Ink contamination

[melissa59]

I just read in another thread that it's not good to empty the ink from your pen back into the bottle.
Ooops! I've already done that several times with my Noodler's Konrad and Noodler's BP Black ink (which is the only full-size bottle I own.)

Now I'm curious ...
What kind(s) of contamination should we worry about?
Does it have to do with mold that I've heard some people say they have problems with?
Is it because flecks of dried stuff can drop in the fresh ink?
Or ????

Also, is there a best way to store ink?
For instance, are they best stored in a dark cupboard rather than a sunny window sill? Do they last longer if stored in the fridge, or can the cold dampness cause problems?

[Pinkys.Brain]

A normal drawer should be a good enough place to store ink bottles.

[geoduc]

The concern is that you'll introduce mold or fungal spores and ruin the whole bottle of ink. I don't know how often that really happens, though. Inks have biocides to prevent growth, but some are better than others.

I would recommend against storing inks on a sunny window sill because some dyes can break down with UV exposure, plus it encourages biological growth. A desk drawer is good or a dark closet shelf. I haven't heard of anyone keeping them in the refrigerator.

[writingrav]

Mine are all kept comfortably in a drawer. I think not returning the ink to the bottle is a good general rule, and like all good general rules, is meant to be broken. For example, when I fill a pen twice in a row from the same bottle I don't worry that the small amount of ink still in the feed is going to get pushed back into the bottle before the new ink gets sucked into the pen. Similarly, once in awhile if I have a whole barrel of ink in a pen and decide its just not the right pen, I might put the ink back in the bottle. Modern inks shouldn't develop fungi so easily. That said, superstitious or not, most of the time I will dump the old ink out rather than put it back in the bottle.

[goldiesdad]

I store mine in a wooden box ... I never put ink back into the bottle just throw it away if I still have some in ... Just my pet pea I guess ...

[KrazyIvan]

I also store my ink in the original box and in a small wooden box.


2011-08-28 15.49.44.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr


2011-08-28 15.50.11.jpg by IvanRomero, on Flickr

The ink contamination or SITB (Stuff in the bottle- I am being nice with the S) as it is referred to is possible and I have heard many get slimed. It has not happened to me but I don't put ink back in the bottle.

[melissa59]

Thanks, everyone.

It seems that the same sort of contamination could occur from anything on the nib or feed, not just the reintroduction of ink from the pen. Maybe I'll use a transfer pipette and sample bottles for future bottled ink purchases until I can better educate myself on the subject--or until I get tired of transferring. :-)

I kind of guessed that a window sill was not a good place, though I think the ink bottles would look pretty with the light shining through. And I wondered about the fridge because I read something once about inks that could withstand freezing temperatures. A few years back, people kept their film in the fridge/freezer to prolong its life.

My sole bottle of ink is in the original box, sitting on an open shelf. Most likely, I will make room for them in my antique writing desk--which I never use for writing. I like Ivan's idea of using a large cigar box. Maybe I'll check out the craft store and see what kinds of unfinished boxes are available.

[manoeuver]

Don't sweat it Melissa, life is too short. It's not likely you'll wreck a bottle of ink and if you do they'll make more.

Best way to empty a pen is to write with it.

[jfsisler]

Best way to empty a pen is to write with it.

This should be on t-shirts. Seriously