Collecting Cool Old Ink Bottles

[ralphawilson]

I found this nice old bottle of Parker Quink in my favorite San Francisco thrift store ("Scrap"). I believe it is a design that was used in the 1940s. There is still ink in the bottle, though it no longer looks black exactly.

 

This is part of a tiny collection of old bottles I've started. I like the old typography and the more flamboyant bottle designs. Does anyone else collect such things?

 

[inkstainedruth]

Yes, I think that bottle is from the 1940s, because I have a similar shaped bottle of Microfilm Black for V-mail (although it looks more like blue-black on the bag). I have a few other similar bottles, both 2 and 4 oz ones; current colors are Permanent Black, Permanent Blue-Black, Microfilm Black, Washable Brown, what might be Permanent Brown (it's very different from the Washable Brown, being more of a red brown than tan), and Royal Blue (which also looks more like Blue-Black). I had a full 8 oz. bottle of Permanent Violet, which had a rubber stopper and a wick (but no nozzle), but I decanted it into smaller amber glass Boston Rounds and ended up giving the bottle (and the similarly dealt with 3/4 full pint bottle of Skrip Peacock) to a guy in my local pen club.

I have some of the vintage Quink Violet in a Duofold Laidtone at the moment -- and had forgotten just how much I like that color.... Really need to find more of it if I can.

Not a bottle collector per se, but if it's got ink (more than, say, half of the bottle in it and is a reasonable price....

Other ones that are good to have are the old jar-shaped Skrip bottles, with the little glass built in inkwell. I have a few of those, but not as many.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[AD64]

It's a beauty. Thanks for sharing.

[pen2paper]

I like the graphics on the Carter's ink cubes that were once being reviewed here...

Cross-collectible in that these fit in ink-stations manufactured by Colt Plastics.

[ralphawilson]

Here's another one I found in the thrift store, empty this time: an old Pelikan Fount India bottle ("Drawing Ink for Fountain Pens").

 

[Parker51]

The Parker Quink bottle is from the late 1930s or very early 1940s. The box that bottles like this come in features the Parker Vacumatic. I currently am using some in a 1946 Parker 51.

[AD64]

Here's another one I found in the thrift store, empty this time: an old Pelikan Fount India bottle ("Drawing Ink for Fountain Pens").

 

 

I love the curves on this bottle and how the design of the bottle offers a natural ink reservoir for when the bottle gets low.

[AD64]

I like the graphics on the Carter's ink cubes that were once being reviewed here...

Cross-collectible in that these fit in ink-stations manufactured by Colt Plastics.

I am now searching out Carter's ink cubes in this forum to see what they are. So many delights to be had here.

[AD64]

I like the graphics on the Carter's ink cubes that were once being reviewed here...

Cross-collectible in that these fit in ink-stations manufactured by Colt Plastics.

The images on google are stunning. What beautiful bottles, and the label art is really lovely too.

 

carter's cubes ink

 

Thank you for mentioning these; I am enjoying the images quite a lot.

[Joane]

Very nice to see those vintage bottles and their label design. Congrats on the finds! I have a few old bottles such as Quink, j. Herbin with the earlier graphics and an old MB bottle and when I buy that brand/colour of ink I transfer the new ink into the old bottle. Keeps them alive.

[pen2paper]

The images on google are stunning. What beautiful bottles, and the label art is really lovely too.

 

carter's cubes ink

 

Thank you for mentioning these; I am enjoying the images quite a lot.

This is one of TP's excellent series on Carter's inks, enjoy : )

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/176429-carters-tulip-purple/

 

to see others:

Ink Reviews link below, once there, click C. scroll to Carters.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/160612-index-of-ink-reviews/?p=1600178

Edited May 27, 2016 by pen2paper

[AD64]

This is one of TP's excellent series on Carter's inks, enjoy : )

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/176429-carters-tulip-purple/

 

to see others:

Ink Reviews link below, once there, click C. scroll to Carters.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/160612-index-of-ink-reviews/?p=1600178

 

Thank you for the additional links. I'm enjoying all this muchly.

[TSherbs]

very cool bottles

[Vintagepens]

One thing I've really liked at the last few Chicago pen shows is the vintage ink bottle displays. The most recent was of Thaddeus David's inks.

 

[IrishEyes]

I love old ink bottles, but have very few. I also like to repurpose empty bottles for use with inks that come in less functional bottles. e.g. Noodler's inks in plastic bottles, and Diamine Shimmertastic inks in skinny-necked bottles end up in empty Lamy bottles, here at my desk. I may also pick up a couple of empty Iroshizuku bottles when I get a chance. I'd love to have those shoe-shaped bottles, too. They all look or are very functional. I don't usually purchase/collect bottles I can't use lest it ruin their value. I have enough knick-knacks cluttering up this house as it is. If I can't use it, I don't buy it--at least when it comes to ink bottles :-).

[amberleadavis]

IrishEyes, we have so much in common!

[gregamckinney]

I swear, I only collect the Carter's Cube ink bottles, but some others seem to keep showing up on my mantle.

Here are two Carter's and one Waterman larger volume bottles. Both of the Carter's still have usable ink, some ~60 years later.

(32 oz, 16 oz and 32 oz, IIRC.)

 

http://www.gergyor.com/images/inkbottles_2015-04-23.jpg

 

Best Regards, greg

[amberleadavis]

Greg, your collection is impressive and the photos are wonderful too.

[arrScott]

Wow! Love those Carter's labels. Terrific example of mid-20th-century commercial design.

[ralphawilson]

Great bottles & labels folks have posted! Here's a slightly unusual (to me at least) rhomboid-shaped bottle of Parker "Super Quink," maybe from the 80s, I'm guessing. Fairly boring modernist label graphic design.

 

Edited June 11, 2016 by ralphawilson