Where To Get The Cheapest Ink Sacs?

[twingall1]

I'm looking to buy rubber ink sacs for fountain pen repair. Does anyone know a site/shop where they are reasonably priced? Some guy on eBay selling ONE for £9, which seems pretty unreasonable..

 

Also, Does anyone have any idea where i might find a wholesale supplier of ink sacs (in China, India etc)? I've tried Alibaba and Trade India but no luck there.

 

Thanks,

Tom

[shrieku]

See PM

[OldGriz]

#!..... Don't buy cheap... you get what you pay for.....

Most of us who do quality restoration work get out sacs from PenSac Company..... they have the original machinery and molds and are using the right formula to produce a sac or diaphragm that lasts. They are in the US but I am sure they will ship to the UK for a reasonable rate.... I have had nothing but good service from them....

I scan my order and email it to them and usually have my sacs in about 4 days from receipt....

[professionaldilettante]

That is true. A cheap sac will only require more frequent repairs, and those will add up more than the $2 or so for a sac. The most costly part of a repair is the labor, usually, and being cheap with supplies will get you nowhere. The only thing it could do is cost you business, since people won't want quality repairs.

[Zanshin]

For the odd few sacs, I've used eBay seller Chilipea. His sacs are usually £3.99 for two, postage around 75p and very quick delivery. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

[Flounder]

I've seen that £9 job on eBay myself, I mean for goodness sake £9 for an ink sac. I've bought a fair few from Cathedral Pens, and vintagefountainpens.co.uk for some less normal sizes.

[Freddy]

Yo!...Purchase in bulk from The Pen Sac Company...

 

http://www.pensacs.com

 

 

Fred

Either way we're set for life... . ~ Evelle Snoats ~

[Fairlight]

For the odd few sacs, I've used eBay seller Chilipea. His sacs are usually £3.99 for two, postage around 75p and very quick delivery. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

Chilipea is the ebay outlet for The Pendragons vintage pen repair supplies, so it's good stuff.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have gone to Anderson Pen. $2 each

[Freddy]

Martin @ Woodbindotca a buck forty five each for up to twenty five..thereafter..price point goes down..

 

Fred

 

Say good night...good nite......

Edited June 10, 2017 by Freddy

[Bo Bo Olson]

Do not used supersaturated inks in your rubber sacked lever pens. Some reputable repair men, have said some were returned with in a month dead from that kind of ink. Dead with in months is 'normal' for that kind of inks.

Use old fashioned inks. Pelikan, Herbin, MB, Aurora.

 

Back in the day 30-40 years was no big deal....I had one that because of the lever on the Eastie could date the pen from '48-52 so the sac taking a year to die was 60 years old....of course sitting in the dark of a drawer for 30 years may have had something to do with that. It did last two years by me before taking a mushy year to die.

Today one is lucky to get a sac to last ten years.

[MercianScribe]

Makes me wonder, especially as I'm just about to get a bulk order.

 

Quick three questions based on what people have said so far.

 

Does Diamine count as an old-fashioned ink? What about Pilot? I think Richard Binder had something about the acidity of various inks on his site, but are there any more resources for that?

 

What are the cons of silicon?

And finally, people say don't buy cheaply because you get what you pay for, but I've bought so far from Woodbin and haven't had any trouble so far, but he's the cheapest I've seen. Does anyone know something others may not about Woodbin's products... or is it actually OK to buy cheapest!? I couldn't find anything in the Market Watch forum.

Edited June 12, 2017 by MercianScribe

[Rose Nibs]

I'm wondering too. I re-sacced a Vacumatic six months ago and used silicone as the lubricant - the sac has turned to rubbery mush. I had a highly pigmented ink in it, not one of the old faithfuls, but I think the silicone was the culprit and that surprises me. I didn't think it could be so deadly.

[ac12]

Here is a discussion on sac materials

http://www.vintagepens.com/FAQrepair/pen_sacs.shtml

[FarmBoy]

I'm wondering too. I re-sacced a Vacumatic six months ago and used silicone as the lubricant - the sac has turned to rubbery mush. I had a highly pigmented ink in it, not one of the old faithfuls, but I think the silicone was the culprit and that surprises me. I didn't think it could be so deadly.

I'm not sure I follow. Where on the Vac diaphragm did you put silicone grease?

[Ron Z]

I've seen people use silicone grease on the part folded inside - and they do gum up and bind, and turn to goo. The best thing to use before you roll the diaphragm back over itself is pure talc. It'll lubricate things just fine....

 

The recommendation to avoid super saturated inks is also a good one. Ongoing tests by one individual has shown a link. Diluting the ink by 20% seems to mitigate the effect without a serious impact on color.

[Bo Bo Olson]

"""""Diluting the ink by 20% seems to mitigate the effect without a serious impact on color."""""

 

That advice will make a lot of people happy.....and lead to more use of lever pens. I find lever pens to be very light and nimble.

[FarmBoy]

I've seen people use silicone grease on the part folded inside - and they do gum up and bind, and turn to goo. The best thing to use before you roll the diaphragm back over itself is pure talc. It'll lubricate things just fine....

 

The recommendation to avoid super saturated inks is also a good one. Ongoing tests by one individual has shown a link. Diluting the ink by 20% seems to mitigate the effect without a serious impact on color.

Reminds me of a story about a $300 bottle of single malt and Sprite...

[Ron Z]

"""""Diluting the ink by 20% seems to mitigate the effect without a serious impact on color."""""

 

That advice will make a lot of people happy.....and lead to more use of lever pens. I find lever pens to be very light and nimble.

 

That does not mean that I suggest using the stuff. "Mitigate" is a very elastic word.