Amethyst) Poor
Gnocchi Brown Fair Montegrappa blue Fair
Gnocchi Red Good Montegrappa green Fair
Herbin black Excellent Montegrappa Turquoise Fair
Platignum black Very Good Senator blue Fair
Platignum blue Poor Senator red Excellent
Platinum black Fair Sheaffer blue Poor
Platinum blue Fair Sheaffer blue-black Good
Platinum red Poor Sheaffer Bordeaux/Burgundy Poor
Private Res. Hot Bubble Gum Poor Sheaffer Brown Fair
Private Res. Lake Placid blue Fair Sheaffer Emerald Green Fair
Private Res. Sherwood green Excellent Sheaffer Gray Poor
Private Res. Spearminnt green Very Good Sheaffer Jet Black Very Good
Private Reserve black Very Good Sheaffer Lavender Poor
Private Reserve Buttercup Yel. Excellent Sheaffer Peacock blue Fair
Private Reserve Copper Burst Fair Sheaffer red Good
Private Reserve Naples Blue Good Sheaffer King's Gold Very Good
Private Reserve Plum Poor Signatore black Fair
Private Reserve red Poor Signatore blue Fair
Private Reserve Tangerine Dr. Poor Signatore Bordeaux Fair
Private Reserve Tanzanite Poor Signatore green Good
Quink black, permanent Fair Signatore Sepia Poor
Quink blue /black, permanent Fair Signatore violet Poor
Quink blue, washable Fair Visconti Black Excellent
Quink red Good Visconti Bordeaux Good
Reform black Fair Visconti Lapis Blue Fair
Reform blue Poor Visconti Sepia / brown Good
Reform green Poor Visconti turquoise Fair
Reform red Poor Waterman black Very Good
Rotring black Very Good Waterman blue/black Fair
Rotring Brick/Sevilla Red Very Good Waterman Florida blue Fair
Rotring brown Good Waterman green Good
Rotring Carlsbad Turquiose Fair Waterman Havana Good
Rotring Shannan green Fair Waterman Purple Poor
Rotring Persian red Very Good Waterman red Very Good
Rotring pink Fair Waterman South Sea Blue Fair
Rotring Royal/Paris Blue Fair Yard-O-Led black Excellent
Rotring Ultramarine Blue Fair Yard-O-Led blue Poor
Rotring Jakarta Violet Poor Yard-O-Led Claret Poor
Senator black Very Good Yard-O-Led Blue-black Poor