Thursday 16 June 2011

Marker Pens - marker pens, permanent markers


Have owned one of these pens for a couple of years now. I always turn to it when I want to mark something with extra-large permanent lettering and it never let me down. Ink flow has been consistent, seems to stick to any surface, and to withstand exposure to a variety of environments. This is of note: the ink in this particular Sharpie black marker contains cresol and xylene, and one or the other of them will slowly bleed into any surface that contains latex. Weird, but here's the story:



I wanted to use a black ink pen to outline some sails on some miniature boats I was making. I first did this with one of the smaller black sharpie pens, and got the effect I was looking for: a black line around the edge of the sail. The sails are made of regular cotton cloth soaked in a clear latex "glaze" to prevent fraying. When I tried this again several days later on a different boat, the outcome initially seemed identical: a crisp black edge. However, over the next several days the edges of the sails on the second boat began bleeding into the rest of the sail.



THIS WAS A GOOD THING. The slowly-penetrating ink made the edges of the sails look weathered, antiqued, and this was highly desirable but totally unexpected and did not happen with the smaller Sharpie pens (whose ink never bled, never antiqued my sails). The only chemical difference in pens is the presence of cresol and xylene, and one or the other of them allows this kind of pen's ink to continue to flow into a latex-painted surface for weeks after application. This process is sped up by warmth. Sharpie King Size Permanent Marker, 1 Black Marker (15101PP)

Does a great job writing big, in permanent ink. Smells of chemicals, but that's to be expected from such a large marker. It's just the normal chemicals used to make the ink I'm sure. I'd buy it again if the price was right. - Marker Pens - Permanent Markers - Wandas Evil Scheme'


Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information