Old Inks: It´s a collection now

My little shelf of inks, new and old.

Little bottles

At my last visit to the Netherlands, I met with my brother at the airport just as I was to leave. He had a box of old calligraphy materials with him that he had gotten from their neighbors. Because of all the sharp objects and little bottles of fluid, I dared not take it with me in my hand-luggage.
That was probably a good thing, since I was suspected of smuggling drugs, when I got to the Norwegian airport that day. They searched me, and I don´t know what they would have thought of all these little bottles.

Anyway, it wasn´t until last week that I asked him again to mail the package. It came on wednesday. Before I had "a few different bottles of ink", now it´s "a collection". I am not actively getting out of my way to collect different pens and inks, but it´s always interesting to have a look when something passes by.

This little 12 cc inkwell was in the package too.
The ink inside is all lumpy and stinks badly.
I don´t know how old it is, but it could be from as far back as the thirties.

One nib in the package had five points instead of one.
I figured it was meant for making music sheet papers.
True, but it still takes some practice to get all the five lines right.

I can make music paper for you now,
or you can download your pre-made printouts here.

When I tried some of the new (old) inks,
I discovered them to be smurfing good for smurfing.