An example high-density ink storage ‘solution’

[A Smug Dill]

Someone made a post about “Ink Tetris” on Reddit yesterday, showcasing how all his/her ink bottles and sample vials fit into a single drawer.

 

That gave me enough of a push to stop procrastinating, and deal with the growing pile of bottled ink I've accumulated over at least the past thirteen months. My “best” efforts had in the meantime had simply been to cram as much as I could into a plastic 27-litre stackable storage box; but, especially with the recent influx of six dozen bottles received for Taobao orders (including a small handful of freebies), and also the ink I picked up on my trip to Japan in May, the bulk has outgrown the box significantly, spilling over into multiple crates, trays, and cartons outside of it.

 

A long time ago, I was able to fit all my ink bottles into a single storage compartment in a modestly-sized IKEA MICKE desk. But the unchecked growth in their number proceeded remorselessly. First to be mercilessly displaced were unopened backup bottles, and I did not worry, because I had no call for ready access to them. Then they forced out the opened bottles that would fit neatly into self-contained carry boxes with handles, and I did not worry, because I reasoned thus grouped they could be shoved here or there without risking being forgotten. Then fences were effectively put up denying entry to any ink not Rohrer & Klingner or Noodler's Ink (for they do fit so neatly into those white mini-crates), and newcomers to the collection had to find their own place and fend for themselves, and I did not worry, because La Couronne du Comte went bankrupt (with my orders for maybe a dozen bottles of ink paid for but unfulfilled), Cult Pens raised its free shipping thresholds and also list prices of most items significantly, and Amazon snuffed out (erroneously) stackable discounts, so I figured my ink buying would slow to a dribble. Then the bottom fell out of the value of the Japanese yen, and I also discovered Taobao now offers “official” shipping services (at sometimes teeth-gnashing prices), and my ink buying just exploded and the rest is history.

 

It took me several hours last night just to sort out and find workable placements for >99% of the “open for business” bottles, tightly packed into storage space roughly triple what my then-collection occupied four years ago.

 

In the original settlement, I have:

 

 

 

and, occupying a far larger aggregate volume of storage space across the other side of the breach, is:

 

 

 

 

There should be an open 4.5oz bottle of Noodler's Ink somewhere that is unaccounted for; it just doesn't play well with others, so I must've put it in a “naughty corner” some time ago and them promptly forgot about it.

[RedPie]

That looks well organized @A Smug Dill. You even notice if one bottle is missing! 😉

[rudyhou]

👍 highly organized stash.  I can only wish my ink collection as well organized as yours.  I guess small storage spaces do require extra thought and organization.