Decant / Sample Gear & Techniques

[DavyRay]

Some of us have experience with creating decants and sampling fragrances. Most of us do not have such experience. For those of us considering participating in the fragrance train or other sharing activity, what is the low-down on pipettes, atomizers, vials, straws, and the like?

I have received a really nice decant from Mudassir. It is an atomizer with glass vial, about 15ml. I have no experience with smaller decants. What is the best technique for transfer? What about sources of supply?

The best quality information is from members with first-hand experience. What about it? We really need a tutorial on the whole process and best practices.

 

[john parker]

Why not ask Mudassir? That's what he does! Perhaps he could provide a guide which you could pass on. I'd be interested, too.

 

[The Knize]

We really should have a Wiki article on this. I suppose a good thread is as good as an article, and this is as good a place as any.

I can get us started with a few of my thoughts, but, guys, do not make me do all the writing!

Hopefully someone can fill them in here, but there are a number of threads on this forum where the usual sources are set out. Accessoriesforfragrances.com has excellent decant materials of all kinds, although they can be a bit expensive, including on shipping. Taj-Perfume.com, on-line (I think it comes up trueessence.com, or similar, but especially at their brick and mortar store in Baltimore has great prices and great quality, although, a limited selection of atomizer vials. Also, the price really goes down with quantity. proudstyle.com out of Hong Kong has truly excellent prices and excellent quality on glass atomizers, especially their No. 3011, 5 ml glass atomizers, and is now carrying plastic funnels and pipettes, and has just started to carry plastic atomizers as small as 10 ml. I have not tried them. Actually, one has to be a bit caregful on pricing, as 3 ml atomizers are more expensive than the No. 3011, 5 ml.

The Container Store, is ths kitchen, area, at least in the DC area, seems to now consistently have cylindrical glass dram vials in sizes of something like 2, 4, and 10 ml sizes, if I recall, with decent, but not the best caps for these--polycone lined caps are probably the best, and are non atomizer. A dram is 3.7 ml, sometimes rounded up to 4 ml. The Container Store also has plastic perfume funnels, and 1, 2, and 4 oz sizes of Nalgene (a tough thick plastic), guaranteed to be non leak. It is remarkable to have easy brick and mortar access to these items.

Actual decanting technique: On some original atomizer bottles, notably Montale, the atomizer screws out, and one can pipette, eye dropper, pour, syringe, or whatever the contents out of the bottle, and then simply screw the atomizer back in. Some scents come in large flacons, that have a top that pulls or twists out, and can be dealt with in the same way However for most original bottles there are two choices: Either rip the atomizer out of the bottle such that it cannot be replaced and use pipette, eye dropper, pour, syringe, or whatever. Or simply spray from the original bottle into the smaller bottle, perhaps using a funnel as an aid. One can also trim the bulb end of a pipette to help concentrate the spray.

I have never liked destroying the atomizer. And, frankly at this point, I pretty much spray directly into the decant vial without using a funnel or other aid. I find funnels have some issues with splash back from being sprayed. Atomizers on original bottles vary tremendously in ease of use, and say amount sprayed out with each push of the atomizer. it can get tiring, but take you time to get a good aim and avoid as much splash back as possible. It takes a little time but is not nearly as bad as it might seem.

EDIT: By the way, be very careful to have the decant vials securely upright. it is very, very easy to knock them over and spill contents with a hand or with, say, a pipette.

Plumbers teflon tape is used by some around the threads with the idea that it gives a tighter seal. I am not convinced it does not make the screw on tops become loose more easily. Electricians tape around the where the cap screws on forms a lquid proof seal and helps stop leaks by prevently the cap from twisting and becoming loose. One can tape the plastic cap covers down, too.

Labeling can be done in numerous ways. A Dymo label printer and see through plastic label tape is nice.

Packing and shipping is a whole other treatise. I will not be complete here, but poly bubble lined envelopes are fairly inexpensive on EBay, and are more durable that Kraft paper versions, very light, and are also essentially waterproof and other liquid proof. Additonal bubble wrap or other protection is a generally a good idea. Keep it under 13 oz and you can send 1st class postage. PayPal has a nice on-line postage service from which one can print a label with the postage and address on it. Delivery confirmation, always a good idea, comes withh it automatically for 19 cents.

Feel free to ask questions. I am sure there are lots of ways of doing these things. This is just what I typically do.

 

[john parker]

Most interesting! A sticky is a wonderful idea!

 

[Archerfire]

I've not done a whole lot of decanting, but I have done some. I believe The Knizemeister is spot on with his recommendations.

I try to keep my decanting to 5mL or more. Mostly because just about virtually everything I have is a spray and it's easier to shoot into those sizes than in anything smaller. If I go smaller I have to use a funnel and, depending on the sprayer, I often get some 'spray-back'. There is typically always some waste and I HATE losing additional juice because of the spray-back from a funnel.

I also try to use a bottle that will hold at least a bit more than the amount I wish to decant. I do this because I find that as I get closer to the top, I will actually get some spray-back at that point, which is more wasted juice.

I like using plumber's tape but actually have noticed that sometimes it seems to make the screw top come loose easier. I still use the plumber's tape, but after the top is screwed on I add electrician's tape around the outside seam. It seems to make a pretty leak-proof setup.

And that's my .02 cents!

 

[The Knize]

I've not done a whole lot of decanting, but I have done some. I believe The Knizemeister is spot on with his recommendations.

I try to keep my decanting to 5mL or more. Mostly because just about virtually everything I have is a spray and it's easier to shoot into those sizes than in anything smaller. If I go smaller I have to use a funnel and, depending on the sprayer, I often get some 'spray-back'. There is typically always some waste and I HATE losing additional juice because of the spray-back from a funnel.

I also try to use a bottle that will hold at least a bit more than the amount I wish to decant. I do this because I find that as I get closer to the top, I will actually get some spray-back at that point, which is more wasted juice.

I like using plumber's tape but actually have noticed that sometimes it seems to make the screw top come loose easier. I still use the plumber's tape, but after the top is screwed on I add electrician's tape around the outside seam. It seems to make a pretty leak-proof setup.

And that's my .02 cents!

Excellent points. Thanks for adding them. I encourage other to add their wisdom!

I will note, if I did not before, that most decant vials/bottles hold more than the size they are stated to be--often much more. So you need a way of measuring if the specific amount matters. The best way is to measure the right mount of some neutral liquid such as a high percentage rubbing alcohol into an identical decant container and note the fill level. How to measure the correct amount to put in the other vial. A scientific lab graduated cylinder is nice or a medical syringe marked in mls, even if you have to do multiple rounds because of the size of the syringe.

 

[buckeye_pi]

Also, if you use plastic atomizers they cannot be reused with different scents. I have tried to clean an atomizer that originally had Creed Aventus (used soap, water, dishwash liquid, alcohol, witch hazel) and NOTHING worked.
It wasn't as much the atomizer itself as it was the pump that still contained the smell.
All of the above methods were recommended here on this board.

 

[The Knize]

Wow: No quesions? No wisdom anyone else has to share about all of this stuff?

I cannot have known everything worth knowing and I sure cannot have laid it all out in one post, even a fairly "windy" one.

I am sort of experimenting with removable Scotch tape lately. My original thought was to use it on various packing materials, such as bubble wrap to make materials easier to re-use. But I have also put it around decant vial tops and used to hold decant spray caps down securely, much as I would ordinarily use electricians tape. Ordinary Sctch tape used for those purposes is hard to remove and it easier cut to cut around, and so does not leave as good a looking decant. As i think I mentioned above, my theory is that tape keeps the cap from twisting loose in shipment, more than it forms a leak proof seal around the outside. But I admit that as to the latter function, electricians tape probably does better than Scotch tape!

 

[orchestrion]

Does anyone have a good source for glass funnels? I recently ordered 72 dram sized glass vials and I like the idea of using a funnel but, as others have said, plastic doesn't really cut it.

 

[The Knize]

Does anyone have a good source for glass funnels? I recently ordered 72 dram sized glass vials and I like the idea of using a funnel but, as others have said, plastic doesn't really cut it.

I actually not seen any glass funnels. Lots of metal ones though. Easy to clean. Plastic funnels can be cheap enough to assign a particular funnel to a particular scent and not take a chance on contamination, scent to scent!