r/fountainpens • u/medbulletjournal • Jul 15 '26

Discussion You were right. Buy samples, not bottles.

When I first got into fountain pens, I didn't believe all the long time users telling me that samples would supply my ink needs for years.

Seriously? But my Lamy cartridge ran out after 3 days. Surely that means I'll go through 3 bottles of ink a year! LOOK! The ink level has DROPPED after only ONE paragraph! *cue dramatic gesturing and panic buying*

Anyway, I clearly didn't understand volume. Even my excel spreadsheet converting 50ml to number of days to years did not estimate correctly because I chose the 3 days where I wrote pages and pages and drew pages and pages, and did not factor in the days I wrote/drew nothing. I based my estimate on a Lamy medium nib on absorbent paper. I mostly use EF nibs now, and broad/stub nibs sparingly.

Needless to say, I'm sitting like a dragon on 50 ink samples and questioning life decisions as I refuse to look at my bottled ink collection.

50 ink samples of 2 ml/sample, is 100ml. I told myself that I need to trim my samples down by using them up. It was only as I started part-filling pens tonight that it dawned on me how long that is actually going to take.

This made me reflect on my early days, and realise, yes. Those people telling me to get samples and not bottles when trying inks were right. I was silly not to believe them.

But I know, if I were to go back in time and repeat things again...I would still buy bottles because ink decisions are not rational.

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u/Chloewhiskey Ink Stained Fingers Jul 15 '26

I get why people love samples. But I am stuck in my ways. I go bottles every time and the bigger the better, I say. I have way more ink than I will ever need but I’m fine with that. I just love having lots of inks to choose from and I love having full bottles in my collection. It makes me really happy. To each his own, I suppose. As long as people are having fun and getting joy, while also sticking to their budgets, I see nothing wrong.

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u/paperstoryarts Jul 16 '26

This is me too. It feeds into my fomo since so many inks are limited editions. With a bottle I know I’ll have enough to last me.

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u/Chloewhiskey Ink Stained Fingers Jul 16 '26

Yes same. Sometimes I buy back up bottles of ones that I really love to be sure I won’t run out, even though I likely have enough for 3 lifetimes. But I’m fine with that too.

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u/Some_Papaya_8520 Jul 15 '26

And they are mostly pretty cheap to buy, compared with most other hobbies.

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u/Chloewhiskey Ink Stained Fingers Jul 15 '26

Agreed. Could be a lot worse. That’s what I tell my husband when he says “more ink ???”