Fineline Applicators20 Gauge Applicators & Bottles - Empty, pack of 2

I absolutely love this product. I put my Tombo mono glue into this bottle using this guage and it works great. Provides a nice fine line of glue (I found it was easier to hold the tip and move the paper rather than hold the tip and move it across the paper), the cap does not clog! I actually forgot to put the cap back on for about 30 minutes but after I put it on, the next time I took it out to use, the cap was still not clogged! I did try putting my Beacon 3 in 1 glue inside and that was more difficult to transfer from the original bottle to this one as the Beacon glue is much thicker (what a mess! I ended up losing more glue then I was able to transfer into this bottle but the tip on the Beacon bottle has to be cut off so if you want a fine line of glue and like the Beacon brand, hopefully you can find a better way to transfer the glue from one bottle to the other. My Beacon tip was already clogged so I didn't have any other choice but to transfer it from the open bottle with the cap off). With the Tombo glue I just took off the wide tip and it easily poured into this bottle.

Using the fine liner has added a whole new aspect to my art. You can use fluid paint, inks, really anything with low viscosity.

These bottles are perfect for glueing tiny paper pieces. Filling them is easy if you use say Scotch brand glue with a tip that fits into the opening. However I buy larger bottles of Art Glitter Glue and using a funnel to fill them is time consuming. I do highly recommend these bottles the tips are great for small pieces.

These applicators work fairly well. I used paint, and the applicators allowed me to produce a consistent fine line. I like how the cap stops the paint from drying up in the thin filament. However it was difficult to apply enough pressure to the bottle to get the paint out of the applicator. I ended up using a large binder clip with a twist tie around the silver handles to keep the clip open a certain amount. Using this system, I would put the clip on the main bottle to create the pressure needed to apply the paint. This also allowed me to move my hand up closer to where the paint was exiting the applicator - using it more like a pen. Using the clip, it became very easy to paint my design.

These ARN'T flimsy like so many others. They should last awhile.

I absolutely love this applicator so much I had to order more! I use these for acrylics, acrylics with Floetrol, alcohol-based ink, just alcohol (not the type that instantly makes one happy!), and I'm sure other liquids I didn't remember for this review. The only issue I have had with this size applicator tip is when I attempted to use it with the Pinata Rich Gold alcohol-based ink. That particular ink is a suspension and has metallic particles which settle and separate very quickly. This results in uneven applications as well as clogged tips. That's not a negative for either product - they just don't play well together. I have not had any problems with this applicator and other metallic paints. I love what I am able to achieve using this fine tip applicator and that I'm also able to manipulate the paint easily with the wire tip. Putting the cap wire inside the wire applicator tip can be challenging at times for those who may not have been granted an abundance of patience however, that is one of the selling points for me personally. I love the seal it provides. Weeks later, my mixed acrylics are fresh and ready to use; no drying out, leaking, or clogging. I highly recommend this product. Just remember to wipe the tip and wire off before replacing the wire into the applicator tip and you should not have any problem opening the applicator next time you're ready to create. Enjoy!

Whoever designed this did well from an engineering perspective, and it performs the necessary function of controlled drawing quite well. However, I doubt the designer is an actual artist who has used it, as the parts at the top of the bottle make it top-heavy and it easily tips over unless you are very careful. I cannot keep it on its own along with other heavier containers, as it tips over at the slightest touch, and if not sealed properly, leaks. So I have to store it in an open-topped small box to keep it organized in a stable way. The bottle should be designed with a wide bottom for stability; it's not. It's very narrow which fits in the hand nicely, but the very light plastic renders it almost weightless. Filling it with liquid makes it heavier, of course, but eventually it will get lighter, and then depending on what leaks out, could ruin the art.

These applicators are not the ones that Fineline sells for masking fluid even though they are 20 gauge, .5mm just like the Fineline Masking Fluid Pen, which is a very similar bottle sold filled with masking fluid. The wire used to prevent clogging is smaller than the wire in the Fineline Masking Fluid Pen. The bottles are also empty. Compare the labels on both bottles and you will see the difference. The product itself is excellent but the packaging is confusing. Buy the correct product. The ones being reviewed here are made for more fluid contents, not for the latex that comprises masking fluid.