Actually, Lickity Split is (mostly) blameless here. Having recently decided on a paper organizer/address book/calendar, I started to wonder and worry about what would happen if my planner pages got wet.
After I'd read on diyplanner.com about one person's unfortunate experience with a tea-soaked planner, I felt somewhat assured by my recent purchase of scarlett-colored Uni-Ball Vision pens, which are advertised as waterproof (on the Office Max site) or at the very least water "resistant" (on the Uni-ball site). Still, with recent drizzly days here in Chicago and a long wet winter ahead, I thought it best to see for myself just how waterproof or water "resistant" Uni-Ball ink really is.
Assessment Method
After scribbling away with the Uni-Ball, I deliberately spilled about two teaspoons of water onto the page. Lickity Split, of course, immediately volunteered his help in creating a mess.
Results
If you catch the spill and blot it immediately--i.e. before you can count to ten really fast--there is a minimum of damage, which was sort of encouraging in that many inks don't even pass that test. Still, I was amazed to see the ink all but disappear in the time it took to me to take four pictures, which was less than two minutes. The part that really shocked me is that my pen is included on a list on Uni-Ball's website specifying those products with ink designed to prevent "check washing," the process by which thieves remove ink from checks in the service of forgery. After much clicking, it does appear elsewhere on the site that Uni-Ball distinguishes between the ink of some pens--such as their 207 model, and that used in Vision model I bought, but after having recently bought a dozen Vision pens, I feel disappointed if not exactly ripped off.
What Next?
I've had great luck with Copic markers, liners, and felt-tip pens used in design projects, so I decided to see if Copic had anything that might work as an every day pen. Indeed, it appears they do: Copic offers indelible, pigment-based ink in--yes!--refillable pens with replaceable nibs, giving a new definition of "permanent pen" in terms of both ink and the fact that the pen itself needn't ever be thrown away. Bonus points to Copic for providing a choice of 12 colors and 10 nib sizes. At $7.95 for the pen, $2.50 per refill, and $2.50 to $3.95 for nib replacements, I'm definitely seeing a Copic solution to my planner-pen problem.