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

[Rafael Macia]

We photographers called Fuji Velvia "film with makeup.".

You want red ...here is red etc.

Perhaps Iroshizuku inks are, " inks with makeup" ?

 

A little makeup never hurts....

Edited June 18, 2013 by Rafael Macia

[Albinoni]

I actually bought Iroshizuku Tsukushi Ink here in Perth WEestern Australia, havent opened it yet but it looks to me like a dark chocolate ink, cant wait to try it out as I love cholocate coloured ink.

[Albinoni]

I can't justify the $35 a bottle cost (here in the states) for the Iroshizuku. The ink isn't spectacular enough for me to spend that kind of money on it. It's all marketing I'd bet, the theory being that a higher cost ink must be better quality which might motivate some people to buy it. I still stand by Montblanc, it's my latest go-to ink. I wonder what goes into the production of those inks…? Maybe that has something to do with the cost.

In Australia here I paid $AU50.00 for a 50ML bottle of Irushizuku Ink.

[de_pen_dent]

We photographers called Fuji Velvia "film with makeup.".

You want red ...here is red etc.

 

Slightly OT, but the only thing I miss about the film days was getting the slides back from the lab, putting the Velvia on a lightbox and watching that explosion of colors.

[XiaoMG]

Iroshizuku has pretty good dyes. Several of the colors I've tested are reasonably UV resistant, sometimes have a weak resistance to water, and with some like Ku-jaku, even play very well with my writing dip pen (Tachikawa 600EF). They don't bead up like most other inks do when laid on a slightly hydrophobic surface like a magazine page, and they tend to write pretty well even when concentrated/evaporated a bit.

 

They are not really Velvia-like in their colors...I'd put them more in the Provia class or even Portra. Private Reserve is probably the brand to compare to Velvia.

 

Still...some of the prices people are willing to pay are just ridiculous.

[The Good Captain]

A friend brought me back a bottle of Kon-peki from Tokyo where he goes to on business regularly. I paid him what it cost him - £10 GBP.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Weeell, I got a scan of what the ink (Asagao) looks like from my father, to whom I gave a bottle of Iroshizuku for Father's Day. Still not convinced it's worth the price tag, but my father seems to appreciate the colour greatly.

 

In my opinion, my mother's De Atramentis sapphire blue looks cleaner on the paper. Maybe it's the scan or maybe not.

[Ytland]

Wow, haven't seen such a great Australian presence in a thread before! We're taking over, slowly but surely

 

I find buying a few bottles at a time keeps the price quite low, especially if you purchase from Japanese retailers.

[SUNIL GARG]

WOW! $20 for Parker Quink, you're joking? I paid $8 for a bottle at my local newsagency last year and I'm also in Australia.

Here in India One 30ml. Parker Quink Bottle costs the equivalent 1, yes just One US$.

[brewsky]

Personally, i have only had one pen which did not accept my iroshizuku inks (a pilot vanishing point, ironically enough). I really got my first bottle based on the bottle they come in. The bottles are absolutely stunning. but now i sit here with two bottles of Iroshizuku (Tsuki-yo and Kiri-same) and think to myself... how many bottles of Noodlers could i have gotten for the same price?

[Sky Fountain Pens]

it's probably the shipping from Japan. If you buy it straight for Japan is will only be about 13 dollars USD.

[Algester]

but not store exclusive Sailor inks they retail 20USD a pop... not matter where you go its always a fixed 20USD which is good you just need to find the store with the ink you want so thats 20USD - travel fee

[setriode]

In Australia here I paid $AU50.00 for a 50ML bottle of Irushizuku Ink.

 

My dear chap, you really must consult before buying. From Japan they are US$20.59 each including postage. I will soon be taking delivery of 2 bottles.

 

The ladies at T Sharpe & Co. are charming but the contents of one's wallet are very precious.

 

Here is the link and his prices vary slightly depending on the colour: http://stores.ebay.com/SAKURA-KITTY-JAPAN/Pailot-Namiki-/_i.html?_fsub=688908019&_sid=1102669029&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 . I see he has dropped his price by a further US $ which is handy because our exchange rate fell recently.

[LionRoar]

Not saying that it's bad ink, but you are paying for the fancy bottle. Pilot figures that people willing to buy $1000 pens are also willing to buy $35 ink bottles, and they figured right. Also, it's a luxury for people who can't afford the "best" pen but they can afford the "best" ink.

Edited December 13, 2014 by LionRoar

[wastelanded]

I don't know, I get my bottles of Iro direct from Japan on eBay for US$20 shipped. The price vacillates a couple dollars up and down, but still not bad.

 

To me, $20 for a bottle of ink is still damned expensive, but for the three or four Iros I like it's bearable.

[Uncial]

I think it depends a great deal on where you are in the world. I have never paid any more than €15 for a bottle of Iroshizuku, always with free postage (although it takes an absolute age to arrive) and it ducks just under the import duty charge at that price.

Noodler's generally has to be bought from the States and one bottle with postage incurs a duty charge, so it comes in around €34-38 and I have seen some UK sellers try to flog bottles for as much as £30 which you would need to add postage on top of.

Sailor inks come to me from another part of Europe and have no duty charge and cost me €12, but the really interesting ones I pay a premium for online (a whopping €40 which includes postage and duty)

You can buy Parker black here for about €8

Waterman inks cost €5.50 and are readily available

Skrip inks come in at about €10-12

Pelikan and Pelikan Edelstein are €20

Montblanc Inks are €20 (and so are the special editions).

Diamine here costs around €6.50-8

Caran d'ache costs €25

Lamy costs €15

And I think that's about it where I live. Haven't seen any other brands

[gwyneddd]

Maybe there is import duty on ink? It can double the cost of an item. And then shipping glass bottles is heavy. I pay about $US 21 to 24 for a bottle of Iroshizuki. And it's worth every penny for KonPeki.

[Uncial]

Duty here is hefty. They calculate the duty based on the overall price including shipping and any insurance, then they slap on a tenner for a 'processing' charge. Bit of a joke really.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Uncial

[Jezza]

I'm in the US, but can easily purchase Iroshizuku ink for $14-16, and have it shipped for around $20 total, give or take. That's not any worse than Montblanc ink with California sales tax added onto the price. I think a lot of the price variance depends on where you are located, customs, VAT, whatever else gets tacked-on to the price.

[Tanzanite]

Where I live Iroshizuku costs 35€. I have five and four of them are my best inks. Well saturated and with a nice flow. Asa gao is my favourite blue ink because it does not fade when drying like other similar blue inks. It is too expensive but they are really good. They make wonders for a dry nib.