FOR CZECHMAN:
INKWELL COLLECTORS ARE IN A PERMANENT CONUNDRUM.
FIRST: MOST KRALIK INKWELLS ON THE MARKET ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE, SINCE THEY ARE USUALLY SOLD AS LOETZ.
SECOND: MOST OF THEM DO NOT EVEN HAVE A LINER.
THIRD: LINERS ARE EVEN RARER THAN THE INKWELLS THEMSELVES.
FOURTH: AND THEY ARE ALSO QUITE EXPENSIVE. THEY ARE BEING MANUFACTURED IN ENGLAND BY ONE COMPANY. THEY CAN COST UPWARDS OF $30 + SHIPPING,
WHICH RUNS TO $6 PER ITEM, NO MATTER WHAT THE SIZE.
pIC. 1: AND THERE ARE 20 SIZES, FROM 0 TO 20. ANOTHER PROBLEM: SIZES ARE GIVEN IN MILLIMETERS. 17 MM. IS THE EQUIVALENT OF 1.7 CM. IF YOU GET THEM THROUGH THE SOCIETY OF INKWELL COLLECTORS (AFTER BECOMING A MEMBER), YOU GET A $10 DISCOUNT PER LINER.
BUT . . . IF YOU HAVE BLOWN THE RENT MONY ON AN INKWELL, YOU MIGHT AS WELL SPEND THE EXTRA DOLLARS ON ITS LINER. I HAVE OVER 60 INKWELLS (NOT ALL GLASS--MANY ARE OWLS!) AND ALL OF THEM HAVE LINERS.
PIC. 2: A TIFFANY AND AN APPOLLO. THEY TAKE THE LARGEST LINERS IN MY COLLECTION, SIZE 17.
PIC. 3: ALL OF THESE INKWELL REQUIRE SIZE 14, THE MOST STANDARD SIZE FOR KRALIK INKWELLS. ALSO, MAKE SURE TO STUDY THE TOPS, WHICH APPEAR IN DIFFERENT SIZES.
PIC. 4. FIRST ROW TOP, INKWELLS IN THE 9-10 CATEGORIES. SECOND ROW: ALL SIZE 8. BOTTOM ROW, EXTREME LEFT: THE SMALLEST, A SIZE 4. THE OTHER TWO: 9 AND 10.
DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE SIZE OF THE INKWELL. MY LARGEST ONE TAKES A 12, BUT SMALLER ONES TAKE A 14.
USUALLY, IF AN INKWELL TAKES AN 8, ALSO TRY A NINE. I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED WHY LINERS ARE NOT PROPORTIONATELY LONGER, REACHING AT LEAST 3/4 DOWN THE INKWELL.
I HAVE ALSO RECEIVED INKWELLS WITH PIERCED LINERS FULL OF LITTLE GREEN GLASS PELLETS. TO THIS DAY I HAVE NO IDEA FOR THIS PHENOMENON.
THE UPSIDE: THERE COMES A MOMENT WHEN JUST BY LOOKING AT AN INKWELL, YOU KNOW THE REQUIRED LINER SIZE.
THINK FOR A MOMENT: INKWELLS ARE PART OF A LOST HUMAN SKILL: HANDWRITING (WE ALSO CALLED IT CALLIGRAPHY), JUST AS FOUNTAIN PENS. ONE OF THE DARKEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE, HAVING LOST SENSATION IN MY HANDS, WAS REALIZING I COULD NOT LONGER WRITE WITH MY PEN, MY INK. IT TOOK ME YEARS TO LEARN TO SIGN MY NAME AGAIN.
BUT MY INKWELL/FOUNTAIN PEN OBSESSION CAME FIRST. FOR ME THEY ARE NOT SUDDENLY USELESS ART OBJECTS. THEY ARE THE ESSENCE OF WHAT I AM.