Inkwells

[jbb]

I have, and use, quite a few inkwells. You?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6817143737_a8dde1dc8c_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6774443110_02687835d5_o.jpg

[piscov]

This one is gorgeous! !!

[jor412]

Completely ignorant about these things. What is the thing that looks like a pepper shaker for?

[jbb]

Completely ignorant about these things. What is the thing that looks like a pepper shaker for?

That's a pounce pot. Back in the day, fine sand or ground cuttlefish bone (?) was sprinkled on your paper to absorb wet ink. I've tried using fine white sand and it (sort of) works but makes quite a mess. You dust off the excess back into your pounce pot.

[jbb]

BTW, that eighteenth century looking inkwell is probably an early 20th century revival piece meant to look old.

I belive pounce pots traditionally have a concave lid to make putting sand back easier. This one doesn't.

[jor412]

Oh I see. So this is what Joseph Fiennes was doing in "Shakespeare in Love". :P It looked like talcum powder to me when he was pouring it on his manuscript. I imagine talc would cake though.

[jbb]

Oh I see. So this is what Joseph Fiennes was doing in "Shakespeare in Love". :P It looked like talcum powder to me when he was pouring it on his manuscript. I imagine talc would cake though.

LOL. I was going to mention that too.... that pouncing letters shows up a lot in movies. I agree, I don't think talc would work.

[jor412]

If I remember correctly, he kept his quill in a tomato when he wasn't using it. The whole things was fascinating -- sharpening, dipping, powdering. :p And the script seemed to be some kind of beautiful italic.

[jbb]

If I remember correctly, he kept his quill in a tomato when he wasn't using it. The whole things was fascinating -- sharpening, dipping, powdering. :p And the script seemed to be some kind of beautiful italic.

Mostly I remember a fabulous pearl necklace that Gwyneth Paltrow wore in one of the scenes. I guess I'm due to rewatch the movie. Any idea what purpose the tomato served?

[jor412]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

[Flake]

My ink wells feel deep shame now. Those are gorgeous.

Didn't know about the pounce pot though. That's an interesting thought. I wonder how well it worked then, I expect probably equally as messy.

[writingrav]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

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[Tracy Lee]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

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That is seriously ornate!!!

[thagbert]

Sort of related. I remember pounce from my days as a technical ink pen drafter. Drawing engineering drawings. Forget AutoCAD.

Pounce powder, but used somewhat differently.

http://www.dataprint.com/store/p-14453-alvin-pounce-cleaning-powder-3oz-1243.aspx

[writingrav]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

That is seriously ornate!!!
Indeed!

[jbb]

I have a few other small ones, but this is the one that adorns my desk. I have no idea of its history nor memory of where I acquired it. I've had it a long time

That's beautiful writingrav.

[woosang]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

To maybe stop it rusting? Old nibs rust as soon as you take the coating off and dip in ink

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[jor412]

That sounds more logical than my answer. :)

[jbb]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

To maybe stop it rusting? Old nibs rust as soon as you take the coating off and dip in ink

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

Shakespeare was pre-steel nibs.... his were feather quills.

[jor412]

Oh yeah that's right. The question was driving me a bit nuts just now so I googled it. Someone posited that the tomato was artistic license -- Tom Stoppard apparently has a thing for tomatoes.

[woosang]

Well, yes.. Was just thinking what tomato would use useful for.. Maybe cleaning? Iron gall can be hard to remove if it dries out

[OakIris]

To keep the quill moist? To keep it from drying out? I'm just guessing here. The tomato was marked with some holes blackened by ink.

To maybe stop it rusting? Old nibs rust as soon as you take the coating off and dip in ink

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I have read that tomato ketchup can be used to remove rust from stainless steel, so the acid in the tomato juice might help with this, but what would the tomato juice do to the ink when you dipped your pen covered with tomato juice back in it? Interesting. Of course, as jbb said, Shakespeare was writing long before dip pens with steel nibs were around. (Funny how I now concentrate on what people are writing with in movies and now actually recognize much of the pen paraphernalia displayed on desks in the "olden day" movies. How perspectives change depending upon what hobby you are currently addicted to!)

Some of you have some really fancy, nice looking inkwells; thank you for sharing photos of them! I only have a couple of inkwells, both made of glass, one is of Victorian made in England, the other is an early 20th century model made in New York:

Victorian era inkwell:

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Frank A. Weeks Mfg. double inkwell:

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The Victorian inkwell sits on my desk; it is filled with water so I can dip a pen nib in it if I have a hard starter. I really need to have fewer pens inked at a time so that none of the nibs have a chance to dry out in between uses :redface: but I like seeing the inkwell on my desk and this gives me a good excuse to leave it there!

Holly

[BikerBabe]

Those are some seriously gorgeous inkwells, guys! Thank you for sharing your photos.
It's always fascinating to learn more about what's out there. ;)

Here's my little collection:

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Red stone desk set.


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Glass, brass and soapstone.


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Brass.


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Pewter and glass - I think.


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Royal Copenhagen china. Unfortunately the lids are missing, I'm looking for replacement ones.


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Stained silver.


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Stained silver.


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Stained silver.

I use the little brass set on my desk as a pen tray. I don't dare to put ink in there, since I know myself - and my tendency to be a klutz. ;)

[OakIris]

Very nice looking inkwells, BikerBabe. I especially like the red stone set.

I may have to take a look at eBay offerings again, though I have no need or room for more inkwells.... I would like to get one with a screw on/sealed lid so that I could actually leave ink in it. Like most of the vintage ones available, mine were all made when dip pens were commonly used and no doubt they were filled up daily - or at least quite frequently - so ink evaporation was not a concern.

Holly

[fiberdrunk]

This is a flea market find that I need to find a cork for:

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This is my bunny inkwell for stick ink:

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Another flea market find:

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More often than not, I use the Pelikan TG-1 bottles with the built-in pen rests as inkwells. I quite like them. I only wish they came with amber glass instead of clear.

2169

[reprieve]

Beautiful inkwells, everyone! I've never seen one quite like BikerBabe's red stone set. Gorgeous.

[ThriveToScribe]

Oh yeah that's right. The question was driving me a bit nuts just now so I googled it. Someone posited that the tomato was artistic license -- Tom Stoppard apparently has a thing for tomatoes.

Like Steve Wozniac had a thing for Macintosh apples! (A craving that certainly took off!)