I really like the Waterman bottles. I think they strike a good balance between looks and functionality, because the geometric design is kinda unique and when ink gets low, the bottle can be tilted on it's side.
I accidently dropped my bottle of Iroshizuku Kon Peki today, and thankfully, it did not break nor the cap crack. I sat there gasping and praying at the same time (LOL). After that I looked at my Noodler's Walnut ink, in the plastic bottle, with a different set of appreciative eyes.
No mention of the absolute best bottle design? Lamy bottles have the dimple thing in the middle to get much of the last ink out. They have a wide mouth to fit all pens. They are wide and circular and more wide than tall so hard to knock over. They come with a spool of cleaning paper built-in. They have some of the bauhaus function over form thing going on without looking ugly. They're also extremely durable. I used to throw them in my bag to take to work. And the best part is that you can pull off the plastic bottom spool-holder and then use the bottle as a freaking spinning top!!!!11 BRIAN! A SPINNING TOP!!!
jsdzbl I had a Lamy bottle in a bookcase that fell over in an earthquake, I was afraid my books would be ruined. Bottle shrugged it and is still going strong
The Lamy bottles are a design classic. They're so very Lamy. While Pilot goes all-in for breathtaking beauty (IMHO anyway), Lamy comes in with a cheaper sturdy piece of Bauhaus functionality. Perfectly designed to accomplish being a thing to hold your ink without spilling it. It just happens to be exceptionally good at doing the whole ink bottle thing, which is a big plus. I never use the spool of blotting paper but I completely appreciate being given the option.
I always loved Lamy's bottles. They have the small indent on the bottom like the iroshizuko inks so that you can get a full fill, the opening is quite wide, and it includes a roll of blotting paper on the bottle, incredibly practical.
Akkerman bottles. It wins so hard it's not even a contest. It redefines "best" in best ink bottle. I have refilled empty Akkerman bottles with both 'Kung Te Cheng' and 'Heart of darkness'. I have two more empty or almost empty bottles. I have just not decided which inks to refill them with yet. Akkerman inks are not expensive and just the bottle is worth the price. A few their best inks are 'KoninginneNach Blauw', 'Voorhout Violet', 'Bekakt Haags' and 'Shocking Blue'. And by "best" I mean fairly lightfast and dignified. But if you want fugitive and pretty colors, Akkerman have those too.
IMHO There is no better more practical, aesthetically pleasing and "considerate" (comes with its own role of blotting paper tape!) ink bottle than Lamy's. It is the perfect size, the perfect height (depth) that it won't soak the entire pen when dipping in for a refill, includes a recessed ink well at the bottom to get every last drop...again another rarity in ink bottles unless you want to shell out $30+ bucks for Iroshizuko, (which in my opinion is too tall and overrated), has the perfect diameter-top opening, the aforementioned roll of blotting paper(why don't more company's do this?!), is a terrific value ($11.00-17.00!) AND it's made of glass...my preferred ink bottle medium. Leave it to the Germans to think of so many things in one simple package. The only drawback to the brand, and it is a fairly significant one, is that they don't offer more "flavors". You basically get chocolate or vanilla. BUT if you're ok w/ basic blue, black, blue-black (my personal favorite) then go for it!
Yes, and I like the bottle's old-school "Out of the Inkwell" look. I also find Lamy's black ink highly resistant to smearing when using colored markers over it. (It's not considered waterproof, but it is way more "marker-proof" than Noodler's black, for example.)
Looks like a lot of people have the same idea as I do; *Lamy*! There's an indent at the bottom, wide bottle neck, it's deep enough, holds respectable volume, looks modern (enough), and has a built-in blotting paper roll at the bottom to clean up the mess. Also they're basically impossible to knock or tip over when you're filling a pen since they're so wide. Oh god I love Lamy bottles. They're not super pretty but come on now; then again I'm more of a function over form guy. GERMAN EFFICIENCY
The new Caran d'Ache bottles you also need to keep the box. When standing in the box, it allows you to get down very deep for the last ink. I agree with the others that arguably the best and least expensive of the functional custom bottles is Lamy. $10.50 for a 50ml bottle that is hard to knock over and easy to fill from with the dimple in the bottom for getting the last ink. It may not be the most beautiful, but its far from the least as well.
I honestly can’t believe you didn’t mention waterman ink bottles. They are very attractive with their faceted sides and also functional because when the ink gets low you can rest it on the side facets to keep at a tilt so you can use most of the ink.
I like the Waterman faceted bottles which can be put on any of their flat sides as the ink level reduces, which helps with filling by giving me options. They're also not unattractive and are pretty sturdy for their price. My Iroshizukus will always be the winner though.
Parker Quink A very wide mouth so you can tilt the bottle and get the last drop of ink out of the corners That what we used in school 50 years ago And it is the same bottle
Diamine 30ml bottles are my favorite. Primarily because I don't have to overspend paying for more ink than I actually need and they are great for travel. However the opening can be a bit small for some pens. But I also like the funny and unique labels on Noodler's bottles.
I was surprised that you did not mention the Mont Blanc 60 ml bottle! At this point, I am stocking up on empty Pilot Iroshizuku bottles. I would suggest that your viewers seek out as many "Ink Bottle Reviews" as they can possibly find on UA-cam. My first was "What to look for in an ink bottle" by Pens & Tea.
My favourite bottle is the Montblanc 60 mL. The elongated shape just gives it an amazing look and the large opening accommodates a wide variety of pen sizes.
You left out bottles with facets that allow them to stand securely while tilted, like Waterman or Pelikan 4001 bottles. I thinkt the "Pelikan 4001 bottles" (I'll call them that, even though they're not proprietary and used by a couple of other ink-makers, such as Kaweco, too) are classic almost to the point of nostalgia and undoubtably practical - wide openings, low centre of gravity, which makes it almost impossible to accidentally tilt them over, and tilting them deliberately onto one of the facets allows get most of the ink out of the bottle without using ink syringes and other funny buisiness.
Sort of/sort of not off topic: opening those boxes without tearing them. Just slip something narrow and flat (like a letter opener or knife) under the box top, push the flap of the box away from the hinge (?) side, and if necessary, give the little edges of the flap a poke with the tip of the letter opener (or whatever) so the side flaps don't catch them any more. Gads, it's difficult to put it into words! But I hope it makes sense...?
The Akkerman bottle is hard to beat on both counts - it works exactly as advertised and looks like some kind of medieval ink flacon ... how cool is that? Getting your hands on one isn't as straightforward as using it though unless you are in the Netherlands, but it's worth the hassle and expense. Three bottles of Waterman fit in just nicely. :-) Honorable mention for the Montblanc shoe and the Levenger bottles with the insert, (I think Sailor do much the same - is that right)? Otherwise I don't care for fancy glass, and the Private Reserve bottle seems just about perfect.
Very late to the party, but I agree with you on the larger glass Diamine bottles. The plastic 30ml ones, however, are up there with Citadel paint pots for impracticality.
Well, in terms of practicality I would say that Sailor bottles are great, with a plastic inner liner similar to the one on TWSBI large inkwell that allow to use most ink in the bottle. Another superior ink bottle is the Akkerman one, with its strange shape inspired by old Waterman bottles: being made of rather rough glass, they remind of the twenties or thirties and look reat. Then the shape seems old fashioned, but is a clever recreation and a brilliant design, with the narrower cylindrical upper section and the marble which allows to fill this upper section whose bottom is conical, and by so doing using almost all the ink in the bottle. I know you only carry the TWSBI inkwell, but I find these 2 bottles and the mentionned inkwell superior in practical design to all others. The Pilot Iroshizuku are, as you say, both well designed and beautiful. Another interesting and cheap bottle is the Lamy one.
Excellent book selection. Brian was up on it before Zoom meeting shelf design was fad. These videos continue to be relevant. May God continue to bless you and your family, Brian!
Back before you were born, here in the US we normally used Sheaffer Skrip or Parker Quink. No one gave a damn about the silly bottles. Skrip bottles, the ones with the Snorkel side well, are still the best I've ever used. I like the modernistic Lamy bottles and the Waterman bottles. A few decades ago I had a bunch of Montblanc fp's and used that design. For me, they're overpriced pens and overpriced inks. Great little video!
Years past Parker had the diamond shaped bottle, Sheaffer bottles had the ink well in the side and now have the domed bottom so you can tip it when it gets low, Diamine has the pie shaped bottles 8 to a circle and the footed bottle with one corner low inside.
I kinda like the noodlers bottles cause the labels are actually really cool and the plastic is a little boring plus you can't tell how much is left like the glass but I do like them.
+Syd leigh Yeah, the artwork on the Noodler's bottles is definitely unique! You're also in luck, because they are bringing back Noodler's glass bottles so you should see those filter through in the next couple of months! - Colin
The older Private Reserve ink bottles were oval, much nicer than the current ones. But, I do like their ink, and I prefer it to the Herbin ink. I haven't ventured into those higher-priced inks yet, but I keep looking at Yama-Budo. Nice video, thanks.
+The Goulet Pen Company Hi, thanks. I have Black Swan in Australian Roses (the old formula, before it got changed), and they look a bit similar. But we'll see.
Bryan you failed to mention Lamy bottles. They may not look as good as Pilot Iro bottles but they come with a roll of blotting paper and the end of the bottle is really tapered to get the last few drops.
Personal preference - Iroshizuku is a great bottle, and also Sailor Jentle - it's a rather standard shaped bottle, but it has a plastic insert that allows you to get a lot of the ink out.
Speaking in behalf of Private Reserve's design; I use that ink with dip pens too because it's so easy to dip both the regular and oblique dip pens into the wide opening. Just sayin' LOL - love everything you do!
Ah you forgot Lamy!!!! most functional bottle ever, and I actually think they're very attractive in a very no-BS German sort of way. Plus there's that awesome blotting roll on the bottom!
From a guy who uses inks for drawing with a nib and holder (which of course means I'm dipping into the bottle more often than if you were filling a fountain pen or pens) I wouldnt trust the pilot bottle for that. It's just too tall. Heavy won't save it from my level of clumsiness. I know it's not really meant for my application but if it is possible that a dip pen can use it and the color is special I'll use it even if it means breaking open a handful of cartridges it's all about the color and finish really. And I'm not a master of mixing and creating colors yet. All that being said: the best bottles I've used for dip pen tomfoolery are: the Waterman (of course), the 90ml Monteverde (good luck tipping that thing over) and one youll probably never see: the old Schaeffer Skrip ink bottles. it looks like a regular squat cylindrical glass jar and wide mouth steel screw on cap. But the cap is actually a higher gauge steel than is necessary and the cap has a strengthened watertight gusset. Because on the inside is a glass partial cone filled by tipping it upside down. The cone keeps a little pool of ink available for dipping your nib into right at the top. I have my cheap black India inks in there
My favorite three. Platinum bottles: square base for space efficiency, has internal ink well. Noodler's glass: maximum space efficiency with a no BS design. Perfect either with an ink misers or a pen that can be filled with one hand. The height and opening size of the bottle is just so you can tilt the bottle with one hand and reach down for the last drops of ink with the pen. Lamy: elegant German engineering. The thick glass makes these really tough. I've dropped them without breaking them. The glass dimple servers as an internal ink well, the plastic base adds some character and holds blotting paper in the 50ml bottle. The 30ml bottle is a highly functional traveling ink well that's highly rugged (the glass is as thick as those in the 50ml bottle), whilst the 50ml is a great desktop ink well. I would like to see a version where the glass bottle itself is square.
I love the 18th Century look and feel of the Monteverde ink bottles. Is there any chance some of these bottles will be sold empty so we can decant ink from purely utilitarian sources?
+Loyd Phillips We have that right here normally, we're out at the moment. When we have more, we'll list them: www.gouletpens.com/empty-ink-bottles/c/306 -Brian Goulet
My favourite bottle by far is the PW Akkerman Dutch Masters 4 once hourglass bottle. It has a marble in the neck of the bottle. You turn the bottle upside down to fill the upper reservoir. Than twist the top off the bottle and fill your pen. Than place the cap back on the bottle. And, as far as being pleasant too look at . It looks better than any other I have seen so far !!!!!!!!!
100% agree, Duane - the shape of Akkerman’s bottle is unique & beautiful, and the marble “valve” to store ink in the upper chamber is ingenious and practical. The intelligence of this design delights me every time I fill my pen - which is more than I can say about most ink bottles. A practical tip if you’re stuck with a more standard, “flat-base bottle” - keep a small bean-bag handy on your desk so you can set the bottle at a angle when you need to draw up the dregs of the ink from the bottom…
@@xanthias2001 I will be sharing your Bean Bag suggestion with others. I think it is quite brilliant. Thanks for suggesting the trick to me. I myself won’t be using the hack. As I have Akkerman bottles. And, just syringe other inks into them when there empty. But, I have no doubt that others struggle with other manufacturers bottle designs. And, will find this suggestion both useful and, interesting.
Don't know if you guys actively check old videos, but what's your opinions on the Levenger bottles? I love the look of them and the majority of people I've asked who've tried them say they're incredibly well-designed
great question and informative answer! what would be your opinion on decanting an ink into another bottle, either a used up ink bottle or another container for aesthetic purposes or for a more usable container? Have you ever done it and/or what would be your concerns about doing it?
The caps on the Faber Castell bottles are too slippery and a pain to open. I have to cover my desk when I get my moss green off the shelf for fear of slipping as I open it and spilling ink everywhere. If you're reading this Faber Castell, take note.
The Noodler's bottles are a bit too tall to play well with certain vintage pens. The Esterbrook SJ, for example. After a while, the entire lever mechanism is obstructed by the mouth of the bottle.
Yeah, I can see how that'd be an issue. I love using the Ink Miser with the Noodler's 3oz bottles so the ink remains towards the top, easy for filling. Probably could be useful for vintage pens as well: www.gouletpens.com/ink-miser-intra-bottle-inkwell-black/p/IM-11000 - Colin
Hello! I just got my first fountain pen by accident and I'm....kind of addicted. I found a LAMY Safari fountain pen by accident and it is my new favorite tool. Now it's a bit strange because my first love is water color painting. I would like to incorporate more ink in different colors so I am thinking about getting a converter and some primary colors of ink in bottles. I want to get ink very similar to what comes in a cartridge that I found with the pen because I LOVE that it is water soluble but I don't know what I am looking for while shopping. Can you help me (even with links to your shop for visual reference if you could) by suggesting some brands and what terms I am looking for on labels when I shop?
Was the cartridge that came in the pen blue? The Lamy Blue cartridges are the ones that come with the pen, but it's possible it could have been different. Once you switch to a converter, Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-iroshizuku-ajisai-50ml-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/PN69211) is a very similar color. Same with Monteverde Malibu Blue (www.gouletpens.com/monteverde-malibu-blue-90ml-bottled-ink/p/MV-G308BU). As far as properties, you just want to avoid inks with strong water resistance. JetPens actually has a great article on different Water-Soluble inks to help fill in the gaps too: www.jetpens.com/blog/water-soluble-fountain-pen-inks/pt/911 - Colin
I have a Sheaffer Snorkel, so just about any of them will work, but I do like the Iroshizuku bottles. In terms of invoking my ire, I dislike the J. Herbin 1670 bottles.
Thank you very much. After watching your videos i have purchased Lamy Safari and Jinhao X750 pen, waiting for it to arrive. Your videos are very helpful. Please keep making them.
I haven't found any pens that haven't fit in the opening. It gets tricky when the ink level is low as it's hard to tilt the pen at the right angle. Definitely recommend getting an Ink Miser inkwell to help with that: www.gouletpens.com/ink-miser-ink-shot-inkwell-black/p/IM-11001 - Colin
Lamy uses proprietary cartridges/converter. So if you want to use cartridges, you need to stick with Lamy (like Lamy Blue). If you have a Lamy converter, you can use any fountain pen ink. - Colin
I actually love the design of Noodler's, it looks like those old (vintage, meh) medicine bottles and what nots, I just have some fetish with that, I can't exlain that. Always liked to save old glass bottles and flasks, my mom and dad, and my wife, always complain about that. I find pilot's design to be somewhat interesting, not exactly what floats my goat, but yes, very nice. Runner-up to that is the faber castell, the rest it's too much meh-ness for me. One of my dreams is to find one of those giant noodler's bottles in one of the awesome colours...
This is not about the bottle but, I wonder why a lot of ink bottles doesn't have good label design. Sometimes they're downright ugly. The De Atramentis, Private Reserve, Monteverde, etc. labels looks very basic and boring, feels like it was made in MS Paint. Noodler's logo looks like MS Word wordart. They need to work on their branding imo.
I think amount of resources plays a big part in the label itself. Both De Atramentis & Noodler's are very small operations (1 person), so I think they're time is spent making the inks instead of design elements. Very utilitarian. That said, I do think more effort could be made to add an element of style & uniqueness to each bottle through the label. - Colin
I really like the Waterman bottles. I think they strike a good balance between looks and functionality, because the geometric design is kinda unique and when ink gets low, the bottle can be tilted on it's side.
I absolutely agree with that!
I totally agree:)
I accidently dropped my bottle of Iroshizuku Kon Peki today, and thankfully, it did not break nor the cap crack. I sat there gasping and praying at the same time (LOL). After that I looked at my Noodler's Walnut ink, in the plastic bottle, with a different set of appreciative eyes.
i think thats quite unlikely. they are made to withstand large drops, hence the glass is so thick.
I once dropped a nutella jar and it didn't break
No mention of the absolute best bottle design? Lamy bottles have the dimple thing in the middle to get much of the last ink out. They have a wide mouth to fit all pens. They are wide and circular and more wide than tall so hard to knock over. They come with a spool of cleaning paper built-in. They have some of the bauhaus function over form thing going on without looking ugly. They're also extremely durable. I used to throw them in my bag to take to work. And the best part is that you can pull off the plastic bottom spool-holder and then use the bottle as a freaking spinning top!!!!11
BRIAN!
A SPINNING TOP!!!
jsdzbl I had a Lamy bottle in a bookcase that fell over in an earthquake, I was afraid my books would be ruined. Bottle shrugged it and is still going strong
The Lamy bottles are a design classic. They're so very Lamy. While Pilot goes all-in for breathtaking beauty (IMHO anyway), Lamy comes in with a cheaper sturdy piece of Bauhaus functionality. Perfectly designed to accomplish being a thing to hold your ink without spilling it. It just happens to be exceptionally good at doing the whole ink bottle thing, which is a big plus. I never use the spool of blotting paper but I completely appreciate being given the option.
I always loved Lamy's bottles. They have the small indent on the bottom like the iroshizuko inks so that you can get a full fill, the opening is quite wide, and it includes a roll of blotting paper on the bottle, incredibly practical.
+Charles Earle They look pretty odd, but they are very functional! -Brian Goulet
Akkerman bottles. It wins so hard it's not even a contest. It redefines "best" in best ink bottle. I have refilled empty Akkerman bottles with both 'Kung Te Cheng' and 'Heart of darkness'. I have two more empty or almost empty bottles. I have just not decided which inks to refill them with yet. Akkerman inks are not expensive and just the bottle is worth the price. A few their best inks are 'KoninginneNach Blauw', 'Voorhout Violet', 'Bekakt Haags' and 'Shocking Blue'. And by "best" I mean fairly lightfast and dignified. But if you want fugitive and pretty colors, Akkerman have those too.
IMHO There is no better more practical, aesthetically pleasing and "considerate" (comes with its own role of blotting paper tape!) ink bottle than Lamy's. It is the perfect size, the perfect height (depth) that it won't soak the entire pen when dipping in for a refill, includes a recessed ink well at the bottom to get every last drop...again another rarity in ink bottles unless you want to shell out $30+ bucks for Iroshizuko, (which in my opinion is too tall and overrated), has the perfect diameter-top opening, the aforementioned roll of blotting paper(why don't more company's do this?!), is a terrific value ($11.00-17.00!) AND it's made of glass...my preferred ink bottle medium. Leave it to the Germans to think of so many things in one simple package. The only drawback to the brand, and it is a fairly significant one, is that they don't offer more "flavors". You basically get chocolate or vanilla. BUT if you're ok w/ basic blue, black, blue-black (my personal favorite) then go for it!
PartiZAn18 can you get those in bottled inks? I've only seen them in cartridge format. Blue, black, blue-black however is widely available.
Don't forget the Turquoise.. I think it's the best Lamy (basic) ink. Beautiful sheen
Yes, and I like the bottle's old-school "Out of the Inkwell" look. I also find Lamy's black ink highly resistant to smearing when using colored markers over it. (It's not considered waterproof, but it is way more "marker-proof" than Noodler's black, for example.)
Looks like a lot of people have the same idea as I do; *Lamy*! There's an indent at the bottom, wide bottle neck, it's deep enough, holds respectable volume, looks modern (enough), and has a built-in blotting paper roll at the bottom to clean up the mess. Also they're basically impossible to knock or tip over when you're filling a pen since they're so wide. Oh god I love Lamy bottles. They're not super pretty but come on now; then again I'm more of a function over form guy.
GERMAN EFFICIENCY
+RusticKey Yeah, the Lamy bottle is definitely top-notch. Good choice! - Colin
The new Caran d'Ache bottles you also need to keep the box. When standing in the box, it allows you to get down very deep for the last ink.
I agree with the others that arguably the best and least expensive of the functional custom bottles is Lamy. $10.50 for a 50ml bottle that is hard to knock over and easy to fill from with the dimple in the bottom for getting the last ink. It may not be the most beautiful, but its far from the least as well.
akkerman bottles have to be the cooler-practical bottle i know of
I honestly can’t believe you didn’t mention waterman ink bottles. They are very attractive with their faceted sides and also functional because when the ink gets low you can rest it on the side facets to keep at a tilt so you can use most of the ink.
Waterman ink bottles are the nicest. Yes. :)
I like the Waterman faceted bottles which can be put on any of their flat sides as the ink level reduces, which helps with filling by giving me options. They're also not unattractive and are pretty sturdy for their price. My Iroshizukus will always be the winner though.
Parker Quink
A very wide mouth so you can tilt the bottle and get the last drop of ink out of the corners
That what we used in school 50 years ago
And it is the same bottle
Diamine 30ml bottles are my favorite. Primarily because I don't have to overspend paying for more ink than I actually need and they are great for travel. However the opening can be a bit small for some pens.
But I also like the funny and unique labels on Noodler's bottles.
Pilot "standard" bottles (blue, black & blue/black) are the best, imho...
Having gotten bottles of ink from J. Herbin, Diamine, De Atramentis, and Lamy, Lamy is definitely my favorite.
I was surprised that you did not mention the Mont Blanc 60 ml bottle! At this point, I am stocking up on empty Pilot Iroshizuku bottles. I would suggest that your viewers seek out as many "Ink Bottle Reviews" as they can possibly find on UA-cam. My first was "What to look for in an ink bottle" by Pens & Tea.
Waterman ink bottle is very practical too
"Life is a trade off" - gotta love that quote 👍
My favourite bottle is the Montblanc 60 mL. The elongated shape just gives it an amazing look and the large opening accommodates a wide variety of pen sizes.
You left out bottles with facets that allow them to stand securely while tilted, like Waterman or Pelikan 4001 bottles. I thinkt the "Pelikan 4001 bottles" (I'll call them that, even though they're not proprietary and used by a couple of other ink-makers, such as Kaweco, too) are classic almost to the point of nostalgia and undoubtably practical - wide openings, low centre of gravity, which makes it almost impossible to accidentally tilt them over, and tilting them deliberately onto one of the facets allows get most of the ink out of the bottle without using ink syringes and other funny buisiness.
Sort of/sort of not off topic: opening those boxes without tearing them.
Just slip something narrow and flat (like a letter opener or knife) under the box top, push the flap of the box away from the hinge (?) side, and if necessary, give the little edges of the flap a poke with the tip of the letter opener (or whatever) so the side flaps don't catch them any more.
Gads, it's difficult to put it into words! But I hope it makes sense...?
The Akkerman bottle is hard to beat on both counts - it works exactly as advertised and looks like some kind of medieval ink flacon ... how cool is that? Getting your hands on one isn't as straightforward as using it though unless you are in the Netherlands, but it's worth the hassle and expense. Three bottles of Waterman fit in just nicely. :-) Honorable mention for the Montblanc shoe and the Levenger bottles with the insert, (I think Sailor do much the same - is that right)? Otherwise I don't care for fancy glass, and the Private Reserve bottle seems just about perfect.
I was wondering where PW Akkerman would be mentioned :) Great bottles indeed! And I'm lucky enough to life right where they're sold ;)
GenWivern2 Private reserve have great bottles. Their problem is the logo. Definitely could use an update.
:-) You know, I think you may have a point!
No Diamine? I like their bottles a lot in terms of both functionality and design.
I've had really good results with them also, not to mention the selection!
Very late to the party, but I agree with you on the larger glass Diamine bottles. The plastic 30ml ones, however, are up there with Citadel paint pots for impracticality.
Well, in terms of practicality I would say that Sailor bottles are great, with a plastic inner liner similar to the one on TWSBI large inkwell that allow to use most ink in the bottle. Another superior ink bottle is the Akkerman one, with its strange shape inspired by old Waterman bottles: being made of rather rough glass, they remind of the twenties or thirties and look reat. Then the shape seems old fashioned, but is a clever recreation and a brilliant design, with the narrower cylindrical upper section and the marble which allows to fill this upper section whose bottom is conical, and by so doing using almost all the ink in the bottle. I know you only carry the TWSBI inkwell, but I find these 2 bottles and the mentionned inkwell superior in practical design to all others. The Pilot Iroshizuku are, as you say, both well designed and beautiful. Another interesting and cheap bottle is the Lamy one.
I love how TGPC is so responsive with their community
Excellent book selection. Brian was up on it before Zoom meeting shelf design was fad. These videos continue to be relevant. May God continue to bless you and your family, Brian!
Surprised to not see Waterman mentioned in this video...
+u_dun_goofed It could just as easily have been. It should get an honorable mention ;) -Brian Goulet
Back before you were born, here in the US we normally used Sheaffer Skrip or Parker Quink. No one gave a damn about the silly bottles. Skrip bottles, the ones with the Snorkel side well, are still the best I've ever used. I like the modernistic Lamy bottles and the Waterman bottles. A few decades ago I had a bunch of Montblanc fp's and used that design. For me, they're overpriced pens and overpriced inks. Great little video!
Honestly I love the look of noodlers. The glass work isn’t super intricate but they always have cute little pictures and super practical
Years past Parker had the diamond shaped bottle, Sheaffer bottles had the ink well in the side and now have the domed bottom so you can tip it when it gets low, Diamine has the pie shaped bottles 8 to a circle and the footed bottle with one corner low inside.
I think Noodler's bottles gain a lot in the label, that makes them collectible and lovable, IMHO
I too love the labels :D
+José Ignacio Silva Yes, that is definitely an extra! :) -Margaret
+The Goulet Pen Company That replaces any fancy detail, in my opinion :)
+DC21 :)
I kinda like the noodlers bottles cause the labels are actually really cool and the plastic is a little boring plus you can't tell how much is left like the glass but I do like them.
+Syd leigh Yeah, the artwork on the Noodler's bottles is definitely unique! You're also in luck, because they are bringing back Noodler's glass bottles so you should see those filter through in the next couple of months! - Colin
The older Private Reserve ink bottles were oval, much nicer than the current ones. But, I do like their ink, and I prefer it to the Herbin ink. I haven't ventured into those higher-priced inks yet, but I keep looking at Yama-Budo. Nice video, thanks.
+Sashine B. Yama-Budo is beautiful. Maybe try a sample? ;) -Margaret
+The Goulet Pen Company Hi, thanks. I have Black Swan in Australian Roses (the old formula, before it got changed), and they look a bit similar. But we'll see.
Bryan you failed to mention Lamy bottles. They may not look as good as Pilot Iro bottles but they come with a roll of blotting paper and the end of the bottle is really tapered to get the last few drops.
+Mike Bahrami true, true -Brian Goulet
Personal preference - Iroshizuku is a great bottle, and also Sailor Jentle - it's a rather standard shaped bottle, but it has a plastic insert that allows you to get a lot of the ink out.
My favorite would be the lamy ink for practicality. For beauty, none beats the J herbin ink bottles :)
Speaking in behalf of Private Reserve's design; I use that ink with dip pens too because it's so easy to dip both the regular and oblique dip pens into the wide opening. Just sayin' LOL - love everything you do!
Thank you for the videos. Noodlers is made in the U.S.... perhaps you could mention that in your videos?... :-)
Ah you forgot Lamy!!!! most functional bottle ever, and I actually think they're very attractive in a very no-BS German sort of way. Plus there's that awesome blotting roll on the bottom!
Your reviews are always informative, Brian. You're the best!
From a guy who uses inks for drawing with a nib and holder (which of course means I'm dipping into the bottle more often than if you were filling a fountain pen or pens) I wouldnt trust the pilot bottle for that. It's just too tall. Heavy won't save it from my level of clumsiness. I know it's not really meant for my application but if it is possible that a dip pen can use it and the color is special I'll use it even if it means breaking open a handful of cartridges it's all about the color and finish really.
And I'm not a master of mixing and creating colors yet.
All that being said: the best bottles I've used for dip pen tomfoolery are: the Waterman (of course), the 90ml Monteverde (good luck tipping that thing over) and one youll probably never see: the old Schaeffer Skrip ink bottles.
it looks like a regular squat cylindrical glass jar and wide mouth steel screw on cap. But the cap is actually a higher gauge steel than is necessary and the cap has a strengthened watertight gusset. Because on the inside is a glass partial cone filled by tipping it upside down. The cone keeps a little pool of ink available for dipping your nib into right at the top. I have my cheap black India inks in there
Hey Brian, how'd you miss Lamy ink bottles.
+Yash Karmarkar I'm only human ;) -Brian Goulet
+Fatime Oomyadin up yours.
+Fatime Oomyadin 👍🏻 up yours
akkerman dutch master bottles are the bomb. nothing else like them.
My favorite three.
Platinum bottles: square base for space efficiency, has internal ink well.
Noodler's glass: maximum space efficiency with a no BS design. Perfect either with an ink misers or a pen that can be filled with one hand. The height and opening size of the bottle is just so you can tilt the bottle with one hand and reach down for the last drops of ink with the pen.
Lamy: elegant German engineering. The thick glass makes these really tough. I've dropped them without breaking them. The glass dimple servers as an internal ink well, the plastic base adds some character and holds blotting paper in the 50ml bottle. The 30ml bottle is a highly functional traveling ink well that's highly rugged (the glass is as thick as those in the 50ml bottle), whilst the 50ml is a great desktop ink well. I would like to see a version where the glass bottle itself is square.
I love the 18th Century look and feel of the Monteverde ink bottles. Is there any chance some of these bottles will be sold empty so we can decant ink from purely utilitarian sources?
+Loyd Phillips We have that right here normally, we're out at the moment. When we have more, we'll list them: www.gouletpens.com/empty-ink-bottles/c/306 -Brian Goulet
Liberty's Elysium is an amaaaaaazing ink. The plastic pill bottle look is a little funky, but needs must.
TWSBI inkwell is amazing! functional and one of the best looking bottles. you buy it empty for 25 and then buy plastic ink and fill it up
Noodlers. Simple, affordable, economical, & it just gets the job done.
My favourite bottle by far is the PW Akkerman Dutch Masters 4 once hourglass bottle.
It has a marble in the neck of the bottle. You turn the bottle upside down to fill the upper reservoir. Than twist the top off the bottle and fill your pen.
Than place the cap back on the bottle.
And, as far as being pleasant too look at . It looks better than any other I have seen so far !!!!!!!!!
100% agree, Duane - the shape of Akkerman’s bottle is unique & beautiful, and the marble “valve” to store ink in the upper chamber is ingenious and practical. The intelligence of this design delights me every time I fill my pen - which is more than I can say about most ink bottles.
A practical tip if you’re stuck with a more standard, “flat-base bottle” - keep a small bean-bag handy on your desk so you can set the bottle at a angle when you need to draw up the dregs of the ink from the bottom…
@@xanthias2001 I will be sharing your Bean Bag suggestion with others. I think it is quite brilliant.
Thanks for suggesting the trick to me. I myself won’t be using the hack. As I have Akkerman bottles. And, just syringe other inks into them when there empty.
But, I have no doubt that others struggle with other manufacturers bottle designs. And, will find this suggestion both useful and, interesting.
What about Waterman's ink bottles?
They are super practical and have a rather attractive shape!
Definitely a good choice. The shape is pretty unique. - Colin
The Mount Blanc 'Turtle' style bottle is hard to find these days.
I'm not a huge fan of the ink but I agree that the divided bottle design is clever and practical, and deserved a mention here.
Don't know if you guys actively check old videos, but what's your opinions on the Levenger bottles? I love the look of them and the majority of people I've asked who've tried them say they're incredibly well-designed
Since we don't carry Levenger ink, I don't have any experience with them. But they look nice & practical, so that's a good option as well. - Colin
4:09 Thought the same thing when I got an herbin ink, I was like " christ that's not gonna be easy to refill when it gets low. "
great question and informative answer! what would be your opinion on decanting an ink into another bottle, either a used up ink bottle or another container for aesthetic purposes or for a more usable container? Have you ever done it and/or what would be your concerns about doing it?
what do you think of camlin bottle ink ?
The caps on the Faber Castell bottles are too slippery and a pain to open. I have to cover my desk when I get my moss green off the shelf for fear of slipping as I open it and spilling ink everywhere. If you're reading this Faber Castell, take note.
always uses pilot irozuki ink and I love con peki
Thanks for the overview! :) How stable and useful do you find the 15mL Iroshizuku bottles to be? Likewise DeAtramentis?
Both are decent options, but you might have some difficulty getting every last drop due to the size/shape. - Colin
~Life is all about trade offs~ - Brian 2015
The Iroshizuku bottle look nice btw. I wonder if it topples easily due to it being slim...
IAmMig NO BECAUSE ITS SO HEAVY
The Vistonti btotle is very top-heavy. If the bottle cap wasn't there or not fully screwed on, and it tips over your desk...
+jsprite123 Visconti bottle...
What's your thoughts on the waterman ink bottles?
Practical and gorgeous
@goulet, the shallower bottles may be designed with thought for converters?
Plastic vs glass? Which is better?
I like the lamy bottles
Waterman and Dillomat ink bottles are nicest!
The Noodler's bottles are a bit too tall to play well with certain vintage pens. The Esterbrook SJ, for example. After a while, the entire lever mechanism is obstructed by the mouth of the bottle.
Yeah, I can see how that'd be an issue. I love using the Ink Miser with the Noodler's 3oz bottles so the ink remains towards the top, easy for filling. Probably could be useful for vintage pens as well: www.gouletpens.com/ink-miser-intra-bottle-inkwell-black/p/IM-11000 - Colin
Where is the Lamy bottles? Regular Pilot bottles?
+Peter Hermina they're good too, it's all subjective -Brian Goulet
Hello! I just got my first fountain pen by accident and I'm....kind of addicted. I found a LAMY Safari fountain pen by accident and it is my new favorite tool. Now it's a bit strange because my first love is water color painting. I would like to incorporate more ink in different colors so I am thinking about getting a converter and some primary colors of ink in bottles. I want to get ink very similar to what comes in a cartridge that I found with the pen because I LOVE that it is water soluble but I don't know what I am looking for while shopping. Can you help me (even with links to your shop for visual reference if you could) by suggesting some brands and what terms I am looking for on labels when I shop?
Was the cartridge that came in the pen blue? The Lamy Blue cartridges are the ones that come with the pen, but it's possible it could have been different. Once you switch to a converter, Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai (www.gouletpens.com/pilot-iroshizuku-ajisai-50ml-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/PN69211) is a very similar color. Same with Monteverde Malibu Blue (www.gouletpens.com/monteverde-malibu-blue-90ml-bottled-ink/p/MV-G308BU). As far as properties, you just want to avoid inks with strong water resistance. JetPens actually has a great article on different Water-Soluble inks to help fill in the gaps too: www.jetpens.com/blog/water-soluble-fountain-pen-inks/pt/911 - Colin
TWSBI?
I have a Sheaffer Snorkel, so just about any of them will work, but I do like the Iroshizuku bottles. In terms of invoking my ire, I dislike the J. Herbin 1670 bottles.
Lamy ?
What about Pilot Ink Bottle 30 ML Black and Parker Quink? Please let me know your thoughts.
Both are good inks. If you're looking for a black ink, maybe check out Noodler's as well (Noodler's Black, Heart of Darkness, or X-Feather). - Colin
Nooglers ink is very expensive in india. thats the reason am going for an alternative. Thank you for your response.
Oh ok, didn't know that. Yeah both Pilot Namiki Black and Parker Quink Black should be good options for you. - Colin
Thank you very much. After watching your videos i have purchased Lamy Safari and Jinhao X750 pen, waiting for it to arrive. Your videos are very helpful. Please keep making them.
The Goulet Pen Company i love your videos
When your ink bottle gets low, can you just directly dip a converter into the ink, as opposed to aspirating the ink through the nib?
Yes, you might have to prime the feed though once you put the pen back together because you didn't draw the ink up through it
Thanks!
+Virodoc100 no, thank you!
Hi Brian. Diamine 30ml bottle: do all fountain pens fit in there? The neck of the bottle seems so narrow!
I haven't found any pens that haven't fit in the opening. It gets tricky when the ink level is low as it's hard to tilt the pen at the right angle. Definitely recommend getting an Ink Miser inkwell to help with that: www.gouletpens.com/ink-miser-ink-shot-inkwell-black/p/IM-11001 - Colin
Thanks! :) I will buy it then :)
What about the Lamy?
+Shum Lai That's a good shout as well. Very classic look. - Colin
I have one question what about lamy blue ink ? I love lamy pen but I am confused about ink . so can you tell me I have to buying lamy blue ink ?
Lamy uses proprietary cartridges/converter. So if you want to use cartridges, you need to stick with Lamy (like Lamy Blue). If you have a Lamy converter, you can use any fountain pen ink. - Colin
I actually love the design of Noodler's, it looks like those old (vintage, meh) medicine bottles and what nots, I just have some fetish with that, I can't exlain that. Always liked to save old glass bottles and flasks, my mom and dad, and my wife, always complain about that. I find pilot's design to be somewhat interesting, not exactly what floats my goat, but yes, very nice. Runner-up to that is the faber castell, the rest it's too much meh-ness for me.
One of my dreams is to find one of those giant noodler's bottles in one of the awesome colours...
Even the Montblanc bottles are noice
I like unbreakable plastic bottles!
Lamy wins this easily. Blotting paper, huge dimple in the bottom.
What about lamy ink?
For sure, this wasn't an exhaustive list. Love the round Lamy bottles. - Colin
This is not about the bottle but, I wonder why a lot of ink bottles doesn't have good label design. Sometimes they're downright ugly. The De Atramentis, Private Reserve, Monteverde, etc. labels looks very basic and boring, feels like it was made in MS Paint. Noodler's logo looks like MS Word wordart. They need to work on their branding imo.
I think amount of resources plays a big part in the label itself. Both De Atramentis & Noodler's are very small operations (1 person), so I think they're time is spent making the inks instead of design elements. Very utilitarian. That said, I do think more effort could be made to add an element of style & uniqueness to each bottle through the label. - Colin
Hm....I would really like you to use and give feedback of Krishna inks. They sell some sheen monsters.
Can't believe he didn't mention the most functional bottle of all - Lamy.
Yeah, Brian got a little side-tracked by the Noodler's Plastic/Glass bottles, but definitely a great functional bottle of ink. - Colin
Do you ship in France ?
+E. Toussaint Yes we do! - Colin
The worst bottle in the world is the Robert Oster bottle!!
Why are all these videos yeeaarrs old ?