That is how it usually is in the fountain pen world. There are plenty of fountain pen inks to choose from but the first thing that you would ask yourself is “should I get an ink cartridge or buy an ink bottle”.

I’ve asked the same question when I purchased my first non-disposable fountain pen. I’ve tried both ink cartridge and ink bottles and now I’m here to share what I think of both to help you decide on which would work best for you.

Ink Cartridges vs. Ink Bottles

Pros of Cartridges

1. Relatively cheaper – you can get 5 pcs of ink cartridges at $3-5. However, if you compare this in the long run, cartridges might be more expensive because it costs approximately $1/ml.
2. Quicker and easier to refill since the cartridges are already filled with ink, all you need is to replace the empty cartridge with a new one and this is great for fountian pen beginners!
3. Portable. Compared to bottled ink, the ink cartridges are safer to travel with because they’re sealed and are considerably lighter than bottled ink. 
4. Disposable*. Once you have used up the entire ink cartridge, you can just throw it out as you would a printer ink cartridge

*Cartridges are disposable but if you want to use other brand inks, you would need to reuse the empty ink cartridge provided by the manufacturer and refill it using a syringe. Let’s say you have an empty Lamy cartridge and you want to try a J. Herbin ink, you would need to clean out the empty Lamy cartridge, take a milliliter of ink from the J. Herbin bottle and inject it into the Lamy cartridge.

Cons of Cartridges

1. Not flexible. Depending on the brand of fountain pen, you are limited to the ink cartridge manufactured by the same brand – these are the “proprietary cartridges”. 
2. Limited options. Only a few brands sell fountain pen ink cartridges such as Lamy, Pilot, Herbin.
3. Volume. Cartridges typically only hold 1ml (like the Lamy Turquoise)
4. If you want to change the color of your fountain pen ink, you will have to either use the entire ink cartridge or throw out the ink cartridge that’s currently loaded in your fountain pen.

Pros of Bottled Ink

1. Variety. There are so many fountain pen inks out there! What I love about using bottled ink is that when I want to switch colors, I can always flush the ink back to the bottle, clean my pen, and ink it up with another color ink.
2. Versatility. Owning an ink bottle means that you can use it with ANY fountain pen that you own. 
3. Volume. Of course, if you purchase by the bottle, you buy more ink. Some ink brands, like Noodler’s, sell 4.5oz (130ml) bottles for as low as $20!
4. Beautiful bottles. Some bottles are simply just gorgeous.

Cons of Bottled Ink

1. More expensive (kind of like an investment) because you pay a bigger amount upfront. While you can get ink samples at around $1 for < 5ml, not every store has that. When you’ve settled with the ink that you like, you would need to buy a bottle which would at least cost you $7 for 30ml. Some inks are even more expensive than some fountain pens – like Colorverse or Caran d’Ache.
2. Higher maintenance. Compared to ink cartridges, it will take more time to refill or ink up a fountain pen with bottled inks. After refilling it, you would also need to clean it afterwards as well (wiping the nib and grip with a paper towel).
3. Not as portable. Of course, you can always transfer ink from a bottle to a small vial but that is extra step and vials need more extra care compared to sealed cartridges.

Which Do I Prefer?

While ink cartridges are more convenient, I prefer the bottled ink. I don’t mind how high maintenance it is because I’m usually working on a desk and not as on-the-go as others. The variety and versatility is really what wins me over.

I don’t like how I’m unable to use the Lamy Turquoise cartridge (which is such a beautiful color) in other pens! Easily one of the things that I regret buying. As of writing, I’m thinking of how to extract the ink from the cartridge and moving to a vial instead just so I can use it in other pens. 

While bottles are more expensive, it’s really worth it. Just make sure you get the best ones, and if you’re still unsure, try looking for samples from stores like GouletPens.com or try your local fountain pen retailer, do your research or connect with the fountain pen network – maybe someone is willing to share a few milliliters of ink!