Inexpensive Bulk Inks

[bunnspecial]

I think I've mentioned on here that I'm a Chemistry professor, and I'm formulating an idea for an experiment with FP inks. I can do the development with stuff from my own collection, but I'd need to scale it up to "student scale" and have it not cost a ton, figuring that I'm going to need probably 5mL/student/semester and I'm looking at around 90 students a semester. Basically it will be a chromatography experiment to ID an unknown ink sample, but also teach Rfs to "catalog" dyes.

 

I'm not necessarily looking for complicated inks, but would like ones that at least have a couple of dyes. I'm hoping to do it by thin layer chromatography, not paper chromatography, but the latter might be needed for cost reasons. The exact method isn't overly relevant, though-I'll make the chromatography part work. I just need the ink.

 

I know I can get Pelikan inks dirt cheap in the 1L bottles. I don't know if blue has more than one dye, but I think black has a couple.

 

I'm just wondering about other inks I can buy in large quantities like this without costing a fortune. I'm guessing some of the Indian made inks might be the ticket, but don't know that for sure or how much it would cost me to get them here...

 

The 3oz. Noodlers bottles might be workable, but that's till stretching to do it on the scale I'd like...

[lapis]

Just sticking to Pelikan (4001) inks, don't forget that as re the 1 liter bottles, these are only available in the (Royal) Blue and (Brilliant) Black colors (which you mentioned); no other colors are offered in 1 liter.

Going further, check out those gallon jobs offered by Noodler's. AFAIK they're only to be had on request....

[inkstainedruth]

And if the Noodler's gallon jugs aren't available, some are available in 4-1/2 oz. bottles, not just the 3 oz. ones (and come with free pens as an added bonus).

I think you can also buy a couple of Pilot inks (not the Iroshizuku line) in larger quantities (1 or 2 liter, I think) -- but it might just be the black and the blue.  I haven't bought those, though, so I couldn't tell you prices.

Also see if you can find vintage inks, but they might not be cheap.  I found an 8 oz. bottle of vintage Quink Permanent Violet on eBay a few years ago, and a 2/3 full pint bottle of Skrip Peacock in an antiques mall (that was a deal -- the Permanent Violet was a good but not great price, but the Skrip Peacock was IIRC $12.50). Of course, then I had to source inexpensive amber Boston round bottles with eyedropper caps to transfer the ink into (especially the Permanent Violet, which had a cap in a rubber stopper designed for connecting a nozzle to it to pour into inkwells -- but didn't have the nozzle itself (there was a cotton wick from the stopper into the bottle).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

4 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

I'm just wondering about other inks I can buy in large quantities like this without costing a fortune.

 

The product pricing of Toucan inks — which are available in 1L and 2L bottles — is cheap, relative to other inks (suitable for fountain pen use). The total cost of acquisition, depending on from which corner of the world you're ordering the product, is a different matter.

[bunnspecial]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I'm sort of putting it together and picking away at this, but my general thought is to have a part 1 where the students chromatograph a handful of different colors to see their component inks, and then a part 2 where I give them say 3-5 known inks and then one unknown and they ID the unknown.

 

Part 2 would likely be black ink. Even though I don't use black myself normally, it has the benefit of usually containing a couple of dyes to get "black" and presumably these would vary based on manufacturer.

 

I could of course do this with, say. Sharpies, but FP inks get the benefit of being water soluble so they are amenable to paper chromatography with water as the solvent. Plus, since FP inks are available as a liquid, it makes it easy to "blind" them.

 

Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black will definitely be one of them, assuming this comes together. A 1 gallon jug of standard Noodler's black might also work, or if nothing else the 4.5oz bottles mentioned do give a bit more to play with.

[fabri00]

If you are based in Europe you can buy Octopus ink at € 21 for 250 ml from Germany, or Koh-I-Noor ink at € 1,65 for 50 gr. from Czech Republic.

I do not tested the Octopus, but I tested the Koh-I-Noor and it is a normal ink, fairly good for daily purpouses.

 

[Arkanabar]

Noodler's inks may be safely diluted for your purposes, before passing them out as samples.  For example, Bad Black Moccasin diluted 1:1 is easily as dark as regular MB Mystery Black, or more so, and darker than Pilot Black.  Speaking of Pilot, red, blue, blue-black and black can be had in 350mL bottles, but prices vary.

[WalterC]

Pilot 350 ml bottles are available in black ($23), blue-black ($25) and red $43) on Amazon (sometimes labeled Pilot and/or Namiki). 

Pilot 350ml amazon

Pelikan brilliant black and royal blue are available in 1 liter bottles on Amazon for $61. Amazon Pelikan 1L

      I imagine that in Japan you can get Pilot inks cheaper and in Europe Pelikan inks cheaper.

 

[hbdk]

Diamine will deliver 1 Liter bottles on request as far as I recall. Don' t know the price. You will have to contact them directly.

[Mordecai Sterngold]

I have bought a 1L bottle of 4001 royal blue on sale for 20€, on Amazon they now are around 30€ for black or blue. Shipping to the US might cost as much as the bottle does.

[bluebellrose]

On 5/29/2021 at 11:35 PM, hbdk said:

Diamine will deliver 1 Liter bottles on request as far as I recall. Don' t know the price. You will have to contact them directly.

Actually diamine might Actually be the cheapest next to noodler's.

[sciumbasci]

An enquire may be sent to fountain pen inks manufacturers regarding the possibility to have alternative (not blue or black) inks in a bigger format.

 

I know for sure that Dollar Stationery accepts such enquires, while others do not explicitly state so, but all things considered, business is business, so it would not hurt to ask Pennonia (the owner is a fellowteacher, IIRC) or Pelikan whether they'd deliver or not.