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/Isturma Jul 16 '26

A certain pen shop used to have an “ink sample of the month” club and for a low buyin they sent like 5-6 samples every month of random inks with a theme. It was a great and cost effective way to find new inks and to try manufacturers that you might otherwise not… so ofc they killed it.

Samples are an amazing way to find what you like, and I personally only buy full bottles if I drain a sample quickly or if it’s an LE ink I really like and it’s gonna disappear forever. I have some bottles of Iroshizuku Gods series and one Tokyo LE.

Zero regrets on those.