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Bringing Bottled Inks On Flight


RitchieMac

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Recently I’ve brought 2 bottles of ink on the plane, and both leaked in my check in baggage during the flight. My clothes were spared as the inks were in a Ziploc bag, which in turn was covered by another 2 plastic bags. There were no cracks on the bottles or caps, which are tight, and the ink did not seep out on vigorous shaking or inverting, both before and after the leakage incident. I think the leakage is probably due to air pressure changes forcing the ink out during the flight.

 

Many have suggested not to even bring bottled inks on flight. The alternatives are to bring cartridges instead, or to use a travelling ink well (eg. Visconti or TWSBI). However, many a times, I want to bring bottled inks overseas, for example, if I use a non Visconti or TWSBI piston filler or vintage pens, or if I bought new inks from a foreign country (yes, new bottled inks have leaked before). I prefer to check in my inks because I don’t like to explain the strange fluids in my carry-on luggage, and if inks leak in check in luggage, they will also leak in carry-on luggage too.

 

My questions are:

 

1. How to you prevent bottled inks from leaking on flight?

 

2. How to you prevent leaked inks from staining the rest of your belongings? In any case, I always assume inks will always leak on flight, and so far the Ziploc bag + 2 plastic bags have worked quite well to limit the damage.

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I have seen some folks wrap electrical tape around the area between the bottle and the cap. This seems to prevent leaks. Often times retailers will do this when shipping internationally. I would still place them in ziplock bags also.

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One word: Nalgene. I have traveled for work (and even moved) with many bottles of ink, and never lost a drop of ink by keeping all my inks in nalgene bottles instead of the unreliable original bottles.

Of course I lose the original pretty bottles, but I keep all the ink.

 

Best Regards, greg

Don't feel bad. I'm old; I'm meh about most things.

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My biggest worry is TSA screeners. They can open the ink bottles if they suspect something, and may not seal them tight. There is nothing that can be done about this risk.

 

If you are dead set on ink bottles in your checked luggage, make sure they are full as possible. It's the expanding air pocket that will force ink out of the bottle.

 

Personally, my checked clothes are worth much more than an ink bottle and I would never combine the two. Cartridges are the only travel choice for me (or buying ink when I arrived).

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One word: Nalgene. I have traveled for work (and even moved) with many bottles of ink, and never lost a drop of ink by keeping all my inks in nalgene bottles instead of the unreliable original bottles.

Of course I lose the original pretty bottles, but I keep all the ink.

 

Best Regards, greg

 

+1 on what gregamckinney says. I travel with my inks in Nalgene bottles and have had no issues.

They are relatively inexpensive and they can be had at the Container Store in different sizes. I

use the 1 and 2 ounce bottles.

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Akkerman inks from the Netherlands seem to use a tape similar to electrician's tape around their caps, when shipping their bottles overseas. Most likely the inks travel by air. I've never received an Akkerman bottle (large or small) that leaked.

 

Although it has not been on the last couple of my orders, but Goulet's used to wrap my ink bottles (box included), in fact anything in the my orders, in a tenaciously clinging blue plastic wrap.

Once I was able to carefully remove the wrap (without the film sticking to itself), I kept a few large sheets if it rolled up on a long Christmas wrap roll.

 

I am sure that such a thick, super clinging tape would do the trick in your checked luggage.

Wonder where they used to get that super cling wrap?

Edited by tinta

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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I keep my travel ink supply (Sheaffer washable blue) in a classic Sheaffer "well" bottle, contained within a padded Nalgene jar, with the cap threads of both lubricated with Labelle 106 teflon grease. And even that wasn't enough on one trip (if I remember right, the ink bottle actually broke), so now that combination is contained within a zip-top bag.

 

And I've found that Spice Islands lids are a perfect fit for all but the very last generation of Sheaffer "well" bottles, so there's no reason to keep using a lid that's too corroded to make a good seal.

--

James H. H. Lampert

Professional Dilettante

 

Posted Image was once a bottle of ink

Inky, Dinky, Thinky, Inky,

Blacky minky, Bottle of ink! -- Edward Lear

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In addition to the suggestions already made, I have received ink bottles in the mail where people cover the caps with balloons. I guess it's so the ink has someplace to go if the cap leaks with changes of air pressure.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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In addition to the suggestions already made, I have received ink bottles in the mail where people cover the caps with balloons. I guess it's so the ink has someplace to go if the cap leaks with changes of air pressure.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

That's a great idea!

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Tape the cap and bottle, double ziplocs and a small carton box.

 

+1 Here. I did this when I needed to fly for work, and never even had to toss a baggie. If you do this, though, be sure to bring a couple of empty, clean baggies just in case your ink bottle lets loose in the first pair.

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That's good advice. I rinsed a baggy the last time I traveled and turned the hotel sink blue. Luckily some alcohol wipes took it off.

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Nalgene bottle from the Container Store in a zip lock bag tossed in my check-in luggage. Never had a problem with this while traveling for business both state side and abroad.

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This thread is freaking me out. I've travelled many times, on some very long flights, with all sorts of bottled ink (reused sample bottles from Goulet, multiple new bottles of Iroshizuku). I flew from Osaka to Toronto by way of London (I know, I know, stupid routing, it's a long story) and nothing leaked. How am I so lucky?? Is it only a matter of time before catastrophe hits??

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Depends on how leakproof the bottles are. I thought I was in the clear with the padded Nalgene jar as a containment vessel. Until I wasn't. Just as I thought Sheaffer's current blue remained completely washable indefinitely. Until I let the stain from that incident go for about a week, and found I had to bleach it out of a white shirt.

Edited by hbquikcomjamesl

--

James H. H. Lampert

Professional Dilettante

 

Posted Image was once a bottle of ink

Inky, Dinky, Thinky, Inky,

Blacky minky, Bottle of ink! -- Edward Lear

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All of my ink bottles that have leaked on flights do not leak under normal ground atmospheric pressure. The bottle that withstand leaks must be able to withstand the liquids under pressure.

 

For me, a second or even third layer of protection over the bottled ink is necessary for the peace of mind while I'm watching the inflight movie.

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  • 2 months later...

I had to take six flights within five days. My cracked-ice Moore ringtop worked beautifully. My TWSBI ink bottle, not so much...it's a very good thing I put it in a bag.

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Who ever mentioned to try and make sure the container is full; that's a great idea. I also wonder if traveling to a higher altitude would effect this. When I first got into fountain pens, I flew from Jacksonville, Fl. Straight up the coast, to Maryland. I didn't even know about the possibility of leakage. I just put the manufacturers ink bottles in my carry on, nestled in my clothes. Nothing happened. I even wrote with a few pens during the flight. BUT, I wonder what would happen if I flew from Jacksonville, Fl to Colorado. It may be something else, because even if I fly on the East coast the plane is still gonna climb to around 30.000 feet.

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I used to use a Peli micro case when I was flying internationally regularly for work. They're so well sealed they have a valve to let equalise pressure once you've flown and landed. Plus 100% waterproof so if a bottle does break it shouldn't leak out into your main bag.

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I used to use a Peli micro case when I was flying internationally regularly for work. They're so well sealed they have a valve to let equalise pressure once you've flown and landed. Plus 100% waterproof so if a bottle does break it shouldn't leak out into your main bag.

Are those the sort of cases that are used by hikers and kayakers and such for phones and keys? I've seen those in sporting goods stores like REI and have wondered how well they work (and even tried bringing empty sample vials with me to the store to see how many would fit in the various size containers, but I think I've lost the notes I've made).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

Edited by inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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