Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo: Revisited

Earlier this year, I purchased a sample of the fabled Tsuki-Yo, a fountain pen ink that (by popular opinion) exudes subtle and complex qualities, and is much adored at FPN.  My week with Tsuki-Yo was underwhelming, and I've not written with it since.  However, I continue to see remarks and ongoing conversations at FPN about how lovely this ink is.  As I read, and re-read, I am compelled to find out what I'm missing.  (Read Sandy1's review: here and saskia_madding's review: here.)

My first encounter with Tsuki-Yo was with a Broad-nibbed TWSBI 540.  I enjoy my 540 and had initially thought that the nib was somewhat juicy.  But, since that time, I revisited Tsuki-Yo in two different pens.  That changed my opinion of my TWSBI, and the ink.  I have no issues with my TWSBI, but I now think it does write more on the dry side thus when I inked it with Tsuki-Yo, it went down onto the paper with a greenish, or "teal" cast.  I like teal, except that in some of the reviews I'm reading on FPN, the reviewers refer to it as "blue" and not "teal".  So what am I missing?

I switched to two pens that I find to be very wet writing.  I also tried writing samples on various papers such as: Rhodia, Leuchtturm1917, Apica and Clairefontaine Graf-it.

White Paper
On Rhodia, it does have a little tiny bit of a slate hue, that if viewed at a certain angle, and with one eye closed (*wink!*), could translate greenish (to some!).  Overall, however, it does "read" blue.

Rhodia.  Photo is slightly out of focus at the top, but the ink shade is accurate.

Rhodia.

Ivory Paper

In my use of Tsuki-Yo earlier this year, when used on ivory colored paper, the teal hue was over the top.  Here, in my Leuchtturm1917 journal which has ivory pages, the green is not apparent at all.  I do think that the difference can be attributed to the use of a wetter writer.  In the samples below, I definitely see more of the fabled blue complexity for which Tsuki-Yo is known.  YAY!  In fact, on Leuctturm1917 it's absolutely lovely.  I think I even prefer it to the Rhodia, because, yes, the complexity really comes through.  I like it.  This was a total surprise, because during my initial experience with Tsuki-Yo + TWSBI = I avoided ivory papers.  What a surprise to see that I cannot see green here at all.  

Leuchtturm 1917.

I thought a side-by-side comparison might be interesting, thinking that a green cast would jump right out at me.  It doesn't.  

Grey paper.  Lovely Apica 6A10.  Italic nib in first sample; fine nib in second.

Slightly textured, white sketchbook paper.  Clairefontaine Graf-It.   Italic nib in first sample; fine nib in second.

The moral of the story:
Pen+paper+ink combo really does make or break it.

Here, wetter writing pens made all the difference.  The greenish-hue was far less apparent - if at all.  I'm enjoying Tsuki-Yo, and it is now on my "To Buy" list.