How do you fill your pens?

[Analogriter]

Hi everybody,

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I have a fairly stupid question. Let me know if I’m legit stupid or just didn’t get a good night sleep.

I have been buying those small packaged ink kits from Massdrop. You know, the ones that come in the 30mL bottles with the opening that only can fit a Metropolitan in. I have no luck filling any of my non-CC pens pass the first quarter ink of ink. I’m curious what everyone else does in this situation. I’m sure there must be a fair amount of people who have purchased those drops because the prices are quite attractive sometimes.

What I have been doing is pouring the ink into an empty ink bottle, i used an empty Caran d’Ache bottle, the bottle is so substantial and nice to say the least. But that bottle is not very ergonomically. If you guys/gals have gone down this route what bottles do you think is the best for this and if you took a different path please share.


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[Robert]

A Visconti traveling ink pot comes in handy in the situation you describe. Works well on piston and lever fills. I haven't tried it with a"power fill" system (yet). The Visconti ink pot works with most pens, but girth of the section (excessively thin or thick) may be a problem.

[KrazyIvan]

The Noodler's ink miser helps in this situation but I don't think it fits the smaller bottles. Look around for some Waterman ink bottles. Empties come up for sale every once in a while. The bottles have facets designed to allow the bottle to sit on its side for an easier fill when the ink level gets low. Not my photo but it gives you the idea.

Image property of departmentv.net
http://www.departmentv.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_1626.jpg

[Wuddus]

I have a few piston fillers, and the rest are cartridge/converter. I've had no problems filling the piston fillers from Diamine bottles so far, but it's easy to see the problem looming.

As to the inaccessible ink at the bottom of the bottle, I'll just use a syringe to fill carts and converters (yes, I fill converters with a syringe too - less mess and waste). I now have some vials which look like they'd be good for decanting ink into for the piston fillers - less diameter, and slightly pinted bottom inside.

If I got really desperate, I'll pull a nib and feed out, fill the piston filler with the syringe, and replace the nib and feed.

[ambimom]

gouletpens.com sells empty ink bottles, and the utterly fabulous $6 ink miser-shot inkwell, which I swear by. Ink miser also makes a gadget that you can insert into an ink bottle to get the very last drop in an ink bottle. I often fill empty cartridges or eyedropper conversions using the goulet syringe. Seems to me, your own solution of an empty ink bottle works just fine.

[welch]

I had a couple of empty Pelikan Edelstein bottles, and I bought a couple of Diamine 30ml plastic containers. Same problem as your: the Diamine 30ml is slender, hard to fill from it. The Edelstein bottle holds much less than it seems.

The best bottle is the old Sheaffer Skrip "topwell" bottle. EBay always has empties, and a half-full bottle of Skrip would have good ink. Waterman bottles, as mentioned above, have a handy "facet" (that's the name?). Current MontBlanc bottles look pretty good, too.

Here is a good selection of unopened Sheaffer ink at $8 each:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SHEAFFERS-SKRIP-INK-UNOPENED-FREE-SHIPPING-CHOOSE-YOUR-COLOR/282970650580?hash=item41e25d77d4:m:mdY2Ub_TDu5y3uM WjuSkE2Q

Here is an empty Sheaffer bottle (metal cap: check for rust and clean, of course):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sheaffers-Skrip-Fountain-Pen-Inkwell-Jar-Glass-Brockway-Ink-Bottle/202330893148?hash=item2f1bdc6b5c:g:m~EAAOSwuHJbE2M r

[FredRydr]

See: https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/22946-Favorite-ink-bottle?p=228269&viewfull=1#post228269

[Runnin_Ute]

Levenger bottles are some of the best. And they look good too.

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[Paddler]

I use Levenger bottles. These bottles have an insert that fills from the main reservoir and holds enough ink for a fill. Parker Penman bottles have this insert too.

[Pterodactylus]

There is also a reservoir solution available from Rohrer & Klingner called Erka-Rapid which can be bought independently from the bottles.
It is made for the R&K ink bottles but works also with others having the same diameter of the opening.

https://www.rohrer-klingner.de/?page_id=685&lang=en

[Sailor Kenshin]

Put the ink into a test tube or vial to fill.

[Spideysgirl]

I got blunt needle syringes from eBay and when the bottle gets low enough and I can't fill it anymore, I put a syringe in the bottle and draw up the ink. Then put the syringe into the converter and slowly press the plunger filling the converter. Any ink left in the syringe goes back into the bottle for the next time.

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[Wahl]

I use Montblanc bottles.

[Scrawler]

I got blunt needle syringes from eBay and when the bottle gets low enough and I can't fill it anymore, I put a syringe in the bottle and draw up the ink. Then put the syringe into the converter and slowly press the plunger filling the converter. Any ink left in the syringe goes back into the bottle for the next time.

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This is what I do, except that I use hypodermic syringes because I buy them in boxes of 100 from my pharmacy for medical use.

[Analogriter]

A Visconti traveling ink pot comes in handy in the situation you describe. Works well on piston and lever fills. I haven't tried it with a"power fill" system (yet). The Visconti ink pot works with most pens, but girth of the section (excessively thin or thick) may be a problem.

Thank you, I’ll look into that.


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[Analogriter]

The Noodler's ink miser helps in this situation but I don't think it fits the smaller bottles. Look around for some Waterman ink bottles. Empties come up for sale every once in a while. The bottles have facets designed to allow the bottle to sit on its side for an easier fill when the ink level gets low. Not my photo but it gives you the idea.

Image property of departmentv.net
http://www.departmentv.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_1626.jpg

Thanks, I checked the waterman out and it looks just like what I’m looking for.


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[Analogriter]

gouletpens.com sells empty ink bottles, and the utterly fabulous $6 ink miser-shot inkwell, which I swear by. Ink miser also makes a gadget that you can insert into an ink bottle to get the very last drop in an ink bottle. I often fill empty cartridges or eyedropper conversions using the goulet syringe. Seems to me, your own solution of an empty ink bottle works just fine.

Do you find the light weight of the ink miser to be a problem?


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[Analogriter]

I had a couple of empty Pelikan Edelstein bottles, and I bought a couple of Diamine 30ml plastic containers. Same problem as your: the Diamine 30ml is slender, hard to fill from it. The Edelstein bottle holds much less than it seems.

The best bottle is the old Sheaffer Skrip "topwell" bottle. EBay always has empties, and a half-full bottle of Skrip would have good ink. Waterman bottles, as mentioned above, have a handy "facet" (that's the name?). Current MontBlanc bottles look pretty good, too.

Here is a good selection of unopened Sheaffer ink at $8 each:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SHEAFFERS-SKRIP-INK-UNOPENED-FREE-SHIPPING-CHOOSE-YOUR-COLOR/282970650580?hash=item41e25d77d4:m:mdY2Ub_TDu5y3uM WjuSkE2Q

Here is an empty Sheaffer bottle (metal cap: check for rust and clean, of course):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sheaffers-Skrip-Fountain-Pen-Inkwell-Jar-Glass-Brockway-Ink-Bottle/202330893148?hash=item2f1bdc6b5c:g:m~EAAOSwuHJbE2M r

Thanks, I just brought 2 bottles of the Shaeffer Skrip ink.


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[Analogriter]

I had a couple of empty Pelikan Edelstein bottles, and I bought a couple of Diamine 30ml plastic containers. Same problem as your: the Diamine 30ml is slender, hard to fill from it. The Edelstein bottle holds much less than it seems.

The best bottle is the old Sheaffer Skrip "topwell" bottle. EBay always has empties, and a half-full bottle of Skrip would have good ink. Waterman bottles, as mentioned above, have a handy "facet" (that's the name?). Current MontBlanc bottles look pretty good, too.

Here is a good selection of unopened Sheaffer ink at $8 each:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-SHEAFFERS-SKRIP-INK-UNOPENED-FREE-SHIPPING-CHOOSE-YOUR-COLOR/282970650580?hash=item41e25d77d4:m:mdY2Ub_TDu5y3uM WjuSkE2Q

Here is an empty Sheaffer bottle (metal cap: check for rust and clean, of course):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Sheaffers-Skrip-Fountain-Pen-Inkwell-Jar-Glass-Brockway-Ink-Bottle/202330893148?hash=item2f1bdc6b5c:g:m~EAAOSwuHJbE2M r
Those bottles are really cool looking too.



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[Freddie]

Hi everybody,

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I have a fairly stupid question. Let me know if I’m legit stupid or just didn’t get a good night sleep.



What I have been doing is pouring the ink into an empty ink bottle, i used an empty Caran d’Ache bottle, the bottle is so substantial and nice to say the least. But that bottle is not very ergonomically. If you guys/gals have gone down this route what bottles do you think is the best for this and if you took a different path please share.


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We are. Perhaps both.......
Parker Penman
Skrip 2 or 4 oz.
Waterman
Namiki 60ml
Omas small or large
Fred
Ladies and Gents
I wish you peace and productivity
Me earworm,
something told me that it was over...baby
when I saw you..when I saw you..with that girl
And y'all know what I'm talkin' 'bout
I'd rather be blind

[adhoc]

Most of the time I just use a blunt syringe, even for my Pelikan piston fillers. It’s just less messy. My nib isn’t dirty and the “rust collar” beneath the nib stays dry.

I don’t understand the hype behind Montblanc bottles either, as the secondary compartment is too shallow for large nibs anyway.

[View from the Loft]

I find the Lamy bottles to be the best of the modern bottles. I have three empty ones which are refilled when other bottles become problematic.

[NibsForScript]

I like the Caran d'Ache bottles. I get empties from Goulet or Anderson. I like the angle.