Preserving Your Fountain Pen Ink Collection: Tips and Concerns

[2ouvenir]

Dear FPN Members,

 

As avid enthusiasts of fountain pens and their accompanying inks, many of us have amassed quite the collection over the years. However, with a large collection comes the concern of ink spoilage. Do you ever find yourself worrying about your precious inks going bad before you have the chance to use them?

 

In this thread, I invite you to share your experiences, tips, and concerns regarding the preservation of fountain pen ink collections. Whether you have a modest assortment or a vast array of colors, your insights can be invaluable to fellow members seeking to maintain the quality and longevity of their inks.

 

Some potential discussion points include:

• Strategies for storing and organizing your ink collection to minimize spoilage.
• Signs that an ink may be spoiling and how to identify them.
• Best practices for rotating through your ink collection to ensure each bottle gets its fair share of use.
• Any preventive measures you take to extend the shelf life of your inks.
• Recommendations for ink brands or types known for their longevity.

 

By sharing our knowledge and experiences, we can help each other enjoy our fountain pen inks to the fullest while minimizing the risk of waste due to spoilage. So, don't hesitate to join the conversation and contribute your thoughts on this important topic.

 

Have a good day!

 

[Chimera01]

8 minutes ago, platorepublic said:

Do you ever find yourself worrying about your precious inks going bad before you have the chance to use them?

I store my collection in dark boxes in a cool place. Decant using sterile syringes wherever possible. Also, decant into TWSBI inkwells / ink bottles which work remarkably well [and look quite smart, too]. Favourite inks sometimes purchased in multiples [Iroshizuku Asa-gao, I'm looking at you]. But mostly, rigorous ink hygiene and fingers crossed!

[PPPR]

3 hours ago, platorepublic said:

[snip]

Do you ever find yourself worrying about your precious inks going bad before you have the chance to use them?

[snip]

Please, explain what you mean. With a couple gallons of ink 60-80 years old sitting on the shelves, none have "gone bad." The color of some iron gall inks have changed, but that's it. They are still useable. So, what do you mean by "going bad?"

[kestrel]

Ink stored in the original boxes in a cool, dark place.

Inks that come in plastic bottles are transferred to glass (preferred) or Nalgene for long term storage.  I watched too many ink levels fall in manufacturer's plastic bottles that had never been opened.

Spoilage is indicated by an obnoxious smell and/or blobs of nasty stringy stuff in the ink (aka SITB) and/or a precipitate or other solids in the bottle sticking to the glass or on the bottom of the bottle.  All three of my SITB were discovered when I tried to remove some ink to load a sample vial (see below) and the syringe wouldn't fill.  When the tip was pulled out of the ink bottle there was a miniature refugee from a science fiction movie hanging from the tip.

I never fill a pen from the bottle.  I use a sterile syringe to remove ink from the bottle and fill a 5 mL sample vial.  Pens are filled from the vial.  Vials are stored in shotgun shell storage boxes kept in a box with a lid.  The vial contents (not to be confused with vile contents like Concord Bream) are written on a notebook paper reinforcing ring which is then attached to the cap of the bottle.

Old inks that are properly stored (i.e. in the dark, tightly capped bottles) can have very old shelf lives.  Ink bottles stored where they were exposed to light can fade.  I have  seen this in inks from Noodler's, Parker, Sheaffer's, and Waterman's.  My early 20th century bottle of Paul Wirt blue-black, on the other hand, was kept in its original box and looks really good.

I don't try to give each ink its fair share of use.  I use what I want when I want and if the inks aren't happy about it that's tough.  They are my inks that I bought and I am their master and owner.

 

Then again, there have been rumblings from the J. Herbin shelf of late and I suspect the 1670 inks might be trying to unionize. 

 

[2ouvenir]

38 minutes ago, PPPR said:

Please, explain what you mean. With a couple gallons of ink 60-80 years old sitting on the shelves, none have "gone bad." The color of some iron gall inks have changed, but that's it. They are still useable. So, what do you mean by "going bad?"

 

When I mentioned the concern about inks "going bad," I was referring to potential changes in consistency, color, or performance over time that might render them less suitable for writing or even potentially harmful to fountain pens. While it's heartening to hear that your older inks have remained usable, it's also worth acknowledging that not all inks may age as gracefully, for example modern inks that may have been formulated with planned obsolescence in mind, to ensure consumers keep on replacing old inks with new ones. They may perhaps use less concentrated/less effective biocide on purpose or to adhere to everchanging manufacturing standards.

 

Your mention of iron gall inks changing color but remaining usable is a valuable insight. It highlights the resilience of certain types of ink formulations and underscores the importance of understanding how different ink compositions may react over time.

 

Ultimately, the goal of discussing ink preservation is to share knowledge and best practices to ensure that fountain pen enthusiasts can continue to enjoy their collections for years to come. Your firsthand experience with vintage inks adds a valuable perspective to this conversation, and I'm sure many members, myself included, would appreciate further insights or advice you might have on preserving and caring for fountain pen inks.