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Imagine being isolated off-grid for an unknown number of years. Maybe you're stuck somewhere like Davidge or Mark Watney; or perhaps you've chosen a life of isolation like Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe you're a survivor of the $Apocalypse. Wouldn't keeping a journal be a great idea? You could pass on your knowledge, keep track of daily activities, maybe even keep yourself from going insane!
Forget all the wastefulness, extravagance, and complexity of most modern devices, you've got survival to think about! Obviously power usage would be a major concern, but ergonomics, searchability, repairability, and data robustness would be important too. Keeping in mind that this is a dedicated device for journaling and barring the old Russian pencil and paper, what would the best solution look like with off-the-shelf modern technology?
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday June 13 2018, @12:38AM (2 children)
Why do you say this? It is not true. Why do you think that nibs were made of gold in the first place? Gallo-ferric acid is corrosive, but gold only dissolves in aqua regia, which any competent alchemist knows. Modern, 21st Century iron gall inks are perfectly copasetic for fountain pens, if the user is conscientious about use, occasional flushing, and normal scribing procedures. (Oh, and iron-gall is itself water-based, as medium.)
Noodler's is a company run by a single right-wing nut-job. The cellulose-reacting dyes are proprietary, and aimed at foiling check-washing, not longevity.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Wednesday June 13 2018, @03:21AM (1 child)
I'm not talking about the nib, and nibs are not made of pure gold anyway, they are made from a gold alloy. Also, stainless steel has existed for a long time now; gold alloys haven't been used for their corrosion resistance since then. Nibs are now made from gold for the perceived value and extra flexibility of the nib (they feel slightly better to experienced users).
I'm talking about the internal feed, which gets clogged by deposits from the iron gall ink. Yes, like I said, if you're extra careful, modern iron gall inks can be used for a period of time, but it will fuck up your pen if you keep using it, just like eating McDonalds will do to your arteries, even if you exercise and limit yourself to one meal a week. Admittedly, if you're using a cheap pen with a feed wider than then it may keep working for the majority of your lifetime.
When I wrote "water based" I meant water soluble dye based inks ("water based" as in leaves behind no particulate matter when the water evaporates), which iron gall ink is not.
> aimed at foiling check-washing, not longevity
I don't know what to say, good sir. Medicine is aimed at curing disease, not prolonging life. Cars are aimed at moving matter around, not transportation. All I see is you saying that the ink is designed for permanence, but not for permanence.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday June 13 2018, @04:20AM
Feeds are typically non-metallic, traditionally ebonite, or hard rubber. Iron gall does not chemically react until exposed to an oxydizing environment, so put the cap on your pen! And flush it out once in a while. Not like those actual "carbon black" pigmented inks, which do contain particles. Of course, all the rage now is "shimmer" inks, with metallic particles. I suggest, you have to make a choice, when journalling, between convenience and durability. Archival paper, and lower acid iron-gall inks are the way to go, if you want a journal that will survive until humanity remembers how to turn the lights back on. If they ever do.