Emptying Ink Back Into The Bottle

[kma335]

Hi, I'm new to fountain pens and I have a question. If I want to switch inks with my fountain pens and they still have ink in them, is it okay to empty out the ink back into the bottle? Is that bad for the ink? I have lamy blue in my jinhao 159 and I would like to switch to lamy turquoise. Should I empty out the lamy blue back into the bottle, clean the pen thoroughly, and then fill with turquoise?

 

Thanks!

[Esterfella]

Yes, that's fine I do that all the time. Wash the pen thoroughly by inhaling and expressing clear cool water repeatedly until the detritus runs clear. Also run the nib under running water and then gently dry off. If you are patient, let the nib and converter air dry for a while. Then refill and enjoy.

You can supplement the above by also cleansing with JEB's pen flush.

There's nothing inherently dangerous about mixing inks in the converter -- you are just affecting the color output.

If you are not going to use the pen for a while, or haven't, its good to express it and clean it before reusing.

 

 

 

 

[LittleHouse]

Hi, I'm new to fountain pens and I have a question. If I want to switch inks with my fountain pens and they still have ink in them, is it okay to empty out the ink back into the bottle? Is that bad for the ink? I have lamy blue in my jinhao 159 and I would like to switch to lamy turquoise. Should I empty out the lamy blue back into the bottle, clean the pen thoroughly, and then fill with turquoise?

 

Thanks!

 

Yep. That's what I do too, even if I've diluted the ink slightly (Noodler's). Just make sure you don't mix up ink bottles.

[FPFan]

I used to put ink back into the ink bottle until a couple turned on me! I now never put ink back in the bottle. There is no way of knowing what a nib may or may not pick up off of some random piece of paper that I have written on. Beside just an infection of anything could theoretically be dumped back into the bottle. YMMV - I just don't want to take a chance. Ink is cheap so what if a little goes bye bye.

[The Good Captain]

I do it and so far (about 18 months) haven't had a problem. I do try to use almost all of the 'load' first though.

[Sasha Royale]

Ink is cheap.

[tenney]

There's nothing inherently dangerous about mixing inks in the converter -- you are just affecting the color output.

I recall reading somewhere here on FPN that some inks say explicitly to not mix them with other inks. I vaguely recall one of them was Noodler's Bay State Blue that should not be mixed with other inks not of the same type.

 

Ink is cheap.

Only if that ink is still widely available. A rare or discontinued ink may not be horribly expensive, but they can easily not be "cheap". In those situations, I'd think one would want to use all of the fill if possible rather than risk getting something into the remaining ink bottle.

[OakIris]

Of course, if you are concerned about the possibility of adding something unwanted into your bottle of ink but don't want to waste the unused ink in your pen, you could empty it into a separate container, either another glass bottle or into a sample vial. Just remember to label it and you will be all set!

 

Holly

[adamselene]

Of course, if you are concerned about the possibility of adding something unwanted into your bottle of ink but don't want to waste the unused ink in your pen, you could empty it into a separate container, either another glass bottle or into a sample vial. Just remember to label it and you will be all set!

 

Holly

 

+1

 

It is just this kind of question, and the kind attention FPNers give to it, that make FPN a warm and wonderful place.

 

I've had a bottle of MB BRG get the slimes, and I have wondered perhaps it was from expressing ink from a vintage pen into it.

 

(I am saving that bottle of BRG in Hazmat storage, hoping that medical science will progress to the point where this disease may be cured,)

[kwpalzang]

Yes, that's fine I do that all the time. Wash the pen thoroughly by inhaling and expressing clear cool water repeatedly until the detritus runs clear. Also run the nib under running water and then gently dry off. If you are patient, let the nib and converter air dry for a while. Then refill and enjoy.

You can supplement the above by also cleansing with JEB's pen flush.

There's nothing inherently dangerous about mixing inks in the converter -- you are just affecting the color output.

If you are not going to use the pen for a while, or haven't, its good to express it and clean it before reusing.

 

I would like to qualify the statement that there is "nothing inherently dangerous about mixing inks in the converter." There is, I would say, usually no risk with mixing inks. However, there are rare exceptions. For example, Noodlers' Baystate inks don't really mix well, unless you're mixing them with one another. I'm sure there are other exceptions as well. But it is generally safe, I would agree.

[mhphoto]

I do it, many times a day, every day. I have the attention span of a grub worm when it comes to ink. And after I push all the ink air pressure can push out of the pen, I put the upper section of the nib on the inside of the bottle neck and use the capillary action to pull all the rest I can out. After that ceases flowing, I close the bottle and pull a little water into the pen, shake it, and deposit the diluted leftovers into a special bottle of misfit inks. It's fun to see the so-labeled "Various Ink" (clever, I know) bottle's color change over time. Right now it's a dusty, darkish pink.

 

Like I said, grub worm.

 

Of course, I clean my flush my pens before and after each color, but if there's any chance of cross contamination it's straight into the Various bottle it goes.

[Sagar_C]

I do it always. Never seem to have affected the ink in the bottle.

[kma335]

I started emptying the ink back into the bottle when I felt like switching. Only problem is I don't want to waste the ink thats stil left in the pen! Normally I just take out the cartridge and just use the pen until the ink begins to fade, then wash.

[amberleadavis]

I have separate bottles for "dumped" ink - the bottles are by color or type of ink and then when they are full enough, I either paint with the discarded ink, or I use the new color.