Inking up the place

Inking up the place

After a couple decades of trial and error with a multitude of inks--especially over the last couple years--lately I've favored "Kaimei Drawing Pen Ink". It flows the nicest without gushing, it dries dark without cracking, and while it's not exactly waterproof, it's water resistant enough that it doesn't become a bother. It's also compatible with Copic markers, which is a MUST with how I'm crafting the new Oy.

One thing I DON'T like about it, however, is the tiny opening on top of the bottle (see bottle on right in the picture). It makes it very difficult to dip a nib in, unless you have a teeny nib and holder. But when one is using the chunky Kohinoor 127n cork-grip nib holder and the longer than average Esterbrook Radio 914 nib . . . it's like playing a game of "Operation"! (And losing, a lot.)

The funny part is that they took the time to design the bottle with an indent to hold nib holders, but it appears the opening was made smaller to accommodate this . . . defeating the point of being able to put your nib holder on it.

http://GouletPens.com to the rescue! They sell empty bottles of ink for cheap, including "Private Reserve" while supplies last (see bottle on left in the picture). It has a fantastic size top that is perfect for dipping. It's also glass instead of plastic, and one of the bottles that showed up (it's a randomized pick) just happened to have an Oy character's name on it, so even better!

So, while the Kaimei bottle is terrible for dipping, it's great for pouring its awesome ink into another bottle.