Permanent marker colors

[salmobytes 0]

I asked a question about marker colors a month ago and got good answers. At that time I wanted to buy bottles of permanent marker color liquid, so I could "dunk" foam body blanks right into the bottle, so they could be colored uniformly, without tediously stroking a marking pen (which usually ends up with uneven coloring). I got good answers here. I haven't followed up on all of them yet. But the tying season is just now starting for me (been fishing recently, not tying).

 

Now I have a question on the other side of the marking pen.

I got curious about an idea and tried marking Seran Wrap and/or transparent plastic bag material with marking pens. The idea was to make shiny nymph-backs over a dubbing core. I was surprised by the results. Some pens mark permanently and some don't.

 

Chartpak architect's pens (which seem to do well with foam) do not stick to plastic bags. You get what looks like perfect coloring, but it comes right off. Sharpie's, however, do just what you want. Sort of. But Sharpies don't come in many colors. There must be a "solvent base" difference between different pens, because some will permanently color a plastic bag and some won't. And it seems to be the ones that come in many colors that don't work well. Shite. Anybody know of a "permanent color pen" brand that does come in more than 3 or 4 colors? (olive, tan, gray etc)

Opaque red and black sharpies aren't worth much....even though they do make a permanent change to the plastic bag.

[Chefben4 0]

My local craft store (hobby lobby and michaels) carries probably 30-40 different colors of sharpies, including the ones you are looking for. I use several different shaded sharpies quite often a lot of flies. So I would try that kind of store. If all else fails I could always send you some. Good luck!

[salmobytes 0]

My local craft store (hobby lobby and michaels) carries probably 30-40 different colors of sharpies, including the ones you are looking for. I use several different shaded sharpies quite often a lot of flies. So I would try that kind of store. If all else fails I could always send you some. Good luck!

 

Michaels. Didn't thought of that. I went to Staples and Office Depot and they had about 4 colors only. Heavenly father internet!

[Chefben4 0]

My local craft store (hobby lobby and michaels) carries probably 30-40 different colors of sharpies, including the ones you are looking for. I use several different shaded sharpies quite often a lot of flies. So I would try that kind of store. If all else fails I could always send you some. Good luck!

 

Michaels. Didn't thought of that. I went to Staples and Office Depot and they had about 4 colors only. Heavenly father internet!

 

 

Haha! Yeah, most craft stores have a sharpie "display" have you will, with tons of colors. As you found out the selection at office supply stores is for that thing we call work.. OH it hurts to say that!

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

walmart caries a ton of colors in sharpies also and they also have bic permanent markers in some really cool colors with an ultra fine point

[Capt Mel Simpson 0]

Do any of you that use Sharpies have a problem with the smell they leave on materials that you mark?

[salmobytes 0]

Inneresting

 

Not all plastic bags are the same. Architects Chartpak pens continue to fail on all plastic bag materials. The color just doesn't hold.

But with sharpies (I found 3 or 4 useful colors at Michaels...most Sharpie colors are still too opaque) the results are mixed.

It seems to depend on the bag material.

 

I have lots of clear zip-lock bags that fly tying materials come in. Even sharpie colors don't hold on most of them. They just wipe off.

 

But on some bags (generally the less perfectly clear sandwich bags) the colors do hold well. I don't have an example I'm willing to photograph and share just yet. But preliminary experiments look good. You can dub a normal nymph body and then overlay a thin pen-colored strip of sandwich bag material, somewhat like a scud back. And you get an interesting colored but shiny, semi-transparent look. Bag jobs.

[mybadhabit 0]

Inneresting

 

Not all plastic bags are the same. Architects Chartpak pens continue to fail on all plastic bag materials. The color just doesn't hold.

But with sharpies (I found 3 or 4 useful colors at Michaels...most Sharpie colors are still too opaque) the results are mixed.

It seems to depend on the bag material.

 

I have lots of clear zip-lock bags that fly tying materials come in. Even sharpie colors don't hold on most of them. They just wipe off.

 

But on some bags (generally the less perfectly clear sandwich bags) the colors do hold well. I don't have an example I'm willing to photograph and share just yet. But preliminary experiments look good. You can dub a normal nymph body and then overlay a thin pen-colored strip of sandwich bag material, somewhat like a scud back. And you get an interesting colored but shiny, semi-transparent look. Bag jobs.

 

 

I had a problem with sharpies wiping off of plastic bags, what type of bags were you using to get it to hold the color?

[salmobytes 0]

I had a problem with sharpies wiping off of plastic bags, what type of bags were you using to get it to hold the color?

 

....I don't know. There is a drawer in my kitchen with misc plastic bags. Some hold sharpie colors and some don't.

I'll see if we have any still in the brand-stamped boxes.

[elad 0]

I had a problem with sharpies wiping off of plastic bags, what type of bags were you using to get it to hold the color?

 

....I don't know. There is a drawer in my kitchen with misc plastic bags. Some hold sharpie colors and some don't.

I'll see if we have any still in the brand-stamped boxes.

 

Why don't you guys just buy some stuff from Virtual Nymph...you don't need to use plastic bags...They have all sorts of products that hold "Sharpies" and (in my view) the best "Edding" pens...That way you get great results every-time...Just my view...

 

http://www.virtual-nymph.com

[bluegill576 0]

I had a problem with sharpies wiping off of plastic bags, what type of bags were you using to get it to hold the color?

 

....I don't know. There is a drawer in my kitchen with misc plastic bags. Some hold sharpie colors and some don't.

I'll see if we have any still in the brand-stamped boxes.

 

Why don't you guys just buy some stuff from Virtual Nymph...you don't need to use plastic bags...They have all sorts of products that hold "Sharpies" and (in my view) the best "Edding" pens...That way you get great results every-time...Just my view...

 

http://www.virtual-nymph.com

Reported for spam. It's his first post so i think he is spaming. And why I wouldn't buy it is because it would come out to be around $5 a pack plus shipping to the US.

[elad 0]

I'm definitely not a spammer...I use the products myself...I've been a member a while and don't normally reply to postings...and this is exactly the reason why..!!..because of small minded comments from people who won't accept help...don't worry I shall post no more, and terminate my membership...

[salmobytes 0]

I'm definitely not a spammer...I use the products myself...I've been a member a while and don't normally reply to postings...and this is exactly the reason why..!!..because of small minded comments from people who won't accept help...don't worry I shall post no more, and terminate my membership...

 

Shine it on. I appreciated your input. Shite happens. That is interesting stuff you pointed to. It does look a bit opaque. I am, for better or for worse, trying to cobble together a colored but semi-transparent look. Sharpies wipe off most plastic bag material. But not all. I post my treatise on fly tying with a sandwich bag eventually.

[Fly Samurai 0]

Not sure exactly what effect you are looking for but I have found this solution to a similar problem. I use Sharpies quite a bit on plastic, in particular a shrimp pattern where I want just a hint of color along with a few dots. To achieve this effect I make small random dots and dashes of color and then "thin" them out with a swipe of a Q-tip dipped in lacquer thinner. LESS is MORE in this case. Lacquer thinner dissolves the marker and then evaporates quite quickly, leaving a very thin swipe of color. You can alter colors by applying different dots and dashes of various colors, Most sharpie colors will come off if rubbed harshly, therefore when I tie the plastic in I place the marked side toward the material onto which I am placing it, with the clear, unmarked side out or up as it were. Then when the fly is complete the areas marked are not exposed to things that can rub them off. I have also found that I like clear vinyl best for marking. First off it is crystal clear and secondly it is tough. The best place to find clear vinyl is an old clear shower curtain, or a new cheap one. You can find what they sometimes call crystal clear vinyl curtains pretty cheap and one curtain is a lifetime supply and then some. As for durability the flies that I have done this way do not lose their color over time. Another interesting thing about Sharpies is that some colors, chartreuse for instance, will have a chemical reaction to Super Glue that causes the Sharpie to turn red. Very strange because not all colors do this. I have sometimes used this to my advantage when applying eyes to a chartreuse Sharpie colored fly, I will intentionally add just a bit more glue to rim the eye in red.

This shrimp's shellback is made of vinyl marked with red and brown Sharpie as described above. Hope this is of some use.