What's The World's Best Selling Fountain Pen Ink ?

[Patrick L]

What's the world's best selling Fountain Pen ink ? Actually I think that nobody can actually reply to this question as these figures are kept secret . In the U.S it might be Noodler's black ink Bulletproof, but even this is uncertain. Furthermore Noodler has much smaller volume sales in foreign countries. I guess that we should have an idea by choosing a well known brand, a popular colour, an affordable price.

[The Good Captain]

I'll get my wife to take a photo of our office shelves...

[lapis]

I'll get my wife to take a photo of our office shelves...

 

... and... after she does... you'll see that there are gallons and gallons of 4001 Blue-Black...........................

[Karmachanic]

India and China both have very large FP using populations. The best selling ink could well be one of which I'm not familiar.

[The Good Captain]

 

... and... after she does... you'll see that there are gallons and gallons of 4001 Blue-Black...........................

HUZZAH!

[TSherbs]

Even Brian Goulet did not have just one answer for this question for his best selling ink. He noted that dollar revenue vs unit sales where two different questions (and answers). And of course, total volume (units x contents) might be a third different answer. No one knows.

[aurore]

In what terms? Total amount? Volume? Number of bottles?

I would rather put it this way: what ink (brand) deserves being best selling? My personal answer would be Diamine (Oxford or Midnight blue in particular) considering how nice, well behaved and rather cheap it is.

[Bibliophage]

I suspect it also changes year to year.

 

In the past, Parker and Sheaffer would have been the biggest sellers by volume, and probably by profit as well.

[Mech-for-i]

or might be we should consider volume sold by .. well volume sold ( as in how many ml ) , if this question is asked in 1940's or even 1950's it would be almost likely impossible to answer, today its quite unlikely any of the regular ones could claim the title over the day to day used ink common in countries like China and India as there exist hugh population that use fountain pen intensively, daily, and continuously ... so it definitely would be one of their ink alright

[DCirjan]

I would waver between Pelikan 4001 and Hero, leaning more towards Hero: you can find Hero anywhere, from Jakarta to Bucharest, in countries with large FP user communities.

[nibtip]

One precision: we are talking about bottled inks, and not cartridges.

Because 4001 cartridges can be found quite easily, in the 3 endless colors.

 

For me it is an heresy but that is another topic.

 

No trace of hero in western europe.

 

My bet for Europe: Pelikan 4001, Waterman and Parker.

for Japan: Pilot blue, blue black, black.

Edited May 31, 2019 by inkking

[Mulrich]

In my travels, waterman and Parker are the most commonly available inks but I havent spent much time in Asia.

[almoore]

I would hazard a guess and say that possibly the most widely available is Waterman, it's reliable and has a sensible price point.

 

Al

[Bibliophage]

It looks like Waterman and Parker may be the same thing.

 

I have a bottle of Waterman, Paris, and bottle of Parker Quink Washable Blue, and they say much the same thing.

 

Product of/Produit de:

Newell Europe Sarl

Chemin de Blandonnet 10,

1214 Vernier, Switzerland

Represented in the EU by / Represente en UE par:

NWL France Services SAS

 

with the only difference being that the Waterman has the next line being

738 rue Yves Kermen

and Parker is

122 avenue du General LeClerc

 

Both ending in Boulogne-Billancourt 92100, France.

 

So they're both made in the same plant, and represented by the same people, in an office just a few blocks away from each other.

 

Both say made in France, but a product of Newell Europe Sarl out of Switzerland.

[TSherbs]

It looks like Waterman and Parker may be the same thing.

 

I have a bottle of Waterman, Paris, and bottle of Parker Quink Washable Blue, and they say much the same thing.

 

Product of/Produit de:

Newell Europe Sarl

Chemin de Blandonnet 10,

1214 Vernier, Switzerland

Represented in the EU by / Represente en UE par:

NWL France Services SAS

 

with the only difference being that the Waterman has the next line being

738 rue Yves Kermen

and Parker is

122 avenue du General LeClerc

 

Both ending in Boulogne-Billancourt 92100, France.

 

So they're both made in the same plant, and represented by the same people, in an office just a few blocks away from each other.

 

Both say made in France, but a product of Newell Europe Sarl out of Switzerland.

Interesting.

[Olya]

It looks like Waterman and Parker may be the same thing.

 

I have a bottle of Waterman, Paris, and bottle of Parker Quink Washable Blue, and they say much the same thing.

 

Product of/Produit de:

Newell Europe Sarl

Chemin de Blandonnet 10,

1214 Vernier, Switzerland

Represented in the EU by / Represente en UE par:

NWL France Services SAS

 

with the only difference being that the Waterman has the next line being

738 rue Yves Kermen

and Parker is

122 avenue du General LeClerc

 

Both ending in Boulogne-Billancourt 92100, France.

 

So they're both made in the same plant, and represented by the same people, in an office just a few blocks away from each other.

 

Both say made in France, but a product of Newell Europe Sarl out of Switzerland.

It's for a long while been the suspicion that they are the same inks, just different bottles.

 

Behaviour tests, chromatography test and colour all seem to show indeed the same ink.

 

What is most hilarious though is how Parker Quink Blue Black (before the new formula sold today) was universally panned as horrid ink for the colour-shift to teal, whereas Waterman's Blue Black was always described as such an interesting (for its colour shift) ink that is safe.

 

In terms of best selling ink, it depends on geography... Hero might outsell anyone in China, but how many people outside China and perhaps some other Asian countries use Hero ink?

 

I'd say that depending on ink colour, geography and many other aspects the best selling would be

Parker Quink and Waterman (Sheaffer less so)

J Herbin

Diamine

Sailor

Pilot

Pelikan

Montblanc

Noodler's

 

But then not to underestimate new players like Robert Oster, KWZI, rising popularity of Monteverde ink...

 

So quite a list.... Which one tops them all.... Who knows, I think a retailer would need to talk about which inks sell how well..

 

One way to gauge things would be to type "fountain pen ink" into Amazon and sort by best selling.. For added comparison use other countries' Amazon sites as well...

[Freddy]

Hell If I Know..........

Fred

How Can I Be Sure..The Young Rascals

what were you doin' in '67.......perhaps in the {expletive..ya know a four-letter-word}

[Karmachanic]

................. how many people outside China and perhaps some other Asian countries use Hero ink?

 

 

At least one! - 232 Blue Black

Edited June 1, 2019 by Karmachanic

[TSherbs]

 

At least one! - 232 Blue Black

same here

 

My colleague uses only Hero inks (here in the good ol' US of A)

[Sailor Kenshin]

It's for a long while been the suspicion that they are the same inks, just different bottles.

 

Behaviour tests, chromatography test and colour all seem to show indeed the same ink.

 

What is most hilarious though is how Parker Quink Blue Black (before the new formula sold today) was universally panned as horrid ink for the colour-shift to teal, whereas Waterman's Blue Black was always described as such an interesting (for its colour shift) ink that is safe.

 

In terms of best selling ink, it depends on geography... Hero might outsell anyone in China, but how many people outside China and perhaps some other Asian countries use Hero ink?

 

I'd say that depending on ink colour, geography and many other aspects the best selling would be

Parker Quink and Waterman (Sheaffer less so)

J Herbin

Diamine

Sailor

Pilot

Pelikan

Montblanc

Noodler's

 

But then not to underestimate new players like Robert Oster, KWZI, rising popularity of Monteverde ink...

 

So quite a list.... Which one tops them all.... Who knows, I think a retailer would need to talk about which inks sell how well..

 

One way to gauge things would be to type "fountain pen ink" into Amazon and sort by best selling.. For added comparison use other countries' Amazon sites as well...

I've used Hero inks! I had red, blue, and blue-black. I still use the BB!