Molotow Liquid Chrome marker pen shelf life

[3Dsf]

Hi folks. So here's something that seems to have been discussed elsewhere, but not here, is that Molotow Liquid Chrome marker pens appear to have a shelf life.

Not what you might expect - it's not that they dry up quickly. Rather the chrome effect deteriorates and you end up with a dull sparkly silver effect.

And I'm not talking about objects which have had the "chrome" effect applied to. Those stay shiny and chrome, so far as I know. I'm talking about shelf life here, meaning the useful longevity of the unused liquid paint stuff within the pen.

I bought a pen around 5 years ago and used it with good effect for a project. Today I thought I'd use it for something else, and found no chrome effect at all. It's interesting - when you apply the stuff you get a weird shimmering moving sparkling effect as it dries. Presumably the metallic grains shifting around inside the liquid. But it never ends up properly chrome and shiny. Which is, since the pens are somewhat expensive (though notably less expensive than in the past), rather disappointing.

A quick web search reveals that I'm not the only one to have experienced the issue. A few other people reported the same exact symptoms.

I tried the suggestions made elsewhere - tons of shaking and whatnot, reversing the tip - but haven't got a usable result. Anyone have any suggestions for resurrecting the chrome effect in a useful way? Or do I now have a crappy silver marker pen that looks like a metallic Sharpie?

I also wonder what's causing it. There still seems to be liquid alcohol in the pen. I wonder if the fine metallic grains have clumped over time, resulting in the sort of sparkly effect.

 

[joberg]

Hi folks. So here's something that seems to have been discussed elsewhere, but not here, is that Molotow Liquid Chrome marker pens appear to have a shelf life.

Not what you might expect - it's not that they dry up quickly. Rather the chrome effect deteriorates and you end up with a dull sparkly silver effect.

And I'm not talking about objects which have had the "chrome" effect applied to. Those stay shiny and chrome, so far as I know. I'm talking about shelf life here, meaning the useful longevity of the unused liquid paint stuff within the pen.

I bought a pen around 5 years ago and used it with good effect for a project. Today I thought I'd use it for something else, and found no chrome effect at all. It's interesting - when you apply the stuff you get a weird shimmering moving sparkling effect as it dries. Presumably the metallic grains shifting around inside the liquid. But it never ends up properly chrome and shiny. Which is, since the pens are somewhat expensive (though notably less expensive than in the past), rather disappointing.

I tried the suggestions made elsewhere - tons of shaking and whatnot, reversing the tip - but haven't got a usable result. Anyone have any suggestions for resurrecting the chrome effect in a useful way? Or do I now have a crappy silver marker pen that looks like a metallic Sharpie?

I also wonder what's causing it. There still seems to be liquid alcohol in the pen. I wonder if the fine metallic grains have clumped over time, resulting in the sort of sparkly effect.

Yes...story first Neil: my Molotow supplier, in Canada, told me that they couldn't ship their supply because of cold weather
So, here, all winter long, there's no hobby/Art stores selling Molotow markers! I have experienced the "not-so-shiny" effect with pens that were, at least, a year old. I've also done some experiments as to how the marker's position could influence the "clumping". Storing it on its side seems to aggravate the funky effects Standing straight toward the nib is the best position IMO. I haven't seen your type of dull sparkly effect yet.
Hope that helps.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Thank you. Many of us have noticed the difficulty in finding these and have resorted to stocking up when possible. This is a good warning not to overdo it.

 

[3Dsf]

I got a response back from Molotow confirming the issue:

“The shelf life depends on various factors, including storage and use. In principle, the ink will keep for several years if the marker is stored horizontally in an airtight container. However, very long storage or contact with oxygen (e.g. frequent opening) can lead to changes in the pigment structure. This could explain why your pen now produces a silver rather than a chrome-like effect.”

It's a shame they don't mention this in the information they provide on the pen. Though I guess I'm not entirely surprised, in large part since I bet the lifespan will vary a lot depending on environmental conditions and other factors. Oh well.

 

[3Dsf]

This is what the expired pen paint looks like, for those interested. I shook the pen vigorously for ages, inverted the tip, and then slapped it on a pen cap.

You can see how it looks a bit blotchy with highly visible sparkly metallic elements. Like cheap Testors “silver” enamel junk paint from 1979. Not smooth shiny chrome anymore.

 

[joberg]

This is what the expired pen paint looks like, for those interested. I shook the pen vigorously for ages, inverted the tip, and then slapped it on a pen cap.

You can see how it looks a bit blotchy with highly visible sparkly metallic elements. Like cheap Testors “silver” enamel junk paint from 1979. Not smooth shiny chrome anymore.

Wow Neil...I've never had that kind of result

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I think it's some kind of black magic with paint. I have Model Master paints that I got when I was 14 (1991) and they are perfectly fine. I've got others I got much more recently and they are drying up. Nothing worse than being ready to paint and find it's not good anymore!