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ustamills
April 9th, 2015, 10:57 AM
I love my Herbin ink. Absolutely adore the colors. Especially my Encre de Poussiere de Lune (Moondust ink; isn't that cool?)

BUT the bottles seems to be only built for dip pens. I say that because as I use up my ink and the level of the ink drops lower and lower it becomes increasingly difficult to successfully draw ink back out.

I've tried tipping the bottle at an angle but there just isn't much room to lower my pen in. The only consistent success I've had is using a syringe to transfer ink from bottle to converter; not my idea of something I want to keep doing, mostly because I don't want to have to disassemble every time I fill.

Has anyone figured out this issue? I have probably 10 bottles of Herbin ink. I need something more tall and more narrow so there is room to completely envelope the nib in ink.

Drew

Crazyorange
April 9th, 2015, 11:00 AM
I'm with you. The bottle are the pits. Sometimes I use a syringe to suck the ink out and put it into the converter.

Chrissy
April 9th, 2015, 11:33 AM
I'm with you. The bottle are the pits. Sometimes I use a syringe to suck the ink out and put it into the converter.

That's what I do. Either a syringe or a plastic pipette. The pipette works slightly better in converters that have a larger hole.

Syringes are available from online sellers like Goulet's in the US or restoration suppliers in the UK

ustamills
April 9th, 2015, 11:46 AM
If you prefer syringes I've found that the easiest source is farm supply stores. They typically have DIY veterinarian sections where you will find syringes, needles too if you need something that small.

Laura N
April 9th, 2015, 02:28 PM
As the ink level gets lower, I use a pipette* to transfer a few ml into an empty ink sample vial. Then I insert the pen into the vial and fill it, just as I do with an ink sample. Any extra ink goes back into the bottle or down the drain. If I'm using a converter pen, I just insert the converter into the Herbin bottle and fill the converter directly, then put the converter into the pen and twist it to advance a bit of ink into the feed.

*or a syringe with a blunt needle, or an eye-dropper, whatever's handy

Jon Szanto
April 9th, 2015, 03:00 PM
I don't have many, but I have four of the 1670 ink bottles (2 Rouge, 1 Ocean Blue, 1 Stormy Grey). Bad bottles functionally, lovely to look at. I've decided to decant and turn at least two of them into salt and pepper shakers.

Laura N
April 9th, 2015, 03:11 PM
I don't have many, but I have four of the 1670 ink bottles (2 Rouge, 1 Ocean Blue, 1 Stormy Grey). Bad bottles functionally, lovely to look at. I've decided to decant and turn at least two of them into salt and pepper shakers.

Note to self: do not salt or pepper food at Jon's house.

Chrissy
April 9th, 2015, 03:25 PM
I don't have many, but I have four of the 1670 ink bottles (2 Rouge, 1 Ocean Blue, 1 Stormy Grey). Bad bottles functionally, lovely to look at. I've decided to decant and turn at least two of them into salt and pepper shakers.

Note to self: do not salt or pepper food at Jon's house.

Well that's one use for them that I bet J Herbin never dreamed of

manoeuver
April 9th, 2015, 03:40 PM
my favorite bottles are Sailor bottles. you can pick em up empty at places like goulet or isellpens. they've got the insert that holds a slurp of ink in easy get'n reach and are wide enough to dip an offset dip pen.

ustamills
April 9th, 2015, 04:13 PM
The old sheaffer bottles also have a mini-reservoir. I don't have any extras of those. But finding those old bottles is a great idea. I haven't seen a new Sheaffer bottle in years.

Jon Szanto
April 9th, 2015, 04:25 PM
The old sheaffer bottles also have a mini-reservoir. I don't have any extras of those. But finding those old bottles is a great idea. I haven't seen a new Sheaffer bottle in years.

Keep your eyes open on eBay for the Sheaffer "Top Well" bottles, as they aren't very rare. Enough come around that you can get them for not too much. I do enjoy those a lot.

dgator
April 9th, 2015, 05:45 PM
I like using the 1 oz Nalgene bottles. Toss them in my work bag.. No leaks or cracks.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/bottlesMedication?productId=10000243

Sailor Kenshin
April 9th, 2015, 06:09 PM
As the ink level gets lower, I use a pipette* to transfer a few ml into an empty ink sample vial. Then I insert the pen into the vial and fill it, just as I do with an ink sample. Any extra ink goes back into the bottle or down the drain. If I'm using a converter pen, I just insert the converter into the Herbin bottle and fill the converter directly, then put the converter into the pen and twist it to advance a bit of ink into the feed.

*or a syringe with a blunt needle, or an eye-dropper, whatever's handy

I do something similar: fill con with pipette, insert con into pen, expel a couple drops back into JH bottle.

Which I am, apparently, the only person on earth who likes.

ustamills
April 9th, 2015, 07:46 PM
I like using the 1 oz Nalgene bottles. Toss them in my work bag.. No leaks or cracks.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/bottlesMedication?productId=10000243

This is a GREAT idea. THANK YOU!

Have you ever noticed any reaction of ink with the bottles? I suppose since Herbin is just water-based it should be okay.

dgator
April 9th, 2015, 08:07 PM
I like using the 1 oz Nalgene bottles. Toss them in my work bag.. No leaks or cracks.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/bottlesMedication?productId=10000243

This is a GREAT idea. THANK YOU!

Have you ever noticed any reaction of ink with the bottles? I suppose since Herbin is just water-based it should be okay.
I've used Waterman, Pelikan, Sheaffer and Noodlers inks without any issues.

inlovewithjournals
April 9th, 2015, 08:36 PM
As the ink level gets lower, I use a pipette* to transfer a few ml into an empty ink sample vial. Then I insert the pen into the vial and fill it, just as I do with an ink sample. Any extra ink goes back into the bottle or down the drain. If I'm using a converter pen, I just insert the converter into the Herbin bottle and fill the converter directly, then put the converter into the pen and twist it to advance a bit of ink into the feed.

*or a syringe with a blunt needle, or an eye-dropper, whatever's handy

I do something similar: fill con with pipette, insert con into pen, expel a couple drops back into JH bottle.

Which I am, apparently, the only person on earth who likes.

Okay confession time: I love J. Herbin inks. I own 17 cartridge tins, 13 10 ml bottles, and 1 30 ml bottle. Great idea about expelling a couple of drops back into the bottle, I'm going to steal that. I use diabetic syringes as I get a bag of 10 for $3 at my pharmacy.

mrcharlie
April 9th, 2015, 10:16 PM
The old sheaffer bottles also have a mini-reservoir. I don't have any extras of those. But finding those old bottles is a great idea. I haven't seen a new Sheaffer bottle in years.

Keep your eyes open on eBay for the Sheaffer "Top Well" bottles, as they aren't very rare. Enough come around that you can get them for not too much. I do enjoy those a lot.
Old Sheaffer pens had much smaller nibs that didn't stick out of the section so far as the modern pens with their trendy "size 6" nibs. You can't use the top well with a size 6 nib pen. I don't remember off the top of my head if size 5 nibs are small enough. But the top well is awesome with conical ("triumph") nibs, inlaid nibs, and snorkels!

Cob
April 10th, 2015, 02:53 AM
I like using the 1 oz Nalgene bottles. Toss them in my work bag.. No leaks or cracks.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/bottlesMedication?productId=10000243

This is a GREAT idea. THANK YOU!

Have you ever noticed any reaction of ink with the bottles? I suppose since Herbin is just water-based it should be okay.

Since ink bottles are almost always made of glass there cannot be any reaction. Glass is to my knowledge is attacked only by hydrofluoric acid which is very nasty stuff indeed and unlikely (I hope) to be found anywhere near a fountain pen.

Cob

ustamills
April 10th, 2015, 04:44 AM
I like using the 1 oz Nalgene bottles. Toss them in my work bag.. No leaks or cracks.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/bottlesMedication?productId=10000243

This is a GREAT idea. THANK YOU!

Have you ever noticed any reaction of ink with the bottles? I suppose since Herbin is just water-based it should be okay.

I checked out the link you posted. I also noticed that they have a wide-mouth version. Sounds like they'd be perfect for some of my fat pens. I ordered 5 and can't wait to get them. Thanks for the tip!

Chrissy
April 10th, 2015, 07:11 AM
I bought 6 x half ounce Nalgene bottles last year when I found them. They are so good for travelling with ink, but are difficult to find nowadays. I don't think Nalgene make them anymore. That's a shame

elaineb
April 10th, 2015, 09:54 AM
Here are some 20ml (slightly over 1/2 oz) clear plastic vials from a good supplier in the U.S.

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin59a.html

PET plastic has very similar properties to Nalgene (i.e. polycarbonate) plastic, and is recyclable. (Nalgene is not.) This supplier, btw, is a gold mine of odd and useful containers at decent prices. While their main customers are small business manufacturers, they don't mind retail customers as well. Pricing is, of course, much better when you buy larger quantities.

Chrissy, I know this won't help you in the UK, but I would suggest doing some google searching for "cosmetics packaging suppliers" or something like that. There is a very active community of small-scale bath and body manufacturers over there, who must get their bottles from somewhere!

migo984
April 10th, 2015, 10:00 AM
Nalgene carry bottles are still available. They aren't difficult to find. I've just bought 10 of the 15ml size in Amber. Perfect size for travelling.

elaineb
April 10th, 2015, 10:01 AM
Where did you get them?

migo984
April 10th, 2015, 10:28 AM
Where did you get them?

I'm in Australia at the moment so bought them from JustWrite over here. The 15ml is a great size and the amber colour is good for UV protection of ink. Thee inner neck size (14mm) is big enough for most pens I own.

I bought some from eBay UK when I was at home - I can't remember the seller. Nalgene is a US manufacturer so must be easy to find where you are.

inklord
April 10th, 2015, 10:31 AM
The problem with those shallow J.Herbin bottles is seemingly a never-ending inspiration for pen-owner ingenuity. My personal solution is to buy empty tall and narrow ink bottles; current fave for decanting J.Herbin are De Atramentis bottles bought from Goulet (currently on sale for $.65, I believe, reg. price is $.95). I like the De Atramentis bottles because they are simple and traditional, cheap, the caps are interchangeable with those of Diamine, and the volume (35-40 ml) accommodates J.Herbin's standard 30 ml easily without being over-the-top big; the hollow rim at the base lets you easily collect and extract the least amount left in the end with a syringe/eyedropper. Occasionally you even get a tiny ink sample of a previously not considered DeA ink, since the Goulets don't rinse the bottles - nothing big, but enough to do a quick swab and get hooked on the color...:)

Cob
April 10th, 2015, 03:13 PM
The Consumables Company:

www.theconsumablescompany.co.uk

Fantastic range, no minimum quantities. Also they supply some lovely large glass pipettes.

Cob

Chrissy
April 10th, 2015, 03:51 PM
Here are some 20ml (slightly over 1/2 oz) clear plastic vials from a good supplier in the U.S.

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin59a.html

PET plastic has very similar properties to Nalgene (i.e. polycarbonate) plastic, and is recyclable. (Nalgene is not.) This supplier, btw, is a gold mine of odd and useful containers at decent prices. While their main customers are small business manufacturers, they don't mind retail customers as well. Pricing is, of course, much better when you buy larger quantities.

Chrissy, I know this won't help you in the UK, but I would suggest doing some google searching for "cosmetics packaging suppliers" or something like that. There is a very active community of small-scale bath and body manufacturers over there, who must get their bottles from somewhere!

Thank you for that.

I bought my Nalgene half ounce bottles from Karst Sports last year while I was in the US. They were selling them off very cheaply because they were discontinued in the US. It was the only place I found them.

Chrissy
April 10th, 2015, 03:51 PM
The Consumables Company:

www.theconsumablescompany.co.uk

Fantastic range, no minimum quantities. Also they supply some lovely large glass pipettes.

Cob

Thank you Cob, they have some great things there. I even found racks for sample tubes!

kaisnowbird
April 10th, 2015, 04:55 PM
I do something similar: fill con with pipette, insert con into pen, expel a couple drops back into JH bottle.

Which I am, apparently, the only person on earth who likes.

That's exactly what I do, with both JH bottles and ink samples. :cheers:
I just hate wasting ink. Well, maybe half a drop, every now and then.

migo984
April 10th, 2015, 06:21 PM
Nalgene wide mouth bottles, in sizes from 15ml upwards, seem to be readily available. JustWrite get theirs from the Australian distributor ThermoFisher, which I think is a US company. JustWrite say they will have stocks of 30ml and 60ml soon. USplastic.com used to sell lots of different sizes of Nalgene containers although I haven't checked recently. I get sample vials etc from Magnacol when in the UK.

rafapa
April 10th, 2015, 11:56 PM
I prefer glass. I buy
http://www.bouteilles-et-bocaux.com/shop/Pots-de-confiture-et-bocaux/30ml-pot-decoratif.html?XTCsid=9d62846027aa7ccbdefa8d9b8030 dac8

migo984
April 11th, 2015, 12:04 AM
I prefer glass. I buy
http://www.bouteilles-et-bocaux.com/shop/Pots-de-confiture-et-bocaux/30ml-pot-decoratif.html?XTCsid=9d62846027aa7ccbdefa8d9b8030 dac8

Yes I definitely prefer glass when I'm at home but the amber Nalgene ones are perfect for travelling.

Cob
April 11th, 2015, 01:09 AM
The Consumables Company:

www.theconsumablescompany.co.uk

Fantastic range, no minimum quantities. Also they supply some lovely large glass pipettes.

Cob

Thank you Cob, they have some great things there. I even found racks for sample tubes!

Yes they do - and great service too, plus technical advice if needed.

Cob

Cob
April 11th, 2015, 01:23 AM
Meanwhile I have just bought three full bottles of Sheaffer Ink - just to get the inkwells! Mad.

I shall have two bottles of permanent red, one of blue and finally of course the peacock blue from Chrissy - thanks Chrissy!

I shall be seeking red ink enthusiasts - of course I want the bottles - I shall never use all that red ink! I already have Herbin's 1670, Diamine Crimson and Oxblood...

Cob

Chrissy
April 11th, 2015, 05:34 AM
Meanwhile I have just bought three full bottles of Sheaffer Ink - just to get the inkwells! Mad.

I shall have two bottles of permanent red, one of blue and finally of course the peacock blue from Chrissy - thanks Chrissy!

I shall be seeking red ink enthusiasts - of course I want the bottles - I shall never use all that red ink! I already have Herbin's 1670, Diamine Crimson and Oxblood...

Cob

I would love to find a couple of empty ones too. Which of the cap types are the best? The black ones or the gold ones?

ustamills
April 15th, 2015, 10:03 PM
Check it out! Got my bottles in and have swapped out my Encre Poussiere de Lune. It's perfect! Thanks again for the suggestion.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1812623/DSC_0085-01.png

Xina
April 15th, 2015, 10:57 PM
When I worked in biochemistry laboratories, we used lots of Nalgene bottles because they are pretty much inert to anything. Inks should pose no problems, because if an ink could harm Nalgene, it would really destroy your pens!

Jon Szanto
April 15th, 2015, 11:47 PM
I would love to find a couple of empty ones too. Which of the cap types are the best? The black ones or the gold ones?

Well, they aren't empty, but there is about 19 hours left on this batch (http://www.ebay.com/itm/131482558274?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT):

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/28EAAOSw7aBVJs57/$_57.JPG

I don't know that there is much difference in the lids, except that the gold colored ones would be newer. Some of the old ones, esp. if opened, are prone to rusting on the threads. I just clean them up, clean the rim of the bottle, and put a little silicone grease on the threads of the cap to ease things and cut down on rusting. Often the cap liner needs to be replaced as well.

Cob
April 16th, 2015, 02:56 AM
Meanwhile I have just bought three full bottles of Sheaffer Ink - just to get the inkwells! Mad.

I shall have two bottles of permanent red, one of blue and finally of course the peacock blue from Chrissy - thanks Chrissy!

I shall be seeking red ink enthusiasts - of course I want the bottles - I shall never use all that red ink! I already have Herbin's 1670, Diamine Crimson and Oxblood...

Cob

I would love to find a couple of empty ones too. Which of the cap types are the best? The black ones or the gold ones?

Well so far only one has arrived - the unbelievably RED permanent red; it's a very good red in fact. This one has a black metal cap which I am sure is fine.

Cob

mislav
April 16th, 2015, 03:39 AM
I bought small glass 15 ml empty bottles for inks on eBay. They costed me few bucks with shipping. I also have two glass syringes with needles for filling and emptying ink bottles. I like glass syringes because you can easily wash them in hot water without influence of high temperature on plastic or rubber.