Dipping - Bottle Or Ink Well

[CraigR]

I have a question. When you use a dip pen, do you normally just dip directly into the original ink bottle or do you transfer ink to another container such as an ink well? If you use another container, do you return the unused ink back into the original bottle?

 

The fountain pen inks that I have been using with my dip pens work fine until I get to near the bottom of the bottle and then it becomes a bother. Looking for best practices or suggestions, please.

[amberleadavis]

I transfer the ink I want to work into a little vial. When I'm done, I dump the vial into a series that I use for testing. I don't know if is best practice, I just found that when I put a brush into ink, the ink will get mold. So, I don't mind doing the paint tests with the last of the ink in a vial.

[CraigR]

I transfer the ink I want to work into a little vial. When I'm done, I dump the vial into a series that I use for testing. I don't know if is best practice, I just found that when I put a brush into ink, the ink will get mold. So, I don't mind doing the paint tests with the last of the ink in a vial.

Sounds like a good idea. Probably best not to put left over back into the bottle. I'll try using an eye dropper to do the transfer. Now, just need to find a suitable small container.

[amberleadavis]

The little vials that samples come in are OK, but a little small if you are dipping. You might want to make a raid on a friend's make up drawer. Those little pots for lip gloss are quite useful.

[CraigR]

The little vials that samples come in are OK, but a little small if you are dipping. You might want to make a raid on a friend's make up drawer. Those little pots for lip gloss are quite useful.

When my wife's head is turned, I'll take a look to see what she has that is almost empty!

[Mr. Pink]

An ink well is a lot more fun. Also, leaving the ink in the inkwell for a while thickens the ink up a little which for me is a good thing.

 

Many years ago I got my inkwell as a gift from my mother. Someone before had used it as a candle holder.

 

The vials are a little too dangerous for me for dipping.

 

As for lip gloss, maybe a Carmex jar would work OK. It holds about 8ml

Edited March 8, 2018 by Charles Rice

[inkstainedruth]

I was taught to use an eyedropper to fill dip pens such as Speedball nibs.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[CraigR]

I was taught to use an eyedropper to fill dip pens such as Speedball nibs.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

How do you do that with an eyedropper?

[Mr. Pink]

I was taught to use an eyedropper to fill dip pens such as Speedball nibs.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I can see it, but it does seem awkward.

[dcwaites]

When my wife's head is turned, I'll take a look to see what she has that is almost empty!

 

And, being the good husband that you are, you will replace it with a full one...

 

How do you do that with an eyedropper?

Very gently.

Just suck one drop into the eyedropper, and very gently, squeeze the bulb till you have half a blob of ink showing at the tip. Delicately apply that to the nib.

[CraigR]

 

And, being the good husband that you are, you will replace it with a full one...

 

Very gently.

Just suck one drop into the eyedropper, and very gently, squeeze the bulb till you have half a blob of ink showing at the tip. Delicately apply that to the nib.

Okay, just tried with a little bottle of Dr. Martins india ink. Was the only eyedropper I have. Worked pretty well with an Esterbrook Relief 314 nib. Works fine, if a little tricky being neat.

[inkstainedruth]

How do you do that with an eyedropper?

 

Use the eyedropper to put ink between the top and bottom part of the nib assembly (Speedball nibs have an upper and lower part (you can sort of see it here in this link I found for Speedball nibs):

http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/s?keyword=speedball+nib

it keeps the nib cleaner and you have less of a mess overall.

Don't remember what I did with the crow-quill nib. Or, for that matter, the bamboo pen I used sometimes for art projects in college: probably just dipped those....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited because somehow the wrong link got pasted in....

Edited March 9, 2018 by inkstainedruth

[CraigR]

 

Use the eyedropper to put ink between the top and bottom part of the nib assembly (Speedball nibs have an upper and lower part (you can sort of see it here in this link I found for Speedball nibs):

http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/s?keyword=speedball+nib

it keeps the nib cleaner and you have less of a mess overall.

Don't remember what I did with the crow-quill nib. Or, for that matter, the bamboo pen I used sometimes for art projects in college: probably just dipped those....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited because somehow the wrong link got pasted in....

Thanks!

[Corona688]

It depends on the nib. I'll dip some of the bigger ones wholesale, especially those with reservoirs, since a brush or dropper is going to get everywhere anyway. Littler ones require care to get the right amount of ink so I use a brush.

Edited March 9, 2018 by Corona688

[KLscribbler]

Depends on what I'm doing with the dip pen.

 

If it's a long piece of writing (say, a multi-page letter) I'll fill a small glass vial as an inkwell and dip into that. For extended writing, my most frequently used dipping ink is Sailor Sei Boku. It isn't technically a dip pen ink, but performs very well as such. It's also my most-used ink in fountain pens, hence I always have a bottle on my desk. I don't dip directly into the bottle for fear of contamination, although Sailor inks do seem quite resistant to getting SITB.

 

If it's for a craft project or some other lettering task (say, making a nice card for someone) then I'll often use a combination of the glass vial inkwell and an eyedropper. I have a particular technique that I favor for making swirls of two or more colors within each penstroke. I use a dip pen with a reservoir (my favorites are the William Mitchell Round Hand nibs with the reservoir that attaches under the nib), I dip the pen into my "base" ink (usually a thinner ink, such as most dye-based FP inks), then gently use an eyedropper to add a small droplet of a different-colored ink into the back end of the nib reservoir (usually a thicker ink, such as dedicated dip pen ink, poster color, various pigment inks/paints, etc.) The resulting penstrokes will then exhibit color swirls or color shading, with veins or patches of the thicker ink color appearing on a background of the thinner ink color. I have to work fast to make it work well, though - otherwise the thicker ink will settle to the bottom of the nib reservoir, causing the thicker ink color to be almost completely dumped into the first stroke on the page - the subsequent strokes then become much more monotonous. (Reason for using a thick and a thin ink: using two inks of roughly the same thickness/consistency usually results in them mixing together in the reservoir and making a muddy color - not what I want.)

 

To get the effect right takes experimentation and practice, but when it works it's really quite nice. With gold or silver-flaked dip pen ink, I can get results reminiscent of the shimmering fountain pen inks that seem to have become popular in recent years.

Edited March 9, 2018 by KLscribbler

[CraigR]

KLscribbler - thanks for your post. Please post some examples of your two tone ink work, when you get a chance and if you can.

 

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. Looks like I am on the top of the slippery slope of dip pen and ink.

[Runnin_Ute]

Target has little 30 ml jars wide mouths that come in packs of 3 for about $2. They have a wide base like the Carmex jars only plastic and have a screw on lid. In the area where they have all the sample size stuff like travel size toothpaste deodorant and the like. The label has the word makeup on it.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Runnin_Ute

[almoore]

Most pharmacies stock universal sample containers used by hospitals etc which are ideal for samples - they can hold around 30ml and are leak proof and the end of the internal is pointed making nib friendly.

 

Buy from a pharmacy or medical supply firm to ensure you are getting a clean good quality product bu they are ideal for ink samples.

 

Al