Do you use your inkwells? And show us your inkwells!

[amberleadavis]

My beloved father has bought me several beautiful inkwells over the years. The latest is really stunning.  In the past when I have put ink in the wells, it has dehydrated.  Any thoughts?

And while you are at it, show us your ink wells - in use or in cabinet, we'd love to see it.

[DvdRiet]

I recently acquired this beauty of a desk set because I finally got myself a fancy antique dip pen. Now both the pen and the ink wells are too fancy for my table, so now I guess I need to look for a nice antique writing desk...

 

[Ergative]

I wonder if it might be possible to fit an o-ring around the neck of the bottle (or the inner lip of the cap, so it isn't visible) to improve the seal.

[txomsy]

I have a couple.

 

The one I do use has two open white china wells. I use a marble to reduce evaporation, but if you leave ink it ultimately dries, so what I do is replace unused ink to its ink bottle when I finish, and wash the wells. I normally use one for water and one for ink. Inkwells were for a time when one was writing a lot every day, so drying should not be a problem then. Nowadays, you'd be better off either picking the ink directly from the bottle, replacing the ink from the inkwell back in the bottle, or finding some way (like a cork) to seal the inkwell when not in use.

 

Added: the two slates below are not part of the inkwell.

 

 

The other one, belonged to my father in law, and is a silver set that I do not actually use, though it looks like it saw its share of use back in the day. The smallish inkwell is soldered to the platter. The dip pen is feather shaped with a conical point (so, not designed for replaceable nibs).

 

 

[InkyColors]

8 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

My beloved father has bought me several beautiful inkwells over the years. The latest is really stunning.  In the past when I have put ink in the wells, it has dehydrated.  Any thoughts?

And while you are at it, show us your ink wells - in use or in cabinet, we'd love to see it.

 

That is beautiful!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Maybe not esthetically pleasing, but a little plastic wrap or wax paper over the inkwell opening before you shut the lid?

[Mr.Rene]

Very nice pieces..but all those inkwells have evaporation problems...they are not airtight...

Regards

[lapis]

7 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Maybe not esthetically pleasing, but a little plastic wrap or wax paper over the inkwell opening before you shut the lid?

Good idea! I used to do exactly the same with an old lead crystal job due to its sterling silver lid which is/was -- of course -- totally un-tight. Sooo.... I kept the top well closed off with a good silicon "cork", leaving he lid attached. Maybe a pic later, if I can find it (the pic and/or the inkwell).

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have some 35;  singles and sets.

Somewhere I have a small screw on lid one.

Unfortunately, I have a two snap top ones that are air proof. Unfortunately in they take an ink bottle or two of ink.

 

Soft ball sized, and the insert will take a 50-60 ml load. Empty of the insert I think I'm looking at 100-120ml.....I really don't have an ink I like that much.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

9cm x 11 cm high. 3 1/4th" x 4 1/2"

Ornate cut lines on the bottom, as seen in the reflection on the smooth top. 800 German silver.

I don't use my stagecoach proof inkwell. It will hold ink and not evaporate. The little square is to hold spare nibs.

 

All others some 35 or so do not have air tight tops, so the ink would dry out if not used as a one and only or the ones I have with two ink wells, for two pens only.....which slows down which ink to use when one runs out in the ink well has Not Run Out.

Such inkwells were good for businesses, black or blue  and red ink for bookkeeping, green I think in GB.  And if the ink got a bit thick from evaporation one diluted with water it a slight tad.

 

Could be done easily today, with a needle syringe.

 

Go to mancave in Chatter is the rest of my inkwells and some nice beer mugs.

 

My very first inkwell set, inlaid brass and wood stained to look mahogany. One well is for dip pens, more than the other.

 

 

[Tas]

Bakelite inkwell used to hold my Wacom Pad pen . . . who'd have thought 🤷‍♂️

[ErrantSmudge]

Its hardly worth mentioning here in this display of gorgeous vintage inkwells, but it does technically qualify so I'll show my TWSBI inkwell.  It has the advantage of being easily available; I got mine from the Dromgoole's booth at a recent pen show but you can find it at other popular online retailers.

 

It's definitely airtight, and it has a built-in "ink miser" cone to facilitate filling nibs even when the ink level is low.  I have mine filled with Monteverde Malibu Blue, a washable blue that I have in abundance from pen show promo bottles and that I feed to my Sheaffer Snorkel.

 

The inkwell also has a dual-layer cap with the upper layer providing a bespoke outlet to fill a TWSBI Diamond 580 pen.  You remove the  section of the 580, place the barrel on the outlet, then twist the piston to suck ink into the barrel.  I have not yet tried this feature with my Prussian Blue 580, partly because I have not wanted to use Malibu Blue ink in that pen.

 

I also like the MontBlanc "shoebox" bottles for use as inkwells, and one of my big Lamy T52 bottles will go empty soon for repurposing as an inkwell.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yes the 'new' Lamy bottle, and the MB Shoe and even old Sheaffer ones with the 'shelf'.... the last which I don't have are more than just a bottle of ink.

The 'MB' shoe was once common. A Gutenberg ink bottle.

 

The old @ 1990 W. Germany Lamy ink bottles. Also a very nice ink bottle from that era.

 

In I collect inkwells, decided not to chase the very many inkbottles.

[amberleadavis]

Oh wow, this has been fun!  Please keep them coming!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Lets try some Art Nouveau. Mid 1890's up to 1920's.

(1925 Art Decco officially named in Paris., had been hanging around under other names since @ 1910.

Speaking of art.....Tid bit, there is a bar on Malta that has that wonderful '30's Italian Air plane style of design. In the '30's Italy was a leading flying land; pretty panes too.  Sigh cubed. Some how I never got back.

Seeing my wife wants to fly to New Zealand, I'm OK with a stopover in Singapore at the Long Bar at Raffles.

 

The one to the right @ 1895-1900. The one to the left is '30's non-Art Decco. Picture in teh background is the Heidelberg Bridge and twin towers...mid 1930's or late '40s.

 

Same 1895-1910

 

Hard Black rubber...@ 1900.

Loom 828 "small" 4 1/4" long, hugely fat Japanese fountain pen.

 

@ 1900 silver plated.

Tail end IMO '20's. Black glass and ornate brass inkwell. Some major Bauhaus influence.

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 1/15/2022 at 7:01 AM, amberleadavis said:

In the past when I have put ink in the wells, it has dehydrated.  Any thoughts?

 

Amber, ink wells were from a time when one used a couple business inks for constant use. Refilling as often as needed.

 

Of my @ 35 inkwells, I've only three  that don't or won't evaporate. (Two of them are way too huge for modern times of many, many inks. Back in the day of blue, black and blue-black only; those two huge glass inkwells I showed, might have been filled every two weeks.

 

Most of my ink wells are much smaller for volume.

One should have the glass, or porcelain inserts. First it makes it much easier to clean; second the volume was more controlled.

 

My problem and more than likely yours Amber is too many inks, that one can't say....this month I'll only use this color in an inkwell that seals.....(month for huge...smaller for say 10 days) .

...........or one uses an ink of the month, and don't worry about evaporation, just needle fill the insert when low, or slop some in.

 

If one has 'forgotten' the ink well and it evaporates, just add clear water until one can guess that is enough.

 

That is probably why so few folks have more than one inkwell if that.

I can remember oh so well.......the first time reality met E-vap-or-ation!!

If I remember correctly it was on the first inkwell.

 

Why does one have more than five pens, 7 inks and 4 inkwells?

Hell if I know!

[Bo Bo Olson]

That is a real neat use of a marble!!!

[amberleadavis]

The one is hiding right now, but it used to sit next to my scales.

[Bo Bo Olson]

That's a nice one.

I will do some Art Decco ones next.

Not the Bauhaus/Art Decco marble ones.

A smaller batch; also more Bauhause than Art Decco.

Birds Eye Maple 1925 French.

 

 

Black glass, gilded brass, crystal inkwell.

[txomsy]

12 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

That is a real neat use of a marble!!!

Thank you, @Bo Bo Olson, it means a lot coming from you.

 

I love your inkwells, specially that last maple Art Deco. In my case, I have not space for any more items, so I have to be careful and stick with what I already have (I got way too many books early on, till I filled up most available space, which is why I mostly read eBooks lately). I'm no friend of departing with old friends, and after long company, all these items do become objective friends, don't they?.

 

Your Beer mugs are quite another story. I liked mugs (and short shot glasses) when younger, but preferred to use up space for books, so they were limited to the space available on the freezer (so I could always pick a frozen one when needed). Then the urge for them cooled down and, having kids, moving out of the city and modern driving restrictions meant there was less and less room for drinking with friends. I still have some Pisco bottles from ~25 years ago (the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya bottles from the 80's [USSR-era] I finished only a few years back) and last time I used wine from the cask I can't remember (must have become vinegar or even dried by now). Still have Tequila from 15 years ago. Last Lagavulin lasted about 10 years (I'm dealing now with the Talisker). So no reason to collect spirits either any more. I still macerate the odd liquor from time to time, but less and less so. O, the joys of modern life!

 

So, please, all, do keep on feeding pictures of your inkwells, so some of us can, at least, dream, and newcomers can know of the wonderful variety there is and, possibly, make informed choices.

[Bo Bo Olson]

8 hours ago, txomsy said:

Last Lagavulin lasted about 10 years

My 16 year old Lagavulin lasted some 12, in Islay requires practice.

I have a small bottle of Bowman. But mostly I've gone over to Johnny.

Missing the Green, have the new Blond, and am on my second bottle of the Blue. Of course I have black.

Johnny has that Johnny  taste throughout the range. Way back in the When...when the dollar was almost still almighty. And I was in collage during the 72 Olympics, when U of Maryland Munich Campus was rated the second best party school in the whole world ...behind rich man's Yale. I read in the Consumer's Report a blind tasting of Scotch, where Johnny Red Label won.

That was ages ago, but Red is still a good whiskey.

The best I ever had was Clevis Royal Salute, where the youngest whiskey in the small fancy ceramic bottle is 21 years old. xxxxxxx             I've traveled the whiskey trail twice in Scotland. . Had a big single malt book for drinking local whiskeys in the pubs. Wife  'didn't know me', but I'd flop open the book on the bar to see what was what to drink in that local area. Why poke a finger at the wall and hope, when someone has done research for you?                                                                         A Gentleman (or Lady) knows his whiskey;  book cheating counts.   

 

Like living in the Golden Age of Inks, we are living in the Golden Age of hard booze.

Where as 20 years ago I had for then good knowledge, today I know too little of the modern great stuff.....And living in Germany outside of gin, with bourbon I am behind the moon.

 

I have more gins than I ever dreamed of and only have half the good stuff. I still like Gordon's for my martinis.

 

I missed going to a Rum bar when I visited GB 20-25 years ago (being a scotch drinker) ....but still have some 15 year old Rum, had 20+ once. Where once amber was my choice for mixing.

 

What I really need to do is get some Canadian rye, and not worry about the 'new' but still second class US (blended) rye. Old Overholt has been downgraded....and is not a pure rye anymore. Of course it's been 40 years since I had a shot or two in a German casino. It was then 'mythical' back in the day when Old Crow was better than Beam.

 

I do recommend Micheal Jackson's book on Whiskey, his books on beer and the one on Cognac. The Micheal Jackson, the guy who got started with Save the Ale, with two gloves and a mustache.  Got paid to fly around the world and tell you how good booze and beer were.

I tended bar back before mixologist term came in, back then if you were a good bartender you were a mixologist with out knowing it. With 4 bars open in the NCO club, and they went out of their way to go to your bar, and took their drink back to where they were.....yep.  A good bartender.