What ink(s) are you waiting for in the mail?

[A Smug Dill]

It has definitely put me off ordering ink from overseas.

If I count the forty-odd bottles on order from Cult Pens that are yet to arrive, I have ordered around 400 retail bottles of ink from overseas, and so far there has been one bottle that was completely shattered in transit (and stained a lot of other items inside the same parcel), five that were missing from inside the parcels in which they are supposed to arrive (while other items, including bottles of other ink, arrived OK in those parcels, and frankly there was no proof or indication I could find that those missing bottles were ever sent in the first place even though the respective sellers treated those two separate orders as having been fully filled), three arrived with broken lids and ink spilt into the inside of their cardboard boxes, without staining or otherwise damaging anything else, and three or so others that slightly leaked (with ≥95% ink remaining) without any apparent defect in or damage to the bottle or lid. So, I'd say in my experience ~97% of the bottles arrive OK.

 

Kaweco bottles are sealed with paper going from one side of the cap to the other. You can't open a bottle without breaking the seal - not even a quarter turn.

I've never bought bottled Kaweco ink, but since we're talking about sealing at the factory that would offer some sort of assurance, once the lids have been put on the glass bottles KWZ Ink seals the bottles with shrink-wrap, before packing them into retail cardboard boxes. Therefore, theoretically the lids cannot come undone because of the friction and pressure applied by the shrink-wrap. Yet there has been an occasion on which I received a new bottle of KWZ Ink where some ink has leaked, but the leakage has been completely contained by the shrink-wrap, such that the inner walls of white retail cardboard box were completely pristine, even though the bottle's label was so saturated with ink I couldn't make out any words that were printed on it. I have no idea whether that leakage happened in transit between Poland and the Netherlands (to the retailer's warehouse), or between Netherlands and Australia; but I certainly can't fault the retailer for not opening up the retail packaging and check the contents, even if it was the former, because there is no apparent reason to suspect there was a problem with the bottle from inspecting the outside of the cardboard box.

Edited August 29, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[AmandaW]

I didn't think to check the paper seals at the time, but zooming in on the photos I can see the black ink seal looks intact, but slipped around the bottle. The purple - it was the one that was open - doesn't look torn either just stuck down onto the cap.

 

It's a mystery.

 

[AmandaW]

So, I'd say in my experience ~97% of the bottles arrive OK.

 

 

 

Well I managed less than 2 out of 2 and a soggy box of cartridges in this box. With luck running like that I should avoid black cats, ladders and lottery tickets for a while!

Edited August 29, 2020 by AmandaW

[tinta]

 

Well I managed less than 2 out of 2 and a soggy box of cartridges in this box. With luck running like that I should avoid black cats, ladders and lottery tickets for a while!

At least you can laugh about it. Hope you have much better luck with future shipments.

[A Smug Dill]

I'm disappointed but don't need a lifetime supply of purple. And who's to say it won't happen again?

We have (slightly) more purple ink than black ink here, roughly 1.5 litres in either colour group. The bottle of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black coming from Cult Pens will alter the balance, though.

 

Most of the other inks that are coming are blues. We'll have more blue ink than the total of purple and black inks.

[jmccarty3]

From Vanness, three bottles of Kobe: the DEN Premium Blue, the Wind Blue, and the Kitano Antique Sepia.

[A Smug Dill]

If I count the forty-odd bottles on order from Cult Pens that are yet to arrive,

 

 

Thirty-five bottles of Diamine ink arrived intact in the post this morning, complete with an "Opened For Inspection" leaflet from the Australian Border Force inside the box. I suppose what must appear on the screen of the X-ray machine as a tightly packed matrix of small bottles, and the overly simple one-word summary of "Pens" on the CN22 Customs Declaration form on the outside of the shipping carton, may arouse some suspicion.

[TitoThePencilPimp]

Is there a correlation with mailed ink spilled bottles are a result of post offices/customs??

[A Smug Dill]

Is there a correlation with mailed ink spilled bottles are a result of post offices/customs??

 

 

Not as far as I'm aware. Intuitively, however, the more quickly the end-to-end delivery process is executed, and the fewer procedural stops (such as being manually opened for inspection by Customs officials, who of course are only doing their job dutifully) there are, the less likelihood of spillage and spoilage of whatever is shipped. Nobody in the middle of the process is going to tighten a slightly loose lid for (the benefit of) the end-recipient upon opening the package up for inspection, so there isn't going to be any positive contribution to the condition in which the bottled liquid arrives, only potential negative ones.

[AmandaW]

Is there a correlation with mailed ink spilled bottles are a result of post offices/customs??

I have had spilled ink from two suppliers. I don't believe either was the result of customs or post office opening them. There was no package evidence or a notice left as Smug described.

 

Blackstone ink in the plastic Nalgene bottles happened on two occasions, both shipped within Australia. My more recent issue with Kaweco ink involved both bottles within one otherwise undamaged package.

[tinta]

My Kwz IG Blue #6 arrived from Cult Pens in the UK. Amazingly quick service for these Covid times.

I was really impressed by the quality of packaging of this ink by the maker. A Saran Wrap like film was wound over the cap, preventing it from unscrewing in transit.

Can't wait to have an empty pen available to try this ferrogallic ink.

[Eclipse157]

Yesterday, about 6 months after ordering, I finally got my Troublemaker Sea Glass and Foxglove delivered to my door!

 

[Karmachanic]

Octopus Burgundy arrived yesterday. KWZ Maroon #1 should be here on Monday.

[ParramattaPaul]

The new Mabie Todd Kingfisher blue I bought last month is so nice that I've order three more of their inks.

[tleek]

I just ordered some Noodlers Proctors Ledge in anticipation of Halloween. Pretty excited about it. Does anyone have experience with it in vintage pens?

[NumberSix]

1 bottle: Lamy Black

 

3 Samples:

• Edelstein Onyx,
• Lamy Crystan Obsidian
• Waterman Instense Black

[bayindirh]

 

1 bottle: Lamy Black

You won't be disappointed.

[sanphoemo]

Iˋm waiting for Sailor 252 and 224, the latest multicolour shading inks and Robert Oster Rose Gylt Tynte. Saw them and was totally sold. Couldn't but order all three.

[Jarod]

Waiting for 30ml bottles of Diamine Bilberry, Imperial Blue, Imperial Purple, Majestic Blue (hesitated as it leans green), Monboddo's Hat, Oxford Blue, Sargasso Sea, Scribble Purple, Handel, Honey Burst, Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue and Deep Dark Purple, and one 80ml Claret.

 

And still waiting for Akkerman Delfts Blauw. Sigh...

 

ETA: Oops, forgot Montblanc Toffee cartridges and a bottle of Jacques Herbin 1789 Anniversary Kyanite du Népal.

Edited September 8, 2020 by Jarod

[A Smug Dill]

Waiting for 30ml bottles of Diamine …

The bulk of the 30ml bottles of Diamine ink arrived, and I put new cap labels on them, as well as replaced some of the old labels on bottles I already had in order to have some consistency, last night (or, well, this morning since it was after midnight). Took me over an hour and a half to do all the Diamine bottles I now have!

 

90ml bottles of Monteverde Brown Sugar and Horizon Blue arrived today sold and shipped by Amazon UK. The packaging was a bit... dubious and flimsy, but surprisingly neither bottle seem to have broken or leaked.