Inkwell Or Bottle Which Is Also A Rocker Blotter

June 8, 2018

My question is simple--does such a thing exist?

I fell down a rabbit hole of looking at ink blotters the other day, shortly after crawling out of a rabbit hole of looking at inks (and their cute little bottles), and it struck me that a lot of the smaller rocker blotters kind of have a profile that could be the shape of a bottle. I tried Googling, and the closest thing I could find to a bottle in that shape is this half moon bottle, and it's definitely not suitable for holding ink with that narrow opening, nor for blotting being that it is so narrow overall. Just about all of what I come across are sets which include both items, rather than an item which is both, and the rest is simply one or the other.

The root of the problem is that now that I have had the inkling that it might work, I sort of want such an item

June 8, 2018

I love multi purpose items and the mind set involved in creating them! I think this is a valid idea. Some concerns are that i would like to have a solid stand for it so it wouldn't shake when i fill a pen. It's not a problem though. Other is that blotters are much tossed around the table and there is some risk to drop it on floor. Having said these, i'd probably still buy an ink bottle like that!

I didn't open the link, there was some contract looking thing requiring agreeing, i didn't bother reading.

June 8, 2018

I love multi purpose items and the mind set involved in creating them! I think this is a valid idea. Some concerns are that i would like to have a solid stand for it so it wouldn't shake when i fill a pen. It's not a problem though. Other is that blotters are much tossed around the table and there is some risk to drop it on floor. Having said these, i'd probably still buy an ink bottle like that!

I didn't open the link, there was some contract looking thing requiring agreeing, i didn't bother reading.

Ouch, sorry about the link D: It didn't do that to me, but it might be browser dependent (and I have an ad blocker on the work machine). Either way, it's a discontinued bottle, so it's a doubly dead end.

There are glass blotters out there, so I would imagine this wouldn't be more or less breakable than the ones I've seen. You're right about wanting to have something to stabilize it while using it as an ink well, but a base for it to sit on wouldn't be hard. (I'd want that for an ink blotter anyway, so it's not rocking away while I'm scribbling...)

From what I can tell, it is not easy to get a custom designed glass bottle made. My best bet would be to get a custom wooden one and have a space for a specific glass bottle in it plus something to keep it in there, and then use the top of the bottle as the "handle" of the blotter. Not the same, and not nearly as elegant, but it's the closest thing I can think of that I might be able to do as just one person as opposed to a deeper-pocketed company. Alas.

June 9, 2018

First a rocker must be 'handy', fit the hand so it rocks easily, naturally, is made to hold enough absorption paper. (Herbin has a modern wood rocker.....DA also.)

The real Rabbit Hole is the whole set.

Do make sure the inkwell section has the glass/crematic insert....even if glass, many larger glass inkwells had and should have a glass insert. Look for screw on tops of single glass Inkwells, or you must use the ink rapidly, in it will dry out.

Back in the day one used only two inks regularly. Red and Black, or BB and Blue. Bookkeeping all day long used up enough ink, that one just refilled instead of rehydrated the ink.

I have three more full sets, that I never got around to making a picture of.

French Art Decco, 1925, Birdseye maple veneer.

Art Decco, '20's black glass, gilded bass.

Bauhause style.....'20's perhaps to mid '30''s.

Edited June 9, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson