If you are looking for a cheap and completely permanent marker, then can use
Procion dyes available from art stores.
Barry

Bruce Gapinski wrote:

> Yep. Bruce
>
>                 -----Original Message-----
>                 From:   Weems, Joyce [mailto:JWEEMS@sjha.org]
>                 Sent:   Friday, November 30, 2001 5:25 AM
>                 To:     'Bruce Gapinski'
>                 Subject:        RE: Alcian blue for marking margins
>
>                 Get this at the grocery?
>                 Joyce Weems
>                 Pathology Manager
>                 Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta
>
>                         -----Original Message-----
>                         From:   Bruce Gapinski
> [SMTP:BGapinski@pathgroup.com]
>                         Sent:   Thursday, November 29, 2001 2:44 PM
>                         To:     'Aidan Schurr'
>                         Cc:     'HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu'
>                         Subject:        RE: Alcian blue for marking margins
>
>                         Save time & $. Use Mrs. Stewerts liquid bluing. I've
> been using it
>                 for
>                         years. Bruce Gapinski HT(ASCP)
>
>                                         -----Original Message-----
>                                         From:   Aidan Schurr
> [mailto:Aidan.Schurr@hvh.co.nz]
>                                         Sent:   Thursday, November 29, 2001
> 11:16 AM
>                                         To:
> histonet@pathology.swmed.edu;
>                         office@rshhis.demon.co.uk
>                                         Subject:        Re: Alcian blue for
> marking margins
>
>                                         Jim,
>
>                                         Went through this same dilemma about
> a year ago.
>                 Have you
>                         tried different "indian" inks?  I quickly discovered
> that all so
>                 called
>                         indian inks are definitely not created equal...  I
> had to trial
>                 about a
>                         dozen or so before finding a suitable one.  The ink
> currently used
>                 is
>                         (unfortunately for you, fortunately for us)
> manufactured here in New
>                         Zealand, and goes onto wet or dry, fixed or fresh
> tissue with little
>                 mess.
>                         Once on it stays there.  Really good microscopic
> marking - obvious
>                 layer, no
>                         'weak' spots, no 'bacteria-like' granules at high
> power.  Best of
>                 all it
>                         costs about $30NZ for a litre (that's about 10
> pounds, or $15US [per
>                 *liter*
>                         for you guys!!]).  We also have a couple of other
> inks designed for
>                         technical drawing pens (as an architect would use)
> made by "Rotring"
>                 (should
>                         be available virtually anywhere).  We use their Blue
> and Green,
>                 which we
>                         find have similar characteristics to the black, but
> are more
>                 expensive.
>
>                                         Best of luck
>                                         Aidan
>
>                                         __
>
>                                         aidan schurr  b.m.l.sc
>                                         section head, histology
>                                         hutt valley district health board
>                                         lower hutt
>                                         new zealand
>
>                                         aidan.schurr@hvh.co.nz
>                                         ++64 4 570 9173
>
>                                         >>> RSH Histology
> 
>                 30/11/2001 >>>
>                                         With difficulties in obtaining
> adequate quality (and
>                         affordable) Alcian blue
>                                         8GX in the UK, a problem I suspect
> encountered
>                 elsewhere, I
>                         would be
>                                         interested to hear of alternative
> dyes/methods in
>                 use.
>                         Indian ink has not
>                                         proved to be
>                                         "consultant friendly" and commercial
> "margin kits"
>                 have not
>                         proved
>                                         processing and staining "fast" here.
> Any suggestions
>                 -
>                         useful alternative
>                                         dyes etc gratefully
>                                         recieved!
>                                         Good quality Alcian blue 8GX is our
> gold standard
>                 (clean in
>                         use, easy to
>                                         paint/dip, perfect for microscopy
> with H&E) but it's
>                         disappearing fast!
>
>                                         Jim Almond
>                                         Head BMS
>                                         Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
>                                         UK
>
>