The world has changed since my first ink analysis: countless boutique brands have popped up (or died off), Iroshizuku bottles are no longer hand-blown, and I've forgotten how to write self-aggrandizing blog posts without making fun of myself in some meta-fashion. All is well. Better even.



Here's an alphabetical list.





Brand and Line Common Price Size (mL) $/mL

Akkerman Dutch Masters $38.00 120 $0.317 Akkerman Standard $28.00 60 $0.467 Aurora $18.00 45 $0.400 Beaufort $9.45 45 $0.210 Beaufort Trial Pack $9.45 40 $0.236 Birmingham $8.00 30 $0.267 Blackstone (Bulk Large) $35.00 250 $0.140 Blackstone (Bulk X-Large) $70.00 1000 $0.070 Blackstone Colors of Australia $8.00 30 $0.267 Blackstone Colors of Australia (Large) $14.00 60 $0.233 Blackstone Colors of Australia (Pouches) $5.00 50 $0.100 Blackstone Mixing Ink Set $36.00 120 $0.300 Blackstone Scents of Australia $12.00 30 $0.400 Blackstone Waterproof $14.00 30 $0.467 Blackstone Waterproof SE $30.00 50 $0.600 Bungubox $39.00 40 $0.975 Callifolio Bottle $12.00 40 $0.300 Callifolio Pouch $8.00 50 $0.160 Caran d' Ache INKredible $33.20 50 $0.664 Chelpark $18.00 60 $0.300 Colorado Pen Liquid Velvet (Large) $15.00 90 $0.167 Colorado Pen Liquid Velvet (Small) $8.00 30 $0.267 Colorverse $30.00 80 $0.375 Conway Stewart $12.95 80 $0.162 Cross $15.00 59.15 $0.254 Daytone $4.70 1000 $0.005 De Atramentis $12.95 35 $0.370 De Atramentis Archive/Document Ink $19.95 35 $0.570 De Atramentis Scented Ink $14.95 35 $0.427 Delta $11.95 30 $0.398 Diamine (150th Anniversary) $15.50 40 $0.388 Diamine (Normal Size) $15.00 80 $0.188 Diamine (Sample Size/30) $7.50 30 $0.250 Diamine Box Set $99.00 300 $0.330 Diamine Registrar's 30 $16.95 30 $0.565 Diamine Shimmertastic $18.50 50 $0.370 Duke $19.70 80 $0.246 Egoistar $3.61 15 $0.241 Faber Castell $18.00 62.5 $0.288 Fahrney's Ever-Write $12.00 75 $0.160 Fountain Pen Revolution (Large/60mL) $8.50 60 $0.142 Fountain Pen Revolution (Small/30mL) $6.00 30 $0.200 Franklin Christoph (1 oz) $8.25 29.57 $0.279 Franklin Christoph (2 oz) $12.50 59.15 $0.211 GLARE $8.00 60 $0.139 Graf von Faber Castell $30.00 75 $0.400 Hakase Sepia (Dark) $63.21 50 $1.264 Hakase Sepia (Light) $54.18 50 $1.084 Hero $3.00 56 $0.054 Higgins Fountain Pen India Ink $4.90 73.93 $0.066 J. Herbin (Large Size/100mL) $22.00 100 $0.220 J. Herbin (Normal Size) $11.25 30 $0.375 J. Herbin (Sample Size) $4.75 10 $0.475 J. Herbin 1670/1798 (Sparkly) $20.00 50 $0.400 Kaigelu $13.19 50 $0.264 Kaweco $13.50 30 $0.450 KOBE $30.00 50 $0.600 Koh-i-noor $1.99 50 $0.040 Krishna $2.82 20 $0.141 Krishna RC Series $4.31 20 $0.216 KWZ $15.00 60 $0.250 KWZ Iron Gall $16.00 60 $0.267 L’Artisan Pastellier Callifolio $12.00 40 $0.300 Lamy $10.00 50 $0.200 Levenger $15.00 50 $0.300 Louis Vuitton $52.00 50 $1.040 Montblanc (New Writers/Great Characters) $43.00 50 $0.860 Montblanc (Normal Size) $23.50 60 $0.392 Montblanc (Shakespeare Velvet Red) $20.50 35 $0.586 Montblanc Permanent Inks $28.00 60 $0.467 Montegrappa $20.00 50 $0.400 Monteverde (Large) $15.00 90 $0.167 Monteverde (Small) $8.00 30 $0.267 Montblanc (Old Writers/Great Characters) $20.50 30 $0.683 Nemosine $8.00 35 $0.229 Nemosine TwINKle $10.00 35 $0.286 Noodler's Black/Firefly (4.5oz) $18.00 133.08 $0.135 Noodler's UK/Russian Series $19.50 88.72 $0.220 Noodler's Waterase Ink (4.5oz) $19.00 133.08 $0.143 Noodler’s (Eyedropper Size/4.5oz) $21.00 133.08 $0.158 Noodler’s (Normal Size/3oz) $12.50 88.72 $0.141 Octopus (Large) $18.32 250 $0.073 Octopus (Small) $6.10 30 $0.203 Onoto $13.57 80 $0.170 Organics Studio Elements $13.50 55 $0.245 Organics Studio Ernest's Vintage/Masters of Science $16.00 55 $0.291 Organics Studio Masters of Writing $14.00 55 $0.255 Ostrich Ink (Carton) $19.00 4080 $0.005 Papier Plume (Large/50mL) $12.00 50 $0.240 Papier Plume (Medium/30mL) $8.00 30 $0.267 Papier Plume (Small/15mL ) $5.00 15 $0.333 Parker Quink $7.18 50 $0.144 Pelikan 4001 (1000mL) $78.00 1000 $0.078 Pelikan 4001 (30mL) $9.00 30 $0.300 Pelikan 4001 (60 mL) $13.80 62.5 $0.221 Pelikan Edelstein $23.00 50 $0.460 Pen BBS $16.00 60 $0.267 Pilot (350mL) $22.00 350 $0.063 Pilot (70mL) $16.00 70 $0.229 Pilot Drafting (30mL) $8.00 30 $0.267 Pilot Iroshizuku (Full Size) $20.00 50 $0.400 Pilot Iroshizuku (Sample Size in Boxset) $25.00 45 $0.556 Pilot Iroshizuku (Sample Size Individual) $10.00 15 $0.667 Pilot Namiki (Normal Size) $12.00 60 $0.200 Platinum (Regular/Pigmented/Carbon) $20.00 60 $0.333 Platinum Classic $25.00 60 $0.417 Private Reserve $11.00 66 $0.167 Raduga 2 $5.00 70 $0.071 Robert Oster $17.00 50 $0.340 S.T. Dupont $26.00 40 $0.650 Sailor Jentle Pigmented $24.50 50 $0.490 Sailor Jentle/Four Seasons $15.00 50 $0.300 Sailor Shikiori $15.00 20 $0.750 Sailor Storia (Regular Size) $18.00 30 $0.600 Sailor Storia (Smaller Size) $14.25 20 $0.713 Scribal Workshop Invisible Ink $10.95 29.57 $0.370 Scribal Workshop Washable Ink $10.95 59.15 $0.185 Scribes’ Regular Inks $12.00 45 $0.267 Scribes’ Scented/Wine/Liquor Inks $12.00 45 $0.267 Scribes’ Waterproof Inks $18.00 45 $0.400 Seitz-Kreuznach (Large) $15.60 100 $0.156 Seitz-Kreuznach (Small) $7.78 30 $0.259 Sheaffer Skrip $9.00 50 $0.180 Staedtler $13.29 30 $0.443 Stipula Calamo $22.00 70 $0.314 Stipula Ferrogallico $35.00 70 $0.500 Super 5 $20.60 30 $0.687 Takeda Jimuki/KYOTO TAG $21.50 40 $0.538 Thornton's Luxury Goods $5.00 30 $0.167 Toucan $12.50 59.15 $0.211 Toucan (Sample Size) $6.90 30 $0.230 Visconti $17.50 40 $0.438 Wahl-Eversharp Wahlberry $15.00 80 $0.188 Waldmann $23.00 30 $0.767 Waterman $8.50 50 $0.170









Hakase dethrones Louis Vuitton.



Brand and Line Common Price Size (mL) $/mL 10. Montblanc (Old Writers/Great Characters) $20.50 30 $0.683 9. Super 5 $20.60 30 $0.687 8. Sailor Storia (Smaller Size) $14.25 20 $0.713 7. Sailor Shikiori $15.00 20 $0.750 6. Waldmann $23.00 30 $0.767 5. Montblanc (New Writers/Great Characters) $43.00 50 $0.860 4. Bungubox $39.00 40 $0.975 3. Louis Vuitton $52.00 50 $1.040 2. Hakase Sepia (Light) $54.18 50 $1.084 1. Hakase Sepia (Dark) $63.21 50 $1.264

Here's a clickbaity list of the TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE INKS!!!!!!Hakase dethrones Louis Vuitton.

As well as the top ten cheapest by cost per mL.









Brand and Line Common Price Size (mL) $/mL Bigger isn't always better, but it usually is: six of these clock in at/over the 250 mL mark.

10. Pelikan 4001 (1000 mL) $78.00 1000 $0.078 9. Octopus (Large) $18.32 250 $0.073 8. Raduga 2 $5 70 $0.071 7. Blackstone (Bulk X-Large) $70.00 1000 $0.070 6. Higgins Fountain Pen India Ink $4.90 73.93 $0.066 5. Pilot (350 mL) $22.00 350 $0.063 4. Hero $3.00 56 $0.054 3. Koh-i-noor $1.99 50 $0.040 2. Daytone $4.70 1000 $0.005 1. Ostrich Ink (Carton) $19.00 4080 $0.005





Observations





The world really has changed: Iroshizuku 15 mL bottles are now at the same unit cost as the large bottles once were, and those large bottles no longer crack the top ten most expensive. Kon-Peki is one step closer to being as affordable as it is popular (especially when Amazon has it for $17.) On that note, let's do some math:





According to scholars' most trusted source, Wikipedia, a standard Olympic swimming pool is 25 meters wide, 50 meters long, and 3 meters deep* and thereby holds 3750 cubic meters of water, i.e., 3750000 liters or 3750000000 milliliters, equivalent to 75 million 50 ml bottles of Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki Yo. Since a 50 mL bottle of Tsuki Yo costs (on average) $20, 75 million would cost 1.5 billion dollars, a surprisingly reasonable sum, given that the two frontrunners in the 2016 election collectively raised that along with a few hundred million to spare on a nice Kon Peki kiddie pool.





Let's say we're tight on money this Olympic cycle, so we need to fill our pools with something significantly cheaper. Sense doesn't exist here, so water is out. The next cheapest option is Tianjin Ostrich ink, which you can buy in a minimum quantity of five barrels for $20 a barrel. A single barrel holds 158987.3 mL for $20, so five of them hold 794936.5 mL and cost a reasonable $100. Since an Olympic swimming pool holds 3750000000 milliliters, one of them would hold ~4,717 5 barrel orders of Tianjin Ostrich ink. At $100 for each of those, we're looking at $471,736, with which you can buy a fairly nice home in Atlanta , assuming you can also travel back in time to 2014 when CBS's top minds put together that slideshow. Also interesting to note is that this price is significantly lower than the one you'd incur if you tried to fill the same pool with your run-of-the-mill bottled water at $1.22 per gallon (a little over $800,000 for your whole pool).





*FINA specifies a minimum of 1.35 meters ; we're being optimistic to make the numbers work out: Wikipedia says 2-3. There's no official maximum depth, so like Jay-Z we're doing some approximating, and let's say...3









Here's a fancy embedded version for those interested in sources/sleep-deprived notes. Assuming that version won't work, follow this link to the original (locked) Google sheet . Thanks goes out to reddit's /r/fountainpens for drawing my attention to several of these inks, especially the Indian brands I'd never heard of before.



