Interested in opinions on ink bottles. I have some favorites and a few pet peeves on this subject, I'm sure many of you do as well!

First off, I like the *idea* of reservoirs that allow using more of the ink without resorting to consolidating your almost empty writing fluid of choice into a fresh bottle of the same color, or using the dregs for a mixing project. In reality though, many seemingly great solutions aren't so hot... I like the old Montblanc bottles with the small forward compartment right under the cap and Lamy bottles with their deep center well actually deliver all but the last few drops of ink, the Sailor insert also seems pretty functional (haven't lived with it long) as long as you don't have a large nib to fit in the cup. On the other hand the Pilot Iroshizuku dimple seems largely symbolic, though I have yet to drain a bottle, so I have no evidence to back that hunch up... Vintage Sheaffer bottles work fairly well, but the side reservoir is shallow and can't accommodate pens that need to be dipped deeply to fill. Conceptually my favorite (though a bit scary to use) solution is the faceted Waterman bottles, but to really get the last of the ink out, you need three hands to hold the bottle at the right angle, so functionally they come in pretty far down the list. I'm sure that there are a bunch I've missed or never seen, so let me know about them and how well they work (or don't).

Next, what's your opinion of "premium" ink bottles? Forget function, I'm just talking about the look... Sure, a bottle should have a unique profile and/or labeling to identify its brand, but heavy/ornate glass and fancy tops don't add value in my world, in fact they kind of put me off; it seems to me that the *ink* is the reason I'm buying this product, so either give me more of it for the same price, or lower the price, either way I have no interest in a bottle so fancy that it pushes the price up by more than a dollar or two compared to a "regular" bottle. Full disclosure: I *hate* the opaque plastic Noodler's bottles and dislike the cheesy little Diamine bottles, so I'm not without my own brand of bottle snobbery

Now on to lid seals... this used to be one of my biggest gripes, but thankfully the supply chain for screw-top packaging has joined the 21st century and I don't have to worry about paper or rubber cap seals any more! Having a cap seal that won't crack, leak, absorb ink, stick to the bottle mouth, or crumble into your ink is such a great feature, thanks ink makers!