How do I clean dried ink out?

Warm water does most of the heavy lifting. Soak the glass liner for a few hours to loosen the crust. Avoid using harsh chemical solvents on any metal parts. They strip the natural patina and leave the surface looking raw and scrubbed.

I found an old wooden desk stand with two glass bottles in it, but one is missing the lid. Can you get replacements for them easily?

Finding an exact match for a missing brass or silver lid is difficult. Makers cut threads and sized collars to fit their specific glass moulds, so parts rarely interchange. Your best option is finding a damaged single well from the same period. You'll sometimes swap the entire collar and lid assembly over if the neck diameter is close enough.

What goes in the second bottle?

The second vessel usually held a different colour of fluid. Red was common for accounting ledgers and underlining text. Sometimes the second pot is actually a sander or pounce pot. These held a fine powder sprinkled over the page to dry the surface before blotting paper took over.

When I tilt the travelling well upside down the button stays shut but the hinge feels a bit loose. Is there a way to tighten the mechanism?

The hinges on travelling cases rely on a tiny metal pin driven through the knuckles. Over time the brass wears down and the hole widens, creating that slack feeling. A jeweller or metalworker can push the old pin out and tap a slightly thicker one into place. This firms up the action without altering the original case.

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Antique Inkwells in London

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Designed to sit securely on a desk and keep writing fluid from drying out, an antique inkwell is a small, heavy-based vessel that held ink and often supported a resting dip pen.