Originally Posted by
Jon Szanto
Sorry I've not been paying attention...
I think Gary (above) is right: once the gaskets get hard they don't seal, but I think it is mainly to keep things tidy and not have the lid fly off or the ink get out. These used to be used in public places. To at least snug it up, you might be able to wrap some Teflon tape around it a bit.
I often wondered if it made sense to have that gasket seal well and then to find some way to make a tighter seal where the pen goes, maybe an o-ring. I say this because the worst part about these is the gradual evaporation of the liquid. If it was a high-use object, you'd use the ink up with writing, but if it sets on the desk more often than is used, the ink starts to dry. I got in the habit of putting a couple drops of water in every so often, just so it wouldn't get thick and then have a tendancy to take a long time to dry. Fun objects but they need to be utilized a certain way.