Ink On Top Rim Of Bottle

[LizEF]

Noodlers ink still tries to escape the bottle, but it has a different motivation: Noodlers wants to get out and spread the word.

 

[amberleadavis]

I think ink is actually mildly sentient and really wants to be in a pen. The first time you open the bottle and fill a pen, it learns that "up" is the way out and that the lid must be removed in order for it to escape. And so, the bulk of its volume watches in horror as the pen is removed, taking only a small fraction of ink, and then as the lid is replaced, trapping it in the bottle. But having learned there's a way out, the ink starts exerting all its energy to escape. Hence, ink on the rim, the threads, the inside of the cap - it simply yearns to be in a pen.

 

Just be glad next time you open the bottle that it doesn't leap out and ooze off in search of the nearest pen(s).

 

 

@LizEF Thank you for this logical, scientific explanation. Makes sense to me

 

 

 

Someone should make a PBS special, right?

 

 

 

Pretty sure all ink, regardless of brand, is semi-sentient. Perhaps we should do a study to see if some brands, or dyes, or other ingredients are less sentient, or more passive, or...? Maybe we could apply for a government grant.

 

 

 

The Fluid Dynamics of Stationary Stationery: Bottled Modern Fountain Pen Inks and the The Contributory Factors of Sticky Lids (Excluding Over Tightening).

 

Got to run. I hear my pen calling me. Or is it the ink?

 

 

Suspect that is the pen calling.

 

Ink is more subtle, and creeps onto your pillow at night to whisper in your ear as you sleep.

 

 

 

Noodlers ink still tries to escape the bottle, but it has a different motivation: Noodlers wants to get out and spread the word.

 

 

I've thought about it and I've seen the video for Storm Surge, we can ask the Weather Channel if they can make our ink video.

 

[LizEF]

I've thought about it and I've seen the video for Storm Surge, we can ask the Weather Channel if they can make our ink video.

 

 

 

Brilliant! They should have no trouble with inky animations.

[AlohaLani787]

Why is it that every time I open a bottle to fill a pen it seems that the top of the bottle needs to be wiped with a paper towel?

 

I've come to the conclusion it's Murphy's Law and the purpose is to ensure ink transfer to one's hand.

[torstar]

It's a hazard of the hobby, that's why I prefer user-friendly bottles that let you reach into the lower half of the ink supply without touching the top of the ink-infested rim.

Edited September 18, 2018 by torstar

[AreBeeBee]

My sister is a historian who does research in libraries, monasteries, and archives in France. She says that French academics proudly show inky fingers as a symbol of the profession.

 

So — wear those stains with pride!

[displacermoose]

I was filling up my daughter's pen with Sargasso Sea the other day and somehow managed to put my arm on the top of the bottle. I have no idea how. I think the thing jumped up and tagged me; it was probably mad because I don't use it very often (cloggy and doesn't try well, but the kiddo loves it). I spent the rest of the day with a lovely bright blue ring on the fleshy part of my forearm.

[LizEF]

I think the thing jumped up and tagged me; it was probably mad because I don't use it very often ...

 

[langere]

Ha! Another historian here! No wonder I like fountain pens and ink! I show my students my fountain pens in class and explain to them each new one that I bring.

 

And yes, I am proud to wear ink, even when, like Emerald de Chivor, it sneaks up to me or it tags my wife...

 

A bientôt -

 

Erick

[sirgilbert357]

I've been wondering if its really a good idea to wipe the rim of the bottle clean?

 

Anyone have any thoughts on that? I tend to shake some of my inks that seem to "settle" a bit, so its impossible to keep the bottle lid and lip clean. But I've also wondered about the lint a paper towel or old (but clean!) t-shirt could deposit into the ink just from wiping it. I also think of the stuff just floating in the air...i try to uncap, fill my pen, and recap as quick as possible to keep foreign stuff from floating down into the ink bottle.

 

Maybe I'm overthinking it...

Edited September 21, 2018 by sirgilbert357

[BaronWulfraed]

Most of my use bottles are of the "flip over to fill internal well" design.

[azbobcat]

Does that happen with all brands? or just nooders?

Well It seems that I'm not the only one with this problem. I recently went to refill a few pens I plan to take on vacation with me only to discover that every one of the 12 bottles of ink I own were down to only a few mL including inks I seldom use. I am suspecting now that once you open a bottle of ink you break the seal formed between the cap liner and the jar, and when you close the bottle back up you can not recreate a perfect seal between the cap and the jar, which then allows the water in the ink to evaporate out... but this is just a guess.

[azbobcat]

More seriously, you'd be surprised how much ink washes about when you take your bottle to your desk, or, yes, tilt it slightly to open it. If you did the same gestures with a glass full of water you would probably spill it all around...

 

The fact the ink then wets the bottle top rim depends probably on the fact that it seeps in under the cap due to capillary action. What happens then, when you put the bottle to rest is that water content evaporates, the pigment remains on the rim, and accumulates, to the extent that it can block the cap!

Due to this problem I have actually cracked more than one bottle cap (especially Waterman bottles).

If you clean the bottle rim with a piece of paper tissue you will be surprised how much ink has actually dried out on the rim.

I recently had to carefully clean my Waterman Florida bottle (with the ink inside!) as the cap was getting more and more sticky and did not want to break another one.

 

I am currently looking at this exact problem, and capillary action becomes a problem only AFTER you open a jar of ink. I am looking at writing the makers of Private Reserve to find out who makes their bottles and caps. Actually caps are a rather interest invention: First there is the cap itself -- part you twist to open and close a jar of ink. But inside the cap there is a liner and here is where it gets interesting. The liner in many caps is a 3 part affair: 1) there is the backing that makes contact with the cap itself 2) In make caps there is a small foam core that both exerts pressure between the cap and the jar, as well as to help form a seal 3) there is the lining that forms the seal between the cap and the jar. The next time you open a jar of ink rinse of the cap. You will see a ring on the cap liner. That ring is caused by the foam core from being compressed for a long period of time under pressure being unable to expand out to its full uncompressed state, thus the next time to you close the jar back up it long longer creates a perfect seal and hence the capillary you speak of. The solution then if you can find out who supplies you ink maker with their bottles and caps is to then write that company and buy a bag of new caps for your particular jar. A bag of about 120 or so caps will set you back about $12 and change. On inks that you seldom use the best solution is once you open a bottle of ink before you put it away is to simple wipe the lip and threads of the bottle, then toss the old cap, and replace with a new cap and seal. Once you tighten the cap down into place the new seal will conform to the microscopic imperfections of the glass jar and thereby create a perfect seal. OTOH for inks that you routinely use use the same cap as chances are you will empty the jar far faster than significant evaporation can take place.

 

The above I must add is just a *theory*, but is a *theory* that does make sense.

[Olya]

I've been wondering if its really a good idea to wipe the rim of the bottle clean?

 

Anyone have any thoughts on that? I tend to shake some of my inks that seem to "settle" a bit, so its impossible to keep the bottle lid and lip clean. But I've also wondered about the lint a paper towel or old (but clean!) t-shirt could deposit into the ink just from wiping it. I also think of the stuff just floating in the air...i try to uncap, fill my pen, and recap as quick as possible to keep foreign stuff from floating down into the ink bottle.

 

Maybe I'm overthinking it...

Yes, it is. After a while it becomes a necessity, because the cap will stick to the dried ink and opening the bottle becomes a bit difficult. Sometimes the liner gets taken out of the cap due to stickiness. By then you should definitely wipe the bottle opening.

[tamiya]

Inky fingers is a tattoo so that other likeminded likestained illuminati can spot ye.

[azbobcat]

Yes, it is. After a while it becomes a necessity, because the cap will stick to the dried ink and opening the bottle becomes a bit difficult. Sometimes the liner gets taken out of the cap due to stickiness. By then you should definitely wipe the bottle opening.

I'm very Old School. Many years ago I was told before you open a bottle of ink that you should give the bottle a quick 1-2 shake. But that was for pigmented inks. By habit I still tend to do that, though on reflection that should not be necessary, with the exception that most of the ink has dried out and you throw in a splash or two of distilled water to re-hydrate the ink , then it might need a little bit more of a vigorous shake.

 

As as quick aside the four NEW bottles of Private Reserve in their NEW 66mL bottles arrived yesterday, including my "Signature Ink" which is their "Blue Suede". The other three that arrived are "Naples Blue", "Tanzanite", and "Arabian Rose", that leaves "Fiesta Red", "Burgundy Mist", and "Spearmint" that need to be replaced. The fourth one is "Tangerine Dream", but that is no longer made, so I am *thinking* of replacing it with "Shoreline Gold".

 

I pulled all the ink that came in out of their boxes and checked that the caps were all snug. They were, but one needed a little more snugging, I then returned all the bottles to their individual boxes and moved them to the back of the drawer, and plan to use up the existing re-hydrated supply, unless it goes bad, at which point I plan to pitch it -- I'd hate to pitch out a lot of perfectly good ink if I can avoid it. I replaced the inks I use most first, and will replace the Reds, Green, and Orange (?) ink last as most of the time I only use those for Holiday occasions -- like Halloween. This time I did NOT open the new bottles, but left them all snugged down. When I see my friend on Wed. night I see if she will cut me a small 4" wide strip of some Laboratory Grade Paraffin Wax sheeting and then I'll seal the the overlapping joint between the bottle and the cap of each new bottle with Paraffin Wax -- in short there will be NO WAY for evaporation to occur, no matter how long that ink sits in there. One new thing I think I'll start keeping if I can find one, is an Ink book, so I can see if the colors have changed due to a change of formulation -- I hear that Private Reserve's "Blue Suede" today is not the same "Blue Suede" of yesterday. This way I'll have a visible clue if this is true.

 

I was also able to scarf up a few NEW -- as in still in their original blister packaging, NEW -- nibs for my small collection of Parker 45's (some of which either had no nibs to start with or were broken), so now they will at long last enter into my rotation, some of which have never been inked since I have had them. It will be interesting to see how these new nibs in the Parker 45's -- which was my GoTo pen for many, many, years -- compares to that of my current GoTo pen which are all Waterman Laureat's. The nibs are all Medium points, so this will be a direct apples to apples comparison.

[torstar]

Does that happen with all brands? or just nooders?

 

Noodler's is a crummy bottle for the bottom half of the ink supply, it joins good company.

 

But many competitors have user-friendly bottles for filling from the last dregs.

[them700project]

I have this with my iroshizuku bottles and more than once i had to get pliers to get cap off and once I broke a cap and had to buy an empty bottle to replace it