What is the most expensive ink out there, other than that gold ink ?
Ive read that j herbin is one of them, but any others?

the new Caran d'Ache inks, $13.50
Visconti, $12 - $15 at some places.
Omas, probably about $14

Visconti is, unfortunately, more expensive than Omas. Although their retail prices are similar, the Omas bottle is, IIRC, 75ml whereas the (new) Visconti bottle is only 40ml. It's a pity that we can no longer get any Omas products since they "did a Monblanc" and changed their distribution.

UK prices £/ml [equivalent $/ml]:
Visconti 0.238 [0.428]
Herbin 0.146 [0.263]
Omas 0.127 [0.229] (estimate)

and for reference:
Aurora 0.098 [0.176]
Sheaffer 0.082 [0.148]
Waterman 0.076 [0.137]
Diamine 0.068 [0.122]

Note: UK prices have to include VAT (=sales tax) by law.

Martin

Oh right, I forgot to take account into mL. Normally I like to buy the smallest bottle possible. Even a 15mL is good enough for me since I never am able to even use a fraction of it but I like to try so many inks.

Martin,
could you shed light on that? When it happened?

One of the reasons the Visconti is more expensive is due to the glass V-bottle. The same ink in a plastic bottle is considerably less expensive (if you can find it, that is). The plastic bottle holds 10 ml more than the glass one (50 ml. vs. 40) and costs only $7.50 - half the price.

If you like the V-bottle (I do), it makes good sense (or is that cents?) just to buy one and then use the ink from the plastic bottle to refill the glass bottle.

James P.

Hmmm <in keeping with the other topic I just started> the most expensive ink I own is the Waterman Blue Black currently decorating the £100 shirt I'm wearing.

Arrgh

Can't be more expensive than my sink that used to be decorated by Diamine Registrars. Very expensive ink, if you're not careful ! Fortunately, some heavy-duty cleaning products took care of that problem

Hi Yuri,

Omas was represented in the UK by the same company that still distributes Pelikan, Faber Castell and Caran d'Ache. When Omas was taken over by LVMH about 5-years ago they started dropping their distributors and selling through their own distribution channels, in much the same way as other large fashion brands. The result is we can no longer buy Omas products.

Martin

You mean like this?



Martin

That's the stuff!

James P.

I hate to get off topic, but Betty where did you see the Caran d` Ache inks?

Oh, I have seen Graf von Faber-Castell ink sell for about $15.00. For some reason it seems to me it may be Pelikan ink, the bottles look very similar.

$15 for Pelikan ink...thats funny!

I've seen Montegrappa ink at $21--don't know how big the bottle is, but it doesn't look like much. I also don't know why it's so expensive.

In the US, Pendemonium sells the Visconti ink in plastic bottles.

Peter.

That made me smile.

Luckily our sink is stainless steel, I do live in constant fear of the Mrs when I playing with inks.

- Mark

I got the Caran d' Ache inks at Art Brown and Joon's pen store here in NYC. THey have websites too...

www.artbrown.com

www.joon.com

Maybe you can call them to order it from them?

Oh I want to trade! I brought the glass bottle one this week because I couldn't find the refill. But I don't like the glass bottle at all. Do you want to trade? You send me the refill bottle and I'll send you the glass bottle (filled with ink of course)

Betty I noticed in your post you mention the new Caran d` Ache inks. Where did you see those.

P.S. Sorry to get off topic!

I think the most expensive over the counter fountain pen inks available right now are the three Ink for Man varieties, scented ink for, yes, men . About 20 euros for a 30 ml bottle. Granted, they come with a very nice, separate crystal? ink well/bottle, in some very nice packaging too. Still very expensive.

The new Caran d'Ache inks also come in very nice bottles of 30 ml, but those are rather expensive as well, AFAIC remember. Stipula inks don't come cheap either, I think 14.50 euros a bottle or thereabouts, but then those bottles contain 70 ml (even though it says 70 cl on the packaging ).

Warm regards, Wim

Okay, I know I am off topic again, but this is the third time I have asked you guys where you have seen the new Caran d` Ache inks.

I had already posted this before but no one could find the new assortment.
I guess I will gust give up.

I already answered you on the first page of this topic.

Sorry Betty, now I just feel like a jerk.

I will give them a call and see if I could order that way.
Thank you! I finally found them. 9

Only a new sink!
I am looking at a new kitchen floor (££££ ).
Since when exactly did our cream floor have blue spots ?

Actually, to be fair, the floor is old and in need of replacement, and the blue spots did eventually come out.

Just a word on Visconti - love the blue - but if you buy the ink in the plastic bottles and actually use them to fill from, you need steady hands to avoid a bit of a spillage

Chris

Chris,

That's why funnels were invented!


James P.

James,

Well yes and no.

I was filling the pen from the plastic bottle and it "wobbled" a bit; though major flooding was averted, it was at the cost of a "sploosh" as the pen went right to the bottom of the bottle and ink needed wiping off half the section as I fished it out.

But when I come to re-fill the lovely Visconti bottle, a funnel is definitely the thing to use

Chris

Sorry Chris, I misread your post.

Yes, you are correct - it does require steady hands to refill from those plastic bottles (as well as some other bottles the various ink producers use (like Aurora)). That's one of the reasons I like the V-bottle from Visconti (I tend to leave the bottle in its box for added stability). Herbin makes a good stable bottle for filling, but it's too shallow in my experience.

But we digress . . .

James