The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Fountain Pen Ink Bottle Designs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- Join me as I look at the Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Fountain Pen Ink Bottle Designs.
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• The Good, The Bad, And...
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Chapters:
00:00 - Start
00:10 - Introduction
02:34 - Diamine 50ml
03:05 - Waterman 50ml
03:46 - LAMY 50ML
04:28 - SHEAFFER 50ML
05:03 - AKKERMAN 60ML
05:47 - MONTBLANC 50ML
06:42 - PILOT IROSHIZUKU 50ML
07:28 - NOODLER'S 3 OZ
08:06 - DIAMINE 30ML
09:25 - FERRIS WHEEL PRESS 20ML
11:19 - FERRIS WHEEL PRESS 38ML
13:28 - DIAMINE INKVENT CALENDAR BOTTLE
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- Classical music piece performed by: John Harrison - Violin / Robert Turizziani - Conductor / Wichita State University Chamber Players
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- Music license: CC BY-SA 1.0
CAUTION: The following video has an unusually high VHQ (video humor quotient). Viewers are advised to refrain from consuming carbonated beverages while watching. Any liquid spewing out of your nose is YOUR responsibility. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I confess I love the anesthetics of the Iroshizuku ink bottles. So elegant. The ink is really nice, too. Wish it came in more colors.
I totally agree!
I used to like square Sailor 50ml bottles. While not the most glamorous design, they used to come with insertable ink well. I also like TWSBI 70ml frosted bottles because they have wide mouth, insertable inkwell and the shape itself reminds me of vintage bottles.
As for Diamine 30ml bottles, when i moved out of my old apartment it still had some of Florida Blue in the floor cracks in one spot.
Yup - you covered it! Thank goodness I bought MY INK BUDDIES a few years ago and have never looked back. THEY ROCK!
Thank you so much, @bahaven1896!
This is very helpful. Having never taken the blotting paper dispenser off the Lamy ink bottle, I didn't know how great a bottle it was. Love your short vid clips of humor LOL.
Glad it was helpful!
The most beautiful ink bottle I have seen to date and can talk about because I own one is the Scribo. It is a piece of glass sculpture, an ornament on one's desk or display cabinet and a beauty in its own right. Although hefty it has a wide opening, hold a generous 90 ml ink capacity and the cap is perfectly functional.
My 85 ml Ferris Wheel Press bottle is my favourite and I just added a couple more bottle of the beautiful but tipsy 38ml to my collection thanks to all the FWP advents giveaways. I’m a principal and I keep my inks of a high shelf in my office and ever since an elementary student asked about my “potions”that’s what I call them now. I had not realized about the utility of the Waterman bottles, I just received 4 bottles with a new Waterman pen as a gift so I’ll have to remember that.
Thanks for sharing, @lucascandy5056!
My favorite ink bottle designs are squat, with a wide base (rectangular, square, round, or oval: Diamine, Private Reserve, Quink, &c). The bottle should be of clear glass or plastic so you can easily see the ink level. The caps should be made of a tough plastic, not brittle Bakelite. Iroshizuku's narrow base design can be knocked over if you hit it form the front of back. Even though Akkman makes a tall bottle, I like its ball-valve design, and it has a wide base.
One solution to badly designed bottles is to save your best bottles when all the ink is gone, clean them, and use them to store ink from badly designed bottles.
There are also some fountain pen ink and more companies that will sell the empty bottles, which works great after a major spill of Noodlers black ink for me.
Love your opening tune.
Thank you so much, @margalo399!
I got the Ink Buddy holders for both Robert Oster, and Ferris wheel press love them
I mainly use diamine ink and damm how much I hate those 30ml bottles, but the ink is too good to give up on it.
Happy new year 🎊
can't wait for your next vintage restoration.
Thanks for your video. I was intrigued by the Ferris Wheel ink bottles and wanted to buy one of each model and thanks to your clip I now realize that although pretty they are also poorly designed. The best ink bottles in my personal collection are the Caran d'Ache . Absolutely gorgeous. Patrick from Mauritius
Glad I could help!
I dont have time to watch it now, I will play it this afternoon. Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and a late Merry Christmas! Thank you for all the videos you make for us. We do truly appreciate it
Happy New Year!
Inkcident.. great pun.
I also love Iroshizuku inks. Scribo also has a gorgeous bottle of ink 90ml!, I have yet to own a bottle. Faber-Castell also makes a stunning bottle. I do own one. It is lovely. Great Vid.
Thanks!
The new musical intro is delightful. The guitar duo is flawless.
The Parker Quink bottles may lack panache, but they are very convenient. Their large caps and oblong shape allow me to grip them easily and immerse pens of any size, even the oversized ones, in the wide opening. I wish FPW would draw inspiration from this design.
I also want to mention Topperz, an Indian ink brand. They use squeeze bottles, like Helmer Glue bottles, to inject ink into cartridges. I can’t decide if this is a brilliant design or a terrible one.
Best wishes for the New Year.
Yes the Quink bottles are nicely designed. Happy New Year!
Even though the little diamine bottles are weebles, the fact that they play nice with those pen fillers has made a huge difference for me
I've got a 3d printed stand for all 25 of mine.
Good video. I agree all around. I would add Platinum bottles to the good list. They have a little plastic cone you fill by tipping the bottle, giving a similar effect to the Shaeffer Skrip bottle.
I also was a big Peacock Blue fan in the 1960s.
Thank you so much, @mdgdm!
I opened a brand new bottle of Robert Oster, Ink it went all over my brand new carpet it took professionals to get it clean. I really do love my ink buddies.
Thanks, Terri. It was nice to see you today.
Interesting video. All the best for 2024 Doug, and looking forward to your new videos this year!
Thanks, you too! Happy New Year!
The Diamine 30ml bottles have one redeeming feature: The price! At about 3$ if you shop around, it makes the idea of a 2ml sample of this ink for half that price a strange proposal.
A few mentions outside of the video: The recently discontinued Visconti bottle, with this ultra narrow base. I like the Pelikan Edelstein bottle more than Iroshizuku for the looks, as if it was carved out of crystal. Caran d'ache has a very interesting tilted bottle. I'm sure you saw it, and then saw the price tag, like 50$ Cdn!? Never tried it, no compelling enough color in that quantity.
I believe Visconti wanted users to place the ink bottle in the plastic stand before use. Caran d'ache has a cool bottle design but the inks are uninspiring - especially at $50. At least the Montlbanc uninspiring colours are inexpensive.
I keep seeing people mention $3 bottle of Diamine, but the best price I've seen in the US was $7.50? Is this in the UK? Still a good deal at that price, but if I can get the ink for $3, I'll take it :) FWIW, I fill almost all of my pens with a syringe (except the vac and piston fillers of course)
@@levon9 you can get that price from Cult Pens.
@@levon9 Those great value prices are when you buy straight from UK. Cult Pens and The Pen Company are two good sources I know. Then add a bit for shipping overseas, but worth it if combined with a few items better priced than in the US. We have a free trade deal between Canada, UK and EU, but US doesn't. This could impact the price on US side.
@@philippebarillecavalier9275 Thanks for taking time to explain. I'll have to see how I can take advantage of this in the future. Happy 2024.
Excellent list and very accurate.
Have to agree with the top two worst as the Ferris Wheel Press bottles, they are an accident waiting to happen. As for the good ones from your list, they're all nice, and the design of the Waterman is smart.
I don't have a lot of ink right now, but I've got a few to add to the good and bad.
For the good
1) Platinum Pigment Blue/Carbon Black. While not very fancy looking, they have a nice wide opening and a plastic ink collector instert to help at getting the last of the ink.
2) Waterman, for all the reasons you mention.
3) Dominant Industry. They are an attractive bottle and are incredibly stable for being tall and narrow. The bottom has a good flat spot and puts a good amount of weight on the base. They also come with the nice canvas bag for storing. The main downside is the opening is a little narrow for larger pens, but all my pens fit fine.
Now for the bad
1) TWSBI 18mL. Yes, you read that right, 18mL! If you thought that Ferris Wheel Press offering a 20mL was bad, this is worse. The bottle does have a good amount of weight on the bottom and the square base is good, but then the opening is small. The small opening just barely fits my Jinhao x750 and even my narrowest pens you run the risk of knocking the bottle over even with the heavy, square base.
2) Private Reserve. While the large opening and base are great, the opening is also an accident waiting to happen, it is easier to accidentally get a finger very inky. Also, with the large opening it is harder to seal properly, I've lost as much ink level to evaporation as I have to inking up pens. They're also just a boring basic jar that you'd expect to find containing some sort of face cream, or condiment of some sort.
That covers my best and worst and covers six of my eight inks. The only two I didn't mention are Rohrer+Klingner, good utilitarian bottles that do seal well, and Platinum Mixable Ink bottle, while a nice diamond shape, only has around 20mL of ink and isn't much nicer or worse than any of the above.
Thanks for sharing, @themisterchristie!
Who's my Ink Buddy? YOU'RE my Ink Buddy-------Buddy! Happy New Year. Free Canada!
Happy new year!
Here's my favorite bad bottle solution: I saved a Waterman faceted bottle, scrubbed off the label, and transferred the 30 ml of Diamine Red Dragon into it. Problem solved, in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Ancient Copper in a salvaged square saffron threads bottle with a cork stopper. Bad idea to carry it in luggage, but great for the desk. Used spice jars can have very functional apertures with tightly sealing lids. I do love the Edelstein bottle for good looks, noting that I'm glad I have ink syringes with long needles. As to worst functionality, if not looks, who could dispute your Ferris Wheel press conclusions?
Terrific ideas! Thanks!
Thanks for this fun and useful analysis. I love my Akkerman bottles so much that I put other inks in them. The Montblanc is my number 2. I need an Ink Buddy for my Diamine bottles, though.
Great to hear! Thanks, John!
I always open ink bottles on a heavy Chinet paper dinner plate. If it spills, it goes in a nice, clean plate you can bend to create a spout to pour most of it back into the bottle.
But to be sure, a blob of Museum Wax will hold the bottle upright through an earthquake.
But I do like the idea of your ink buddies, and will be looking into some purchases.
I have those small Diamine bottles to stabilize.
Cool! Thanks!
Because I'm tight, I have bought some empty but well designed bottles from UK web stores at a few pence per, and filled them with ink from the less well-thought through vessels. I just stick labels over them to keep the right descriptions. DeAtramentis is one supplier I am re-using with Diamine 30Ml ink . Great idea for a video !
Never ink your pen while tight! It is an inkcident waiting to happen! LOL
Hah! Agree on all counts! I've always loved those Waterman bottles (and their inks, too even if the color selection is narrow), Akkerman, Iroshizuku. I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't know about that (obviously well hidden) well in the Lamy bottles! Could explain why I haven't used much of 'em!
Finally, those Ferris Wheel Press bottles! I leave the 85ml in it's box and velvet bag! No point in tempting fate!
Totally agree!
1. The Sheaffer Scrip for the win.
2. Currently I am only using De Atramenti Artist inks, which comes in very stable bottles with too small openings. Luckily I have an addiction to slender pens.
3. I'd like to state here again my love for the Caran d'Ache tilted bottles. I'm trying to find and buy an empty one, as the new price is ludicrous.
I'm sure I've seen then at a local stationery store. They aren't cheap and the ink colour aren't inspiring.
@@InkquiringMinds I'm satisfied with the colors except for the lack of a nice red. I don't know how they paint stop signs or fire trucks, as that shade of red pigment doesn't exist.
Happy New Year! I am delighted to see Shaeffer makes their bottle with the little ink pocket. I transfer some inks into my old Shaeffer bottles, alas the caps are getting rusty!
Happy new year!
Appreciate your content, Doug! Happy New Year!
Happy new year!
A unique idea for a review. I really enjoyed it! Happy New Year 🎆🎈!!
Happy New Year!
Loved everything about this! It was a lot of fun and very informative, thank you :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Happy New Year Doug
Happy new year!
I roared. I absolutely roared. You deserve your own television show, Doug. I've only recently learned that behaviour varies between inks and I'm enjoying experimenting. I'm loving Robert Oster and Pilot but I swear I feel a difference every time I go for the Pilot ink. Just wondering if you've made any clips about toxic ink ingredients? Some say that Pilot inks have undesirable ingredients. Robert Oster claims their inks are non-toxic and eco-friendly. In my vintage Papermate they feel very similar but somehow the Pilot just feels better.
Thanks so much, Susan! I'm not really an ink reviewer, so I don't experiment with inks as much as others do. I have my favourites and that's about it.
great idea for a video, thanks for sharing and again for the gorgeous intro music !!
Thank you so much, @impish22!
I was very happy to not see any actual ink spills during this video; not sure I could have handled the trauma if there had been. :)
I do like Oster inks and have a couple of their bottles. And fortunately also have some random roll of electrical tape that has just the right core size to snugly hold them.
My first bottle of Noodlers' was, in fact, Bay State Blue. That bottle is why I now ALWAYS initially open any ink bottles over the kitchen sink.
The FWP ink bottles seem like they have been designed by someone who has never used a fountain pen. The inks appeal to me but not quite enough to overcome my wariness of the bottles.
The Hongdian bottled ink come in a nice basic bottle. Slightly wider at the base with a neck opening just under an inch--24mm or so. Nothing fancy but very stable. The black ink is becoming one of my favorite blacks as well.
Thank you for all the fun, informative, and enjoyable videos this year! Looking forward to watching in 2024!
Happy New Year!
The electrical tape roll tip is awesome! Thanks!
I notice in their marketing that FWP is now saying their bottles will take any standard converter, apparently meaning we're supposed to remove the converter and fill it (not gonna. That's an "inkcident" waiting to happen.) But it's curious that FWP is responding to a widely made complaint in this way.
Some defence of the Diamine 30ml bottle: I had a few (meaning too many) ink bottles in my suitcase to take back with me on a long haul flight. The bag weight is always a bit of an issue so a light weight plastic bottle is a good thing. I also conjecture the plastic has some give to it as the pressure changes in the cargo hold. I also had the regular pelikan bottle. The made in Germany pelikan ink bottle did leaked out a bit, but the diamine ink bottle, along with the pilot 30ml ink bottle, did not. The Diamine 30ml bottles I think are marketed as "refills" and have this deliberately too small narrow neck - my conjecture is it for this or some similar marketing reason. But, in defence, having a very cheap plastic bottle means you, in theory, are spending your money on the quality of the ink and not the bling of the bottle.
Nice video! I agree with your #1 pick. I tend to hold onto empty Iroshizuku bottles to fill up with Diamine inks.
Great tip!
I fill all my cartidge and converter pens with a blunt syringe and all my piston and vac fillers with the Pineider inkwell over the bathroom sink. requires some clean up, but no spillage whatsoever. The ink buddies seem like a cool idea though! Keep the videos comingo Doug, a true inspiration!!
Happy New Year Doug! 🎊 🎆
Happy new year!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Oh man, I haven't even finished the video yet and I've laughed more with your video than I ever have any fountain pen video - you are so humorous and so informative! Thank you! It amazes me as how some ink companies are genious with the ink bottle design and some have no clue how to design a good ink bottle. It's not that hard.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Happy New Year 🎉
Same to you
Happy new year Doug & I totally agree about the bottles,the fancier the ink bottle the more expensive the ink & after all you only throw the bottle away when the inks done.
Happy New Year!
Pilot, Montblanc, and Waterman is my favourites
I cant be more agree.
Happy new year :)
Happy new year!
the montblanc ink bottle has the best design, it has a huge base that provides stability while filling up the ink. the worst in my opinion are the bottles of noodler's and the ferris wheel press ink bottles.
Great video, I agree that Iroshizuku are the best. My least favorite is the 30ml J Herbin bottles, love the 3 inks I have but hate trying to fill a pen from the shallow bottles, normally end up syringe filling. The tippy diamine plastic bottles are a nuisance but I've 3D printed a stand that holds 8 bottles and helps with that instability. Big fan of monteverde inks but find the caps get stuck easily.
Thanks for sharing, @River-Moon!
Visconti made a beautiful bottle that scared me until I realised it had its own ink buddy. Thanks for the laugh, I almost spat my ink out.
I had an inkling of what bottles would be bad, but for your worst bottle to be my actual worst bottle is hilarious. That bottle is the "Only" one I have ever wasted
trying to a put the cap back on and it fell over. An entire bottle of "Bathurst Blue Denim" gone with only 1 fill in my twsbi. That was the day I changed how careful I was with certain brands bottles. Great video as always and Happy New Year !
It is a nice colour when it isn't all over your desk.
ALWAYS use BOTH hands to open or recap an ink bottle, and never pick one up by the lid, assuming that it is tight. Or, YOU'LL BE SORRY.
Excellent and funny as always! Thanks Doug! I just might need to visit that Etsy store. And all I can say to you is “Happy New Year” and “we want more (content) in ‘24!!!” ❤🎉🖋👏🙋♀️🎸🪅🥂
Happy New Year!
Hi Doug, great topic, one that should have been addressed by ... someone years ago. I applaud you and your resourcefulness in designing ink bottle holders for those manufacturers that followed "form over function" in poorly designing ink bottles that have the tip over easy DNA in their makeup... .
I gave some fountain pens and some Diamine 30ml plastic ink bottles to a brother & sister who were around 11 and 12 years old during Christmas. They were new to fountain pens, but of an age where I thought they might enjoy them. I had never purchased or used the small 30ml Diamine ink bottles. I realized after receiving the small Diamine ink bottles, that the younger folks didn't stand a chance against NOT tipping over these small bottles while trying to fill their new fountain pens. I happened to have an empty Private Reserve ~ 60ml wide mouth ink bottle, which I filled it 1/2 to 3/4 with new #9 lead shot. If lead shot isn't something you have, and/or might not want to use, I think copper coated steel BBs could be used as an alternative. BBs are not as heavy as lead shot, but still plenty of weight to hold down the old ink bottle with a 30ml ink bottle inside it. It proved to be very stable and way heavy enough to keep it from tipping over easily.
The Private Reserve bottles have a very wide mouth, and could/should accommodate a variety of the smaller ink bottles, depending on what size ink bottle you're placing in the Private Reserve lead shot/BB filled ink bottle. DON'T fill it to the top with the lead or BBs, or you'll be chasing small lead shot/BBs if you used too much. Your mileage may vary... .
I use a De Atramentis 45ml bottle filled with lead shot to hold the barrel of fountain pens I use as eye droppers. Works great, holds the barrel of the pen upright without using a second hand.
I don't like spilling fountain pen ink, ever! You've only got to knock over a full bottle of ink once and have said ink land on a carpeted surface to know you've made a big mistake! It's at this next moment, you are thankful your wife passed away years prior so she wouldn't have to witness this horrible mess you made. A little preparation beforehand can keep accidents like this to almost zero. (never say never... ).
Sorry for the long novel, please forgive me, my heart was racing remembering some spilled ink in a far away distant land in a house I no longer own... ;-)
Oh, and if this method doesn't suit you, I'll see you over at the Esty site Doug mentioned in his video. It never hurts to have two screwdrivers or two wrenches or two pairs of glasses just in case one of your eyeglass lense pops out while you are in the middle of snow blowing your driveway while the wind is gusting to 30 MPH... .
Thanks for sharing, @strshooter7399! I don't think I'd try that lead shot/copper BB solution to bottle stabilization - clever though it is! I expect the lead and/or copper will react with most inks and change the colour of the ink or just plain contaminate it.
Hmm, the lead shot isn't mixed with the ink, the lead shot/BBs just support the bottle in the bottle. I just purchased a "Noodler's 3 oz holder on the Esty site. I didn't have a solution to keeping those bottles upright, except by holding them. Thank you Doug. 🙂@@InkquiringMinds
@strshooter7399 Aha!! 👏
I received the Noodler's ink holder a week + back, but this is my first chance to put it to use. GREAT INVENTION! Works perfectly with the Noodlers 3 oz bottles. Thank you, a really easy and helpful idea 🙂@@InkquiringMinds
Thank you @strshooter7399. That is much appreciated!
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Chels x
Happy New Year!
@@InkquiringMinds oooh, I need to look up what time your live stream will be on in aussie time. I'm in :)
I like the Diamine inks bottle with the 4 feet on the bottom. Then for my Diamine Regency Blue in they came out with a triangular shaped bottle. Nice bottle but a terror to use when you get to the end. Private Reserve bottle have a wide opening, too wide in my opinion and getting the last of the ink out requires 3 hands, one to top the bottle and the other two to fill your pen. The Iroshizuku bottle is perfect to get the ink out to the last drop. I got a number of other manufacturers ' ink in them, like Private Reserve.
Great review Doug.
Happy New Year, Paul!
@@InkquiringMindsHappy New Year, Doug!
10:17 I agree with you on the Waterman's and the original Lamy. Like you I love their Turquoise ink. It shades beautifully .The 70ml rounded Pilot Blue black ink and. bottle was my favourite. With shopping to England, it's a bit expensive though.
Thank you for this video! I have a bottle of Noodler's "Invisible Ink" that I have not opened yet. Your comment on the bottle saved me the mess I was sure to make when I opened the bottle. Of course, maybe I wouldn't have noticed I had spilled any since it is, after all, "Invisible ink!"
Glad it was helpful!
I also enjoy Bungubox ink bottles. They are kind of like the Montblanc. Ony thing bad about the Bungubox inks is they are a fortune to get as well. I'm surprised J Herbin bottles weren't on this list somewhere.
The J Herbin Bottles (the very narrow necked ones) were close to making the list, but the square heavy glass bottle is very stable. So, the bottle is middle of the road for me.
Well, I like several of Noodler's inks, but in 20+ years of using fountain pens, a Noodler's Southwest Sunset is the only bottle I have broken.
Happy New Year from Sweden 🇸🇪🥳🎉🎁🎂
Happy new year!
Hi Doug! Happy New Year. Love Irishizuku inks and bottles, however the caps can crack. I’ve been looking for alternatives.
Yes, the caps can crack. That's why I wipe the top of the glass neck before replacing the cap.
My first ink was a 4.5oz bottle of Baystate Blue.
So far no accidents.
Yes I know I am jinxing myself.
Wait for it.....
My second ink disaster was putting a PenBBS 456 into a Diamine 30ml ink bottle, after the pen has completely blocked the bottle opening, I pushed the shaft down. One can imagine what happned next. (For anyone who is curious, my first was I posted an Asvine P20 and turned the cap)
You did two no-nos! LOL
It is true that those tall plastic bottles suck. However, the glass Diamine bottles are great!
Heh, nailed it. Namiki spaceship bottles are nice. Or anything with an internal filling cup. And to add to the FWP collection, their sample bottle sets are terrible. Beautiful box and 3 little bottles but only the box is labeled so don't mix up the bottles. The opening is so small that you might be able to fill a Vanishing Point but no other pen will fit. Hope you have a syringe.
Totally agree!
Man, I really needed this laugh today. I'm always depressed at end of year. One point though: I resent the Canadian remark because as any neophyte is a zealot, thus am I as I work towards my residency. 😂 But it's effing hilarious.
Thanks, Doug. Honestly, I needed it. Happy New Year, amigo.
Thank you so much, @chazmena! Happy New Year!
I only bought one bottle of Ferris Wheel when I realised how bad the bottle was. Their inks are OK but not good enough and very expensive in Asia Pacific to warrant attention. The plastic bottles are light and need to be handled with care. There are so many alternatives where the bottle looks good on the shelf, is stable and the ink is great. Thanks for the tip on the Lamy, I did not realise there was that reservoir so I will be looking at them. My favourites are the Ackerman, the Pilot, the Edelstein and the Faber Castel, Diamine Inkvent all glass and all looking fabulous as well as having lovely coloured inks. Happy New Year and don’t forget to tell those of us who can’t attend the live event what your plans are.
The live podcast will be reposted afterwards for everyone to watch. Happy New Year!
You missed an opportunity to add the " it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" quote from Star Trek II The Wrath Of Khan. I absolutely agree with your ink bottle rating. It's why I don't open an ink bottle if I'm feeling very tired, or anxious. And; so far; no accidents.
I vaguely referenced it in the intro - but it was from Dickens! LOL
Yes, from "A Sale of Two---" I mean, "A Tale of Two Cities".
@@OofusTwillipLOL You Monty Python nut!
@@InkquiringMinds I am currently reading David Copperfield for the fourth time, and enjoying it more than ever.
pilot blue that came with my 823 has a plastic catch like the akkerman. it's a great design. 100% agree on the noodlers and small diamine. i reach for havasu turquoise but usually don't bother because that bottle is so awful
I was surprised that my favorite bottle wasn't on the list. Levenger bottles are beautiful and the wide base makes them virtually spill-proof. They also have an ink miser inside, so it's like filling from an ink vial.
Don't be surprised! I've never owned a Levenger, so I can comment on it! LOL
@@InkquiringMinds Oooo I gotta say, you're missing out. Levenger doesn't have a wide selection of colors, but of the 11 ink makers I have tried, theirs is the best performing for me. I have 10 of their inks and they shade well (most of them are shading) in any pen, even the ultra dry feed in my Liliput stub. Some of them insta-dry even on heavy weight paper, but it doesn't dry on the nib which is as far as I can tell... magic. I could fill a page singing their praises but I'll digress. If you do pick up a bottle, I recommend Levenger Cocoa. It shades deliciously from a light hot cocoa to a rich milk chocolate. I appreciate'chya!
I've never had an ink accident, until 2 minutes after watching this video 😂 30ml Diamine Sepia, fortunately the carpet is going next week.
Not my fault!
Nice line up. But I think you should include the J. Herbin bottles to the list of bad bottles. Beautiful but absolutely unusable. The opening is very small and you can't tilt the bottle so when it's half empty, you'll need a syringe to get the remaining ink and fill some converter/cartridge. If you use a piston pen you're out of luck.
Another well designed bottle: The Pelikan 4001 30 ml bottles. They are wide enough and you can tilt them.
Happy New Year!
I didn't include the J Herbin bottles because they have improved them by making the neck much wider than the older ones, and the bottles are stable. I've never used a Pelikan 4001 bottle and I only included what I've experienced. Happy New Year to you as well! Cheers!
Visconti's oversized saltshaker bottle is the worst. You only have to say "whoops" and that inverted pear falls over. The Private Reserve bottles and the Colorverse 5 mL bottles are also awful.
The large (90 mL) Scribo bottles are, I think, the best. Good opening, classic inkwell design, and *they stack*.
I think Visconti recommends putting the bottle in the base to stabilize it. I've never had a bottle so I don't know for sure.
The Montblanc ink bottle looks like the Great Sphinx of Egypt.
I like the Lamy bottles and also the TWSBI frosted glass 70 mil bottles. Lamy makes a smaller version of the larger bottle which is portable and handy in confined spaces. Private make good quality inks but the neck is too wide and the bottle too shallow.
My favourite is the Pilot bulb shaped bottle with the ink vase inside. Tip the bottle upside down,like the Sheaffer to get the dregs. The Pilot has a stable base. The small Pilot bottles are portable,handy refill units for the larger bottles. HAPPY NE YEAR 💡.
Thanks for sharing, @MrAndrew1953! Happy New Year!
@@InkquiringMinds You too- all the best for you and your family. 2024.
I have one bottle of ink in the sailor 'vase' bottle (which was japan exclusive and phased out a long long time ago). Its a beautiful bottle, slightly tall but balances itself with glass base. They must have come unstuck with manufacturing though as that brand has gone through a few iterations in recent years. The contemporary square is the worst in my humble.
Bottles too full to fill from without a syringe (noodlers) and too narrow go fill from without a syringe (diamine 30s) are definitely the bain of my ink adventures. When im distilling your ink into a 5ml vial for pen width - we have a problem.😅
Thanks for sharing, @hannahzechariah5062!
Honorable mention - Colorverse 30 and 15 ml bottles. Not quite as bade as Ferris Wheel Press, but they strike me as being in the same bad company.
I was going to suggest Colorverse "teardrop" bottles as well. Their inks perform beautifully and the glass bottles are lovely to look at, but they are not at all practical due to the tiny opening. Still, FWP deserves the "worst" designation for its 38 ml disaster. What were they thinking?
Have had a few confrontations with ink bottles over the past six months. The Herbin bottle with the wax seal on the front looks nice and is sturdy, but when I tried filling the v126 with it, it proved much shallower than I thought, ergo nib bump. And there's no option to set it at an angle. I appear to have the same Inkvent as you, 2022 (got it for €40 from a German online store) and those fiddly little bottles go everywhere on the desk. But I found they fit my eggcups perfectly. Have only swatched from the 30ml bottle, will maybe fit a juice glass. My latest are 2 Dominant Industry bottles and while beautiful, are small too. Tbh I'd rather buy some second-hand glass or crockery to put them in than 3D printed things. Filament is just more plastic.
Thanks for sharing, Will!
my favorite ink bottle design hands down is the Private reserve bottles they are wide and short making them for excellent stabilization and if you knock it over you probably deserve it and the worst is definitely the Ferris wheel press chargers you cant even get a converter in those it must be taken out by needle or pipette its so annoying
Thanks for sharing! I didn't even mention the FWP "chargers" because I'd already bashed my fellow Canadians enough! LOL
I'd like to Inkquire about the Parker 61, and the Parker 65. Which one do you prefer?
I've never experienced a Parker 65, but my Parker 61 was terrific!
You forgot to mention the Ferris Wheel sampler bottles. Unless you use a syringe to fill your pen, you’re completely out of luck even if you want to use a dip pen. I bought ALL of their samplers wanting to use my dip pens and these vintage Pilots with a rubber ink cartridge thingy, and nothing fits through the narrow bottleneck.
I didn't forget to mention the little "chargers" from FWP. I just felt I had piled on enough! LOL
@@InkquiringMinds if those little buggers didn’t cost so much I would be fine with them. If they were any smaller they would be better off to just be plain old cartridges which would actually work better and not make us think we can actually fill a pen from them.
@@InkquiringMinds I would love an ink buddy that can hold nine to twelve of those chargers.
Hated the Script ink bottles with the metal screw on lids - they leaked like heck! red ink leaked all over the pocket and lining on a leather jacket I loved!
You put a bottle of red in in your pocket? Wow! Brave!
Happy New Year! Shout-out to Levenger, whose 50 ml ink bottle contains a funnel that serves as an internal ink miser. Wide mouth, too. The inks are basic but nicely saturated.
Happy new year!
The 3oz Diamine bottle are the Devil. As a guy with larger hands, I love my larger pens. Piston fillers and Diamine bottles certainly don't mix.
I agree 100%, @rharvier!
Sorry J. Herbin didn’t get a mention in the worst design, both the small squat ones with the built in pen rest and the large ones with too small openings for the special edition inks. Nearly impossible to get to the corners even with a syringe. My personal number one is Akkerman bottles.
I have never used the small J Herbin with the pen rest. The larger J Herbin have been improved with a wider opening and the heavy glass bottle is stable. So it is middle of the road for me.
Doug, do you think Ink Manufacturers are missing a trick?Why don't they do as Pelikan does and sell plastic refill bottles, for their fancy glass constructions? So, you don't have to just throw away another glass bottle just to get more ink.
That would require thought!
I'd wondered about that too. Seems behind the times.
Happy new year sir! Absolutely 100% agree - the 38mm Ferris Wheel Press ink bottle is shockingly bad. It tips over if you even look at it the wrong way! I do love the Waterman’s ink bottle, the Montblanc ink bottles, the old style Diamine large ink bottles - but I hate the small ink bottles and those 4 legged ugly monstrosities (though sadly, some of their colours are nice). The Pilot mega giant bottles of ink are great as the higher brand the Pilot ones … they do seem a little wasteful of glass ….
I agree 100%, @aag24! Happy New Year!
Well I'm getting my big-ass bottle of Ferris Wheel, the kind that resembles an 18c. hand grenade. (Viva Wolfe.)
@@chazmena Thou shalt count to three and three is the number you shall count.
@@InkquiringMinds
"They talk of Alexander,
They talk of Hercules,
Of Hector and Lysander"
...etc. 🎵
I'm fond of Special Reserve's flat jar with the wide mouth. The one I have is for the DC Supershow Blue. I adore that color!
Just ordered one of each (except for the Ferris Wheel Press one since I don't have any of their inks) because although I've yet to have a major inky mishap... With my lack of grace & coordination, it's pretty much guaranteed to happen! Lol I did not come by the nickname "Calamity Ames" by accident... Well, I suppose, technically it DID come from the sheer quantity of "accidents" 🤣
Well said, Calamity!
I must be very lucky. I have never spilled Noodlers Ink out of the bottle. My only problem with their bottle is you can get about half the bottle before you can’t fill your pen up anymore.
Check out the Ink Buddy Ink Scrooge for a Noodler's bottle. tinyurl.com/3c5rfdy6
Filling from a Robert Oster bottle gives me the heebies - I haven't come unstuck yet, but the possibility always looms large. It's lousy marketing, as I will active avoid buying any more - just to avoid the unpleasant feeling.
Thanks for sharing, @KarlAdamsAudio!
Great opening song - could you do Operator by Grateful Dead at some point?
I do ZERO Grateful Dead!
What is the best fountain pen black ink for cheap paper or any paper?
Parker Quick Black I think.
Noodler's X-Feather Black. It's specifically made for bad paper. Just remember to shake the bottle before filling the pen (as with all noodlers inks)
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you.
Think the 3 oz bottle of Noodlers is bad? Try that 4.5 oz bottle. I lost 2/3rds of it on the floor. 😂
I'll pass on that! LOL
I came for the scintillating insight - I stayed for the Nixon clip. Sock it to me!
Thank you @tdowling149. That is much appreciated!
No plaudits for the elegant Namiki with ink miser?
Never had my hands on one, so I can't comment.
I've got one or two. They're okay, but all the other brands do it better. The platinum iron gall ink ones do a little better too for an ink meiser system because of the depth of the bottle.
Charles Dickens would be proud.
Or jealous!
Having several 1940s Waterman's bottles, there's really no difference between the vintage and modern. Probably just updated the copyright.
With you about the Sheaffer's inkwell bottle. One was my first, and I've been in love since. (Health permitting, you should be getting some Peacock Blue, when I get out of cardiac rehab. Label is loose, but it's still brilliant and it's from the 1950s. And I still see it pop up on eBay regularly (at least one time a month, either cartridge or bottle. I have yet to find the most rare Persian Rose.)
Ferris Wheel Press does have an awful bottle design, and at least half their inks are more for art than writing, IMO
I agree 100% with the FWP inks - artists love 'em.
I am grateful they don’t put any good single malt scotch whisky in some of these bottles…
Pelikan Edelstein bottles look really nice but good luck getting more than a couple fills out of them before you need to get creative. Ironic for the company that sells that torpedo they call the M1000
I agree!
I transfer ink from inferior to superior bottle designs. 😉
Great tip!
9:45, You know, the way you pronounced the word sorry (sau-ree insread of soo-ree) makes me skeptical that you're Canadian. I think you're a Yankee who happens to like Canadian bacon and Tim Hortons. 🤣😂
Them's fightin' words eh?
@@InkquiringMindsOh you betcha!
FWP is an ecomm-only low effort ink brand formed to save the company's failing cardstock / paper business. most of their inks seem to be super watery and more akin to writing with watercolor..