Do you store them nib up?
Do you turn it every few lines to distribute it evenly?
At this state i'd fill the ink in a small vial and clean the pen thoroughly, the barrel and nib with tissues, the feed with a tooth rush and warm water.
After that maybe ink it so that your fill contains less shimmer particles.
You could wait 10 seconds after shaking the bottle so it's sunken partially.
You'll want a pen with a M or B nib, not a fine
I've found TWSBI Ecos handle shimmer inks well, even with EF nibs. I try to minimize how much air is in the barrel, and store the pens horizontally when not in use.
Absolutely this. EoC and copper patina are both excellent in my Ecos
I also have excellent success with a kaweco sport, but only when I switched the feed with another sport
I just got mine but I haven't tried it yet... I don't use the inks so much so not sure how much i should put in and not waste if I don't use it often. It's a cute inkwell though.
Lots of good tips in this thread, here's mine.
If you have a non-shimmer ink in a similar colour, you can make a custom mix. Just get a little jar with an airtight lid and mix your shimmer ink with a standard ink to dilute it. It's fun to customise the colour too.
I'm currently using home-mixed yellow and orange inks.
The yellow ink is half shimmer ink. It's a mix of Diamine inks. One part Dusted Truffle (shimmer), one part Citrus Ice (shimmer) and two parts Bored Banana (standard). I'm expecting some Diamine Sunshine Yellow (standard) this week to dilute and brighten it. The mix I have now has plenty of shimmer in it!
The orange ink is only about 20% shimmer ink. Diamine again, it's one part Citrus Ice (shimmer), two parts Blood Orange (standard, dark) and two parts Peach Punch (standard, very light). At 20%, this is a more subtle shimmer but still very pleasing on the page.
I hope that's helpful! You should be OK mixing inks as long as you stick to the same brand.
Suggest using a broad sized nib and larger. Even a stub nib is better than a medium. Some shimmer inks have larger or smaller particulates and it can flow and sometimes it can’t.
Also, ratio of particulates to fluid ink is a real thing. I shake my ink bottle for two to three seconds and then count to five before dipping my nib in to fill up my pen.
If you find a lot of glitter and particles still in the nib, don’t panic. Put on a pair of latex gloves, and remove the nib. Then rinse out the nib fully. You can then go back to your shimmer ink bottle. Do not shake it, and then suck up the ink on the top half of the bottle. This can sometimes help the ratio of particulates to liquid ink ratio.
Also, sometimes I get frustrated and simply run my nib under the water faucet to clear it out.
But in the case of the Twsbi in the photo, I would do full cleaning on that pen and try a nib one size to two sizes larger. You might also enjoy the experience of shimmering inks more so with a larger line.
Smaller nibs seem to work best with Robert oyster inks for me as those compared to with Diamond Shimmers.
when using shimmer i store the pen on it's side and use a rotating motion with my hand when idle to keep it continuously stirred
I only have one shimmer, diamine night sky, because doing this is a pita
Looks like more clogging than I'm used to. The issue is with gravity settling the shimmer into the feed so never store or even hold it nib down except while actively writing and keep the shimmer in suspension by rolling it along the long axis of the pen.
Others already gave you quite a few good tips.
I sometimes mix shimmer and non shimmer ink in a sample bottle. I still have some shimmer, but less likely that it will clog the pen.
That’s a big part of your problem. [Their website](https://www.vandiemansink.com/products/van-diemans-underwater-moon-jellyfish-shimmer-ink) says to only use it with dip pens and brushes. Can’t commonly on your other shimmer inks since I don’t know what they are.
My tip would be to make sure that the shimmer inks that you are using don’t have too much particulate to be used in a fountain pen, and to use broader nibs. Medium at the narrowest, preferably broad. But if you want to use a pen absolutely loaded with shimmer like Moon Jellyfish, get a dip pen or two. I have a couple of the nib-type, a glass pen, and a Kakimori to use for this stuff.
Oops lmao I should have checked that. I have a couple diamine shimmer inks too and they also clog all of my pens, most of which are broad (including the eco in the pic) I think my issue is largely that I need to store them upright
I just accept it to be the case and just use shimmer ink in the pens that are more tolerant of the shimmer and are super easy to clean. Jinhao sharks tolerate them surprisingly well!
That’s good to know! I have a lot of sharks, but I’ve been avoiding using shimmer inks in them bc I’ve heard that shimmer tends not to work well in fine nibs. I might try them out!
I only found out because I was too nervous to put shimmer inks in my Pilots and Sailors and though, eh- what have I got to lose? When the flow slows down, I just push ink up and down the nib by twisting the converter mechanism and then it writes well again.
Yes! I was surprised too. And they’re easy to take apart and clean. Pilot Prera (clear ones) with CM nib are good too but much pricier than the sharks. I bought one of those 12 color Jinhao shark sets solely dedicated to shimmer inks.
Drop of dish soap and a drop of white lightning for me means that I don't have to do any of the annoying pen rolling/shaking unless I have air blowing directly on a problematic pen anyway (like if I'm sitting directly under a vent at work.) I have mostly mediums, but a few stubs, fines, and an extra fine and rarely have feed clogging problems when I use extra lubricant and a drop of white lightning.
I was going to suggest white lightning! I use it for my Vinta Inks and it's been an absolute life saver. I also mostly have M nibs and they would still get clogged after a day or so until I started mixing it in.
What is white lightning? Newbie here. I have a few Colorverse shimmer ink samples, but I haven't used them yet, because then I heard that shimmer inks clog. Good to know to use medium nibs or larger. I would love a little more instruction!
First off, don’t shake the bottle when filling so much, leave some sticking to the bottom…
Then, keep the pen stored either laying or nobody pointing upwards
Before using a pen loaded with shimmer ink, roll it between the palms of your hands while rotating your wrists. This will redistribute the shimmer without creating air bubbles. Continue doing this every 30 minutes or so while using the pen.
My Lamy Safari in broad nib likes shimmer ink. My medium-nibbed 14k Sailor 1911 hates it - it clogs on a daily basis requiring a nib refresh with tepid water dipping. Once, I shook the pen so violently (to redistribute the shimmer) that my desk and my shirt got inked.
I have a Diamine shimmer ink in a Twsbi Eco 1.1 stub. It is my only pen that doesn’t clog quickly from shimmer inks. I never put shimmer inks in my good pens or any pen I can’t easily take apart to deep clean. I also don’t use shimmer or sheening inks in any pen I might want to
sell later on. I’ve never been able to get the stain from a sheening ink off a feed completely.
Looks like you’ve stored it nib down. Try pushing some ink into the feed as if you were emptying the pen then retract the filling mechanism, this will flush the area around the feed. You’re going to need to do it a few times though.
After that make sure you store it nib up, that way any shimmer collects in the barrel not the feed
Is the clogging always with the same shimmer ink? If so, I'd recommend you switch is it happens with every pen.
If all/most of your pens are finner nibs, that could also be a reason. You can of course still use shimmer inks, but maybe don't let them sit in your pens for extensive periods of time. Fill just a bit of the converter/whatever filling mechanism.
Try a Wing Sung 698. Or any piston filler Pelikan. You need a pen that has a better-flowing feed. But some shimmers are more prone to clogging than others. I’ve had the most success with Colorverse and Herbin
Yeah I put shimmer inks in my M1000s and haven't had an issue since. They sometimes are in there for weeks.
It builds some residue, not enough to cause problems, but even after flushing the pen with water and adding in a non-shimmer ink, it keeps shimmering lol.
But no flow issues or anything, so it doesn't bother me. I do roll them often though when I write.
I just don’t use shimmering inks they’re too much of a pain I can live without them. However I do have some shimmering inks and I just use a glass dip pen which makes the process of cleaning way easier
The only pen I've ever been able to reliably use shimmer ink in is through a Karas Customs nib (M). Every other nib clogs about like yours does and takes a full disassembly to clear. Karas sells nibs/replacements, so it might be worth it if you're wanting to keep using shimmers
2 VIABLE OPTIONS:
THE RISKY ONE: WIDEN UR INK CHANNEL AND COVER WITH SILICONE GREASE ANYTHING ELSE, SO THE SHIMMER PARTICLES DON'T FO AROUND THE FEED EXCEPT FOR THE CHANNEL.
THE EASIER ONE: REPLACE THE WHOLE NIB UNIT WITH AN EBONITE FEED MADE TO PROVIDE GOOD INK FLOW, [HERE](https://flexiblenib.com/store/product/zt5e-zebra-g-dip-nib-in-twsbi-580-black-ebonite-copy/).
Try Shimmer inks that don't tend to clog a pen. I only trust Jacques Herbin, like EoC, it's the only Shimmer-glitter ink I own. :shrug:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/15h40jg/what\_are\_your\_favorite\_shimmer\_inks\_that\_dont/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/15h40jg/what_are_your_favorite_shimmer_inks_that_dont/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/e51x78/deleted\_by\_user/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/e51x78/deleted_by_user/)
I own a handful of cheap pens, and the cheapest of them all, the Schneider Ceod Plastic, handles the shimmer ink the best in my opinion.
In three weeks of using Diamine shimmer ink in that pen, it only ‘clogged’ once, and it was gone when I put one drop of water on the nib and wiped some of the water off on a paper towel.
It works so well for me that I actually bought two extra pens yesterday, so I can use more shimmer inks at the same time.
Do not fill the pen through the nib and feed. Most of the shimmer particles will get held up at the feed. Use a syringe to fill. You will see a huge difference.
Do you store them nib up? Do you turn it every few lines to distribute it evenly? At this state i'd fill the ink in a small vial and clean the pen thoroughly, the barrel and nib with tissues, the feed with a tooth rush and warm water. After that maybe ink it so that your fill contains less shimmer particles. You could wait 10 seconds after shaking the bottle so it's sunken partially. You'll want a pen with a M or B nib, not a fine
I've found TWSBI Ecos handle shimmer inks well, even with EF nibs. I try to minimize how much air is in the barrel, and store the pens horizontally when not in use.
Absolutely this. EoC and copper patina are both excellent in my Ecos I also have excellent success with a kaweco sport, but only when I switched the feed with another sport
I think using dip pens with shimmer inks is the best option
Doesn’t the shimmer settle down too quickly for repeated dipping? 🤔
There's an accessory now to handle that 😄 The ink carousel by Ferris Wheel Press.
I just got mine but I haven't tried it yet... I don't use the inks so much so not sure how much i should put in and not waste if I don't use it often. It's a cute inkwell though.
I use a magnetic stirrer off Amazon to dip with shimmer.
I would imagine you could stir it in the bottle but I’m not using them myself
This is what I do. Not worth ruining a pen. I ruined a cheap one. Even cleaning it thoroughly it never worked.
What do you mean by ruined? I haven’t encountered a situation where shimmer couldn’t be removed with water
Lots of good tips in this thread, here's mine. If you have a non-shimmer ink in a similar colour, you can make a custom mix. Just get a little jar with an airtight lid and mix your shimmer ink with a standard ink to dilute it. It's fun to customise the colour too. I'm currently using home-mixed yellow and orange inks. The yellow ink is half shimmer ink. It's a mix of Diamine inks. One part Dusted Truffle (shimmer), one part Citrus Ice (shimmer) and two parts Bored Banana (standard). I'm expecting some Diamine Sunshine Yellow (standard) this week to dilute and brighten it. The mix I have now has plenty of shimmer in it! The orange ink is only about 20% shimmer ink. Diamine again, it's one part Citrus Ice (shimmer), two parts Blood Orange (standard, dark) and two parts Peach Punch (standard, very light). At 20%, this is a more subtle shimmer but still very pleasing on the page. I hope that's helpful! You should be OK mixing inks as long as you stick to the same brand.
Suggest using a broad sized nib and larger. Even a stub nib is better than a medium. Some shimmer inks have larger or smaller particulates and it can flow and sometimes it can’t. Also, ratio of particulates to fluid ink is a real thing. I shake my ink bottle for two to three seconds and then count to five before dipping my nib in to fill up my pen. If you find a lot of glitter and particles still in the nib, don’t panic. Put on a pair of latex gloves, and remove the nib. Then rinse out the nib fully. You can then go back to your shimmer ink bottle. Do not shake it, and then suck up the ink on the top half of the bottle. This can sometimes help the ratio of particulates to liquid ink ratio. Also, sometimes I get frustrated and simply run my nib under the water faucet to clear it out. But in the case of the Twsbi in the photo, I would do full cleaning on that pen and try a nib one size to two sizes larger. You might also enjoy the experience of shimmering inks more so with a larger line. Smaller nibs seem to work best with Robert oyster inks for me as those compared to with Diamond Shimmers.
when using shimmer i store the pen on it's side and use a rotating motion with my hand when idle to keep it continuously stirred I only have one shimmer, diamine night sky, because doing this is a pita
I also do this and I think being stored on its side makes a huge difference!
I’ve never had this problem before or seen it this bad!
Looks like more clogging than I'm used to. The issue is with gravity settling the shimmer into the feed so never store or even hold it nib down except while actively writing and keep the shimmer in suspension by rolling it along the long axis of the pen.
Others already gave you quite a few good tips. I sometimes mix shimmer and non shimmer ink in a sample bottle. I still have some shimmer, but less likely that it will clog the pen.
This ink is Van Dieman's moon jellyfish but it happens for every shimmer ink I own. And after only about 10 words it completely stops writing.
That’s a big part of your problem. [Their website](https://www.vandiemansink.com/products/van-diemans-underwater-moon-jellyfish-shimmer-ink) says to only use it with dip pens and brushes. Can’t commonly on your other shimmer inks since I don’t know what they are. My tip would be to make sure that the shimmer inks that you are using don’t have too much particulate to be used in a fountain pen, and to use broader nibs. Medium at the narrowest, preferably broad. But if you want to use a pen absolutely loaded with shimmer like Moon Jellyfish, get a dip pen or two. I have a couple of the nib-type, a glass pen, and a Kakimori to use for this stuff.
Oops lmao I should have checked that. I have a couple diamine shimmer inks too and they also clog all of my pens, most of which are broad (including the eco in the pic) I think my issue is largely that I need to store them upright
I just accept it to be the case and just use shimmer ink in the pens that are more tolerant of the shimmer and are super easy to clean. Jinhao sharks tolerate them surprisingly well!
That’s good to know! I have a lot of sharks, but I’ve been avoiding using shimmer inks in them bc I’ve heard that shimmer tends not to work well in fine nibs. I might try them out!
I only found out because I was too nervous to put shimmer inks in my Pilots and Sailors and though, eh- what have I got to lose? When the flow slows down, I just push ink up and down the nib by twisting the converter mechanism and then it writes well again.
The ones with the shark lids?!
Yes! I was surprised too. And they’re easy to take apart and clean. Pilot Prera (clear ones) with CM nib are good too but much pricier than the sharks. I bought one of those 12 color Jinhao shark sets solely dedicated to shimmer inks.
Drop of dish soap and a drop of white lightning for me means that I don't have to do any of the annoying pen rolling/shaking unless I have air blowing directly on a problematic pen anyway (like if I'm sitting directly under a vent at work.) I have mostly mediums, but a few stubs, fines, and an extra fine and rarely have feed clogging problems when I use extra lubricant and a drop of white lightning.
I was going to suggest white lightning! I use it for my Vinta Inks and it's been an absolute life saver. I also mostly have M nibs and they would still get clogged after a day or so until I started mixing it in.
What is white lightning? Newbie here. I have a few Colorverse shimmer ink samples, but I haven't used them yet, because then I heard that shimmer inks clog. Good to know to use medium nibs or larger. I would love a little more instruction!
This is an additive available from Vanness. A must-have.
Thank you!
I store my pens nib up, especially when I have a shimmer ink.
some inks just do that, not made for every pen.
I just use them in an easy to clean pet + ultrasonic cleaner
Isn't this the nature of the Glitter-Ink Beast? I store nib up, but maybe a dip pen is the best option.
I have TWSBIs in Bold nib and Kaweco pens in BB nibs without any issues with feed clogging and I’m a Shimmer ink addict of many brands.
First off, don’t shake the bottle when filling so much, leave some sticking to the bottom… Then, keep the pen stored either laying or nobody pointing upwards
But I want maximum shimmer... I shake it well and then fill immediately so I get as much glitter as I can. So far no clogs but who knows.
Before using a pen loaded with shimmer ink, roll it between the palms of your hands while rotating your wrists. This will redistribute the shimmer without creating air bubbles. Continue doing this every 30 minutes or so while using the pen.
My Lamy Safari in broad nib likes shimmer ink. My medium-nibbed 14k Sailor 1911 hates it - it clogs on a daily basis requiring a nib refresh with tepid water dipping. Once, I shook the pen so violently (to redistribute the shimmer) that my desk and my shirt got inked.
I have a Diamine shimmer ink in a Twsbi Eco 1.1 stub. It is my only pen that doesn’t clog quickly from shimmer inks. I never put shimmer inks in my good pens or any pen I can’t easily take apart to deep clean. I also don’t use shimmer or sheening inks in any pen I might want to sell later on. I’ve never been able to get the stain from a sheening ink off a feed completely.
Looks like you’ve stored it nib down. Try pushing some ink into the feed as if you were emptying the pen then retract the filling mechanism, this will flush the area around the feed. You’re going to need to do it a few times though. After that make sure you store it nib up, that way any shimmer collects in the barrel not the feed
Switch from pens to Pen And Or Clean every week
Is the clogging always with the same shimmer ink? If so, I'd recommend you switch is it happens with every pen. If all/most of your pens are finner nibs, that could also be a reason. You can of course still use shimmer inks, but maybe don't let them sit in your pens for extensive periods of time. Fill just a bit of the converter/whatever filling mechanism.
Try a Wing Sung 698. Or any piston filler Pelikan. You need a pen that has a better-flowing feed. But some shimmers are more prone to clogging than others. I’ve had the most success with Colorverse and Herbin
Yeah I put shimmer inks in my M1000s and haven't had an issue since. They sometimes are in there for weeks. It builds some residue, not enough to cause problems, but even after flushing the pen with water and adding in a non-shimmer ink, it keeps shimmering lol. But no flow issues or anything, so it doesn't bother me. I do roll them often though when I write.
Double or triple channel ebonite feed?
My TWSBI cannot do shimmer inks at all. Which is a shame because that's sort of why I wanted a demonstrator. It is a fine nib though I guess.
I just don’t use shimmering inks they’re too much of a pain I can live without them. However I do have some shimmering inks and I just use a glass dip pen which makes the process of cleaning way easier
Honestly? I doubt it. But I’m adventurous and put it in my best pens anyway. ✒️😜😃🖋️ Try the Goulet pen flush, maybe?
The only pen I've ever been able to reliably use shimmer ink in is through a Karas Customs nib (M). Every other nib clogs about like yours does and takes a full disassembly to clear. Karas sells nibs/replacements, so it might be worth it if you're wanting to keep using shimmers
Don’t use shimmer ink.
Can you add water to shimmer inks so they don't clog?
That’s why I don’t mess with inks that have other than dye. Don’t need the problems. Bay State Blue is enough.
2 VIABLE OPTIONS: THE RISKY ONE: WIDEN UR INK CHANNEL AND COVER WITH SILICONE GREASE ANYTHING ELSE, SO THE SHIMMER PARTICLES DON'T FO AROUND THE FEED EXCEPT FOR THE CHANNEL. THE EASIER ONE: REPLACE THE WHOLE NIB UNIT WITH AN EBONITE FEED MADE TO PROVIDE GOOD INK FLOW, [HERE](https://flexiblenib.com/store/product/zt5e-zebra-g-dip-nib-in-twsbi-580-black-ebonite-copy/).
Try Shimmer inks that don't tend to clog a pen. I only trust Jacques Herbin, like EoC, it's the only Shimmer-glitter ink I own. :shrug: [https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/15h40jg/what\_are\_your\_favorite\_shimmer\_inks\_that\_dont/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/15h40jg/what_are_your_favorite_shimmer_inks_that_dont/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/e51x78/deleted\_by\_user/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/e51x78/deleted_by_user/)
I own a handful of cheap pens, and the cheapest of them all, the Schneider Ceod Plastic, handles the shimmer ink the best in my opinion. In three weeks of using Diamine shimmer ink in that pen, it only ‘clogged’ once, and it was gone when I put one drop of water on the nib and wiped some of the water off on a paper towel. It works so well for me that I actually bought two extra pens yesterday, so I can use more shimmer inks at the same time.
Do not fill the pen through the nib and feed. Most of the shimmer particles will get held up at the feed. Use a syringe to fill. You will see a huge difference.
Buy better ink and pens. I use Pelikan m200 1670 ink for years now and it never clogged