Iroshizuku Price Increase

[mstone]

Noodler's is cheaper only in the US. It sells for around $21 in Japan which is $7 more than Iroshizuku. The Sailor custom colors are price the same as the Iroshizuku.

So the price of a bottle of noodler's goes up by $8 when it flies across the ocean, and a bottle of iroshizuku goes up by $21. (Or, put another way, the noodler's has a 60% price increase and the iroshizuku has a 150% price increase.) why would anyone think that's ridiculous?

[AltecGreen]

Noodler's is cheaper only in the US. It sells for around $21 in Japan which is $7 more than Iroshizuku. The Sailor custom colors are price the same as the Iroshizuku.

So the price of a bottle of noodler's goes up by $8 when it flies across the ocean, and a bottle of iroshizuku goes up by $21. (Or, put another way, the noodler's has a 60% price increase and the iroshizuku has a 150% price increase.) why would anyone think that's ridiculous?

 

 

It is absolutely ridiculous. JetPens' price for Iroshizuku was about right but the new $35 dollar price enforced by Pilot is a straight out ripoff. But people who are paying the $35 probably do not know the Japanese street price and probably did not know JetPens was selling at $22.50.

[Jimmy James]

$35 is a bit misleading. Swisher sells it at $28, and it would appear JetPens will likely match that rate. I'd far rather buy this ink at $28 than either plastic bottle Visconti or CdA ink for what it goes for (though those bottles are also stunning from what I have seen).

 

I got my bottle of ink and Sailor student pen today. I now wish I had held off to buy a Noodler's pen, but I imagine I'll find something to pair with one of those...perhaps some Bad Belted Kingfisher ink.

[GouletPens]

$35 is a bit misleading. Swisher sells it at $28, and it would appear JetPens will likely match that rate. I'd far rather buy this ink at $28 than either plastic bottle Visconti or CdA ink for what it goes for (though those bottles are also stunning from what I have seen).

 

I got my bottle of ink and Sailor student pen today. I now wish I had held off to buy a Noodler's pen, but I imagine I'll find something to pair with one of those...perhaps some Bad Belted Kingfisher ink.

 

I could be wrong, but I thought I'd heard somewhere that the list price is $35, but retailers are 'allowed' to discount down to $28, no less.

Edited May 20, 2010 by GouletPens

[Margana]

After testing at least a dozen of the Sailor and Iroshizuku inks, there does seem to be a difference in properties between the two. Interestingly I think the inks are very well-suited to the pens each offers. Certainly this won't apply to every ink in the line, but Iroshizuku is more lubricating with fantastic flow which suits the more dry writing Pilot pens. IME Sailor inks do not flow quite as well which is great for their smooth, wet nibs.

 

That said, Sailor Brown is outstanding in my Namiki (Pilot) Falcon soft fine and Sailor/Pen Gallery Uranari Green is gorgeous in my Pilot pocket pens. Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku, Tsuki-Yo, and Syo-Ro are equally fantastic in my Sailor Sapporo fine.

 

Last night I loaded two of the Sailor spring inks in pens and found both to perform a bit watery not unlike some of the paler J. Herbin inks. So perhaps Sailor is moving in a new direction and my assessment will change in future.

 

Sailor does have a strong odor compared to Iroshizuku for those who have concerns about that sort of thing.

 

I like both brands but what I don't like is Sailor's lack of availability in the U.S. As long as Iroshizuku is carried here, it has the edge for me. I'll just wait for discounts that come up from time to time at various retailers. If discounts are scarce, there are plenty of other brands to explore like Rohrer & Klingner, my latest fancy. IMO neither Pilot nor Sailor is making the effort to be competitive in the U.S. marketplace. Their loss as far as I am concerned. Not mine.

[markc]

Well, I just ordered my last 4 bottles of the ink from Jet Pens. I love them as a company, I can't fault them for raising the price, but I have a hard time with companies like Pilot bullying small companies like this. I feel that the best way to make a statement is to discontinue purchasing the ink until it comes down in price. Or, order it from Rakuten in Japan at a significantly lower price and balance the cost with shipping.

 

Maybe we can figure out how to do a bulk buy and have the group save over all.

 

JetPens is a classy operation and I will certainly continue to purchase my other supplies from them.

 

I hope pilot can be convinced to stop bullying their retailers and price fixing.

[Jimmy James]

$35 is a bit misleading. Swisher sells it at $28, and it would appear JetPens will likely match that rate. I'd far rather buy this ink at $28 than either plastic bottle Visconti or CdA ink for what it goes for (though those bottles are also stunning from what I have seen).

 

I got my bottle of ink and Sailor student pen today. I now wish I had held off to buy a Noodler's pen, but I imagine I'll find something to pair with one of those...perhaps some Bad Belted Kingfisher ink.

 

I could be wrong, but I thought I'd heard somewhere that the list price is $35, but retailers are 'allowed' to discount down to $28, no less.

That's exactly my understanding. Art Brown and perhaps others sell it at full list.

[AltecGreen]

Well, I just ordered my last 4 bottles of the ink from Jet Pens. I love them as a company, I can't fault them for raising the price, but I have a hard time with companies like Pilot bullying small companies like this. I feel that the best way to make a statement is to discontinue purchasing the ink until it comes down in price. Or, order it from Rakuten in Japan at a significantly lower price and balance the cost with shipping.

 

Maybe we can figure out how to do a bulk buy and have the group save over all.

 

JetPens is a classy operation and I will certainly continue to purchase my other supplies from them.

 

I hope pilot can be convinced to stop bullying their retailers and price fixing.

 

 

+1 Mark.

 

I just ordered 10 bottles from JetPens. I'm never going to buy anything from Pilot US ever again. If I do buy something from Pilot, I'll get it from Japan or JetPens.

[eslemexe]

I'm making my (i want to dream) last irozhisukus order but I'm still in a debate between buying another kon-peki (i really love this color) or buy one i don't have, and well I'll start looking for a good (and more cheap) replacement for the kon-peki, yama-guri and fuyu-syogun

Edited May 20, 2010 by eslemexe

[GreenVelvet]

I just ordered 3 more colors from JetPens, and I think that's going to be it for me. $22.50, no problem, and even $25... mayyyyyyyybe $28. That is pushing it... and over $30 seems ridiculous. I agree with the sentiment that perhaps we should just stop buying it for a while. If the demand goes down enough, will it continue to sell at $35? I may change my tune when a bottle runs dry, because I really do adore this ink, but I am irked at the price fixing on principle.

[mori45]

I'll be importing from Japan in future if I use iroshizuku at all. I will continue to support Jetpens though. Looks like I'll be using a lot more Waterman South Sea Blue, which is 1/4 the price.

[SamCapote]

Thanks JetPens. i already bought all 17 from you, but got another 8 today in my favorites. People should be saying the price of $28, and that it is a 50ml bottle when comparing to Herbin and others, since that is what JetPens (starting in June) and Swishers have it listed as. Also, don't assume this will be the final price. Pilot is testing the market. If the ink doesn't move at this price, it will be reduced or taken off the market. That's how supply and demand works.

 

To provoke thought, how much would you pay to get a prized 50ml bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire Blue? (Sapphire umenohana's review, vermiculus's review, Sandy1's review)

Edited May 26, 2010 by SamCapote

[mejdrich]

Someone, earlier, mentioned simply not buying the ink from the new B&M distribution channel... I am going to follow that suggestion. If this (me and those who feel similarly) absence of consumption from the market is significant enough, I think, based on pre-decision and post-decision sales data, Pilot will understand there is an extremely easy solution, lower the price per unit to something less above cost.

 

Should they choose, for ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, to not lower the price, I am sure some industrious souls will recognize the pent up demand, develop a facsimile of the bottle (from a feature/benefit perspective) and outsource the ink production to someone geographically closer... I would imagine it wouldn't be to hard to replicate the properties of the ink and, say, hire Nathan to OEM it...

 

Or, even better, Nathan could replicate the colors, make a facsimile of the bottle, charge $5 over his normal prices, and sell 'em to us...

 

Really, Pilot, are you guys and gals that dim?

 

(Edited to say, Pilot, I support your products, in my limited experience - a handful of pens and a bunch of ink - they are extremely well crafted, but, come on...)

Edited May 26, 2010 by mejdrich

[Silvermink]

If the ink doesn't move at this price, it will be reduced or taken off the market.

 

I hope it'll be the former. It'd be a bummer for them to decide that no one wanted it and take it off the market, though if they did decide their US distribution experiment was a failure, maybe places like JetPens could start importing it at the non-usurous price again.

 

Anyway, I won't buy it at that price, especially considering I'll likely still have to pay shipping to Canada on top of that.

[Ghost Plane]

Lessee - compare to bulk buys of Herbin at Goulet Pens. Or, if I'm really short of ink, Private Reserve at my local B&M just crept up to $8.50 USD from $7.95 :hmm1:

And I've got pints of Visconti black from all the pens I bought.

Nope. Not gonna run out of ink any time soon. I'll pass at these prices.

[ZebraPenguin]

I just knew stockpiling ink would pay off. Oh yes, they doubted me, but I'll show them!

... er, is this the wrong board for World Domination Anonymous?

[Ghost Plane]

I just knew stockpiling ink would pay off. Oh yes, they doubted me, but I'll show them!

... er, is this the wrong board for World Domination Anonymous?

Not at all. I am the Supreme Global Commander based on my stash of Viscontis

[SamCapote]

I just knew stockpiling ink would pay off. Oh yes, they doubted me, but I'll show them!

... er, is this the wrong board for World Domination Anonymous?

Not at all. I am the Supreme Global Commander based on my stash of Viscontis

 

LOL! How many of each (glass) do you have? We may be able to form an alliance and control this entire quadrant.

[Thornton]

I just knew stockpiling ink would pay off. Oh yes, they doubted me, but I'll show them!

... er, is this the wrong board for World Domination Anonymous?

Not at all. I am the Supreme Global Commander based on my stash of Viscontis

 

LOL! How many of each (glass) do you have? We may be able to form an alliance and control this entire quadrant.

 

And Deirdre can be CEO of the Stipula and Noodler's division.

[Ghost Plane]

I just knew stockpiling ink would pay off. Oh yes, they doubted me, but I'll show them!

... er, is this the wrong board for World Domination Anonymous?

Not at all. I am the Supreme Global Commander based on my stash of Viscontis

 

LOL! How many of each (glass) do you have? We may be able to form an alliance and control this entire quadrant.

My pride and joy is the silver-capped bottle of ink that came with my Ultima Lira pen. Gorgeous!