Vintage Ink and Ink Bottles


Aurora Cross Erasers J. Herbin Lamy
Pencil Leads Noodler's Other Converters Other Ink Other RB & BP Refills
Parker Pelikan Pilot-Namiki Private Reserve Sheaffer
Waterman Ziller Ink Accessories Vintage Ink Ink Facts& Reviews


This page last updated on 2/1/12




Carter's Ink Cubes



This is the place to be for old ink bottles from the early 1800s up to the 1960s. Many of the bottles we have listed are strictly for the ink bottle collector. We also have a number of older ink bottles that still contain useable fountain pen inks which many fountain pen aficionados prefer over modern day inks.

In addition to our selection of vintage ink bottles on this page, you'll also find related items such as ink eraser fluids, rubber stamp inks and travelling ink bottle containers.


Old Inks in Your Pens

Many people ask us if they should use old ink and we believe this is another one of those common sense issues! We use 50+ year old ink frequently in new fountain pens and vintage fountain pens with excellent results. Before using old inks, you need to take a few precautions.

Vintage Ink Precautions:

1. Check to make sure there is no sediment, mold or other non-ink substance floating around or in the bottom of the bottle. Solids don't flow well, keep them in the bottle and out of your pens.

2. Look at the color of the ink, if it has taken on an odd hue that just doesn't look right - keep the ink in the bottle.

3. Unscrew the lid and take a little sniff, if you notice any unusual odor, screw the lid back on and refrain from using the ink.

Vintage Blue and Blue-Black inks
seem to have survived the years better than other colors of inks and are a pretty good place to start if you're looking to try vintage inks. Older Sheaffer Skrip, Parker Quink and Carter's Inks are generally pretty stable inks and we've had good results using these.

Never, never, ever use Drafting, Drawing or India Inks
in a fountain pen - these contain shellac which can gum up the insides of a fountain pen quickly. Early iron gall based inks can also be very corrosive to a fountain pen and I urge that you try them out with a dip pen or glass pen instead of a fountain pen.






The National Postal Museum website has some great information about V-Mail and how it worked during the Second World War. Many of the major ink manuafacturers made special V-Mail inks during WWII including Parker, Sheaffer, Staffords and others.





Vintage & Collectible Inks

I877
Sanford's Double Action - I877
SANFORD's Double Action Ink Eraser No. 298 - New old stock bright orange and brown tin with 2 amber bottles filled with the two solution ink eradicator. Tins and bottles are in pristine condition. I doubt that the ink eradicator would still be potent. Tin measures 2.5 wide x 1.25 deep x 2.75 inches tall.
$10
I985
Sanford No. 274 Blue Black Fountain Pen Ink - clear 1.5 ounce cylindrical bottle with light blue, dark blue, red and yellow label. Embossed Sanfords on bottom. This bottle would have originally had a cork stopper, but the stopper is missing. Ink dust in bottle. Measures 1.75 inches diameter and is 2 3/8 inches tall. Label in very good condition.
$25
I1008 Sheaffer SkripSheaffers Skrip Safeguard Ink No. OS, ca. 1950s. New old stock Sheaffers Automatic Safeguard Ink was used to refill Safeguard desk sets, the bottle was inverted and ink flowed to a reservoir which fed a fountain pen. 55cc clear bottles are full of red ink. We’ve spot checked the ink and it some of it has bits floating around inside the bottle, so I would suggest you not use this ink. Yellow and blue boxes. Note that condition varies on the boxes, all are in very good shape, but show varying signs of wear. $10
I1028 Visco Ink Bottle - I1028Visco Ink, Visco Chemical Products Co, Cleveland, OH - clear 4 oz ink bottle with cork stopper (no adornment on top, just a cork). Yellow, red and blue label with fountain pen illustrated. The label has several creases in the center area, bottom right label corner is missing. Bottle measures 2.5 inches square and is 2.75 inches tall. Ink dust in bottle. Unusual label, have not seen Visco Ink before. $25
I1034 Osmiroid Ink Bottle - I1034Osmiroid Red Calligraphic Ink, ca. 1980s, made by Hunt Speedball in Statesville, NC under license from ES Perry in England. Cone shaped 2 oz clear bottle. Plastic screw on lid is embossed on top with the Speedball "S", small amount of ink in bottle. Base of bottle is embossed: Hunt Mfgr Co, Statesville North Carolina, Speedball USA, Measures 2.25 dia and is 2.25 inches tall. $10
I1054 Bottle - I1054F. Werer Co Waterproof Drawing Ink, clear oz dropper bottle with black and white elaborate label. Embossed on bottom: F Werer Co Phila and in the center a quite detailed embossing of a Sphinx. Very dried up ink inside bottle. Cork style lid with dropper is loose. Some specks of ink on the label, but overall not too bad and quite unusual. $25
I1117 Ink Bottle - I1117 Thomas' Inks, LH Thomas Co., Chicago USA, aqua quart master bottle measures 3.5 in diameter and is 8 5/8 inches tall. One small chip on bottom edge. The photo makes it look like there is also a chip on the rim, but that is a mold mark. Nice crisp embossing, but no label.
Ink Bottle - I1117
$25
I1178
Parker Superchrome ink, ca. early 1950s, clear glass rectangular bottle with ribbed sides, black metal screw on lid with Parker imprint in silver. 3 ounce bottle. Turquoise Blue, no ink, very good, label and box. Illustration of Parker 51 fountain pen on box.
$10
I1180
Parker Superchrome ink, ca. early 1950s, clear glass rectangular bottle with ribbed sides, black metal screw on lid with Parker imprint in silver. 3 ounce bottle. Blue Black, no ink, Illustration of Parker 51 fountain pen on label. Very good bottle and cap, light wear to label at top right edge.
$10
I1202
Sanford - I1202

Sanford's Penit White Ink in original box - clear - ounce diamond pressed glass bottle, white metal lid with black imprint: Sanford's White Ink Shake Well. Base measures 1.25 inches square and bottle is 1 7/8 inches tall. Dark blue box with white lettering and printing on all sides. Front: For Albums and Greeting Cards, Side: for Dark Colored Stationery, Back: The Smart Way & directions for use, Side: for scrapbooks. Big chunks of dried white ink inside bottle. Excellent condition.

$15
I1234 I1234

Sanford's Fountain Pen Ink - Cardinal Red. This is a Half Pint Master bottle with original bottle cap style lid, center metal pour spout and screw on metal spout lid. Half pints are hard to find, complete pour spouts even harder! This bottle is 7 inches tall and diameter is 2.5 inches. Embossed on side: Sanford's Inks Half Pint And Library Paste. Label is stained evenly with ... you guessed it ... Cardinal Red Ink!

$35
I1279 bottle

Parker 61 Instant Ink - ca. 1961. General consensus amongst the Parker gurus is that these are far more rare than the Parker 61 pens they're designed to be used with! Rarity does not always equate to expensive and these are much less than a Parker 61 fountain pen! Parker Instant Ink is a Super Quink Ink concentrate for use with the Parker 61. The idea was to plug the Instant Ink cartridge onto the end of the capillary filler, dunk in water, let it mix with the ink and feed into the pen. Ink cartridge is still sealed in the package. I doubt the ink concentrate is still usable, but I'll leave that for you to try if you decide to do so! Very good condition.

$12
I1280 bottle

Parker 61 Instant Ink - ca. 1961. General consensus amongst the Parker gurus is that these are far more rare than the Parker 61 pens they're designed to be used with! Rarity does not always equate to expensive and these are much less than a Parker 61 fountain pen! Parker Instant Ink is a Super Quink Ink concentrate for use with the Parker 61. The idea was to plug the Instant Ink cartridge onto the end of the capillary filler, dunk in water, let it mix with the ink and feed into the pen. Ink cartridge is still sealed in the package. I doubt the ink concentrate is still usable, but I'll leave that for you to try if you decide to do so! Most of package is missing, ink cartridge intact.

$10
I1300VT bottle

Carter's American Blue Ink, clear ribbed oval shaped bottle, black metal screw on lid, patriotic red, white and blue label with eagle, 2.5 ounce bottle. Ink dust in bottle. Comes with original matching box and folded brochure about Carter's and the American Blue Ink. The metal lid is quite corroded, a few age spots on the brochure, label and box excellent.

$12
I1303VT bottle

Carter's Cube No. 986 Washable Black - Tropical Fish on Reef (my name, not Carter's!), clear 2 ounce glass cube, black metal screw on lid. Ink dust in bottle. Label is very good and just a few little specks to the painted lid finish.

$15
I1319 bottle

Parker Superchrome Ink, Turquoise Blue, clear glass bottle with ribbing on sides, black metal lid, Parker printed on top in silver. Label shows a Parker 51 fountain pen and one of the famous Parker 51 taglines: writes dry with wet ink. Dried turquoise ink inside bottle, note wear to label edges.

$7
I1330-VT bottle

Plastic Ink - Unknown maker, but an interesting label on this bottle that is about half full of ink. The label reads in part: Instructions For the use of special ink for writing on plastic. This special ink is developed for writing on plastic where a permanent inscription is wanted. It will not rub off …. Caution: Do not use with fountain …. Dip point into ink …. Clean pen point thoroughly …. Etc etc etc. Clear 1 ox cylindrical bottle, black plastic lid.

$5
I1333 bottle

Sheaffer Skrip, ca. 1950s, New Old Stock 4oz bottle of Skrip Permanent Red, bottle is full of what appears to be usable ink. Black metal screw on lids imprinted with Skrip in gold and the magical and desirable Skrip-well on the inside of the bottle edge. Use the ink, keep the bottle to refill again!

$20
I1337 bottle

Carter’s V-Mail Midnight Black Permanent Ink, New Old Stock, ca. 1940s - WWII era. Clear Art Deco styled oval ribbed glass bottle, 2.5 ounces, black metal screw on lid. Bottle may have some ink, but is mostly ink dust. Label is grey, white and black in near perfect condition. Box matches label, plus mention on sides of "Smart New Ovals", "Quick Drying" and "Made in Boston" The MOST interesting thing about this ink bottle and box is the cardboard insert printed in red and black that is slid down inside the front of the box so that the flap sticks up indicating it is V-Mail ink. Near the bottom of the insert it states: Use Carter's Fountain Pen Inks Blue-Black Black or Blue These inks photograph perfectly Both are perfect for V-Mail. I know there was a big marketing effort on the behalf of all the ink companies to make sure everyone knew their black ink was good for V-Mail, but I've never seen Blue-Black or Blue mentioned in the same breath as V-Mail.

$15
I1343
bottle

Vintage Sanford’s Ink Shelf Pack - Printed Cardboard Tray of SIX bottles! Retail display for a pen counter, ca. late 1940s. Shelf pack holds 6 Sanford’s clear glass ink bottles with ribbed sides and black metal screw on cap. Dark blue and white label. 2 ounce bottle. Permanent Blue-Black Ink. Quantity of ink in each bottle varies from quite full to just a tiny bit. Remember - each tray contains 6 Sanford's bottles. New old stock in very good condition.

$40
I1352VT
bottle

Pelikan Fount India Ink Bottle, clear cylindrical bottle with black plastic lid and rubber button in center to fill eyedropper inside bottle lid. Dried ink inside bottle, no label. Bottle measures 1.5 inches diameter at base and is 2.5 inches tall. Good for mixing your custom ink concoctions.

$5
I1355-VT
bottle

Thomas clear glass cone shaped ink bottle, embossed Thomas on bottom, 2 3/8 inches dia at base, 2 5/8 inches tall. Photo looks a little darker than it really is, there is some cloudy whitish discoloration inside the bottle.

$10
I1358-VT
bottle

G O & S Co clear glass cone shaped ink bottle, embossed G O & S Co on bottom, 2.25 inches dia at base, 3 inches tall.

$15
I1359-VT
bottle

Clear glass cone shaped ink bottle, no markings, 2 3/8 inches dia at base, 2 7/8 inches tall.

$8
I1363-VT
bottle

Bixby aquamarine glass ink bottle, large cone shaped ink bottle with wide mouth, Bixby embossed on bottom, 2 3/8 inches dia at base, 4.25 inches tall. Bixby made ink, shoe polish and bluing, this is quite possibly a shoe polish bottle

$25
I1373 bottle

Sanford’s PenIt Ink, Permanent Blue - New Old Stock from the 1950s, 2 ounce glass bottles - pressed diamond pattern. Printed black metal screw on lid, original box. Unimpeachable Quality! The warranty printed on box reads: This ink is made of the finest ingredients obtainable; that fact and the experience of the Sanford organization is your warranty of unimpeachable quality. Bottle holds some ink dust. Beautiful bottle makes a great inkwell.

$15
I1374 bottle

Sanford’s PenIt Ink, Red - New Old Stock from the 1950s, 2 ounce glass bottles - pressed diamond pattern. Printed black metal screw on lid, original box. Unimpeachable Quality! The warranty printed on box reads: This ink is made of the finest ingredients obtainable; that fact and the experience of the Sanford organization is your warranty of unimpeachable quality. Bottle holds some ink dust. Beautiful bottle makes a great inkwell.

$15
I1375 bottle

Sanford’s PenIt Ink, Washable Blue - New Old Stock from the 1950s, 2 ounce glass bottles - pressed diamond pattern. Printed black metal screw on lid, original box. Unimpeachable Quality! The warranty printed on box reads: This ink is made of the finest ingredients obtainable; that fact and the experience of the Sanford organization is your warranty of unimpeachable quality. Bottle holds some ink dust. Beautiful bottle makes a great inkwell.

$15
I1376 bottle

Sanford’s PenIt Ink, Purple - New Old Stock from the 1950s, 2 ounce glass bottles - pressed diamond pattern. Printed black metal screw on lid, original box. Unimpeachable Quality! The warranty printed on box reads: This ink is made of the finest ingredients obtainable; that fact and the experience of the Sanford organization is your warranty of unimpeachable quality. Bottle holds some ink dust. Beautiful bottle makes a great inkwell.

$15
I1380 bottle

Carter’s Oval Ink No. 969, Washable Blue with Seagull Label, dark blue screw on metal lid, 59cc clear glass bottle. Measures 2 3/16 x 1 7/8 at widest base points, height is 2.25 inches. A few light scuffs to the painted surface of lid, overall very good condition.

$10
I1382 bottle

Figural Shoe Ink Bottle - ca. 1850s blown clear glass ink bottle is in the shape of a shoe. Measures 4 inches long, 1 1/8 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall. Figural inkwells such as these are rarely seen. This one is in excellent condition.

$100
I1384-VT bottle

E&J Arnold Pottery Ink Bottle - Very clear imprint on the early stoneware ink bottle glazed in brown: Vitreous Stone Bottles J. Bourne & Son Patentees Denby Pottery near Derby. E & J Arnold London. Measures 3 inches diameter, height is 7 inches. Very good condition.

$35
I1385-VT bottlebottle

Sanford's No. 272 Pint Ink Bottle, amber bottl, pour spout lid is missing, partial label in original box. Measures 3 inches diameter x 7.25 inches tall. Illustrated inside of box flap are Ink Eraser in tin, Utopian Library Paste in Water Well Jar and Liqui-Stick. Just a hint of Permanent Blue-Black Fountain Pen Ink DUST in the bottom of bottle.

$20
I1386-VT bottle

Sanford's No. 272 Pint Sanford's Pint Ink Bottle, amber bottle, no pour spout lid, no label, embossed Sanford's Inks And Library Paste on side. Measures 3 inches diameter x 7.25 inches tall. Bottle is clean.

$15
I1387-VT bottle

Sanford's Half-Pint Ink Bottle, amber bottle, no pour spout lid, no label, embossed Sanford's Inks at lower edge of bottle. Measures 2.5 inches diameter x 5 7/8 inches tall. Unusual size. Bottle is clean.

$15
I1388-VT bottle

Levinson's Inks Bottle, quart master bottle, clear bottle, no lid, no label, embossed Levinson's Inks on shoulder. Measures 3 5/8 inches diameter x 9.5 inches tall. Bottle is clean.

$22
I1389-VT bottle

Cooper's Perpetual Writing Ink, no lid, most of the label still on bottle and nicely illustrated with an early fountain pen and the Rock of Gibraltar. Clear glass quart master bottle. Measures 3.5 inches diameter x 9 inches tall. Perpetual Blue ink residue in bottle.

$20
I1393 bottle

Carter’s Cube Ink Bottle - Washable Blue No. 966 with the Tropics Label, Palm trees at the seashore. Clear glass 2 oz cube bottle with blue metal screw on lid. About 1/3 full of ink. New old stock with perfect label. We have several available.

$12
I1394 bottle

Carter’s Cube Ink Bottle - Washable Blue No. 966 For V-Mail with Tropical Fish Label. Clear glass 2 oz cube bottle with blue metal screw on lid. About 1/3 full of ink. New old stock with perfect label. The V-Mail notation on a bottle of blue ink is very unusual! We have several available.

$12
I1395 bottle

Early Pelikan clear glass bottle with rubber stopper. Stopper is embossed with the famous Pelikan logo - the Pelikan is in her nest with two baby birds. Label reads: Pelikan Cola Semi-Liquida Cont. Neto 16cc. Industria Argentina. One of my Argentinian friends kindly translated that Cola Semi-Liquida is similar to what we in the US know as rubber cement. Indeed there is some non-liquid brownish substance in the bottle that resembles rubber cement. The label also has a light coat of the same substance, but no interference with clearly being able to read the label. Bottle measures 1 3/8 inches diameter, height is 1 7/8 inches. Very unusual.

$20
I1400 bottle

Sheaffer Skrip Ink Bottle, ca. 1990s, 60ml/2ounce clear glass Skrip bottle with gold tone metal screw on lid, a little shorter and squatter shaped bottle than the more often seen 2 ounce bottles. Color is marked on the top of the lid because we once used as a tester bottle. I was going to rinse the bottle out, then decided you might like it more with a little bit of ink inside - you can use the ink and then turn it into a convenient inkwell using your favorite ink. Bottle is about 1/4 full Sheaffer Skrip Brown ink.

$10
I1402 bottle

Sheaffer Skrip Ink Bottle, ca. 1990s, 60ml/2ounce clear glass Skrip bottle with gold tone metal screw on lid, a little shorter and squatter shaped bottle than the more often seen 2 ounce bottles. Color is marked on the top of the lid because we once used as a tester bottle. I was going to rinse the bottle out, then decided you might like it more with a little bit of ink inside - you can use the ink and then turn it into a convenient inkwell using your favorite ink. Bottle is about 1/2 full of Parker Penman Ruby ink. Yes, I know the pen gods are raging at me for putting Parker ink in a Sheaffer bottle! Some people love Penman Inks, I advise caution as they can can be very persnickety in pens.

$20
I1410 bottle

Gregory Fount-O-Ink No. 2S Ink bottle in original box. Cylindrical clear glass bottle with Art Deco embossing on sides, golden metal screw on lid. About ¾ full of Blue Black Ink. Ink appears clear and no sediment, so should be alright to use if you so desire. Two ounce bottle measures 1 7/8 inches diameter at base, height is 2 5/8 inches.

$12
I1412 bottle

Carter’s Rytoff Bottle - Rytoff was one of many names Carter's used over the years for their vast line of Ink Erasers and Ink Removers. This small concave sided amber glass bottle would have once been part of a kit inside a Carter's tin. Black faceted bakelite lid. There is liquid inside the bottle, but this stuff was taken off the market many decades ago, I don't think I'd try it. Bottle measures about 1.75 in side at base and is 2.75 inches tall. Very good condition with a great label.

$10
I1414 bottle

Worden’s Ink Bottle Case - In days gone by, traveling with a pen also meant traveling with an ink bottle, self filling fountain pens were far and few between. Dip pens ruled the writing world! This white metal case held an ink bottle and made it easy to take along with you. The imprint on the top of the lid is well worn, but reads: Worden's Bottle Case Pat'd July 28 '85 (meaning 1885). The threaded lid unscrews to provide access to the ink bottle. I've seen other Worden's bottle cases in the past and they included a glass ink bottle with a threaded bottle cap. The bottle in this case seems like it might be a replacement, although it is the bottle that was in it when we found it. It's an earlier bottle with cork style opening and no cap at all. Imprint worn, otherwise very good condition and no dings or dents to the metal case. bottle

$50
I1420 bottle

Parker Superchrome Ink Bottle, rectangular clear bottle with ribbing on two sides, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker in silver. Black and white label shows the Parker 51 fountain pen. Jet Black. 3 fluid ounces. Dried ink in bottle. Very good condition.

$15
I1421 bottle

Parker Superchrome Ink Bottle, rectangular clear bottle with ribbing on two sides, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker in silver. Black and white label shows the Parker 51 fountain pen. Jet Black. 3 fluid ounces. Dried ink in bottle. Little ink smudge on label, otherwise very good condition.

$12
I1423 bottle

Carter’s White Ink No. 449 - Small (not marked, but looks like about 1 ounce) clear glass bottle with black metal screw on lid. Vivid black, white and red label reads: Carter’s White Ink Made in USA Shake Well Before Using. Filled with totally solidified white ink. White ink was popular for writing on black paper and photographs. Very good condition.

$10
I1424 bottle

T.M. Freund White Ink - Small approximately 1 ounce clear glass bottle with white metal screw on lid. Basic black and white label reads: White Ink Shake Well Do Not Blot, Thin With Water, Manufactured for and Distributed by T.M. Freund Co NYC NY. There is a small amount of solidified white ink in the bottom of the bottle. Very good condition.

$10
I1427 bottle

Sanford’s Ink Counter Tester Bottle, ca. 1940s - Clear glass is embossed on the sides of the base, one word per side: Sanford's Fountain Pen Inks. The base measures 2 inches square, height is 2 inches. Diameter of the open end of cylinder where you try the ink out is 7/8 inch. Sanford provided these to retail pen shops and office supply stores. A retailer could fill with Sanford’s ink and the customer could easily test not only the Sanford’s ink which was the whole idea, but also their fountain pen. Missing the original black metal lid, but otherwise very good.

$35
I1431 bottle

Carter’s Two Solution Ink Eradicator No. 492 - READ FIRST: This is a vintage collectible item, I am certain the chemicals in the solutions have broken down over time and it is not going to eradicate anything. Ink Eradicator was taken off the market many years ago. I tell you this because someone always asks!

Bright blue and white tin is marked: Carter's Two Solution Ink Eradicator No. 492. Dual Purpose. Takes out ink completely. Re-surfaces the paper. Inside the tin are two bottles, one amber and one clear, both have faceted bakelite lids. A small piece of cork separates the two bottles and instructions for use are included. Tin measures 2 1/8 in diameter, height is 3 1/8 inches. Nice, clean tin with great graphics in excellent condition.

$10
I1435 bottle

Carter's No. 495 Rytoff Ink Eradicator, ca. 1970s, amber cone shaped bottle with black plastic screw on cap. Red, white and black box. Measures 2 in dia and 2 1/8 in high. Bottle is empty.

$10
I1437 bottle

Carter's Permanent Blue-Black Ink, ca. 1960s, white, blue & black label, pastel blue metal screw on cap has a little rust on edges, ink dust in bottle. Measures 1.75 x 2 in and is 2.25 in tall.

$8
I1438 bottle

Caws clear glass ink bottle, front is embossed: Caws Ink & Pen Company New York. Base measures 2 1/8 in dia, height is 3.25 in. One small chip on applied lip. Very nice condition and a hard to find ink bottle.

$35
I1439 bottle

Parker SuperQuink cobalt diamond shape bottle, Permanent Blue-Black label, white plastic screw on lid, no ink inside. Measures 3 x 2 1/8 in at points, height is 2 3/8 inches.

$10
I1440 bottle

Sanford's No. 125 Amber pressed diamond bottle, embossed front: Sanford's Mucilage. Original cork style stopper cap is missing, Measures 1 7/8 dia, height is 3 3/8 inches. Very elegant and an unusual bottle.

$20
I1441 bottle

Sanford's Red Ink Bottle, clear bottle would have originally had a glass stopper which helped prevent red ink evaporation. Embossed on front: Sanford's Ink. Measures 2.75 in dia, height is 2 3/8 inches. Small chip on lip and a few small surface cracks (looks like it might have been dropped on top edge & that might explain the missing stopper, too!). Unusual bottle.

$25
I1442 bottle

Carter's Two Solution Ink Eradicator, ca. 1950s, white, blue & black tin, two bottles inside, one clear, one amber with instruction pamphlet. Measures 2 in dia, height is 3 1/8 inches. Very crisp and clean tin!

$10
I1444 bottle

Carter's Rytoff Ink Eraser tin, red, black and white. Catchy graphics - Simple, Quick, Apply .. Then Blot. Single bottle inside. Measures 2 1/8 in dia, height is 3 1/8 in.

$10
I1445 bottle

Parker Quink VMail Microfilm Black, red, white, blue & black box. Vacumatic advertised on box flaps. Clear 2 oz art deco bottle with black metal screw on lid. Lid printed Parker Quink in silver. Ink dust in bottle.

$15
I1446 bottle

Carter's Oval Starburst Label Ink Bottle, light blue metal screw on cap has some rust. Near perfect Permanent Blue Black label with white star bursts on blue background. Measures 2 1/8 x 1.75 in at base, height is 2.25 in. A little ink dust in the bottle.

$10
I1447 bottle

M.G.‘s Carter’s Stamping Outfit - This indelible Stamping Outfit box has everything you need to stamp your initials onto something, as long as you can use a rather elaborate M and/or G! The small kit contains tiny faceted glass bottle of indelible ink (label is pretty inky, too, plus lid is off), a metal vial of what I presume to be gold illuminating powder (cork broken), a little screen to keep the surface flat and two wood handled stamps. One stamp is the initials MG together, the other larger stamp is the initial G. Both are surrounded with intricate flourishes and have a very Victorian type of look. The stamps could definitely still be used, but you'll have to provide new ink and illuminating powder - or just use your stamp pad!

$15
I1450 bottle

Parker Quink Micro-Film Black 2 ounce ink bottle, clear art deco ribbed styling, perfect black and white label, perfect metal screw on lid with silver metallic imprint. Just about full of ink, but be forewarned that Micro-Film black was pretty potent so use caution if you decide to use this ink. Includes red, white, blue and black box, one panel very faded, flaps advertise Parker Vacumatic pens.

$10
New
I1456
bottle

Early 1900s Sanford's printed linen pen wiper touting the virtues of Sanford's Drawing Ink. Printed in blue on white linen. ZigZag cut edges. It's been used a few times as is evident from the blue ink stains and has a few wrinkles and creases, but is definitely a neat old piece of Sanford Ink history. Measures 4 x 8 inches.

$10
New
I1457
bottle

Carter’s No. 481 Indelible Cloth Marking Ink Outfit - Complete boxed set includes wooden stretcher, red, white & blue labeled bottle of Indelible ink (ink dust inside), wood mini dip pen and Carter’s steel nib. Complete instruction pamphlet also included. Box measures 4.25 x 2 x 2.5 inches tall. Great graphics and a nice little kit from the late 1940s.

$10
New
I1458
bottle

Parker Quink WWII Microfilm Ink - Big 4 ounce bottle of Parker Quink filled with microfilm black ink. Perfect black and white label, perfect black metal screw on cap with silver imprint. I leave it to you as to whether you put this ink in a fountain pen, it's quite old and while it looks good, sometimes microfilm styled inks can be pretty potent! Use it with a dip or glass pen and play it safe. Includes red, white blue and black box which has obviously seen better days.

$15
New
I1459
bottle

Parker Quink Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco style bottle, black metal screw on lid is printed in silver: Parker Quink. Filled with Washable Violet ink which appears to be good useable ink. New old stock in original box, excellent condition.

$15
New
I1460
bottle

Parker Quink Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco style bottle, black metal screw on lid is printed in silver: Parker Quink. Filled with Washable Green ink which appears to be good useable ink. New old stock in original box, excellent condition.

$15
New
I1461
bottle

Parker Quink Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco style bottle, black metal screw on lid is printed in silver: Parker Quink. Filled with Washable Black ink which appears to be good useable ink. New old stock in original box, excellent condition.

$15
New
I1462
bottle

Parker Quink Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco style bottle, black metal screw on lid is printed in silver: Parker Quink. Filled with Washable Brown ink which appears to be good useable ink. New old stock in original box, excellent condition.

$15
New
I1463
bottle

Parker Quink Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco style bottle, black metal screw on lid is printed in silver: Parker Quink. Filled with Permanent Black ink which appears to be good useable ink. New old stock in original box, excellent condition.

$15
New
I1464
bottle

Parker Quink Microfilm Black Ink, ca. mid-1940s, World War II era - Original white shelf pack holds the original 12 bottles of Microfilm black ink, all in their original red, white, blue and black outer boxes. Clear 2 ounce bottle in the art deco style with black metal lids. Bottles are filled with ink. Just like they were the day they were delivered - sometime in the 1940s!

$125
New
I1465
bottle

Parker Quink Washable Blue-Black Ink, ca. 1940s, Original blue and white shelf pack pop up display box holds the original 12 bottles of washable blue-black Quink Ink. All bottles are in their original blue and white outer boxes which match the display. Clear 2 ounce bottle in the art deco style with black metal lids. Bottles are filled with ink. Just like they were the day they were delivered the 1940s!

$125
New
I1466
bottle

P&J Arnold Pottery Ink Bottle - Very clear imprint on this early stoneware master ink bottle with pour spout: Vitreous Stone Bottles J. Bourne & Son Patentees Denby Pottery near Derby. P& J Arnold London England. Glazed in medium brown with darker speckles. Measures 3 5/8 inches diameter, height is 9.5inches. Very good condition.

$40
New
I1467
bottle

Lovatt Pottery Ink Bottle - Small imprint on lower edge of this early stoneware master ink bottle with pour spout: Lovatt/Lovatt LT unevenly glazed in light and dark brown (remember that ink bottles in the 1860s were not works of art, but utilitarian vessels!). Measures 3.5 inches diameter, height is 7 1/8 inches. Very good condition.

$35
New
I1469
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Royal Blue Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled large 4 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Bottle is about 1/3 full of ink. Light wear to the top of the cap, otherwise very good condition.

$15
New
I1470
bottle

Parker Quink Microfilm Black Ink, ca. 1940s, used for World War II correspondence, clear art deco styled large 4 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Bottle is full of ink. Microfilm Black is hard to find in this larger 4 ounce bottle. Very good condition.

$20
New
I1471
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Red Ink Bottle, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Just a little bit of red ink dust in the bottle. Crisp bright red and white label. Includes blue and white box with two remaining flaps advertising the Parker 51 and Vacumatic filling. Bottle is excellent, box shows shop wear on edges and is missing to top flaps.

$12
New
I1472
bottle

Parker Quink Washable Brown Ink Bottle, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Just a little bit of brown ink dust in the bottle. Lower portion of label worn, spec of rust on cap. Includes blue and white box - 2 box top flaps missing, shop wear on edges.

$9
New
I1473
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Royal Blue Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Just a little bit of royal blue ink dust in the bottle. Lower portion of label is worn. Includes blue and white box in very nice condition, Parker 51 illustrated on one flap.

$9
New
I1475
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Brown Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Full bottle of what appears to be useable permanent brown Quink Ink. Excellent label and cap.

$15
New
I1476
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Red Ink, ca. 1940s, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on cap is printed Parker Quink in silver. Full bottle of what appears to be useable permanent red Quink Ink. Bright label, excellent condition, box shows light shop wear.

$15
New
I1478
bottle

Parker Quink Microfilm Black V-Mail Ink bottle, ca. 1940s, World War II era, clear art deco styled 2 ounce bottle, black bakelite screw on cap. Dried Microfilm black ink inside the bottle. Very good label. Includes red, white, blue and black box, two flaps missing, two remaining flaps advertise Parker Vacumatic pens with Parker 51 illustrated. Bottle very good condition.

$12
New
I1479
bottle

Parker Superchrome Jet Black Ink, ca. 1950s, clear rectangular bottle with ribbing on the sides, Parker 51 fountain pen illustrated on the label. Black metal screw on cap printed Parker in silver. Very good label and bottle, rust on outer edges of the cap. Dried Jet Black ink inside bottle.

$6
New
I1480
bottle

Parker Superchrome Jet Black Ink, ca. 1950s, clear rectangular bottle with ribbing on the sides, Parker 51 fountain pen illustrated on the label. Black metal screw on cap printed Parker in silver. Very good label and bottle, rust on outer edges of the cap. Dried Jet Black ink inside bottle.

$6
New
I1481
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Black Ink, early 1950s, clear bottle, black and white label, black metal screw on cap with Parker printed in silver. Parker is embossed on lover long edges of bottle both front and back. Grey, black and white box shows some light shop wear. Small smudge on lower edge of label. Filled with permanent black Quink Ink.

$10
New
I1483
bottle

Waterman’s Permanent Blue Black Ink Bottle, ca. 1940s, clear faceted bottle named the Tip Fill bottle because you can rest it on any side to easily fill your fountain pen. 2 ounces. Blue metal screw on cap. Bright yellow, blue, black and red label in excellent condition. Filled with permanent blue black ink. Yellow, blue, black and red box in very good condition.

$15
New
I1485
bottle

English aquamarine faceted ink bottle, ca. 1960s, 8 sided bottle, snap top - this blown glass bottle was snapped off a rod which leaves a rough edge at the opening. 1 7/8 in base at widest points, 1 7/8 inches tall. Very good condition.

$15
New
I1486
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Brown Ink - ca, 1940s New Old Stock Parker Quink Ink in original blue and white box marked in English and Spanish. Clear Art Deco styled bottles are filled with what looks to be perfectly usable permanent brown Quink. Black metal screw on lid with Parker Quink printed in silver. Flaps are illustrated with a Parker 51 and advertise Vacumatic Filling. Bottles and labels in very good condition, boxes very good except some wear on inner flaps.

$15
New
I1487
bottle

Parker Quink Permanent Blue Black - ca. 1940s New Old Stock Permanent blue black in the clear Art Deco 2 ounce bottle, black metal screw on lids with Parker Quink printed in silver. Bottles are full of ink. Blue and white box flaps are illustrated with a Parker 51 and advertise Vacumatic Filling. Boxes show some shop wear on the edges.

$15
New
I1488
bottle

Drafting Ink Bottle and Stand - Very, very heavy steel stand with old Higgins drafting ink bottle in the center. Common sense tells me that the ink bottle should come out of the stand to replace, but it doesn't, it's an ink bottle with steel cast around. So you would have to carefully refill it and it wouldn't have been unusual to refill a small bottle like this from a master ink anyway. Higgins bottle comes with stopper and glass dropper built in. Base measures 3 x 3.25 inches. Very unusual piece and I am pretty sure the metal stand was hand made just for this bottle.

$40
New
I1489
bottle

Quink Ink Bottle Candle Votive - Betcha' haven't seen one of these before! It's a 4 ounce ca. 1940s Parker Quink bottle with a votive candle. You can write by the candlelight of a vintage ink bottle, seems oh so very appropriate! Bottle and label in excellent condition.

$15



Vintage & Collectible Ink Cartridges

Ink cartridges, in their most common forms, have now been in existence for over 50 years, since the mid-1950s and have become a collectible in their own right. Some of the cartridges for early cartridge filling pens were proprietary style cartridges and the only way to get your pen working is to find original cartridges and refill with bottled ink using a needle-less syringe or small pipette. Some of the packaging on these older cartridges is of wonderful graphic design and appeals to those collecting advertising and packaging items. Many pen collectors enjoy including same brand inks and cartridges to go with their pen collection.


I1148 Ink Cartridges - I1148 Sheaffer Skrip Envelope Pack, ca. late 1950s, white envelope with brown printing has detailed instructions on refilling your Sheaffer cartridge fountain pen. Envelope measures 2 x 3 inches. Two washable blue cartridges inside, ink is evaporated. Tape and some wear marks on back of envelope. $3
I1268 I1268

Parker Super Quink Ink Cartridges, Permanent Green - Marked for Parker and Eversharp cartridges, so they would date to the 1960s at least. Each cartridge has a little bit of ink in it, but it's the neat early package that appeals to me most. Five cartridges in pack. Front of package:
I1268

$5
I1285 cartridge

Parker Super Quink Cartridges, Permanent Red, cartridges are about half full of ink. New old stock package in very good condition. 5 cartridges per pack

$3
I1286 cartridge

Parker Super Quink Cartridges, Washable Blue, cartridges are about half full of ink. New old stock package in very good condition. 5 cartridges per pack

$3
I1288 cartridge

Parker Super Quink Cartridges, Permanent Red, cartridges are about half full of ink. New old stock package in very good condition. 5 cartridges per pack

$3
I1293 bottle

Sheaffer Skrip Ink Cartridges, ca. late 1950s - small white envelope contains 2 Sheaffer Skrip Ink Cartridges (the ink in cartridges has evaporated), the envelope is printed with very detailed instructions for installing the cartridge. Remember, cartridges were a rather new-fangled item in the 1950s. These small envelopes were included with Skripsert cartridge filling pens. New old stock, the envelope is in very good condition, leftover dealer stock.

$5
I1332 bottle

Sheaffer classic size Skrip ink cartridges are new old stock in yellow and blue package, 6 ink cartridges per pack. Jet Black. Without dismantling each and every package, it's hard to say if there is any liquid Skrip left in any of these packs, but it appears they at the very least contain Jet Black Skrip dust. These are the old style cartridges made in Fort Madison where both ends were the same and you could insert either end into the pen. Many people like this old style and they're easy to refill with a syringe. New Sheaffer cartridges come 5 in a pack for $5. These packs have 6 cartridges and remember you will need to refill or reconstitute with water.

$1 per pack



Vintage Ink & Bottle Related Resources

  • Evan Lindquist's Gallotannate Ink Recipe
    Evan Lindquist, artist, printmaker, penman and retired Professor of Art at Arkansas State University has experimented extensively with Gallotannate and other old style inks. We invite you to visit Evan's website to see how inks of days gone by were made.

  • Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors
    This association site offers up all sorts of ink bottle information as well as info on glass in general. Click on the link above to visit this very informative website.

  • Thompson Conservation - Manuscript Inks
    Lots of information on very old inks that pre-date fountain pens.

  • Ink Bottle Patents
    An article by Ed and Lucy Faulkner, well researched text and many illustrations of early ink bottles.

  • The Carter Ink Company
    An article by Ed and Lucy Faulkner, history of Carters, many photographs of unusual early Carter's Ink bottles.

  • The Original Higgins Ink, A Nevada Invention
    An article by Fred Holabird, fascinating account of the first Higgins ink bottles (not the ones made in Brooklyn!)

  • Dating Older Ink Bottles
    Digger Odell has some excellent general antique bottle information on his website, in particular a good section on how to determine when your ink bottles were made based on bottle characteristics such as mold seams, embossing, type of lid, etc.




Federation of Historic Bottle Collectors

Thompson Conservation Manuscript Inks
Fountain Pen Ink
Fountain Pens Inks
Click for fountain pen filling instructions
Fountain Pen
Filling Instructions

Diamond Ink Labels



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