Robert Oster Inks Now Available In The Uk - Add To Our First Shipment Now!

[Royvdbb]

Hello All,

 

 

On this particularly sunny day, we're delighted to announce that we've now been officially unveiled as an Authorised Retailer for the wonderful Robert Oster inks. We're working furiously on a new website, which will allow you to order online, but for now here's an FPN special.

 

For the first time, they'll be available directly from us in the UK (EU customers welcome too)! Our first stock of inks will be arriving in the next couple of weeks and the initial colour selection is listed below... but here's what we thought, how about we give the wonderful people of FPN the chance to add whatever they want to our shipment.

 

Our official stock of colours will be as follows, drum roll please...

 

Blue sea

Summer storm

Grun Schwartz

Emerald

Blue Black

Claret

Barossa Grape

Direct sun

Deep Sea

Jade

Price will be £14.95 per 50ml bottle + shipping (detailed below).

 

So, what we'll do is up until the end of Thursday, if you send us a message with your requirements (colour swatches below), we'll then add them to the shipment and send them on to you once they've arrived with us. We would ask for pre-payment (via paypal or bank transfer).

 

To keep it really simple for you, here's the shipping charges for this initial 'add whatever you like' order...

 

UK

1-4 Bottles: £5.45

5-9 Bottles: £8.95

10 Plus Bottles: Free of Charge

 

EU Countries

1 - 4 Bottles: £12.50

5 - 14 Bottles: £16.00

15 Plus Bottles: Free of Charge

 

We're really delighted to be involved with Rob and the wonderful inks that he produces... more exciting news to come soon.

 

Until then, have a good day.

 

Roy

 

 

 

 

 

[migo984]

Well it's great news that you're stocking Oster inks, but that is a pretty steep price increase compared to previous cost when buying direct, including international shipping :-(

[Cyber6]

Just saw it on Instagram... AWESOME!!!... Now Robert Oster is literally EVERYWHERE !!! :D

 

CONGRATS TO iZODS!!!

 

 

C.

[Royvdbb]

Well it's great news that you're stocking Oster inks, but that is a pretty steep price increase compared to previous cost when buying direct, including international shipping :-(

 

Thanks for your note. Pricing is always difficult, however we've looked at other re-sellers around the world and the cost is based on that.

 

I've no doubt that loyal Oster fans will continues to order directly, but for many the ease of not having to deal with international postage time frames or costs, and the possibility of import duties etc makes ordering from the UK much simpler and faster.

 

When we've got the shop fully up and running, we'll be taking a look at shipping costs to make sure that everything is in line with where it should be... it's worth noting that we always sent via recorded post in the UK.

 

Thanks again.

 

Roy

[amberleadavis]

Great job!

[Federalist Pens]

Congrats Izods!

 

Welcome to The "Oster Family"

 

[Fermata]

I can see where Migo is coming from, great to have an alternative to Diamine which have too many quality control issues for me but it would be even better if the price was competitive with Diamine, Parker, Waterman and others.

[Kenlowe]

Will you be attending the London Pen Show?

 

Postage and packing at around 30% of the purchase price is expensive and may not be worth while to the customer and free postage for spending £150 is not that attractive.

 

Anyway....good luck in the new venture.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Kenlowe

[praxim]

I can see where Migo is coming from, great to have an alternative to Diamine which have too many quality control issues for me but it would be even better if the price was competitive with Diamine, Parker, Waterman and others.

Is this a fair comparison? High volume from an established manufacturer is obviously cheaper than a low volume specialist startup. I am familiar with and enjoy using Waterman inks. I consider them to be of good quality, definitely pen-friendly or pen-safe, with a range of standard colours. In fact, I have almost every ink they sell today (forget blacks). I also have an equal number of Robert Oster inks yet I have hardly delved into that range. They are also well-behaved, and the colour range simply does not exist in Waterman (or Parker, most likely). Compared with Diamine? I can not say where you would go. Robert Oster is a new player with fewer inks than Diamine but a very interesting range nonetheless.

 

You can play in the supermarket or the niche market. Choices and prices are different.

 

Disclosure: I have zero Diamine inks, for no special reason. There has always been something else I would try first, from J Herbin, Lamy, GvFC, Montblanc, Robert Oster, Waterman.

Diamine will get there soon. So will more Robert Oster.

[Kenlowe]

It is ink, for goodness sake.

 

Thats all. It is more expensive than some brands and less than others.

 

Making a mountain out of an ink-blot.

[mallymal1]

Will keep an eye open for the web shop.

[AndyYNWA]

Some more blues in the standard lineup wouldn't hurt. One blue, plus blue-black and one teal is a bit too few imho.

 

I don't know what the ink cost dirictly from Robert Oster, but £14,95 is quite OK with me. Of course I wouldn't mind if it was cheaper.

However, I think the shipping cost is a bit too steep. Other UK retailers charge £3,95-£8,95 as basic shipping cost. I think £12,50 is too expensive.

 

But anyway! Good Luck!

Edited August 12, 2016 by AndyYNWA

[Cyber6]

I can see where Migo is coming from, great to have an alternative to Diamine which have too many quality control issues for me but it would be even better if the price was competitive with Diamine, Parker, Waterman and others.

 

 

Why would the price be competitive with Diamine ?.. Because Diamine is cheap? Diamine is mass produce and is local.. is not a fair comparison.

 

You should compare it to other international offerings on the same niche... Noodlers for example. Noodlers comes from a lot closer and is quite comparable in price with Rober Oster (I feel Rober Oster Inks are better behave in general)

 

 

 

C.

[Fermata]

 

 

Why would the price be competitive with Diamine ?.. Because Diamine is cheap? Diamine is mass produce and is local.. is not a fair comparison.

 

You should compare it to other international offerings on the same niche... Noodlers for example. Noodlers comes from a lot closer and is quite comparable in price with Rober Oster (I feel Rober Oster Inks are better behave in general)

 

 

 

C.

 

 

Thats a bit needlessly aggressive and unfriendly, not sure why you want to take that tone.

 

The reason why I think that the price should be closer to Diamine pricing is because that brand of ink is also commonly bought by post and has the same potential market.

 

Whether the production is on a large or small scale is not relevant. Whether the production is local to the UK or overseas, is again not relevant. What is relevant is what the customer will pay for a comparable product, one of the product manufacturers to be compared is Diamine who, I think, also generate most of their UK turnover by mail order.

 

Please try to be civil Cyber6, we are all meant to have the same interest and to have the same hobby,

 

Thank you.

[Kenlowe]

This sounds like its getting out of hand. This new brand of ink is not competitively priced against Diamine, that is self evident.

[Cyber6]

 

 

Thats a bit needlessly aggressive and unfriendly, not sure why you want to take that tone.

 

The reason why I think that the price should be closer to Diamine pricing is because that brand of ink is also commonly bought by post and has the same potential market.

 

Whether the production is on a large or small scale is not relevant. Whether the production is local to the UK or overseas, is again not relevant. What is relevant is what the customer will pay for a comparable product, one of the product manufacturers to be compared is Diamine who, I think, also generate most of their UK turnover by mail order.

 

Please try to be civil Cyber6, we are all meant to have the same interest and to have the same hobby,

 

Thank you.

 

Apologize if I sounded aggressive.. It was not the tone in my head. The way it came to my head is why comparing to something that it was not the same at all.

 

I do believe the local vs international is very relevant. Diamine here (Canada) is almost two-three times more than in the UK (for the local buyers), and buying Robert Oster here cost me the same. So, for me... although one is mass produce and the other is not.. I do pay a similar price (shipping + customs).

 

 

Same with Sailor and most international offerings. We don't a have a canadian ink.. But if we did, comparing cost would make no sense to me.

 

 

Again, I will apologize if I sounded aggressive... it was never my intention to offend.

 

 

 

C.

[Kenlowe]

I have just looked at TWDs excellent site for a price comparison

 

in terms of cost per mille the cheapest seems to be around 6-8p for R and K, Parker, Conway Stewart, Diamine etc. up to 50p for Sailor, CdA, both non UK manufacturers I think.

 

http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?brand=&cat=colorama&subr=blue

 

This new brand is around 30p per mille.

 

I would have thought that any consumer would look at what they are buying based on whether they want that product and how much they want to (or indeed will) pay is not based on where the ink is made.

[Cyber6]

 

I would have thought that any consumer would look at what they are buying based on whether they want that product and how much they want to (or indeed will) pay is not based on where the ink is made.

 

That's a fair statement too.

 

 

C.

[mmg122]

Thats a bit needlessly aggressive and unfriendly, not sure why you want to take that tone.

 

The reason why I think that the price should be closer to Diamine pricing is because that brand of ink is also commonly bought by post and has the same potential market.

 

Whether the production is on a large or small scale is not relevant. Whether the production is local to the UK or overseas, is again not relevant. What is relevant is what the customer will pay for a comparable product, one of the product manufacturers to be compared is Diamine who, I think, also generate most of their UK turnover by mail order.

 

Please try to be civil Cyber6, we are all meant to have the same interest and to have the same hobby,

 

 

Thank you.

 

I'm confused as to why you accuse Cyber6 of being needlessly aggressive, unfriendly and uncivil. As I see it, she was stating facts as she sees them and adding positively to the conversation. I understand that it is sometimes difficult to ascertain a poster's intent with written text but I would suggest we assume the best of intentions, not the worst.

 

IOW, chillax, Parkette. We're all here as friends sharing a hobby.

[dapprman]

I can't believe some one thinks all inks should be similarly priced ..... guess he/she's never bough any Pilot Iroshizuku, GVFC, Peliken Edelstein, Kyo-iro, Bung Box, ......

 

On the price Izods is charging. There is a European pen seller from whom I've bought a high(er) end pen and some inks from before - they are good and reasonably priced (and no I will not mention their name here as it's not fair). The price they've been charging for Robert Oster inks, post Euro to Sterling conversion is very similarly priced. On postage I suspect Izods' present pricing is based on the fact he's sending luxury sends forwards and back, complete with higher costing insured postage and packing (and for me I'm not sure the UK postage is that bad).

Edited August 12, 2016 by dapprman