Flying With A New Bottle Of Ink

[mitto]

[tamiya]

Frank C and I took bottles of the 150 ml Akkerman bottles to the LA show that year and when Plistumi went to fly home with her ink, TSA refused to let her on the plane in with the ink in case it was a dangerous liquid. Plistumi refused to throw it away so she drank it to the minimum amount.

your TSA must be more lenient than the bouncers I've encountered

 

I was told I could carry numerous full glass bottles of 50-60ml each, but I couldn't bring through a drinking flask of volume 500ml unless it was dry - not just under 100ml of liquid inside

 

I had better things to worry about than bother asking "why"

[thygreyt]

I just flew 9 hours with 2 bottles of ink, 4 samples and 7 pens. No issues whatsoever.

[tamiya]

I just flew 9 hours with 2 bottles of ink, 4 samples and 7 pens. No issues whatsoever.

Truth be told, modern jetliners have heated & pressurised cabins, any pen onboard would be as cosseted as if it were on your desk at home.

 

Am kinda more curious about 60yrs ago... I know for certain some of the pens lying on my desk right now have travelled via DC3... don't think they've got pressurised cabins or did they just cruise way below the 30,000ft that's common nowadays.

[MercianScribe]

And I thought that photo was a gag but she really drank it?! I did that with a bottle of mead my wife had forgotten to pack in the check-in once - the whole bottle... but that was gorgeous!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Plistumi refused to throw it away so she drank it to the minimum amount."""" That woman has a brass pair of ovaries .

 

It is grand the picture was made.........big picture folks made the regulation...having no idea of thte nuts and bolts making up the small picture.

Then laser engraved it along with the other 10 regulations.

[amberleadavis]

Plistumi is amazing.

 

Scribe, I'm betting that the mead tastes better.

[mitto]

Wonder what different tastes/flavors different brand inks would have.

[frankb3]

Truth be told, modern jetliners have heated & pressurised cabins, any pen onboard would be as cosseted as if it were on your desk at home.

 

Am kinda more curious about 60yrs ago... I know for certain some of the pens lying on my desk right now have travelled via DC3... don't think they've got pressurised cabins or did they just cruise way below the 30,000ft that's common nowadays.

Most modern jets are pressurized to the equivalent of 8000 feet, some of the newer ones (787) pressurize to 6000 feet.

 

sea level = 14.7 psi, 6000 feet = 11.8 psi. 14.7/11.8=1.25, so the air in the pen should expand 25%. That sounds like enough to make a mess if your not careful.

 

DC-3 service ceiling: 23,200 feet. Propeller planes rarely go over 25,000 feet.

20,000 feet = 6.75 psi, so the air will more than double in volume.

[NicolausPiscator]

Ink bottles never leaked when I travelled with them neither in the cabin nor in the luggage space.

[Sasha Royale]

Air reacts to pressure changes of altitude. Inert liquids do not, or at least very little. A new bottle of ink is usually full, and without air. Modern airline cabins do not experience large changes in pressure. Your bottle of ink should by safe. For peace of mind, Enclose the bottle ,with a padding of paper towel, in a plastic zipper bag. Enclose all of it in a second zipper bag. The paper will give warning of any leakage. I trust this procedure completely. However, you mat y use as many plastic, zipper bags, as gives you peace of mind.

 

If you remain uncomfortable with the idea, omit the ink from your luggage. Compared to airline fares, ink is cheap, ink availability in the US is excellent. How will you be transporting your pens ?

[gerigo]

Ink bottles DO leak. Anything that is contained in a limited space with a proportion of air and liquid on a plane will have an increased chances of leaking. I traveled with a bottle of Iroshizuku that I purchased new in Tokyo that leaked. Luckily, the box managed to contain the leak. However, lesson learned.

 

Here are precautions I take.

 

- Put inks in Ziploc bags. If they leak, it will be proportionally more disastrous than a pen leaking. In Japan, if you tell them you're traveling with the ink, they will automatically put your ink into Ziploc bags anyways. That's great service!

- Make sure you screw on the cap really tight.

- Try not to travel with a half empty bottle. This is just asking for the air to expand and to create a leak in your luggage.

 

Actually this applies to any personal care items like deodorant, shampoos etc. I also have had other personal items explode in my bags, not just ink.

[Chrissy]

I would usually travel with my pens in my carry on luggage for security, but I would never include bottled ink in my carry on luggage, if I had suitcases to go in the hold. I usually travel from the US to the UK twice per year with several bottles of ink, all packaged together in a box, in at least one suitcase, that will be checked into the hold. Some bottles have been sent to me in ziplock bags, but I haven't been out and bought any extra ziplock bags for bottles that don't come with them. I have never had one leak whether they were brand new and full, or used and partly empty bottles.

I do ALWAYS check that their caps are on as tightly as possible.