Iroshizuku Price Increase

[Jimmy James]

Just to be on the safe side, I ordered an extra bottle of my two most used colors from Jetpens: yu-yake and tsuyu-kusa. I won't be able to afford these beautiful inks if the price really does go up to $35 a bottle as predicted.

 

Warm regards,

Lynne

 

You're worried about the price going up $13, so you spend $44.

 

I don't know your circumstances and am not trying to mock you. This just struck me as funny.

 

Yes...but $44 PLUS free shipping! Better than $35 a bottle plus shipping costs that Art Brown and FPH will charge is how I rationalized it.

 

See, that's your problem -- you rationalized.

 

On the other hand, I would be completely at a loss if I didn't have 100+ pens and 40+ inks in my life. I might be unable to communicate!

[Sandy1]

Just to be on the safe side, I ordered an extra bottle of my two most used colors from Jetpens: yu-yake and tsuyu-kusa. I won't be able to afford these beautiful inks if the price really does go up to $35 a bottle as predicted.

 

Warm regards,

Lynne

 

You're worried about the price going up $13, so you spend $44.

 

I don't know your circumstances and am not trying to mock you. This just struck me as funny.

 

Yes...but $44 PLUS free shipping! Better than $35 a bottle plus shipping costs that Art Brown and FPH will charge is how I rationalized it.

TM,

No need to rationalise ink purchases! Or skimp on ink! But, I too go for a bit of 'stocking-up' when it is financially advantageous in the longer term. (I wonder how many people are hoarding MB RG?) ... Would I be right in guessing that you too have a deep freeze?

Best Regards,

Sandy1

[tarheel1]

Just to be on the safe side, I ordered an extra bottle of my two most used colors from Jetpens: yu-yake and tsuyu-kusa. I won't be able to afford these beautiful inks if the price really does go up to $35 a bottle as predicted.

 

Warm regards,

Lynne

 

You're worried about the price going up $13, so you spend $44.

 

I don't know your circumstances and am not trying to mock you. This just struck me as funny.

 

45.00 for 2 bottles is much better than 35 for one.

[AltecGreen]

I think people need to relax a bit. So far nothing has been substantiated. As long as the Japanese MSRP remains the same, there is no problem. Ordering from Bunkidou is no harder than ordering from JetPens, Art Brown, etc. I seriously doubt Pilot would double the MSRP of the inks in Japan.

 

If things go horribly wrong, I'll still buy an occasional bottle but I'd switch to the Sailor Nagasawa Kobe inks. Different color palette but the other performance characteristics are very similar.

[Sandy1]

Amateurs!

Sailor's new nano black is $38 + $15 shipping = $53 / 50ml ~ $1/ml. Ah Pook!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/SAILOR-Bottle-Ink-Pole-Black-for-Fountain-Pens-New_W0QQitemZ270451971210QQihZ017QQcategoryZ165652QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26ps%3D6

[dianeb]

Hey Julie! Interesting to see that confirmed by another person.

 

JetPens won't be allowed to carry the ink at that price point, per the Pilot rep I spoke with (I'm Pocket Blonde). He mentioned that he wasn't going to bring Iroshizuku over and have retailers sell it for $35 when JetPens, which buys directly from Pilot Namiki and not through him (eliminating the middleman in the Pilot Namiki chain and therefore keeping the price low), sells it for that much less.

 

Remembering out talk, it seemed to me that he didn't want JetPens carrying the ink at all. He might not be averse if they raise the price, but he never said that. His tone was more "they won't be allowed to have it at all" and I didn't really want to get into it with him. He is, however, the US regional manager and was very much into the "I" word ("I'm brining Iroshizuku over," "I'm offering this ink to retailers," etc.).

[tarheel1]

I just dont understand why there is such a mark-up when he brings it to the US.

[Jimmy James]

Maybe somebody higher in rank than him is also smarter than him and will just leave well enough alone.

[Margana]

Maybe somebody higher in rank than him is also smarter than him and will just leave well enough alone.

 

+1

[tarheel1]

Maybe someone should forward this thread to him so he can see our opinions. I am all for the ink being available in the us just not such a markup.

[dianeb]

Maybe somebody higher in rank than him is also smarter than him and will just leave well enough alone.

 

There isn't anyone higher up in the US than him, at least that's what I've read in Stylus Magazine. I think the price mark up that high will be in keeping with positioning it as a premium ink. If Okami's source is correct, we'll find out in March. And I have to admit, as he and I were having this conversation I was wondering if anyone had told JetPens yet. I was also wondering whether to post tit or not, and decided to do so but without naming names.

[tarheel1]

Guess I will have to buy a bunch of bottles before the price goes up or start buying from Japan. Wor case since I love the bottles I can just the bottles with different ink.

[Jimmy James]

Maybe somebody higher in rank than him is also smarter than him and will just leave well enough alone.

 

There isn't anyone higher up in the US than him, at least that's what I've read in Stylus Magazine. I think the price mark up that high will be in keeping with positioning it as a premium ink. If Okami's source is correct, we'll find out in March. And I have to admit, as he and I were having this conversation I was wondering if anyone had told JetPens yet. I was also wondering whether to post tit or not, and decided to do so but without naming names.

Right, but a key part of all of this is to get Namiki to stop selling the ink to JetPens (at least at the Japan price).

[jphu]

His tone was more "they won't be allowed to have it at all" and I didn't really want to get into it with him. He is, however, the US regional manager and was very much into the "I" word ("I'm brining Iroshizuku over," "I'm offering this ink to retailers," etc.).

 

He sounds like a narcissistic cry-baby lol

Who'd like to deal with him for ink orders

[dianeb]

His tone was more "they won't be allowed to have it at all" and I didn't really want to get into it with him. He is, however, the US regional manager and was very much into the "I" word ("I'm brining Iroshizuku over," "I'm offering this ink to retailers," etc.).

 

He sounds like a narcissistic cry-baby lol

Who'd like to deal with him for ink orders

 

I have met him several times at different shop fairs (I love the Namiki brand and head straight for it and him) and I have to admit I've never felt quite so dumb as when talking to him. When he mentioned JetPens, it just seemed personal on his part. But I'm interpreting a tone of voice that may not have been there and so is unfair. Then again, maybe not.

 

I'd say that the type of customers he and/or Pilot Namiki wants are more upscale and affluent, such as those making pilgrimages to Art Brown or the Fountain Pen Hospital. When I was waiting to pay for my pen at the shop fair, the guy next to me was having his order written up and he bought 7 pens at about $400 a pop. If you're spending that much at one time, a $35 ink doesn't seem like a lot. And if you've got the cash (or credit), you'll want a premium ink to go with your premium pens. There's a big difference between the incredibly beautiful Iroshizuku ink bottle and Noodler's catfish.

Edited December 14, 2009 by dianeb

[GreenVelvet]

Amateurs!

Sailor's new nano black is $38 + $15 shipping = $53 / 50ml ~ $1/ml. Ah Pook!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/SAILOR-Bottle-Ink-Pole-Black-for-Fountain-Pens-New_W0QQitemZ270451971210QQihZ017QQcategoryZ165652QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286.m7QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26ps%3D6

 

Again, not at JetPens - there it is also $22.50 with their customary free shipping on orders over $25.

 

I don't have the bottle but I've got the cartridges, and it's fabulous stuff.

 

I'll be honest: I prefer this heads and tails over Noodler's Black. Not sure whether I like it better than HoD yet, though.

[Jimmy James]

I have met him several times at different shop fairs (I love the Namiki brand and head straight for it and him) and I have to admit I've never felt quite so dumb as when talking to him. When he mentioned JetPens, it just seemed personal on his part. But I'm interpreting a tone of voice that may not have been there and so is unfair. Then again, maybe not.

 

As I understand it, he's the guy responsible for bringing the products from Japan to the United States he believes will sell. A company like JetPens would really irritate me or even threaten me if I were that guy. Every sale they make just proves there is at least some market for products Pilot USA has chosen to leave in Japan. Call it doing his job better than he has been able to do. Call it destroying the work he has done to make the brand purely upscale here. Call it meddling in affairs he believes should be in control of. I don't know exactly what his true take on it is, but I can't see a scenario where he would be likely to like what JetPens does.

[bluemagister]

His tone was more "they won't be allowed to have it at all" and I didn't really want to get into it with him. He is, however, the US regional manager and was very much into the "I" word ("I'm brining Iroshizuku over," "I'm offering this ink to retailers," etc.).

 

He sounds like a narcissistic cry-baby lol

Who'd like to deal with him for ink orders

 

I have met him several times at different shop fairs (I love the Namiki brand and head straight for it and him) and I have to admit I've never felt quite so dumb as when talking to him. When he mentioned JetPens, it just seemed personal on his part. But I'm interpreting a tone of voice that may not have been there and so is unfair. Then again, maybe not.

 

I'd say that the type of customers he and/or Pilot Namiki wants are more upscale and affluent, such as those making pilgrimages to Art Brown or the Fountain Pen Hospital. When I was waiting to pay for my pen at the shop fair, the guy next to me was having his order written up and he bought 7 pens at about $400 a pop. If you're spending that much at one time, a $35 ink doesn't seem like a lot. And if you've got the cash (or credit), you'll want a premium ink to go with your premium pens. There's a big difference between the incredibly beautiful Iroshizuku ink bottle and Noodler's catfish.

 

 

Yeah, the Noodler's comes in "bulletproof" Hee hee hee hee

[InkyWinky]

Now.... Does anyone have direct word from Jetpens themselves to verify this information? We can't all go crazy buying up the ink that's left if Jetpens themselves won't be changing anything.

 

what pen is that pictured above?

[Margana]

Whatever the motives or intentions behind the price increase, if it comes to pass, it will drive away some buyers though I doubt it will attract others. Hardly a winning strategy but that's Pilot's problem. There are hundreds of other inks to buy as well as review and discuss so I'm moving onto new territory.

 

Oh, and thanks for the link to Rakuten. Some of those new Sailor inks are looking mighty interesting right about now. I have a few of Sailor's limited edition releases along with three of the standard colors. All are of good quality and a pleasure to use. It would be fantastic if Jet Pens were able to stock them. Hope they are listening...