Bubbles In Ink

[white_lotus]

I have a bottle of Sailor Jentle Blue from at least two years ago that I'm not even sure I ever used.

 

I recently went to open it to try it after receiving my new Sailor inks, and lo' and behold there were big bubbles in the ink. And not the kind that just are from shaking the bottle. There's no mold on the ink or in the bottle. The ink doest look thick or slimy or anything. But it does seem like some kind of biological activity is happening, which shouldn't be happening. I come to that conclusion based on evidence that if I pop all the bubbles, the bubbles come back.

 

It's been too long for me to take this back to the store where I bought it, even if I could find the receipt.

 

So I've read a lot here about what to do when good ink goes bad. The summary seems to be filter the ink as best as you can (I have a 20 micron woven wire filter, as well as special milk filters), and add phenol.

 

Also I suspect one should sterilize the container into which the ink will go, especially if that's back into the ink bottle. I'm wondering about using some Iodophore (sp?) an iodine based sanitizer readily available.

 

Anyway a pic so you can see...

[lapis]

IMO no problem. All Sailor inks have enough phenol in them that they can't get contaminated easily. I'd say it's just the air pressure and/or humidity.

 

Mike

[white_lotus]

Thanks Mike, how interesting. I just opened for the first time the brand new Yama-Dori and Shigure I got. Tip them up to fill their little plastic reservoir, and they have the bubbles too!

 

I guess it's not a problem, but certainly disconcerting.

[vicki92]

I'd watch it carefully. It's brand new, so you should be okay. My bottle of sailor ink have large bubbles too.

 

Small bubbles that won't pop are a different story.

 

The only bottle of ink I've ever had develop SITB started with tiny bubbles (if you have ever seen a beta fish bubble nest thats exactly how this looked) that would not go away, though I had used the ink (unlike yours which is new). The bubbles were the only problem for the first six month or so and then black slime started to develop in the bottom of the bottle (Diamine Hope Pink in the clear 30ml bottle, easy to see) and the ink became quite viscous. And then the only pen I'd ever filled from that bottle (thankfully a cheap EF nib Hero pen bought specifically to use with that pink ink for grading) developed obvious mold around the feed and nib!

[Bigeddie]

+1 for not a problem. I have noticed them in the Sailor bottles before, probably as an artifact of the filler cone. I usually whiz the nib around and pop them so I can see the ink level on the feed.

[white_lotus]

Great news. Thanks again all.

[lapis]

Oh, I should have said this yesterday... all of the old MB inks (in the older shoes) which I have do the same thing. Those inks are still more than okay today, it's just the bottles and especially the construction of their lids (which I have always criticized here). The lids' inside sealing rings always ended up being practically glued onto the top of the bottles' neck rims (instead of staying glued to the inside of the caps), so that after having to pry off the cap -- with or without the lid -- this always ended up with a giant POP, most often with a big bubble. I think I should have used rubber gloves in the sink more often.

 

Whew

[amberleadavis]

 

"it makes it light and gay"

[amberleadavis]

I just mixed up a powdered ink.... lots of bubbles. No problems.

[white_lotus]

Thanks so much Ms. Amber, that was wonderful! I remember Saturday night tv at our house, and the kids did not get to choose the shows, though we (my brother and I) could lobby for what we wanted. Lawrence Welk was a staple. While the show seemed "fuddy duddy" to us kids, I can now appreciate the music and what he created. "Start-a the bubble machine!"

[amberleadavis]

I wondered if you were thinking that when you did the thread title. BTW, that album is a reworking of Welk classics.

[white_lotus]

Actually wasn't thinking of it at the time, it was just descriptive I could tell that the album wasn't the originals, but it was well done. Made me go look for the original stuff.

[Chi Town]

I just bought 6 bottles of Sailor inks, and the interesting thing I noticed about them is that they all have bubbles when you either turn them over, or open them! But aside from the bubbles, no problems have surfaced as a result of the bubbles......

[lapis]

No problems have surfaced? I love that!!

[VivienR]

Well, seems its kind of common in Sailor's inks, I have too... in the unopened bottle, its a bit visible if I hold it to the light.

[Algester]

to me bubbles = good flex nib fountain pen ink 1670 Rouge Hematite also bubbles so I know that will be a good ink heck my Sailor inks has been used on my Ahab with what is currently an Esterbrook 358 nib for uber flex

Edited July 10, 2014 by Algester