Folks, I love ink. I also love deals. Right now, MassDrop is running a deal where you get to choose a J. Herbin 1670 ink, an Edelstein, and an Iroshizuku for the price of $67 (shipped to the US).
This is not a good deal. Don't fall for this. I'm only including the link because Massdrop does have good deals on some things. Just not this one. Don't buy this one. A bunch of people have, and I can't figure out why.
I've been convinced by the comments that this is an okay deal. It's not great, but current ink prices are such that it's not a bad deal.
Mike, out.
I've been convinced by the comments that this is an okay deal. It's not great, but current ink prices are such that it's not a bad deal.
Mike, out.
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Mike,
Adding up three choices from JetPens for these inks gets me to $78.50 with free shipping. Saves me $11.50.
The "not bargain" point for me is that Edelstein doesn't have any colors I care for, and I have Rouge Hematite. Now if I could pick 3 bottles of Iroshizuku, I'd be all over it.
Why do you see it as a bad deal?
That just means that the best deal on these inks isn't at JetPens, either. Before shipping, these inks are averaging ~$22 each. You can get them cheaper in other venues. Amazon is usually about $20 for the Iroshizuku, Edelstein is priced around $20-28 (varies wildly) and the J. Herbin is around $18-19.
It's true, I suppose, that you don't find packages that have all three from one place that are at this price, but Massdrop tends to take a long time to ship (from what I've heard), and the prices break even at best. It beats the full-price cost of these inks, but who pays that?
I've had a bit of a look around too, and have to say I can't find any way you could get this combination of inks cheaper - I haven't seen the J.Herbin 1670 inks for under $26 in any US stores, and in Australia they're all FAR pricier again! I agree with you, it's not a killer deal (though some of their recent and current fountain pen offerings are!) - and the ink selections are not the best - but to call this a "bad deal" is, I think, to overstate the case...
[Since this is my first comment on your blog, and for the sake of balance, can I say I really enjoy your posts, and especially your ink videos?]
You know what? I can't find those deals anymore, either. I'm sure I found 1670 at $18 from a retailer this morning. I want to say it was Fahrney's, but I don't see that brand on their site now. Amazon's not selling the Iroshizuku at $20 anymore, either.
Ya'll are totally right. It's not a bad deal, it's just not stellar. Fair enough. My post will be edited to reflect that.
Thanks for the comments, folks. I certainly don't mind constructive criticism, and I'm glad that y'all enjoy my blog. If you don't mind me asking, Jamerelbe, what is it you especially like about the videos? (Not that you shouldn't, but I'm always lookin' to improve.)
Thanks for the question: For starters, I like the fact that your videos are videos - much as I enjoy reading the written word with static photos, video has a greater sense of 'immediacy', if that makes sense?
I like the way you give a verbal description of the ink, your subjective reaction to it, your experience of writing with it... Your frankness about whether you enjoyed it or not is refreshing.
I actually came across your Youtube channel before I found the website, and enjoy trawling through both - but for whatever reason, I particularly enjoy the laid-back tone of your videos. So, please keep up the good work!
Thanks! That's super-encouraging. For whatever reason, I tend not to get very many comments on the blog or the YouTube, and it's awesome to get some good feedback. My videos aren't as impressive as lots of the others out there, but I'm glad that folks enjoy them.
Isellpens.com usually has the Herbin 1670 at 19.
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