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What's This Goop In My Ink Bottle?

cabbie

By cabbie
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cabbie Mint

cabbie

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Posted

I was getting ready to fill a pen with my favorite green ink when I noticed some stringy goop in the bottle. It's a commercial company and I've had the bottle for probably a little over 3 years. I know I probably will never be able to use that bottle again but how did this happen and how can I avoid it in the future?

 

Thanks

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Beechwood Donor Pen

Beechwood

Posted
Posted

only had this happen twoce in many years, that was with MB lavendar.

 

It is as if the ink separates into some form of gelatinous liquid and almost clear liquid above it.

 

 

 

Time to throw it away cabbie, I dont think there is anything you could have done to have stopped this but more scientifically tuned people will correct me for certain.

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Beechwood Donor Pen

Beechwood

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Just spoken to a scientist and she thought that a certain type of bacteria was a likely cause especially if the ink bottle has been left uncapped in a warm room.

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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:yikes: From the description it sounds as if you've got the dreaded SITB. Bummer. Basically, SITB is mold that's gotten into your bottle. And unless you have almost immediate access to a fungicide (such as phenol), yeah, your bottle is pretty much a goner.... :(

Sometimes it comes from poor storage or maintenance, like Beechwood said. Sometimes (as in a batch of J Herbin inks six or so years ago) it's a manufacturing error, but it's never good. And if you have filled a pen from that bottle before catching it, you could also have infected your pen (which means that you can then transfer the mold spores to other ink bottles.

I've been lucky, AFAIK. Do a search (upper RH corner) changing the setting to "Forums" -- there have been a number of threads on the topic, including, IIRC, how to disinfect your pen if necessary.

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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PAKMAN Ancient Artifact

PAKMAN

Posted
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Had this same problem with a couple of Private Reserve inks. I contacted them and they provided replacements that had been reformulated to prevent the problem.

PAKMAN

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Fountainer Mint

Fountainer

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And if you have filled a pen from that bottle before catching it, you could also have infected your pen (which means that you can then transfer the mold spores to other ink bottles.

 

 

Whaaat?! Do we have an ink disease that can infect from one bottle to another? This is bizarre. As if the use of fountain pens wasn't complicated already. Soon it will infect humans and we all become... BALLPOINT USERS!!! Nnoooo!!!!

There are other ways than the easiest one too.

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Arkanabar Antique

Arkanabar

Posted
Posted (edited)

Don't store your ink in the vicinity of your houseplants. Plants require LOTS of microorganisms in the soil to survive, and more on all their surfaces.

 

 

 

Whaaat?! Do we have an ink disease that can infect from one bottle to another? This is bizarre. As if the use of fountain pens wasn't complicated already. Soon it will infect humans and we all become... BALLPOINT USERS!!! Nnoooo!!!!

 

no, she means that the microorganisms responsible for SITB continue to live in the pen after you fill it, and will contaminate any other bottle of ink you fill that pen from, should you fail to kill them before doing so.

Edited by Arkanabar

Waypoints on the Inky Journey (aka the Six Seven Essential Inks)

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I think that Fountainer just forgot to use the appropriate smiley .gif....

But yeah, Arkanabar is right -- you *can* contaminate other inks if you've got spores in your pen. And I think I remember reading that you may even contaminate other pens in a pen case. :( SITB is REALLY nasty stuff.

I didn't know about the vulnerability of potted plants, but it doesn't surprise me all that much (I managed to kill a potted cactus, and the aloe plant that ate Chicago is not looking all that good these days -- although it could really be about *six* aloe plants at this point, and has bloomed at least three times -- not bad for something that I got at the grocery store or Home Depot in a 3" pot....

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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Beechwood Donor Pen

Beechwood

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The bottle of MB ink that I had seperated into almost clear liquid at the top and runny jelly underneath, I filled my pen and when I removed the nib there was a long trail of slime between nib and ink. Just plain horrible,

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Runnin_Ute Museum Piece

Runnin_Ute

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Posted

The bottle of MB ink that I had seperated into almost clear liquid at the top and runny jelly underneath, I filled my pen and when I removed the nib there was a long trail of slime between nib and ink. Just plain horrible,

It's bad.

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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ErrantSmudge Collectors Item

ErrantSmudge

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If you have filled your pen from a bottle that is contaminated with SITB, I recommend you pull the nib and feed from your pen and clean the slime out of the feed.

 

I have an Aurora Talentum that nearly met its end this way. Ink would no longer flow after it was slimed by a spoiled bottle of Private Reserve Sherwood Green - the slimed ink had clogged the feed. Fortunately I was able to rescue the pen by gently scrubbing all parts of the nib, feed and section with a fine, soft toothbrush and some soapy liquid.

Edited by ErrantSmudge
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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Don't store your ink in the vicinity of your houseplants. Plants require LOTS of microorganisms in the soil to survive, and more on all their surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plants are the worst contaminates of inks...oh and birds. We had two macaws and they were hosts to lots of microorganisms.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I've also seen it referred to as "Stuff in the Bottle". And, well, as another word that starts with "S" that will get me bleeped :blush: if I use it (yeah, you know -- a certain four letter word that isn't "snow"...).

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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LizEF Museum Piece

LizEF

Posted
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Not goop, but this is the cap of my Organics Studio Walt Whitman - something very hard to acquire these days, but something I want very much. Anywho, is this mold, or just particulates, or can you tell? The mass of bubbles at the bottom eventually all popped and there was nothing different there from the rest of the cap - same with the darker spot at the top of the photo.

http://www.paradoxcommunity.com/vps/osww.jpg

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Parker51 Collectors Item

Parker51

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Posted

This is one of the reasons I continue to regularly use vintage Sheaffer's and Parker ink which is full of old fungicide. Not good to drink, but I don't drink ink.

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