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Korean Inks?

deacondavid

By deacondavid
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deacondavid Rare

deacondavid

Posted
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A former co-worker and pen enthusiast has gone back to Korea for the Christmas break and has offered to bring things back if I ask.

 

I've done some looking and have not identified a Korean ink manufacturer, but I have to think that there must be some sort of ink production going on. Does anyone have a suggestion?

 

Ideally, I would want something that is not just a run of the mill black, blue or blue-black. A brand would be a great starting point to see what is out there.

 

Thanks in advance for any help that can be offered.

Current Daily Carry: Pilot Custom 743 with 14k Posting nib (Sailor Kiwa-Guro), Sailor 1911L Realo Champagne with 21k Extra Fine nib (Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu). Platinum Century 3776 Bourgogne (Diamine Syrah), Nakaya Portable Writer Midori with 14k Extra Extra Fine nib (Lamy Peridot), Pilot Vanishing Point Stealth Black with Extra Fine nib unit (Pilot Blue Black), a dozen Nockco DotDash index cards of various sizes and a Traveler's Notebook.

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

Posted
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I'd be interested in what they find.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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fabri00 Vintage

fabri00

Posted
Posted

I visit Korea for business every year since probably 20 years.

Fountain pen are almost not used there.

I've never seen a local brand of FP or inks, as well as the very few shops of FP opens, and after few year close and disappear.

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Dufffader NOS (New Old Stock)

Dufffader

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I live in Seoul and I'm not aware of any Korean inks. People here tend to be attached to their smartphones 24/7!

 

There's a healthy cottage industry for most stuff (leather, CNC metal stuff, etc) but unfortunately not stationeries. At least I don't know of any. I look eastwards towards Japan to fulfill my pen needs.

 

But is hope I'm wrong and someone gives a positive response here...

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Sounds like you should send your friend with some American inks and exchange for some Korean smart phones.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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deacondavid Rare

deacondavid

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Sadly, it is starting to sound that way. Everything I have been hearing about the pen and ink scene on Korea is somewhat sad. I would have hoped for better news (especially being between China and Japan), but it sounds like this is not going to be realized.

Current Daily Carry: Pilot Custom 743 with 14k Posting nib (Sailor Kiwa-Guro), Sailor 1911L Realo Champagne with 21k Extra Fine nib (Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu). Platinum Century 3776 Bourgogne (Diamine Syrah), Nakaya Portable Writer Midori with 14k Extra Extra Fine nib (Lamy Peridot), Pilot Vanishing Point Stealth Black with Extra Fine nib unit (Pilot Blue Black), a dozen Nockco DotDash index cards of various sizes and a Traveler's Notebook.

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

Posted
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Well, I don't own an American made smartphone, but I did order my Samsung Galaxy S4 from Korea so that I could get an Octacore - yes, I'm still using that phone. So, let's show them the way of the ink.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dufffader NOS (New Old Stock)

Dufffader

Posted
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It's not entirely sad. There's an annual pen show in Seoul but unfortunately this year it coincided with my vacation so I was not able to scout it out. I bet there's some "underground" scene happening here. Maybe I should catch up on my Korean first as that's keeping me from understanding anything on the the hangul Internet.

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ink-syringe Collectors Item

ink-syringe

Posted
Posted (edited)

Korea is the worst advanced country in the world for fountain pens. There is nothing to be had here. Sorry. I have lived here for 20 years and the only Korean ink I know of is the Korean made stuff that Pilot Korea used (still?) to make for the Pilot shop on Chongno. But it is exactly the same as the Japan stuff and even that is disappearing.

 

I love Korea. Speak Korean, etc. but Korea has almost nothing to do with fountain pens, you'd be surprised at how hard it is to get anything here and imported stuff is redonkulous.

 

But hey if $320 for a Lamy Safari (XF, F and M only) is your cup of tea, swing on by.

 

I am leaving in a couple days for my honeymoon in Japan and I was looking forward to maybe finally having access to some things at reasonable prices, but our wedding & new tiny apartment ran wildly over-budget. So it goes.

Edited by ink-syringe

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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sirgilbert357 Antique

sirgilbert357

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But hey if $320 for a Lamy Safari (XF, F and M only) is your cup of tea, swing on by.

 

Mind officially blown...

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ink-syringe Collectors Item

ink-syringe

Posted
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Brain Fart. I meant to say Lamy 2000 not Safari. I had my Safari in my hand while I was writing it.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Ink Syringe, I think you need to come visit me in Vegas. We have 2 MB shops, I have fast internet so you can order lots - and you can play with my inks before you order. In return, you can bring me the newest Samsung phone that is still only available in Korea. I'll even organize a pen posse to commemorate your visit.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ink-syringe Collectors Item

ink-syringe

Posted
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Ha! I'd love to go to Vegas! I have also never seen a pen posse in their natural habitat.

 

Meanwhile i am packing right now for my honeymoon to Osaka. Hoping my wife will let me try and find the Morita Pen shop. She doesn't care for my pen accumulation habits and doesn't share my appreciation for vintage pens but I at least have to window shop.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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deacondavid Rare

deacondavid

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ink-syringe,

 

Congratulations on your wedding! I think you'll love Osaka (I was privileged to spend a few days there when I lived in Japan in the 1970s). Have a great honeymoon there.

 

I'm sad to hear that Korea is a backwater of fountain pen use. I had heard about the high prices for pens from Europe, but looking on line has been an eye-opener. At least the Lamy Safari isn't really selling for $320 - that would tempted me to smuggle a bunch of them in to help fund a vacation!

Current Daily Carry: Pilot Custom 743 with 14k Posting nib (Sailor Kiwa-Guro), Sailor 1911L Realo Champagne with 21k Extra Fine nib (Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu). Platinum Century 3776 Bourgogne (Diamine Syrah), Nakaya Portable Writer Midori with 14k Extra Extra Fine nib (Lamy Peridot), Pilot Vanishing Point Stealth Black with Extra Fine nib unit (Pilot Blue Black), a dozen Nockco DotDash index cards of various sizes and a Traveler's Notebook.

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

Posted
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Congrats on your wedding! Working at a wedding chapel was my favorite job ever.

 

Please tell us about all the fun you have. When you go to Japan, get ink. I think pens are easier to ship. I'll also send you over a Esterbrook or several in trade for a new phone. I think you can work out some trades to fund your pen / ink habits.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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deacondavid Rare

deacondavid

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My friend is back from Korea. He reported that pen-wise, things were pretty grim. He did bring back a couple of local inks, which I should have soon. I think he said that the brand name was Java and there was a blue and a black.

Current Daily Carry: Pilot Custom 743 with 14k Posting nib (Sailor Kiwa-Guro), Sailor 1911L Realo Champagne with 21k Extra Fine nib (Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu). Platinum Century 3776 Bourgogne (Diamine Syrah), Nakaya Portable Writer Midori with 14k Extra Extra Fine nib (Lamy Peridot), Pilot Vanishing Point Stealth Black with Extra Fine nib unit (Pilot Blue Black), a dozen Nockco DotDash index cards of various sizes and a Traveler's Notebook.

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Well, I'm excited to see what he found.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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amberleadavis Pen Dust

amberleadavis

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Posted

Looks like the Pelikan bottle.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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