NEWS & INFORMATION: Tools of the Trade

Posted on by
I’ve published just about 150 posts since my first post in August of 2012.  

A full sixty-five of those posts have been fountain pen ink reviews. My first ink review was Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Royku (didn’t love it).

My early reviews were messy. Lots of messes, lots of cleaning up. Over time, I’ve found a system that works for me and I thought it would be fun to share some of the tools I use. This post does contain some Amazon affiliate links. I joined while putting together the post – why not? These are all products I use and love.

Warning: This is a lonnnng post.

Nalgene Containers Hold Fountain Pen Ink

Nalgene Containers Rather than filling pens and dipping swabs directly from ink bottles, I prefer to decant the ink into these small Nalgene containers.  I like the 15ml size (that’s about half an ounce). These are wide-mouth (fit any size pen) and have screw-tops. A dozen of them are usually available on Amazon for around $20.

Nalgene 15ml containers

Of course, all of these containers need to be labeled. I have a fancy-shmancy label printer that I love, but any label maker will work.

But why decant? These smaller containers of favorite ink colors are easy to manage and they are right at my fingertips. A spill doesn’t mean that I’m going lose a full bottle of ink. A spill doesn’t mean that I’m going to have a full bottle of ink to clean up, either.

The biggest reason I like to decant ink, though, is cross-contamination. Last week, I was filling a pen with Noodler’s Habanero. I plunged the pen into the ink, twisted the converter up and down a few times to get a great big full fill, and started writing. What the heck?  Why was my orange ink looking….black? Because as careful as I am, the pen wasn’t as clean as it should have been. And because I’d twisted the converter several times – I ruined not only the ink in my pen, but also the ink in the container. But I didn’t ruin an entire bottle of ink. I cleaned up my mess, decanted a bit more ink, and was on my way to writing again lickety-split.

Fountain Pen Supplies

The above picture is one of the drawers in my pen desk.  Starting from the left, we have…..

Pipettes I love these things. And they are cheeeeap. A pack of 100 for around five bucks on Amazon.

I use the transfer pipettes to move ink from Goulet Pens sample vials (you are signed up for Ink Drop, yes?) to converters so I can test the ink in a fountain pen. I’ve found that it takes too much effort (for me) to fill pens from the sample vials. These pipettes take away all of that frustration.  And the great thing? Reusable. Of course, your mileage may vary and if those wee little vials with their wee little openings are working for you, then you don’t need these at all.

The middle section holds empty ink vials (these are the small ones similar to the sort that the Goulets use for their samples).  I use these (and the Nalgene) to hold inks if I’m traveling. Small, unbreakable,  reusable, no trouble at the airport – perfect!

Syringes come in handy for moving ink. I have also used them to fill converters from sample bottles. I’ve not used these much lately – not since discovering the pipettes – but they work just fine. The downside is that there are three pieces to clean. With the pipette, there’s just one piece to clean – and you can even toss them into the recycling bin if you don’t want to bother with cleaning.

Small Notebooks are kept in this drawer for grab-n-go convenience.

Next up….QTips!

Q-Tips for Fountain Pen Ink Swabs

Lots and lots of Q-Tips.

Funny story. . . I have my jar of ink-stained Q-Tips on my pen desk. My mother-in-law (whom I adore) saw the jar on my desk, wriggled up her nose and said, “Ew…you save your Q-tips?”

Yes, yes I do indeed save my used Q-Tips. 
I buy Q-Tips in bulk from Costco and use them primarily for ink swabs. They are also good for cleaning inks out of tight spaces – say from the barrel of your Metropolitan when you don’t seat the squeeze converter quite right.  Oops.
Towels sure come in handy. I’ve been using the bottom towel since the day I started blogging. At the time, I didn’t know that terry cloth isn’t the best option, but it seems to be working quite well. (A smooth fabric like a chamois would preferred – free of lint and no fabric to get caught up in the tines of your nib.)
I use the small towel to wipe dip pens.
Some people use paper towels. I’ve heard one person say they use (ahem) toilet paper.
I like towels because they are reusable and last practically forever.

Odds & Ends Extra converters, paper scraps cut into a consistent size, wax (I like pliable) and seals, extra nibs.  All of these odds and ends are kept in a drawer in the desk. Unfortunately, that drawer was a bit of a mess when I had the idea for this post, so you won’t be seeing them in their natural environment. Hahaa

The most important part of the picture above, though, is the Cutting Mat. I’d originally bought the mat for some sewing projects. When those projects were complete, I didn’t have a handy place to store the mat flat, so I put it “temporarily” on my pen desk. Let me tell you – it is perfect!

The top of the pen desk is granite – not very forgiving. The cutting mat acts as a bit of a buffer between the desk and pens and bottles of ink. It’s also amazingly easy to clean – spritz, wipe, go. I use the mat to measure pens and paper and it has created a nice writing surface, too.  Win!

And finally….

Notebooks and Paper Rhodia, Clairfontaine, Field Notes (don’t love the paper, love the designs), Apica, one (or more) of each!  This represents only some of my paper.

So..that it! Some of the tools I use everyday.  Maybe I’ll post about my review process one day. Or take you on a tour of my pen desk – or, yikes, pen storage.

Your turn.  What are some of your favorite pen things and how do you use them?

697 thoughts on “NEWS & INFORMATION: Tools of the Trade”

  4. Hey Pentulant Com Team,

    Your happiest customers can bring you more business – if you make it easy for them to leave a Google review.

    I built a free tool that helps local businesses like yours collect reviews instantly:
    – 1-Click Review Link – customers can rate you in seconds without searching
    – Ready-to-Print QR Code – perfect for counters, receipts, or invoices
    – 100% Free – no setup fees, no credit card, no limits

    Already helped dozens of local businesses increase their Google visibility and get more calls.

    Ready to activate yours? Takes under 60 seconds:
    https://reviewboostexperts.com

    If at any point you prefer not to get further correspondence from me, kindly fill the form at brnd .li/delist webpage with your domain address (URL).
    86 Fernleigh Ave, Marlboro, CA, USA, 92006

    Reply ↓

  12. Hello,

    The market is quickly splitting into two groups:

    Businesses using AI.
    And businesses getting replaced by them.

    The speed of this shift is easy to underestimate until customers start expecting it everywhere.

    People do not want to search, click, wait, and guess anymore. They expect the website to respond.

    Plain websites are starting to lose against sites that can answer, guide, and qualify visitors in real time.

    The shift is simple: from clicking around to asking and getting answers.

    Olleh AI helps companies turn their websites into AI voice and chat experiences trained on their actual services, workflows, and customer questions.

    Your competitors are not waiting for “the right time.”
    They are putting AI in front of customers now.

    Check it out:
    https://theolleh.com

    Regards,
    Tanesha Hickson
    The Olleh

    If you wish to stop getting subsequent correspondence from our side, simply fill the form at brnd .li/delist url with your domain address (URL).
    97 Marloo Street, Niagara Falls, CA, USA, 92814

    Reply ↓

  14. We create stunning, professional, and fully mobile-responsive websites that help businesses build trust and attract more customers online. Our website packages start from $700 and can go up to $3,000 depending on the design, customizations, features, and technology required.

    Template-based websites are usually more affordable because the design structure is already created, reducing development time. If you need a completely custom design built specifically for your brand, the cost is generally higher due to the additional design and development work involved.

    If you’d like, I can also share some sample websites we have created. Feel free to tell us a little about your requirements, preferred design style, and any features you need, and we’ll be happy to provide recommendations and a customized quote.

    Reply to webdesignservices111@outlook.com for more details.

    Reply ↓

  15. I’ve noticed that your pentulant.com website could be missing out on approximately 1,000 visitors daily. Our AI powered traffic system is designed to significantly boost your site’s visibility. https://cutt.ly/Sw2BAXtw
    We’re offering a free trial that includes 500 targeted visitors to demonstrate the potential benefits. After the trial, we can provide up to 250,000 targeted visitors per month. This opportunity could greatly enhance your website’s reach and engagement.

    Reply ↓

  24. Hi,

    We provide dedicated remote support teams for E-Commerce businesses that need reliable assistance with backend operations and daily store management.

    Our support services include:
    > Product Uploads and Store Maintenance
    > Order Processing and Tracking
    > Customer Service via Email and Chat
    > Marketplace Management
    > Inventory and Pricing Updates
    > Blog and Product Content Writing
    > Social Media Management
    > Bookkeeping and Reporting
    > Data Entry and Administrative Support

    Our team has experience working on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, Ebay, WordPress, Wix, and other platforms.

    We offer flexible engagement models starting from $9/hr and can scale according to your requirements.

    Please let us know if you would like to schedule a short meeting to explore possible collaboration. Reply us on Ana@Ecommerceremoteteam.com

    Reply ↓

  25. основанием для вызова специалиста является неспособность человека самостоятельно выйти из состояния непрерывного употребления алкоголя и наличие признаков абстиненции.
    Детальнее – нарколог вывод из запоя в сочи

    Reply ↓

  40. Hi Sir/Madam,

    With all due respect. We need you to serve as our Spokesperson/Financial Coordinator for our company and its clients in USA or Canada It’s a part-time job with a minimum salary of $5k and will only take few minutes of your time daily and it will not bring any conflict of interest in case you are working with another company. If interested email us:
    representative@rohtopharmacy.org

    Kind regards,
    Yasuhiro Yamada
    Senior Executive Officer
    ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd

    If at any point you no longer want to receive subsequent messages from us, just fill the form at brnd .li/delist URL with your domain address (URL).
    Rua Das Peboras 1919, Bloomfield, CA, USA, 93652

    Reply ↓

  41. I’ve noticed that your pentulant.com website could be missing out on approximately 1,000 visitors daily. Our AI powered traffic system is designed to significantly boost your site’s visibility. https://cutt.ly/Sw2BAXtw
    We’re offering a free trial that includes 500 targeted visitors to demonstrate the potential benefits. After the trial, we can provide up to 250,000 targeted visitors per month. This opportunity could greatly enhance your website’s reach and engagement.

    Reply ↓

  43. Dear Sir/Madam,

    With all due respect. We need you to serve as our Spokesperson/Financial Coordinator for our company and its clients in USA or Canada It’s a part-time job with a minimum salary of $5k and will only take few minutes of your time daily and it will not bring any conflict of interest in case you are working with another company. If interested email us:
    representative@rohtopharmacy.org

    Best regards,
    Yasuhiro Yamada
    Senior Executive Officer
    ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd

    If at any point you prefer not to get subsequent notifications from me, feel free to fill the form at brnd .li/delist url with your domain address (URL).
    8 Seafield Place, Clay, CA, USA, 94612

    Reply ↓

  44. Вывод из запоя на дому подходит пациентам, которым необходимо получить помощь в привычной обстановке. Вызов врача можно заказать в любое время суток: выездная бригада приезжает по указанному адресу, проводит осмотр, оценивает давление, пульс, степень интоксикации, риск психозов, галлюцинаций, судорожных реакций, инфаркта, инсульта и других осложнений.
    Детальнее – скорая вывод из запоя в сочи

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *