Help for picking inkwells :)

[Flying Scotsman]

Okay, thought I'd start a companion thread to the fountain pen one...I got a nice Waterman Phileas black w/ fine point for Christmas. My first *real* fountain pen. So far, I love it (but sometimes it doesn't write well on the coated, recycled copier-style paper that so many of our documents at work are on...it writes beautifully on just about everything else, though, and makes me want to practice my penmanship!).

I'd like to have a nice-looking inkwell on my desk...any suggestions, favorites, etc.? I believe someone said that some of them come with a feature to help in filling the pen, a sort of shelf or something inside them? What about antique inkwells...anything to watch for, or watch out for?

 

[CanadaDoll]

I'm not familiar with ink wells, but in my quest for pens I've seen quite a few on ebay, so you may be able to find a suitable one there.[huh]

Good luck with your hunt!

 

[John in Covina]

Out of the Ink Well and onto the page.

Ink wells are a bit more rare these days. Sometimes you will see a top end pen that comes with one as part of the packaging. Fahrneys has one and Laban has 3 or 4 in their catalog. John Neal bookseller has a porcelin one.

Ink wells can be found on ebay as parts of desk sets and as stand alone items. Metal inks well often had glass "liners" that have been lost or broken over time. Many modern fountain pen ink bottles have the "filler assist" section like older Sheaffer Skript bottles. Waterman bottles are designed to be tilted onto one side when they get close to empty to assist in the filling of the pen. A lot of people love the current Montblanc ink bottle which is reffered to as the slipper bottle.

Dip pens were used until fairly late and there are designs from Esterbrook and Fountalink (spelling) where the pen holder was the ink well. In the Fountalink holders the bottle of ink was placed open neck down in the holder to provide ink for the pen.

There are collector books for inkwells and desk sets you might check ebay for that too.