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.  

Iroshizuku Tsutsuji (Azalea / Japanese Townflower / Deep PInk)

I'm back with another pink ink.  I guess I really like pink.  Which is interesting, because in real life, I don't really do much pink.  There is a lot of black, navy, turquoise (or Robin's Egg for those of you who care about that type of thing), and golden-green such as sage, for example.  I also prefer darker wood furnishings.  Generally, I'm pretty neutral and conservative.  But, with inks, I can't get enough pink.  I don't know.  I can't explain it.  =)

I must extend a heartfelt thanks to my pen friend, Shaylen, for sending me a generous sample of this luscious stuff.  Thank you, Shaylen!  

I had the pleasure of playing with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsutsuji this weekend, and I've been using it at work for the last week for note taking and editing (just to shake things up a bit!!!).  As an aside, the paper at work is really poor quality whether note tablet or copy paper.  I have found that I have needed to "dial back" the ink flow on all of my pens to prevent feathering and the like.  Same here.  I used both a LAMY Al-Star and LAMY Vista.  I typically don't have trouble with my Lamy pens or Pilot inks on cheaper paper, but I guess there is an exception if the paper happens to be exceptionally cheap.  

So, once I dialed back the flow on my pens, it was smooth sailing even on the sub-par, cheap paper.  When weekend time came, I needed to dial the flow back up on the LAMY Vista, because it was sporting an Extra Fine nib, and I wasn't getting enough inkflow when I tried to draw tangles with it.  

So, now that we have the technical formalities out of the way...phew!  This is a really fun ink, and if you like the Pilot Iroshizuku line, and you like pink, or you just want something a little different to spice up your ink drawer, why not take this for a whirl?  It's summer time, and this is a "summer-y" color.

I find that although the Iroshizuku inks are expensive ($28.00 - $35.00 USD per bottle), you at least get a value for your money.  Some folks balk at the price.  But, since I have begun using inks, I have to say...you really do get what you pay for.  I don't mind paying a premium, if what I will receive is quality.  

Pilot Iroshizuku Inks come in a 50 ml per bottle, which is a decent volume.  Pilot Iroshizuku inks tend to be known for being exceptionally well lubricated with "just right" flow properties making writing and other creative activities a pleasurable experience.  Tsutsuji follows suit.

Tsutsuji, specifically, is a very saturated pink.  I've read reviews where the authors have indicated that this is the "pinkest" ink they have ever used, and that it's so bright that it's eye searing.  I would not go that far.  Certainly, while it is bright, it is not offensively so.  It does jump off the page, but I don't find it screaming at me.  It is a bit brighter coming from an Extra Fine nib, as shown in the photos below.  However, my LAMY Al-Star Fine nib is a bit of a wetter writer, and the line it laid down with Tsutsuji is simply dark and luscious.  Because it is more saturated, there is a bit less shading with Tsutsuji.  Shading is not non-existent, but you will not find the type of dramatic shading that you would see with Yu-Yake.  Yu-Yake (or Sunset) is Iroshizuku's orange-y/yellow (or is it yellow-y/orange?) that gives such amazing shading that the words on the page appear to be on fire.  At least to me.  With Tsutsuji, there is much more subtle shading, but it is shading nonetheless.  I think choice of pen makes a big difference with the satisfaction you find with this ink, and I've provided a side-by side comparison so that you can get an idea. 

Wider, wetter nib = deeper pink, more saturation, a little more shading.  Finer, dryer nib = brighter pink, lighter pink, still shading, but less pronounced. (Please excuse the shadow/ showthrough on the reverse side of my notebook page.  lol.)

I liked this ink so much, that I decided that I wanted to draw some tangles with it this weekend.  So, I drew a few things.  I found Tsutsuji to definitely be a "summery" color so I tried to draw a couple of "summery" things.  The photos I've included here were drawn with a LAMY Vista EF. 

This is the tangle pattern "Sanibelle".  You can see a nice range of color with this doodle.  The range of pink that Tsutsuji has to offer is evident, and shows that it's shading can be dramatic after 2 or more passes.  I really like the range of pink here.  It can be bright and it can be dark.  I think that helps to give this drawing a more animated appearance.

This is the tangle pattern "Squid".  Again, you can see the range of pink from bright to dark.  This drawing was also done with a LAMY EF; the ink gets darker after more passes.  The arms were generally one pass, thus lighter and brighter.  The circles drawn on the inside were often drawn over more than once to give them more emphasis, so they appear darker and shading is more evident.

Additionally, Tsutsuji did not clog and rinsed out of my pen relatively easily.  

Tsutsuji is probably best used for such activities as editing and drawing.  I have received personal correspondence where the writer used Tsutsuji and it was very pleasant, but I might limit its use to personal correspondence as opposed to business, and perhaps a notecard instead of an entire letter.  If you are a creative person, I think Tsutsuji is a nice-to-have because of its saturation and gentle shading properties.  The ink is not too difficult to manipulate when drawing, and doesn't "pool" like greater shading inks.

I liked Tsutsuji so much, that I have become much more willing to dip my toes a little deeper into the Iroshizuku waters and try Yama-budo (Wild Grapes, also referred to as Crimson Glory Vine).  Yama-budo seems like a purple (which I tend to dislike), and a bright purple (which I tend to dislike even more), but now that I take a second look at it appears to "read" magenta, which sorta straddles pink territory and I'm motivated to check it out.  Having experienced the bright and luscious Tsutsuji, I have acquired a "bright ink" addiction, and need more.  So, I will be trying to acquire a sample for myself in the near future.

Inks are fun!  Treat yourself to some samples of "fun" ink this week.  Set a limit of $10.00 or $20.00 and choose a few things that you wouldn't normally pick for yourself.  I often find that I am very surprised, and enjoy the trip down "the road less traveled".

Deep Pink Happy Inks

Recently, I tried a 2 ml sample of Caran d'Ache Sunset because I wanted to experiment outside of my clearly defined blue-black / green-black comfort zone. I chose a color that I thought would be "fun" and something that I would not normally choose. Typically, I don't really reach for red tones (for anything: whether pens and inks or what-have-you). However, I was pleasantly surprised by Caran d'Ache Sunset. So much so, that I purchased the bottle.

Prior to that, I solicited some feedback from other pen&ink friends regarding whether there was a cheaper alternative on the market. The reason being is that although CdA Sunset is incredibly lovely, it comes at a premium: $18.00 / 30 ml. Ouch! My inkophile pals pointed me in the direction of J. Herbin Rouge Opera and J. Herbin Rouge Bourgogne. The J. Herbin inks come at a price of $9.00 / 30 ml. Big difference.

Ultimately, I purchased the bottle of Caran d'Ache, because I knew that I really liked it and that it would be a worthy purchase for me. Currently, it is the only Caran d'Ache ink that I own due to it's premium price. At the same time that I purchased this bottle, I purchased samples of J. Herbin Rouge Opera and J. Herbin Rouge Bourgogne to try and perform my own side-by-side comparison.

The results are the same as my friends had predicted: J. Herbin Rouge Opera and Caran d'Ache Sunset are almost the same ink with the exception that Sunset is slightly more saturated and Rouge Opera is a slight bit more diluted. But, as you can see from the comparison, after 2 passes of Rouge Opera it is almost identical to Caran d'Ache Sunset.

Rouge Bourgogne is not as dark as either J. Herbin Rouge Opera or Caran d'Ache Sunset. Where Rouge Opera and Sunset are dark pinks, leaning towards red, Rouge Bourgogne is a brighter pink that clearly falls in the "pink" category. There is no mistaking it for a pinkish-red.

All three are delightful colors and make a fine addition to anyone's ink collection. If you are searching for a "happy ink", perhaps take one of these little beauties for a whirl.

Overall, I enjoyed all three inks. I would likely purchase all of these again, despite the difference in price. I am guessing that the extra $9.00 that you pay for the Caran d'Ache actually goes towards the huge hunk of glass that is the bottle. As you can see, the bottle is very substantial indeed. The bottom of the bottle is so thick that it could be used as a desk paperweight. If cost is an issue for you, just go for the Rouge Opera. Personally, this was a birthday purchase and so I went the extra mile and bought the Caran d'Ache.

In the comparison, a Lamy Safari with Medium nib was used with both Caran d'Ache Sunset and J. Herbin Rouge Opera. A Pelikan Pelikano Jr. was used with J. Herbin Rouge Bourgogne. Paper is HP#24.

Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu (Cosmos Flower)

I won this bottle of ink from an FP Geeks giveaway.

I have to admit that I am impressed by the stature of the bottle itself, and with the quality textured paper that the ink label is printed upon. It's a very striking bottle indeed. Although Kosumosu is named after the Cosmos Flower, this light pink shade is reminiscent of cherry blossoms that bloom here in the Northeast U.S. during springtime. Cherry blossoms are one of my favorite spring things. Kosumosu displays beautiful shading in a darker pink. There is also a fleck of orange that comes through and it is not unattractive. I say this, because I really don't like orange, but I quite like it here. It is not overpowering. I tried to capture this by taking a photo of the ink on the inside of the cap, and on a paper towel.

I inked my Pink LAMY Safari which was waiting patiently on stand-by for Kosumosu to arrive. My first test drive was with a 1.5 italic. Thus far, this is the only pen I've used Kosumosu in, so I cannot speak to its performance in other pens. I did adjust this nib to write on the wetter side. I very much like the shading. It also played well in my Leuctturm1917 dot notebook, which can sometimes get fussy with pens or inks that are too wet.

Everyone always comments on the nice behavior, and excellent lubrication of the Iroshizuku line. I'm still relatively new to fountain pens, and I'm still trying various inks from various manufacturers and such. Prior to this bottle, I had only tried 2 ml samples of Asa-Gao, Ku-Jaku, and Kon-peki; all displayed nice behavior with excellent lubrication. Thus, I have only a few inks in the line that I could possibly compare this to, but that being said, I think it holds the line in terms of the behavior standard that Iroshizuku is known for. It is definitely smooth and enjoyable.

Drying time with this wet writing 1.5 italic and Leuchtturm1917 paper is approximately 13 seconds. I've tried Kosumosu on both white and ivory papers. I prefer the ivory; it gives it a little extra something. Although, the orange tint does come through a little bit more on white paper (see sixth photo down from the top which was written on Clairefontaine Graf-It). I enjoy using Kosumosu in my journal. I wanted something cheery as we enter the New England winter months. Because of its whimsical nature, it's unlikely that I will use Kosumosu at work. Here are some more photos for your viewing pleasure. If you wouldn't mind, please forgive my terrible handwriting.

[Those "things" you see on the page are a weak attempt at drawing cherry blossoms.]

Cheers and Happy Trails and all that.

-kp