Ink Bottle Lid Stuck

[Tangibleman]

I have been having a recurring issue. When I go to refill my pens, my ink lids seem to be fused to the bottles. I am using Parker Quink. It seems that some liquid ink fuses to the rim of the bottle. I'm unsure of what is the proper way to store the ink so this doesn't happen. Does this happen to anyone else?

[Penguincollector]

You can try rubbing a damp paper towel on the outside if the rim before putting the lid back on after you use it, to clean off any ink clinging to where the bottle meets the lid. On stubborn lids, I take a thick rubber band (like the ones found on broccoli) and wrap it around the lid to give me a better grip. 

[Tashi_Tsering]

I have the same problem with Parker lids. I just hold the lid under running hot water for about 10 seconds, and then it opens easily.

[boilermaker1975]

Channel locks with a rag around the lid.

[I-am-not-really-here]

Decant to a wide-mouth nalgene bottle.  Keep the empty Quink jar for display.

[encremental]

As Tashi_Tsering says, hot water for a few seconds will free the cap, and a tiny smear of silicone swished round the threads will stop it happening again. Iroshizuku is particularly prone to this, and so while you are at it, get rid of the bit of silver string, which can stop the bottle sealing completely and lead to leaks. 

 

John

[kestrel]

I use these:

https://www.amazon.com/Regent-Multi-Purpose-Gripper-Bottle-Opener/dp/B019R5TSYW/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_2/133-9357910-5235709?

 

No, I don't try to match the color of the gripper pad to the color of the ink.  I'm obsessive but not THAT obsessive.

[Beechwood]

On 12/18/2025 at 7:52 PM, I-am-not-really-here said:

Decant to a wide-mouth nalgene bottle.  Keep the empty Quink jar for display.

 

 

This would also be my advice, transfer the ink to any other container or ink bottle.

[Misfit]

Warm to hot water worked for me as well when I had that tight of a lid. It took a bit of time under the water. 

[Misfit]

On 12/18/2025 at 2:15 PM, encremental said:

As Tashi_Tsering says, hot water for a few seconds will free the cap, and a tiny smear of silicone swished round the threads will stop it happening again. Iroshizuku is particularly prone to this, and so while you are at it, get rid of the bit of silver string, which can stop the bottle sealing completely and lead to leaks. 

 

John

Shoot, I was afraid that might be mentioned. So next time I use an Iroshizuku ink, string stays off. I might will keep it in the box. 

[boilermaker1975]

8 hours ago, kestrel said:

I use these:

https://www.amazon.com/Regent-Multi-Purpose-Gripper-Bottle-Opener/dp/B019R5TSYW/ref=pd_lpo_d_sccl_2/133-9357910-5235709?

 

No, I don't try to match the color of the gripper pad to the color of the ink.  I'm obsessive but not THAT obsessive.

 

Those also work well if you have a Monteverde MP1 and the lock on the piston is hard to pull open.

 

I'll use channel lock with a rag on a bottle of ink, but not on my MP1s, 🤣

[PBWilson1970]

Just yesterday my bottle of KWZ Walk Over Vistula seized up and I got it loose by flipping it upside down and wicking tiny drops of water to the cap with a blunt syringe. After setting it upright for a few minutes, it opened easily. I did wipe the rim and the outer perimeter of the cap before closing it up.

[Christopher Godfrey]

I never (well, I shouldn't speak too soon) have this problem; but I usually wipe the rim of the bottle prior to closing; but encremental's advice re silicone sounds to be the best answer for prevention.

[bugsydog55]

I have found out over the course of time that a lot of these issues can be taken care of with prevention in mind.  I try to keep the process of dealing with ink in bottles as clean as possible.  Ink stays in the bottle, if it gets anywhere else, you have clean it up. If you don't, bad things will eventually happen.  I don't mind inky fin

gers but I don't want them from just opening a bottle.  Cleaning the threading on the bottle makes a world of problems go away.  Then there is the cap.  Clean the inside of the cap!  It serves no purpose doing anything to the bottle if you are going to put that nasty congealed cap back on.  These simple actions will change your life.  You'll be able to fill a pen and stop wondering where all those ink splotches came from, those mysterious ink stains that seem to come from nowhere everytime you fill a pen.  It really does work and it's simple.

[PJohnP]

4 hours ago, bugsydog55 said:

... Then there is the cap.  Clean the inside of the cap! ...

 

A tip o' the hat for this comment !

 

I actually wash out ink bottle inner caps from time-to-time to avoid the coagulation of ink from the bottle.  Ink might be off of the bottle upper and lower threads, or perhaps from shaking the bottle, or even just handling the bottle a little clumsily in opening a sticky lid.  No matter the specific cause, ink gets up in the inner cap and upper threads where a smallish amount sometimes "sticks" and accumulates.  A quick and brisk washing of the inner cap addresses this smartly.

 

 

John P.

[inkstainedruth]

Hadn't thought about cleaning the insides of caps.  

Admittedly, I have some non-slip rubber jar openers (which are basically about 5-6" round pieces of rubber) which work quite well when lids get stuck on jars (I keep several in the kitchen for food-related stuff, but keep one in the bathroom for when I'm flushing out pens or have trouble opening ink bottles).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Chris1]

Parker Penman bottles are even worse than Quink for getting stuck if you leave ink all round the top of the bottle or in the cap. At least the Penman has a nice tall cap to wrap a rubber band round.

Now I try to keep the offending area clean.