Iroshizuku And Sailor... Why Are They So Expensive?

[Chrissy]

If I want to buy PI ink, first I search on ebay for "Iroshizuku ink" and select "Price+ P&P lowest first". That way I find the lowest price on ebay. I then search on Amazon for "Iroshizuku ink" and find the Amazon price. If I find the colour I want at a price I'm prepared to pay, then I might buy a bottle. If it's too expensive, I don't buy it at that time. I wait a while....

 

If Japanese sellers sell these inks, they always seem to declare a low value and I have never been charged any Import tax or duty

[Uncial]

I have to say, amazon is by far the better place in my experience for buying Iroshizuku inks; usually much cheaper than anywhere else.

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

Are they expensive? Iroshizuku for $20 each and Sailor for $12 here in the US.

[abstract49]

Zaphod, I have not seen Iroshizuku for $20 in the States. Where, please?

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

Amazon.com

 

One bottle was 19.95 the other 22.97

 

Ordered the other day.

[gwyneddd]

Iroshizuku at Amazon varies in price by color and day. For example, a few days ago I got Yama-budo (on my list of wants) for 19.99 and now it's $22. But Tsuyu-kusa is 19.99. they range from 19.99 to $24.

[lsmith42]

You mean to say that not everyone has a personal shopper in Tokyo?

[Uncial]

Iroshizuku at Amazon varies in price by color and day. For example, a few days ago I got Yama-budo (on my list of wants) for 19.99 and now it's $22. But Tsuyu-kusa is 19.99. they range from 19.99 to $24.

Yes, it's hugely variable. The amazon market place can sometimes be extremely good value so long as you keep a close eye to the postage rates.

[abstract49]

You mean to say that not everyone has a personal shopper in Tokyo?

 

Wishful thinking! I suppose I could get my sister-in-law to make an occasional, very quick stop, if I could direct her to an exact spot. But with her schedule, it would require very precise timing.

[LionRoar]

The price of all ink has gone up a LOT.

I have a bottle of Waterman ink in the original box, it's about 12 years old, and the price tag on the box says $6.00. Now the same bottle is $11.00? The price has almost doubled.

[Zdez Zaphareon]

Just a thought here, I'd rather buy the new 3 mini iro and have a variety for the same price than pay for a whole bottle I might want to change later. "new" to engeika that is.

[Thier.]

Yes, Iro ink is not cheap but I love it. I order it directly from Japan on Ebay and pay half the better price I find here in Europe, shipping included ..... So ........

[SentientTypewriter]

The price is alright. Caran d'Ache and Pelikan Edelstein, just to name a few, are more expensive (here in the US) and their bottles aren't as well designed as the Iroshizuku's. (I really like that bottle. It's gorgeous, and has a built in Ink Miser. The Ink Miser inkwell costs around 6 USD, and is not so pretty🙄, plus it's just a plastic cup, which makes me very reluctant to buy such a clearly overpriced item🤑. I'd much rather get a bottle of Iroshizuku and reuse the bottle😁.)

 

The inks themselves aren't really that special. They are gentle on your fountain pens (as are most other fountain pen inks), and have good colors that are consistent between bottles (also quite common). The main selling feature and investment on the makers' side is the bottle.

[Patrick L]

12 hours ago, SentientTypewriter said:

The price is alright. Caran d'Ache and Pelikan Edelstein, just to name a few, are more expensive (here in the US) and their bottles aren't as well designed as the Iroshizuku's. (I really like that bottle. It's gorgeous, and has a built in Ink Miser. The Ink Miser inkwell costs around 6 USD, and is not so pretty🙄, plus it's just a plastic cup, which makes me very reluctant to buy such a clearly overpriced item🤑. I'd much rather get a bottle of Iroshizuku and reuse the bottle😁.)

 

The inks themselves aren't really that special. They are gentle on your fountain pens (as are most other fountain pen inks), and have good colors that are consistent between bottles (also quite common). The main selling feature and investment on the makers' side is the bottle.

Well for me Caran d'Ache ink bottles are better designed and more beautiful than the Iroshizuku ink bottles.

[Karmachanic]

21 hours ago, Patrick L said:

Caran d'Ache ink

 

Caran d' Ache  in the EU €29

Iroshi in Japan €13.17

add:

Caran d' Ache in Japan - €43.70

Iroshi in EU - €27.50

 

[bunnspecial]

If you want a price shock on these inks, look at Bungubox. I'm ashamed of what I paid for a 30mL "shoe" of Sapphire...

[SentientTypewriter]

10 hours ago, Patrick L said:

Well for me Caran d'Ache ink bottles are better designed and more beautiful than the Iroshizuku ink bottles.

Yes, those are the most eye-catching bottles I've ever seen. The Montblanc bottles are also very unique, but seem a bit silly to me.

[MHBru]

both bottles are really nice and I suspect the CdA cap will outlast an  Iro cap but....  I think the Iroshizuku ink is far superior.

[Karmachanic]

14 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

I'm ashamed of what I paid for a 30mL "shoe" of Sapphire...

 

I empathize, having recently purchased from Nagasawa Kobe.  Waiting to hear the final cost of a bottle of Maruzen Athena Renga.  Rational has nothing to do with it.

[bunnspecial]

6 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

 

I empathize, having recently purchased from Nagasawa Kobe.  Waiting to hear the final cost of a bottle of Maruzen Athena Renga.  Rational has nothing to do with it.

 

The bad thing about "First Love Sapphire"-

 

I bought it as part of my ongoing "Find the closest Penman Sapphire match around"-I'd been meaning to buy some anyway, but actually did it to answer a question on here(not the first time I've done that...).

 

The last Penman Sapphire I bought was 3 nearly full bottles together, and per-mL they were less expensive than Bungubox Sapphire.

 

First Love Sapphire is a great ink, but I don't think it's a great match for Penman. To my eye, First Love is a bit lighter. I'd almost call it a more saturated version of Kon-Peki. I have much closer Penman matches in my collection, including Asa-Gao(which I don't use as much as I should, but I love that ink).

 

BTW, I realize this thread has been running a while now, but most of my Iroshizokus have been Amazon purchases at $22-25/bottle. I can reliably buy them less expensively than Edelstein inks, and there are few in the Edelstein line I really "crave."