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diogenesNY
November 23rd, 2013, 07:58 PM
This is a casual attempt to take a look at various ink sources and determine real prices (per unit volume, etc) for different inks from various sources, and perhaps work out some _least expensive sources_ and the like.

Being the parsimonious individual that I am, I decided to do a sort of thumbnail analysis of prices of ink broken down by actual price per unit volume for inks that are easily and widely available.

I am USA based and my analysis is based on a few basic guidelines:

Ink should be easily available to a purchaser in the US, order-able over the internet and payable by paypal or credit card, etc.

Costs will be ‘all in’ that is they will include all applicable taxes or shipping. Sellers who offer free shipping for moderate sized orders will be computed with no additional shipping costs. For example, Jetpens offers free shipping for orders over $25.00, consequently, Jetpens prices will be figured without shipping costs.
There will be a supplemental list of entries that may be only locally available or sold out or otherwise of interest as data, but which do not constitute a widely available product.

Jetpens is my current default source for ink balancing consistent availability and low relative price. Suggestions for appropriate sources are most welcome. Always looking for other sources, lower prices, etc that I can incorporate into the list.

I intend to keep adding and revising information over time. All info welcome.

Main List:

**Ink** **bottle size and price** **price per milliliter** **source**

Quink (various colors) 2oz. @$8.75 $0.146/ml jetpens.com
Pelican 4001 (various colors) 2oz. @$9.25 $0.148/ml jetpens.com
Diamine (various colors) 80ml@$12.50 $0.155/ml jetpens.com
Waterman Nostalgia (various) 50ml@$8.64 $0.17/ml jetpens.com
Lamy T52 (various colors) 50ml@$8.75 $0.175/ml jetpens.com
Platinum FP ink (various colors) 30ml@$6.75 $0.22/ml jetpens.com
Pelican 4001 (various colors) 1 oz.@$6.70 $0.225/ml jetpens.com
Rohrer & Klinger IG ink 50ml@$12.00 $0.24/ml jetpens.com
Pilot FP ink (various colors) 70ml@$16.50 $0.24/ml jetpens.com
J. Herbin (various colors) 30ml@$9.00 $0.30/ml jetpens.com
Pilot Iroshizuku (various) 50ml@$28.00 $0.56/ml jetpens.com
Sailor Nano Carbon Ink 50ml@$33.00 $0.66/ml jetpens.com


Provisional List:

Sourced from www.xfountainpens.com

Chesterfield Ink (chatter states that this is rebranded and repackaged Diamine ink.
It comes in plastic bottles in 50ml, 25ml and 3ml. Each ink is posted with a ‘list price’ that is three or four dollars per bottle more than the ‘our price’ number, which is what you pay.
In any case, it is worth noting that even if the rebranded Diamine identification is accurate, the Chesterfield branded ink is still more expensive than the glass bottled Diamine, when sourced from Jetpens.
Shipping on orders over $15 is free, so no shipping costs are added.)
They are on the provisional list simply because I have not ordered from them.

Archival Vault Ink (Bk) 50ml@$9.99 $0.20/ml
“ 25ml@$6.99 $0.28/ml
Many Colors 50ml@$7.99 $0.16/ml
“ 25ml@$4.99 $0.20/ml

3ml ink samples are also available for $1.49 for Archival Vault ink and $0.99 for the rest.
----

Supplemental List: This is for data that may be out of date, or reflect ink that is not widely available or otherwise fails to meet the main listing requirements, but is still of informational interest.


**Ink** **bottle size and price** **price per milliliter** **source**
Hero FP ink (BK,BL-BK,BK,R) ~2oz@~$4.00 $0.067/ml tmart.com

Note: Free shipping in the USA. This would be a great price if I could get delivery of the merchandise. I placed an order for four 2oz bottles of ink and waited. I figured for that price, I could afford to experiment a bit. Well, the payment cleared, the order shipped, and the shipper (Fed ex….. not sure, it was very unclear) stated that the package was damaged and undeliverable. I am now in the midst of a frustrating email tag with tmart.com wherein they tell me to ‘contact the post office’ and send them photos of the damaged package. I keep explaining to them that I have received nothing and that the post office has nothing to do with the equation, and that I am not about to spend hors doing legwork for their screwups. Time will tell if this resolves. Great price, but no goods.

Sheafer Scrip (Blue, Black) 50ml@$7.16 (incl tax) $0.143/ml Duke University
Note: Purchased Locally Bookstore
---
Higgins FP India (black) 2.5oz@$4.55(incl tax) $0.061/ml Michaels Art
Note: Purchased locally (I need to 2x check the price) Supply store

Note: The local Walmart stores do not stock any fountain pen ink, although they do carry pigment based India drawing ink.

@fountainpenrevolution.com:
Camlin (blue) 500ml@$36.00(incl $3 ship.) $0.072/ml fountainpenrevolution.com
Chelpark(BL-BK, GR, BL, Sapphire BL, Turquoise) “ “ “
Note: All ink current out of stock @ fountainpenrevolution.com

Will update.

diogenesNY

earthdawn
November 23rd, 2013, 11:06 PM
Awesome list

Ill add in Akkermans Ink as well.

For 3 bottles to be shipped from Akkermans in the Netherlands to the USA it is $80

The bottles are 150mls each so you get 450mls for $80

.18 per ml

Pretty good for such outstanding ink in a stunning bottle

AndyT
November 24th, 2013, 03:19 AM
Oh, so it's not just me then. :)

Here's my UK centric list, mostly based on prices from The Writing Desk:

Brand Price/ml

Aurora £0.244
Caran d'Ache £0.539
Conway Stewart £0.081
Cross £0.066
De Atramentis document £0.265
De Atramentis archive £0.257
Diamine registrars £0.252
Diamine 80ml £0.071
Herbin D £0.20
Herbin 100ml £0.105
Lamy £0.11
Montblanc standard £0.183
Montblanc writers edition £0.33
Monteverde £0.067
Noodler bulletproof £0.142
Noodler standard £0.114
Organics Studio £0.142
Parker Quink £0.075
Pelikan 4001 £0.145
Pelikan Edelstein £0.25
Pilot Iroshizuku £0.50
Private Reserve £0.163
R&K £0.08
Sailor Jentle £0.216
Sailor Sei-boku / Kiwa-guro £0.324
Sheaffer Skrip £0.099
Writing Desk £0.06
Visconti £0.25
Waterman £0.10
Yard-o-Led £0.153

I haven't been maintaining this list diligently, so most of the prices were calculated in July. No allowance has been made for postage; really this was just for my own amusement and shopping around can pay dividends.

The Good Captain
November 24th, 2013, 04:11 AM
Can't beat Diamine!

jde
November 24th, 2013, 09:59 AM
Very nice! I too, uh, obsess in this fashion.

Pilot Blue-Black, Red and Black in 350ml bottles can often be found on eBay or through various Japanese vendors for under $.12/ml. Including shipping to the USA! (Don't know about worldwide.) Pilot Blue-Black is my primary ink of choice.

If you have a favorite Japanese vendor, and you don't see these bottles on their sites, always ask if they can get it for you, and what it will cost with shipping. Many of them can get it for you at a very good cost. Except Jet Pens who is unwilling or unable to stock the 350ml bottles (keep suggesting to them!). They carry the 70ml but these are over $.23/ml in cost.

My personal price line is that an ink has to be under $.20 per ml including shipping costs. There are other factors, too, because I gotta like the ink. Otherwise, I'd buy a litre of Pelikan 4001 Blue for well under $.10 per ml.

My other ink of choice rarely comes in at the cost I want: Sailor averages $.25/ml w/out shipping. And so I take advantage of sales, or folks rehoming inks. Got some nice Sailor Jentle inks recently this way for under $.15/ml. This enabled me to rationalize a splurge on Sailor Sei-Boku at $.48/ml including shipping. *ahem*

Anderson Pens btw keeps an ongoing "Ink Volume Comparison. (http://andersonpens.net/ink-volume-comparison)" Doesn't include shipping costs, but it's a good visual for most folks looking for comparisons.

Forgive the blathering on and on herein.

Edited to add a positive note about xFountainpens (http://www.xfountainpens.com): The inks are rebranded Diamine. They have been very upfront about this, at least in the past. (Call them if you want to confirm, ay?) I bought some of the Chesterfield Archival Vault aka Diamine Registrer's ink at a very good price last year, taking advantage of a sale on top of their normal price w/free shipping.

Sailor Kenshin
November 24th, 2013, 10:32 AM
Kewl. I have something printed out, with hand-made additions....Hero inks being cheapest on all counts.

How about price per ounce?

heath
November 24th, 2013, 01:45 PM
Kewl. I have something printed out, with hand-made additions....Hero inks being cheapest on all counts.

How about price per ounce?

Who sells Hero inks?

Sailor Kenshin
November 24th, 2013, 05:41 PM
Kewl. I have something printed out, with hand-made additions....Hero inks being cheapest on all counts.

How about price per ounce?

Who sells Hero inks?

I bought my three bottles on fleabay, don't recall the seller, but it was from the U. S. Just search for Hero ink.