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

[mizgeorge]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Whereas I just fired off an email to them expressing my disappointment and dissatisfaction in no uncertain terms, typical A Smug Dill style…

 

Edit: … and promptly received an apologetic reply from the owner — even though it's late on Friday night in Malaysia — acknowledging that there was a major communication breakdown. The good part is that apparently my order has already been dispatched by FedEx yesterday, with the items that they could supply. Two late additions, after I was told Rikyucha on my original order was not available and they have revised the list from which I was invited to choose substitutes, also ended up not being available, but I wasn't advised of that, and was left hanging for three days.

 

If customer service was as attentive as what transpired just now, I'd have been completely OK with missing out on a couple of bottles of ink that were second-choice and second-thought.

 

Ah well. I look forward to trying Diamine Manggis, and replenishing my supply of Diamine Jalur Gemilang, which is my single most favourite Diamine ink but also a region-exclusive that is only available from a single source.

 

Oh what a shame. I have to say, I'm really pleased with everything I got - I'd have loved the couple of others that they couldn't supply - but I accept these are getting close to unobtainium now, and I was just being greedy and wanting the bigger, prettier bottles.

 

They also had a good (compared to anything I can get here) price on the small Iroshizuku bottles, so I picked up three of those (to get the pretty free box) in colours I'm not sure I want full sizes of.  

 

I can imagine the apology was satisfactory - if only because I can imagine that the message they got must have been like a death by a thousand cuts... 

[A Smug Dill]

6 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

I can imagine the apology was satisfactory - if only because I can imagine that the message they got must have been like a death by a thousand cuts...

 

LOL yes, the apology was satisfactory — the promptness and timing on the reply made it more so. The owner had his eye on the ball, even if he had to admit that his team dropped the ball on my order. The fact that my order has already been dispatched, even though I wasn't duly informed (and I did check the status of my order on its web shop platform earlier, before I kicked up a fuss), also helped placate.

 

As for my message to the company … let's just say, my catalogue of things therein that they, um, could've done better is more comprehensive and up-to-date than its catalogue of Sailor Shikisai inks still available.

[sansenri]

The three Diamine 30 ml bottles that I was waiting for have just arrived today.

Colours are Cornflower blue, Sapphire blue and Asa blue.

Cornflower is a nice blue leaning on red, but not as purplish as Sapphire.

Sapphire is well known to me, I own the large bottle, which however is close to empty and this is a refill...

Asa is a dark turquoise.

In reality I bought Sapphire and Asa because I intend to mix them.

Currently I am liking blues with a hint of turquoise in them such as Blue Velvet, Monteverde Horizon or Leonardo Blue.

I have a feeling that mixing Sapphire and Asa I could end up with something in that colour range and I am eager to play around and try.

[mizgeorge]

8 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

As for my message to the company … let's just say, my catalogue of things therein that they, um, could've done better is more comprehensive and up-to-date than its catalogue of Sailor Shikisai inks still available.

My keyboard does not thank you for the coffee I just spat all over it...

 

I however, am grateful for my first proper out-loud laugh of the day!

[A Smug Dill]

3 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

My keyboard does not thank you for the coffee I just spat all over it...

[inkstainedruth]

4 hours ago, sansenri said:

Colours are Cornflower blue, Sapphire blue and Asa blue.

Cornflower is a nice blue leaning on red, but not as purplish as Sapphire.

 

Is Cornflower from the Flower Collection from a few years ago?  I had trouble deciding whether I liked it or Aster better.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[A Smug Dill]

On 3/27/2021 at 1:45 AM, A Smug Dill said:

The fact that my order has already been dispatched, even though I wasn't duly informed

 

Interestingly… as it turned out, the parcel had already been delivered by FedEx, and signed for by my building's front desk attendant, late yesterday (Friday) afternoon. He didn't log it into the system before heading off for the weekend, so I wasn't notified; and since the status of my order on the web shop platform remained as “awaiting fulfillment” (even now), and I wasn't otherwise informed of a tracking number for which to keep an eye out or register for automatic updates, I was neither expecting it nor watching like a hawk.

 

When PenGallery's owner Lai wrote today and advised me of the tracking number, he also noted that it was already delivered, so it was all a big surprise to me. I managed to get the weekend attendant to look for and retrieve the package for me. All good, nothing broken or leaking, and everything I paid for was there.

 

I asked Lai to confirm the status of the various Sailor Shikisai colours, and he obligingly removed a couple of the colours that his staff had added back to the web shop's catalogue a week ago after discovering their in-stock status wasn't up to date.

 

So, what I see with this search now should actually be available to be ordered and dispatched, with the exception of the product listing that is showing a swatch of Miruai but the text actually states Nioisumire. I asked about it a couple of times now, but what's happening there is no clearer to me than when it reappeared a week ago.

 

On 3/26/2021 at 10:22 PM, mizgeorge said:

the rather interesting Diamine special - Manggis, which seems to be perfectly named - it's a lime sheening purple that on a quick dip test looks like one I'm going to like a lot.

 

That's gone now from the catalogue as well; and, being a shop-exclusive that Lai designed and commissioned from Diamine, that's effectively unobtainium unless (or until) PenGallery decides to commission another batch. Your 80ml bottle and mine are among the last units to be sold. Edit: Lai has just advised that PenGallery has restocked 80ml bottles of Diamine Manggis.

 

I didn't ask whether Jalur Gemilang is in danger of being discontinued and becoming unobtainium as well.

 

I'm largely satisfied with the outcome, although the process and experience left a lot to be desired. The customer service I received from Lai within the past 24 hours has been fantastic; but I think the shop's staff needs to pick up their game, since I don't think it's reasonable to expect the boss to have to clean up the mess after their neglect and missteps.

 

…

 

For the avoidance of doubt, following my earlier complaint, Lai asked to see my post on FPN in relation to this whole episode, so I've already provided him with links to a number of posts in this thread.

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by A Smug Dill
Diamine Manggis has been restocked

[mizgeorge]

Well I'm pleased you got them safely  And also pleased that I managed to get the Manggis, which I like a lot.

 

7 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

So, what I see with this search now should actually be available to be ordered and dispatched, with the exception of the product listing that is showing a swatch of Miruai but the text actually states Nioisumire. I asked about it a couple of times now, but what's happening there is no clearer to me than when it reappeared a week ago.

 

I wanted the Miruai, but found this confusing too, which is why I ended up not ordering it. I suspect I'll probably end up buying it locally in the small bottle. 

 

Now I really need to get on the case with swatching all of these - I've had a LOT of ink arrive in the last couple of weeks, and I'm going to lose track if I don't get on the case. And that will really annoy me!

[tzee]

Montblanc JFK Special Edition Navy Blue ink. I finally took the plunge and paid the slightly inflated price. 

[TitoThePencilPimp]

On 3/22/2021 at 3:04 PM, mizgeorge said:

If unusual was the brief, you chose well, I think. Not one I've ever wanted - it all seems far too much like hard work!

 

Yeah, the color isn't unique by any means. But more so, how it a modern formulation of sepia color using an actual ingredient not found in other  fountain pen inks named sepia. My main purpose was to use Hakase as my signature ink when doing mathematics\physics. Similarly to how they did so in the past.

 

I filled a Sailor Koshu ( 21k zoom nib) with the light version. Enjoying the color so far in conjunction with cream paper. Waiting for a sailor convertor I ordered to fill a KOP medium with the dark version.

 

 

[mizgeorge]

1 hour ago, TitoThePencilPimp said:

 

Yeah, the color isn't unique by any means. But more so, how it a modern formulation of sepia color using an actual ingredient not found in other  fountain pen inks named sepia. My main purpose was to use Hakase as my signature ink when doing mathematics\physics. Similarly to how they did so in the past.

 

I filled a Sailor Koshu ( 21k zoom nib) with the light version. Enjoying the color so far in conjunction with cream paper. Waiting for a sailor convertor I ordered to fill a KOP medium with the dark version.

 

 

I'd love to see some written examples once you have both up and running

[brokenclay]

I just went nuts and ordered all the Fritz Schimpf inks:

 

Fritz Schimpf gelassenheit (relaxed purple) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf morgenroete fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf niebla (misty violet) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf Vierer Füllhaltertintenset (set of 4 inks: gewitterwolke, sirimiri, sundowner, fritzrot)

 

And a Pelikan M205 Petrol fountain pen, broad nib.

[PithyProlix]

4 hours ago, brokenclay said:

I just went nuts and ordered all the Fritz Schimpf inks:

 

Fritz Schimpf gelassenheit (relaxed purple) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf morgenroete fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf niebla (misty violet) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf Vierer Füllhaltertintenset (set of 4 inks: gewitterwolke, sirimiri, sundowner, fritzrot)

Oh, many of those look quite nice. Please let us know how you like them.

[mizgeorge]

10 hours ago, brokenclay said:

I just went nuts and ordered all the Fritz Schimpf inks:

 

Fritz Schimpf gelassenheit (relaxed purple) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf morgenroete fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf niebla (misty violet) fountain pen ink 

Fritz Schimpf Vierer Füllhaltertintenset (set of 4 inks: gewitterwolke, sirimiri, sundowner, fritzrot)

 

And a Pelikan M205 Petrol fountain pen, broad nib.

Now why didn't I think of that! I've been looking at a couple of their inks for ages and should have done just the same thing with my pen order. Duh!

[Karmachanic]

A bottle each of Stipula Muschiatto Verde and KWZ IG Red #3

[brokenclay]

7 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

Oh, many of those look quite nice. Please let us know how you like them.

 

Will do. I received a sample of Niebla with my Pelikan Moonstone, and just put it in a pen for the first time yesterday - it's quite nice (lubricated, goes down nicely). It's hard to say that it's purple - it's more complex than that.

 

2 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

Now why didn't I think of that! I've been looking at a couple of their inks for ages and should have done just the same thing with my pen order. Duh!

 

I bet you could add them to your order if you contacted them. I had been looking at their inks but couldn't justify the shipping cost to the US, but as long as I was getting the pen...pen plus inks plus shipping was less than it would have cost me to get the pen alone from a US retailer.

[mizgeorge]

40 minutes ago, brokenclay said:

I bet you could add them to your order if you contacted them. I had been looking at their inks but couldn't justify the shipping cost to the US, but as long as I was getting the pen...pen plus inks plus shipping was less than it would have cost me to get the pen alone from a US retailer.

I probably could, but I am trying not to buy any more inks in large quantities until I've finished swatching all the new ones I have (which is a bit of a task). 

 

That is unless the fumisome inks suddenly pop up somewhere local, in which case all bets are off. 

[Retro-user]

Monteverde iced cookie turquoise and strawberry shortcake red. 

[Just J]

On 3/24/2021 at 7:58 PM, mizgeorge said:

Good news for anyone who was waiting - the Akkerman 60ml bottles are back in stock.

 

A few may be on their way to me - that's felt like a long wait to order some ink.

 

 

Back in stock where?  I've been looking to order some Akkerman inks for what seems like nearly a year now and all USA dealers seem to be constantly out of stock. In fact, i just got on the FPN board to ask does anyone know what's up with Akkerman, had they gone out of business or something.  A search for the brand name's what led me to this thread!  Anyway, so asked....  & ??? 

 

Annnd, per topic, awaiting a bottle of Colorverse NASA Blue.  You know that thing when you're ordering, you know you're forgetting something and can't remember what it was?  That was it. The Methuselah Tree & Grove came in today.  😋

[mizgeorge]

11 minutes ago, Just J said:

Back in stock where? 

 

 

Erm, back in stock at Akkerman.

 

https://akkermandenhaag.nl/en/

 

I imagine they'll start making their way across the world in time, but I just ordered them at source. Shipping wasn't horrible and delivery was very quick.