What's This Goop In My Ink Bottle?

[cabbie]

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

[Beechwood]

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.

[Beechwood]

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.

[cabbie]

Thanks for the valuable insight, Beechwood.

[inkstainedruth]

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

[PAKMAN]

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.

[Fountainer]

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!!!!

[Arkanabar]

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 December 5, 2017 by Arkanabar

[inkstainedruth]

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

[DasKaltblut]

What does SITB stand for?

[praxim]

What does SITB stand for?

 

Slime In The Bottle

[Beechwood]

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,

[Runnin_Ute]

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.

[ErrantSmudge]

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 December 5, 2017 by ErrantSmudge

[amberleadavis]

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.

[DasKaltblut]

Slime In The Bottle

Thank you! The best I could come up with was Stringy Ink, Tough Bananas.

[inkstainedruth]

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 if I use it (yeah, you know -- a certain four letter word that isn't "snow"...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Arkanabar]

This is one reason I only fill pens from sample vials, which I fill in turn from bottles using these disposable pipettes. It guarantees that I won't contaminate a full bottle.

Edited December 7, 2017 by Arkanabar

[LizEF]

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

[Parker51]

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.