Dauber care between game nights

Store it upright

A bottle standing on its base keeps ink resting against the tip, primed for the first number of the night. A bottle rolling around a hot car trunk on its side spends its first minutes back on the table sputtering.

A caddy, a mug or a corner of the tote all work. The point is base down, tip up, and out of direct summer heat between sessions.

Shake before the first game

One firm shake with the cap on wakes the ink and feeds the foam evenly. This matters most for Dazzle bottles, where the glitter flakes settle a little between sessions and a shake spreads them back through the ink.

After the shake, a test dab on scrap paper tells you everything: a full crisp circle means play on, a pale one means shake again.

Mind the tip

The chisel tip is foam, and foam remembers abuse. Dab with a light tap and it stays sharp-edged for the life of the bottle. Grind it into the card and the edge rounds off, the circles blur and the ink flow turns moody.

The tips are replaceable, which players who season a bottle to their exact tap appreciate. A fresh tip on a half-full bottle beats retiring good ink.

Cap it like you mean it

Our ribbed caps exist so a firm close does not become a wrestling match at the next open. Twist until it seats, and the tip stays moist from Tuesday to Tuesday without any ritual in between.

• Base down, tip up, away from heat
• One good shake before the first game, cap on
• Tap, do not press; the tip meters the ink itself
• Seat the cap fully; the ribs make reopening easy