How Many Ink/pen Sac Manufacturers Are There?

[Rav_LandE]

Hello All,

 

A question just occurred to me in the light of my settling on Esterbrook J s as my only pens. I’ve got three but only really use two and both with 9460 nibs.

How many ink sac manufacturers are there? I’m just wondering if we’ll ever get to a point were we won’t be able to get them any more.

[hari317]

Only one latex sac manufacturer as far as I know.

[Freddy]

Only one latex sac manufacturer as far as I know.

I'm of the same opinion.......................One { 1 }

 

Fred

[Rav_LandE]

So how long does an unused ink sac last?

if I bought a bunch and stored them away for 10 years would they still be good?

[BaronWulfraed]

So how long does an unused ink sac last?

 

if I bought a bunch and stored them away for 10 years would they still be good?

Probably depends upon 1) the atmosphere in which they are stored, and 2) any variations in manufacturing.

 

I have an envelope of assorted sacs from Fountain Pen Hospital. Opened it up a few months ago to check on possible sacs for the Esterbrook SJ (that I still haven't refurbed) and found the most common size sacs in the envelope had turned hard and cracked on any pressure -- while some of the less common really large sacs were still in perfect shape.

[loganrah]

Given the quickly advancing technology of 3d printing I wouldn't worry too much that the one producer will disappear and you won't be able to get them any more.

Even without 3d printing, if the current producer did stop producing them I'd imagine some hobbiest or smaller company would step into the gap. Fountain pens might be more hobby than day to day item now, but it isn't a particularly small hobby and there seems to be plenty of people running companies dedicated to producing replacement parts, sometimes even for just a single model of pen, let alone ink sacs that can be used for many different pens.

Not to say I don't understand the feeling. I've got some pens that I like enough to think about buying a second one just to store in case I break the current one and the company has stopped producing them.

Edited February 17, 2020 by loganrah

[corniche]

 

So how long does an unused ink sac last?

 

if I bought a bunch and stored them away for 10 years would they still be good?

Hi Rav,

 

Back in the dark ages, when cars still had chrome bumpers and vinyl tops; we used to rub a thin layer of vaseline into the vinyl to prevent it from cracking and peeling - it WORKED like a CHARM! I would imagine a thin layer of silicone grease would work just as well on sacs.

 

Sean

[JakobS]

There is only one in existence today, and they are only in existence because they were keen enough to buy the remaining equipment and facilities from the White Rubber company. The White Rubber company was, even in the hey day of sacced pens, the only sac manufacturer for the majority of the pen companies that made these types of pens. Peter and Bob who bought the equipment and facilities were also lucky enough to work with some of the last employees of the White Rubber company to bring everything back to working order, and to gain insight into best manufacturing practices. Being that the equipment hasn't been made in decades, and the manufacture knowledge is held by very few, I doubt it is very replicable, or even affordable to start sac manufacturing from scratch, 3D printing isn't even close to making something like this, in structure, or mass production, and even if it could, would be far more expensive than the $2.5-$3 a sac they are selling for now.....

Edited February 17, 2020 by JakobS

[Freddy]

Number one........................................One..........Number One....................One......................

1 1 1 1 1 1

 

The one and only one................................................................................................................

PSC The Pen Sac Company

The Worlds Leading Source For Replacement Ink Sacs

 

All others......Jiminy Cricket has you covered:

 

When you wish upon a star makes no difference who you are.........

 

Anything your heart desires will come to you........................

 

When you wish upon a star Your Dreams Come True.................

 

Still your friend and mine..

 

Fred

Edited February 17, 2020 by Freddy

[GoldenNibs]

IMO There will always be an ink sac maker. Even if the sole company making them calls it quits, someone very passionate will step in and take it over. Same thing happened in my other hobby of vintage electric fans. One of the few companies still producing cloth covered wire was calling it quits until a collector bought their operation and continued production.

[Larry Barrieau]

i would guess that one fire is all it would take to end the supply. Scary.

[Uncial]

Did I miss the geographic limitation in the question?

I think Europe still has two, I've heard India has more than one, Malaysia definitely has more than one and China has at least one.

[sirgilbert357]

I don't think there is cause to worry about supply disappearing completely, but prices could go up if the USA based manufacturer disappears for some reason.

 

If I used sac pens, I'd be looking to put a PVC (Parker called theirs "Pli-glass" I believe) sac in as many of them as I could. If a pen couldn't be mated to a PVC sac, I'd probably sell it. Too many other good pens out there that are low/no maintenance...

Edited February 18, 2020 by sirgilbert357

[Bo Bo Olson]

The life of a modern sack....can be as little as 10 years.....if one don't use supersaturated in in it....respected repairmen say that can take a sac's life down to days or weeks.

 

Back in the day 30-40 years was about normal. I had a DJ Esterbrook from 1948-52 whose sac lasted nearly 60 years. (That of course was pre supersaturated ink.)

Edited February 18, 2020 by Bo Bo Olson

[Rav_LandE]

Thanks all, I’ll order a couple of sacs and throw them in a drawer and hope that when I need to change them, they’ll still be good.