How Much To Stockpile Of Your Favorites?

[SpecTP]

2 bottles of each ink. Those are my stockpile.

[PhotoJim]

The only inks I think I'd really really miss if they disappeared would be Waterman ones (they behave so well in every pen I've ever used them in). I think the odds of them disappearing are pretty small, though, so my stockpiling tends to be of the getting-a-new-bottle-when-my-last-bottle-approaches-halfway-finished variety. Touch wood.

[by_a_Lady]

Is it stockpiling if you just buy the biggest available bottles?

I have 100ml each of Diamine Ancient Copper and Autumn Oak and J. Herbin Lie de Thé and Poussière de Lune coming in the mail this week. Only Ancient Copper is a repurchase, the other three I had as samples and fell in love with them on the first try. Certainly never want to run out of the Herbins, and my Noodler's Neponset puts out so much ink that the 100ml Autumn Oak will be empty like that.

 

 

Dominique

[Intensity]

3 50ml bottles of Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu, 2 bottles and a lot of cartridges of Lamy Petrol, 100ml bottle of Lie de Thé decanted into two cleaned Akkerman bottles. Nothing else stockpiled at the moment.

[sirgilbert357]

Is it stockpiling if you just buy the biggest available bottles?

I have 100ml each of Diamine Ancient Copper and Autumn Oak and J. Herbin Lie de Thé and Poussière de Lune coming in the mail this week. Only Ancient Copper is a repurchase, the other three I had as samples and fell in love with them on the first try. Certainly never want to run out of the Herbins, and my Noodler's Neponset puts out so much ink that the 100ml Autumn Oak will be empty like that.

 

 

 

Dominique

I wouldn't call that stockpiling. 100 ml is just two bottles, basically. That's what I have in reserve of the inks that I'm nervous about disappearing. I could even buy one more of Smoky Quartz and not really feel too bad about having that much of it.

 

Ink is so cheap compared to the enjoyment I get out of it. I don't even blink when buying Sailor Hatsukoi for 43.00 a bottle (plus shipping!). I get a year's worth - or more - of enjoyment from that purchase...it would be easy to spend that same amount on dinner for two in a single two hour span. Relatively speaking, it is expensive compared to other inks, but if you love it, I say money well spent.

[Intensity]

I wouldn't call that stockpiling. 100 ml is just two bottles, basically. That's what I have in reserve of the inks that I'm nervous about disappearing. I could even buy one more of Smoky Quartz and not really feel too bad about having that much of it.

 

Ink is so cheap compared to the enjoyment I get out of it. I don't even blink when buying Sailor Hatsukoi for 43.00 a bottle (plus shipping!). I get a year's worth - or more - of enjoyment from that purchase...it would be easy to spend that same amount on dinner for two in a single two hour span. Relatively speaking, it is expensive compared to other inks, but if you love it, I say money well spent.

 

That's a good point if you're buying 1-2 bottles of ink every once in a while. Sometimes compulsive ink purchasing can add up. I try to curb that by trading inks I don't want to use anymore for those I do or just getting samples. In terms of "stockpiling", I understand it is more for the purpose of keeping an ink with limited availability at hand--for example discontinued or limited edition inks, or inks very difficult to obtain in a different country. Otherwise if I run out of widely available inks, I can easily go and get a new bottle--no need to "stockpile" on that ink. I think those 100ml Herbin bottles were limited production and a great value per ml.

Edited February 16, 2019 by Intensity

[A Smug Dill]

... or inks very difficult to obtain in a different country. Otherwise if I run out of widely available inks, I can easily go and get a new bottle--no need to "stockpile" on that ink.

Difficult and expensive are not exactly synonymous, but even so, it can affect someone's decision to 'stockpile'. For example, Sailor souboku (as well as the 'older', more established kiwaguro and seiboku) pigment ink is still in production, and will most likely remain so for a long while. Furthermore, there are a (small, but not easily extinguished) number of bricks-and-mortar retail outlets in Australia that stock it, as well as (Australian and overseas) retail outlets that will ship orders of the ink to Australia. However, when the opportunity to acquire a 50ml bottle at A$16.50 (plus marginal international shipping cost from Japan solely by weight, with effectively no 'flagfall' administrative or processing charge, so let's call it A$5 per bottle for argument's sake), it's damn difficult (for me, anyway) to resist getting 'spare' bottles of it when local stockists are asking for A$50 or more for a bottle, even though at the asking price I can simply easily walk into a retail store and get one instant gratification just about any day of the week, if I've run out of the ink in an unplanned and undesirable manner.

[sirgilbert357]

Difficult and expensive are not exactly synonymous, but even so, it can affect someone's decision to 'stockpile'. For example, Sailor souboku (as well as the 'older', more established kiwaguro and seiboku) pigment ink is still in production, and will most likely remain so for a long while. Furthermore, there are a (small, but not easily extinguished) number of bricks-and-mortar retail outlets in Australia that stock it, as well as (Australian and overseas) retail outlets that will ship orders of the ink to Australia. However, when the opportunity to acquire a 50ml bottle atA$16.50 (plus marginal international shipping cost from Japan solely by weight, with effectively no 'flagfall' administrative or processing charge, so let's call itA$5 per bottle for argument's sake), it's damn difficult (for me, anyway) to resist getting 'spare' bottles of it when local stockists are asking forA$50 or more for a bottle, even though at the asking price I can simply easily walk into a retail store and get one instant gratification just about any day of the week, if I've run out of the ink in an unplanned and undesirable manner.

Good point, and I wouldn't blame you for buying a lot with a price difference like that in your favor. Makes me wonder what local stores in your area would charge for a bottle of Sailor Hatsukoi.

Edited February 16, 2019 by sirgilbert357

[aurore]

From my experience buying several bottles of the very same ink needs to be justified rather well.
I can see only two particular reasons:
1) the ink is a LE,

or/and
2) you use this ring almost exclusively so you appreciate the feeling of a resonable deposit of this ink.

Edited February 16, 2019 by aurore

[chromantic]

Don't usually buy multiples but makes sense for LEs (4 Petrol, 3 Coral), ones that you use on a regular basis (3 Kana-cho, 2 Stipula Dark Blue) or ones that aren't LEs but are still difficult to come by (Stipula Musk Green, 50ml L'amant).

[sirgilbert357]

From my experience buying several bottles of the very same ink needs to be justified rather well.

I can see only two particular reasons:

1) the ink is a LE,

or/and

2) you use this ring almost exclusively so you appreciate the feeling of a resonable deposit of this ink.

I tend to agree. The only real reason I keep more than one bottle of any ink around is fear of it suddenly no longer being readily available.

 

I spread my writing across most of my inks, so even if I'm using a full 2 ml a day (that's a lot for me!), It's usually spread across 3-5 different inks.

[sirgilbert357]

 

That's a good point if you're buying 1-2 bottles of ink every once in a while. Sometimes compulsive ink purchasing can add up. I try to curb that by trading inks I don't want to use anymore for those I do or just getting samples. In terms of "stockpiling", I understand it is more for the purpose of keeping an ink with limited availability at hand--for example discontinued or limited edition inks, or inks very difficult to obtain in a different country. Otherwise if I run out of widely available inks, I can easily go and get a new bottle--no need to "stockpile" on that ink. I think those 100ml Herbin bottles were limited production and a great value per ml.

Yes, I am a user, not really a collector, so I only buy one bottle of ink a year, on average. I guess a collector might have to approach this differently. I can't imagine buying ink constantly "just because", knowing full well I'd never use it all up.

[A Smug Dill]

I can't imagine buying ink constantly "just because", knowing full well I'd never use it all up.

 

 

Wrack your brain, LOL. To my fiancée's exasperation, we have over 180 different fountain pen inks – and more than nine litres of ink in total by volume – in the concrete shoebox of an apartment we share. Don't tell her I'm still contemplating getting some new J.Herbin and Lamy inks!

[Bibliophage]

 

 

Wrack your brain, LOL. To my fiancée's exasperation, we have over 180 different fountain pen inks – and more than nine litres of ink in total by volume – in the concrete shoebox of an apartment we share. Don't tell her I'm still contemplating getting some new J.Herbin and Lamy inks!

Better take up watercolor and inkwash painting

[sirgilbert357]

 

 

Wrack your brain, LOL. To my fiancée's exasperation, we have over 180 different fountain pen inks and more than nine litres of ink in total by volume in the concrete shoebox of an apartment we share. Don't tell her I'm still contemplating getting some new J.Herbin and Lamy inks!

Yes, with that many inks, storage can indeed become a problem! To what end do you desire to purchase so many though? If it's just "having them", I get it. That seems to put you on the "collector" end of the spectrum. Do you have them out on display? If so, are they neat and orderly?

 

I like to use things for the purpose they were intended. If I buy inks and don't use them, it starts to bother me and I'll eventually sell them or give them away. Our house is very small too though and we have very little storage, so I've had to make sacrifices and I'm in the "less is more" camp now. All of my "pen stuff" has to fit in one dresser drawer, so...yeah.

Edited February 19, 2019 by sirgilbert357

[Intensity]

I like to use things for the purpose they were intended. If I buy inks and don't use them, it starts to bother me and I'll eventually sell them or give them away. Our house is very small too though and we have very little storage, so I've had to make sacrifices and I'm in the "less is more" camp now. All of my "pen stuff" has to fit in one dresser drawer, so...yeah.

 

That's very much how I am as well. I'm often conflicted between wanting to try out or use more inks and thinking that I already have inks I should be using more. I've downsized a few times though. If I had to, I could fit my entire current fountain pen and ink collection into a single cardboard banker's box, though I might need to remove some packaging as it can be bulky (looking at Colorverse inks...)

[A Smug Dill]

To what end do you desire to purchase so many though? If it's just "having them", I get it. That seems to put you on the "collector" end of the spectrum. Do you have them out on display? If so, are they neat and orderly?

I enjoy having options (for a variety of purposes) at my fingertips, especially if I can afford it. Moreover, I don't believe in a single 'general purpose' camera (with or without attachments that can be removed and/or swapped in and out), a single pen, etc. to meet every requirement in every circumstance. Even though I know I don't and won't take my digital Single Lens Reflex with me out of the house day to day, I will never subscribe to any marketing spiel or 'user testament' that the camera on some mobile phone handset is sufficient and equally as good for all the purposes I can think of in my life; but then I don't forgo having 'ultraportable' cameras (such as the one built into my phone handset) in the name of pursuing photographic purity. I have ten pairs of running shoes 'in rotation', a dozen running caps, twenty or so running tops, and a wardrobe full of jackets. Two bags jammed full of various types of backpacks and duffel bags. 180+ different inks (but about 210 retail bottles in total), some 150+ fountain pens. Think of it as the personal 'resource pool' I like to keep.

 

Believe it or not, so far all the ink bottles I have fit inside the built-in shelving under my small IKEA desk. They're not on display, as the desk is opaque.

 

Edit:

Just to pre-empt, since some members here (as with other online forums) seem apt to jump in and start preaching 'sharing' of private resources as if 'the community' has some claim or entitlement to benefit from others' private property that is not being used/exploited to its maximum potential: I never intended, and will never agree, to make any part of it a library for other would-be fountain pen ink users to access. What I'd prefer to encourage by spending/buying is to let ink manufacturers know there is a demand for certain inks, that they should not discontinue producing, but instead price according to demand (and supply) so that consumers who want it can be satisfied if they pay the asking price (whether or not that means they have to make a choice not to 'afford' something else).

Edited February 19, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[eharriett]

So to add a dimension to this discussion, do you all tend to keep the inks in their original boxes, or do you store them without? I am debating this right now as I contemplate moving my fairly rage collection from its shoeboxes to a bookshelf. I can probably get a lot more if I keep them in boxes, but I’m sure I’ll like the aesthetic as much.

[eharriett]

Oh yeah: A Smug Dill: 100% agreement.

[A Smug Dill]

So to add a dimension to this discussion, do you all tend to keep the inks in their original boxes, or do you store them without?

It depends on what works best for each ink in terms of storage. My unopened bottles are generally kept in their retail boxes (in case I want to sell them or give them away as presents, not that either is likely), and other bottles are stacked where possible, so boxes can be handy except for bottles that end up in trays.

 

Yes, with that many inks, storage can indeed become a problem! ...snip... All of my "pen stuff" has to fit in one dresser drawer, so...yeah.

This is the type of desk I have: https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/80354276/

 

and this is how I store all my ink bottles:

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by A Smug Dill