Description

Zest-it was born in 1995 from a very practical need. Jacqui Blackman, a working artist and oil painting workshop facilitator based in the UK, found that the turpentine and white spirit used by her students caused persistent headaches and sore throats in the studio. Determined to find something better, she set out to develop a solvent that was non-toxic, non-flammable, pleasant to use, and genuinely effective. The result was the now iconic Zest-it Oil Paint Dilutant and Brush Cleaner, a formula built on Aliphatic Hydrocarbon and pure food-grade Citrus Oil extracted from the zest of citrus fruit. The name itself comes directly from that citrus zest and the concept of ‘cleaning it’, simplified to Zest-it. The Registered Trademark was secured in 1996, and from that point, the brand grew steadily in both range and reputation.

Dip pen nibs are precision instruments. A calligraphy nib, a mapping nib, or a flexible illustration nib represents a significant investment for the serious draughts person, and their performance depends entirely on a clean, corrosion-free tip and tine surface. Dried ink, particularly India ink, shellac-based inks, or pigmented drawing inks, bonds tenaciously to metal surfaces. Scrubbing with a cloth risks bending tines or scoring the nib surface, altering its writing characteristics permanently. Soaking in water alone is rarely sufficient once the ink has fully cured. Zest-it Dip Pen Nib Cleaner resolves this without force.