What I Bought in 2018: Inks

Posted on by Laura

Platinum Blue-Black ink bottle

I like to do an annual accounting every year of the inks I bought. In 2018, it was 18 bottles.

Now, that seems like an awful lot. But, if you take the long view, I improved. Because in 2015 I bought 30 bottles of ink; and in 2016 I bought 20 bottles of ink and three boxes of cartridges.

Now, a strict accounting also would uncover that in 2017 I bought only 10 bottles of ink. But then strict accounting seems to be for unhappy people. Let’s forget that and take the long view. I improved!

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18 thoughts on “What I Bought in 2018: Inks”

  2. 18 is not too many inks for an entire year, in my opinion. My ink collection gained 3 bottles this year. ( Two were gifts)
    Blue Green is a great color, and I have a few in that category.

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  4. I love blue green colors and inks!

    The hubs is already planning for the next Chicago Pen Show before I even thought about it! I hope to see you there!

    I’m not sure how many bottles I bought, but not nearly as many as 18. I did finally splurge on an expensive bottle of Graf von Faber-Castell Turquoise 😊

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  5. Great to read about all the inks you have chosen this year. I use ink like I use perfume – well, not literally, that would just be odd, but my usage is equivalent. With perfume, everyone else seems to gallop through it and be buying replacements every ten minutes, but I wear it every single day and it takes almost a year to finish one 50ml bottle. Likewise with inks, I think I will (and, indeed, I do) enjoy having a variety of colours, but that means even boxes of 6 cartridges last months, let alone bottles. If I bought 18 bottles of ink it would last me until my dying day! I work on a system of ignoring a lot of brands entirely; treating shimmer inks as an item for artists, not writers; and wherever possible trying cartridges or an ink sample before I commit to a whole bottle. I don’t really move enough in circles of people who use fountain pens to be able to redistribute inks easily.

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    1. That is a good way to be, buying one and using it every day until you use it up. Did you buy many bottles or boxes of cartridges then, in 2018? I am curious slash gently envious. 🙂

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      1. I often wish I had a “wardrobe” of perfumes and could ring the changes, but it doesn’t seem to work for me. With inks, I bought a bottle of Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue, a box of Waterman Tender Purple cartridges to try the colour, and a tin of J Herbin Rouge Caroubier cartridges. Then for Christmas I put the Lamy Crystal inks on my “interested in” list and my lovely daughter gifted me two bottles – the Ruby and Peridot colours. I used up a lot of my stash of cartridges through the year as I want to move more to bottled inks going forwards.

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  6. Hmm, from my perspective you were a pretty well behaved gal, I’d say.

    Don’t ask how much I bought or got gifted … you do ask, do you? 54 bottles and 117 samples. BUT, 16 bottles I got as a Hub Master from Pelikan and later gave 10 of these away, 4 bottles I got for working for a stationery shop (write s.th. for their shop window), another 12 bottles I got as a gift. The ones I bought were either Diamine 30 ml or, ahem, the much more expensive and oh-so-tempting Kyo Iro / No-Oto. And the samples? Well, the Berlin and in general German fountain pen scene is really amazing and friendly and generous when it comes to sending samples around. Many of us travelled around last year and muled inks and samples from A to B. That was a huge lot of fun and inky goodness!

    Have a happy and colourful 2019, dear Laura!

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    1. Wow! Honestly, that is so impressive that it is to be embraced, and celebrated, unreservedly. Well done!

      You also bring up an important point. I did not count all the samples people were nice enough to give me, but that is always so lovely. I have come to think that giving things away, and accepting the gift of other things, is by far the nicest way to handle ink acquisition. Instead of guilt from overspending, you feel bonhomie and gratitude. It’s such a positive, whether giver or receiver.

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  7. I also bought Sailor Yodaki, a special ink because it’s the same colour as one they make for Maruzen called Akane Red. I bought the new J.Herbin Grenate too, which is well worthy of note. 🙂

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