Inky T O D - Where Do You Buy Ink?

[Chi Town]

I buy my inks, even though I should not be buying anymore as I have too much! BUT I buy my inks where ever the best deals are! This can be and usually is B&M stores, I have bought off the bay, but that is very seldom! So I watch for when B&M stores have sales and then scoop them up......

[Anoia]

Retail: Pelikan, Lamy, Montblanc, Waterman are usually widely available here in Germany.

Online: For other inks I go to Amazon, various german online shops, La Couronne du Comte and of course Goulet (only if I can't get the ink elsewhere, because of the shipping costs).

[A144]

I do all my pen and ink buying online. I don't think there's a pen store anywhere near me.

 

Most of my ink comes from Goulet. I buy the occasional bottle on Amazon when I can get a really good price on it. And I've bought a few bottles of Sailor ink off eBay.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I go all over for my pens and my inks. Goulet Pens, Anderson Pens, JetPens, isellpens, and Amazon. I once bought a pen from Fountain Pen Hospital online as well, but didn't care for their electronic storefront.

 

In southwestern North Dakota there are no brick and mortar options.

Edited June 14, 2014 by Waski_the_Squirrel

[napalm]

e-bay.

Rarely Staples, when I need "ink, any blue ink, NOW". That would be Qink which I think of as "Q(uickly available)Ink".

[Charles Rice]

All at B & M stores, usually Paradise Pen in the Small of America or a couple of other places in the Twin Cities.

[lreiley]

Goulet, Paradise Pens-but only because it's in Tyson's Corner, and I have a cart waiting in isellpens.com

[indigoskye]

Online ink sources:

Goulet, Andersons, isellpens, and amazon. I've also bought Kobe ink from cool-japan on ebay.

 

Retail:

Vroman's Book Store (Pasadena, CA). They have a huge stationary department full of quality paper, leather binders, fountain pens and a great selection of FP ink.

The Fountain Pen Shop (Monrovia, CA) we also call it Fred's Pen Shop. A very well stocked, family owned B&M. Fred has everything FP related, but at full retail prices.

Paradise Pen. Prices are high, but they have most brands of fountain pen ink available.

 

I would say that my ratio would be 50/50 for online vs retail ink purchases. Although, 100% of samples come from online sources.

[Komitadjie]

I buy at a retail store. I hop on the bus and go to World Lux in Seattle. They got mostly all the ink I ever will need or want.

 

Ah! Thanks for the heads up, Rudy, I did not know this place existed. Next time I'm across the mountains, I'm definitely going to look 'em up.

[Algester]

Retail store... for Lamy, Sheaffer, parker and cross (we have National Bookstore in the philippines and they are everywhere provided it's a big branch), then came in Scribe which gives us Sailor, Platinum, Pelikan, J.Herbin and Noodler's (however the noodler's line isnt still complete, Sailor has some stock issues) then montblanc botique for your usual MB inks (still no permanent inks in sight), we dont have Pilot Iroshizuku or Pilot fountain pens for that matter and if ever we have the discontinued lines which... suck... and the european version of Cocoon/Metropolitan which is barely in stock pretty much all of our pilot pens are the ballpoints, gel pen and techpoints <_< so if your going to look for pilot FPs here or inks for that matter dont count on it

oh and someone is carrying small batches of diamine inks but not yet in a business proper, and pretty much I can't order online because shipping costs is like WHOA

Edited June 14, 2014 by Algester

[cpark2005]

Mostly from the folks at Goulet. Though I do make my way to one of two local pen stores (both ~30 min drive) on occasion for inks Goulet doesn't carry or that I need immediately for some reason.

[Buzz_130]

Online: Goulet--a great family-run company that has incredible customer service

B&M: Itoya, Joyful Honda, and Maruzen (all in Tokyo)

 

I'm moving back to the Washington, DC area and am taking notes for all of the stores mentioned already!

 

Buzz

[sharonspens]

Komitadjie, Rudy sprung the news about World Lux before I did, but let me second that. Wonderful store, with both pens AND watches to entice your wallet.

 

I try to buy something almost every time i am in a B&M store, ink or paper if I don't find a pen that works for me - every bit of support counts. My regular local store is Avalon Pens in Zionsville, IN. I have also picked up ink at various stores across the country, including the aforementioned World Lux, Farhney's in DC, Dromgoole's in Houston, and Bromfield Pens in Boston.

 

Online, I have been blessed by Goulet Pens, and Pendemonium in Iowa. I have also ordered RB refills from Fountain Pen Hospital and Bertram's Inkwell, and Swisher in the past.

 

I always pick up some ink at the Ohio Pen Show, typically from Anderson Pens or Pendemonium.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[mwpannell]

Staples for Sheaffer cartridges (black), A Pen Lovers Paradise when occasionally traveling through Virginia Bach, bought some "vintage" Parker cartridges, other cartridges,Osmiroid bottled ink and other finds at an area thrift/junk store, from Anderson Pens at pen shows and online mainly from Goulet Pens.

[mikeschu]

I just remembered that I bought a bottle of ink at Pen Place in Kansas City when I was there. Full retail pricing, however.

[dannystr78]

Online: isellpens, Goulet, and Amazon. Or a used ink from ebay.

 

Store: I live 15 minutes from Zionsville, IN where PR is produced, so I get all my PR inks straight from the source. Plus, I like supporting a local business. And of course no shipping.

[inkstainedruth]

I buy at a retail store. I hop on the bus and go to World Lux in Seattle. They got mostly all the ink I ever will need or want.

I had hoped to maybe get a chance to stick my nose in there last summer when I was out there (family gathering). Didn't work out, though. The really sad part is that one of the things we did was go to Skyview, and I figured out afterwards in the process of driving back to my brother-in-law's house that we probably were just a couple of blocks away from there in the drive home, trying to get out of Seattle during rush hour.

On the plus side of that day, though, we had earlier gone to the Museum of Flight, and I got my husband to take pictures of me in front of their P-51 Mustang while holding my 1949 Plum 51....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Vgimlet]

Recently, Amazon and Goulet Pen Co.

Also Anderson pens as well.

 

I think there is a pen store near where I work (Bellevue, WA, USA) but I haven't been there yet. I take the bus, but someday I may swing by there just to see what they have.

 

The old stationary store I used to buy all my FP's and inks is long gone. As is the paper store I used to haunt when I was into paper/mail art.

 

But I have been quite happy with the online retailers, and will probably broaden my online purchasing resources as well.

 

ed to add - I see there is a pen store in Seattle as well. It's a bit of a drive, and parking is always bad but maybe I'll swing by there this summer sometime.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Vgimlet

[wallylynn]

I've had Liberty Elysium in the shopping cart since it was introduced. but one little bottle isn't enough to justify shipping costs.

[Mishka5050]

Cultpens and amazon

Wish we had a pen shop around North London where I could go and try things out