How Much Le Ink Is It Reasonable To Hoard?

[kiavonne]

Well, hm.

 

I am a hoarder of certain inks.

 

Back when Swisher Pens was still in business, they had Noodler's Kung Te Cheng exclusively. When they said it was going out of production, I bought the last four 4-1/2 bottles they had in stock. Swisher's went out of business, but Kung Te Cheng is in production again, with the Goulet Pen Compnay carrying it exclusivity. I have enough Kung Te Cheng, I'm only half way through one bottle.

 

Because I know how hard it is to get a hold of FPN's Noodler's inks, and Galileo Manuscript Brown is one of my very favorite inks, when it was offered in 4-1/2 ounce bottles I bought two to have on hand to accompany my 3 ounce bottle. Um, I wish I had more Galileo, I'm about ready to open up one of those reserve bottles.

 

Wish I had five Galileo instead of five Kung Te Cheng. I suppose it is all good, I like both. Until I run out of Galileo, anyway. If I run out of an ink I can no longer get, well, I have no choice but to use something else and just shoulda/woulda/coulda lament the days past.

 

I think honestly - for me - that five bottles is my limit. That, and my pocketbook's current status, that is.

Edited March 14, 2014 by kiavonne

[haziz]

Reasonable? Who said anything about being reasonable?

[ac12]

Money, storage space, and what you "think" you could use in a given period of time, then add a buffer.

 

I went through this same exercise with incandescent light bulbs for my photo enlarger. With the halt in manufacture of 60w and higher bulbs, I stocked up enough to keep me going for the next 20 years...I hope. Otherwise, at some point, the supply of incandescent bulbs in the supply chain will dry out, and I would be stuck. There are certain photo enlarging bulb that have been out of production going for over $100 each now.

 

The other thing to think about is that taste sometimes changes over time.

What you like now, you may not like in 10 years.

[Ghost Plane]

SITB

It happens. Gives a little perspective.

[lsmith42]

With my luck, MB will re-release MBRG.

[amberleadavis]

I shall build the Amber Ink Room! (Warning, 75% less war-proof than Amber Room. Do not build near artillery fire.)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Bernsteinzimmer02.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Okay, now first of all, NONE of us around here actually HOARD inks.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Potions_Cabinet/slides/2014-03-04_085615.jpg

 

Now before any of you Pots calling me out as a Kettle, I'm positive that Lapis, Big Eddie and Saskia_Madding have more inks than I have!

 

BUT in that cabinet there are very few duplicates. A 2 bottles each of Edelstein Amber (because of the great name), MB Ink of Love (because of how it responded in Fade Tests); Hitchcock (1 is almost empty); and Diamine Racing Green (because it's really hard to find in Las Vegas). That's all the duplicates I have.

 

However, I might have an inking problem.

 

Wait, I thought that was how many roads I needed to walk down. Now what am I supposed to do with my life?!

Search for the question!

[amberleadavis]

I have decided I have hoarded my ink for long enough. I'm going to get rid of my Mb Racing Green, my Parker Penman Emerald and some of my bottles of Mb Gandhi.

 

I have come to the conclusion that I have more perfume and ink than I can realistically use during my lifetime.

 

Are you sure you don't want to pull them out and use them? All three hold up well in fade tests.

[amberleadavis]

Wow, lots of replies!

 

I think(if I like the ink, I'll find out tomorrow) I'll get five bottles. That should last me five to fifteen years depending on usage. I figure if I can't suck it up and use a different orange-brown after fifteen years I have bigger issues than running out.

 

While it is a cool ink, I wouldn't say it was 5 bottles cool. Though I wish I'd bought 5 bottles of Hitchcock.

[alarickc]

 

While it is a cool ink, I wouldn't say it was 5 bottles cool. Though I wish I'd bought 5 bottles of Hitchcock.

I'll have to see for myself tomorrow, but I do have a specific use in mind. Sometime in the next nine months or so I plan on getting an Omas Milord in brown arco. I figure this ink would be the perfect color themed match.

[amberleadavis]

As awesome as the ink is, unless I had to have the inks match, I'd enjoy the wonders of inks like Akkerman #22.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/2013-FADE/slides/2013-FADE_059.jpg

 

Here are a couple of other quick looks:

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/2013-FADE/slides/2013-FADE_004.jpg

 

Though I don't usually get the amazing shading from Edelstein Amber that you see above. BTW, the samples below, don't look as orange/yellow in real life.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Colors/Brown/slides/2013-03-21-Edelstein_Amber.png

 

I do get it from mix.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Colors/Brown/slides/2014-Ink_161.jpg

[amberleadavis]

Anyway, my point is that I wouldn't sleep on the 25 bottles of ink because I think you'll find something else that is as pretty and as cool.

[alarickc]

Anyway, my point is that I wouldn't sleep on the 25 bottles of ink because I think you'll find something else that is as pretty and as cool.

I'm sure, that's why I think five is a good number. That'll last me awhile if I love it, and if I don't love it I'll sit on them for five years or so and sell them on ebay. Win-win.

 

I'll have to remember Akkerman 22. I was planning on ordering the five bottles for $115 shipped over the summer and have been trying to think of what colors to get.

[amberleadavis]

Ah, well, which inks to get is a whole other topic.

[alarickc]

Okay, after trying out the amber in my dip pen, I LOVE it. The color is perfect for me, five or so bottles it is. I guess my orders of Caran d'Ache Divine Pink and Iroshizuku horsetail brown will have to wait awhile. $125 of Edelstein will eat up my ink budget for awhile.

[amberleadavis]

Woo HOO! Glad you love it! Now try it in a Fountain Pen BEFORE the big order because FPs are different.

[Ghost Plane]

From brand to brand. So your favorite ink in one brand may be a gusher or overly dry in another pen.

[amberleadavis]

From brand to brand. So your favorite ink in one brand may be a gusher or overly dry in another pen.

 

Yes, what she said!

[Fabienne]

There is no such thing as "too much ink". Remember, you MIGHT run out!*

 

 

*what about the MB Racing Green situation? Huh? Want to be in that fix when Armageddon occurs? No, of course not. That is why you should immediately build yourself a "penmageddon" bomb shelter and stock it with as much ink as you can buy. Don't worry about paper and pens, just concentrate on ink. You will thank me at the end of the world when you have enough ink to last you until you die of old age. There may be no one to write to or any Post Office to carry the mail, in which case keep a journal, someone is bound to find it later. So then hoard notebooks, too, and don't fill them up now with vague solipsistic hipster scribbling, wait until it's time then unleash your profundities.

[amberleadavis]

Well, if the currency ever changes to buttons, I'll be wealthy. If it changes to inks, I'm in great shape.