Mixing 777

[Roger Pellegrini]

Has anyone tried to mix the new Defender 777 developer from Photographer's Formulary? There are no instructions in the box and I hear that mixing is tricky.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Read the article on unblinkingeye. Evidently one of the developing agents never completely dissolves but remains in suspension.

 

[Harry Lime]

Apparently the formula on Unblinking Eye really isn't the real 777, as was used by Eugene Smith, LIFE etc.

You can still order the real deal from Bluegrass in Kentucky.
I have a package sitting in a box in storage...
The original formula is not published.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I can no longer find the retrospective article for Bluegrass 777 on unblinkingeye. Sorry.

 

[Roger Pellegrini]

I have read the article several times but see not specifics about replenishing. BTW, I seriously doubt the Photographer's Formulary bought the formula from anyone. The ingredients they send in the package (without any instructions other than the Fred DeVan article) are exactly the ingredients and proportions mentioned within the article. I wish Bluegrass would start making it again.

 

[Roger Pellegrini]

I took the plunge and mixed the ingredients in the order they appeared in the article. Everything went fine -- no precipitate, no magenta color, no special odor (all a bit disappointing... just kidding). (Still wish I could buy it in the 1 gallon bottles my father bought for his darkroom in NYC back in the 1906's) Once I have 3 gallons I will be looking to set up a nitrogen burst system for developing 120. So.... any and all advice is welcome.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

If you are interested in Harvey's 777 developer you should read the very interesting and informative article listed below. The formula for the Germain developer first appeared in his book "Darkroom Handbook and Formulary", Morris Germain, Little Technical Library, Ziff-Davis: 1940.

Here is the reference to the unblinkingeye article which mentions the appearence of the mixed developer, http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Harvey/harvey.html.Ziff It also mentions developing times and replenishment.