Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji

[PJohnP]

I've reviewed several of the Pilot Iroshizuku line of inks, the Fuyu-gaki, Asa-gao, Tsuki-you, and the Tsukushi inks. I've enjoyed writing with each, although only the Fuyu-gaki has truly captured the colour suggested by its namesake Autumn Persimmons. With my review of Tsukushi, I'd begun to feel that I had perhaps seen the peak of the Iroshizuku line with the Fuyu-gaki.

 

I was wrong.

 

Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji ink is, in its own unique way, as powerful and wondrous an ink as the Fuyu-gaki ink, and is simply a pure pleasure to layout a line or letters with pen nib to paper.

 

Momiji is listed in several places as "Autumn Leaves" or "Japanese Maple Leaves", and yes, indeed, it's captured that ephemeral colour that comes with the first sharp hard frost of autumn on maple leaves, nailing the colour down to ink on paper, in fact. Where I waxed at length about how Fuyu-gaki so precisely captured the colour and feeling of orchards of persimmons waiting harvest in autumn, Momiji has the feeling of maples on hillsides, each changing colour from a rich deep green through to a powerful flaming red colour, lighting up the hills like immense living torches.

 

You might well deduce from my comments that I like Iroshizuku Momiji quite well, but that's not entirely true.

 

 

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100855/106718/MomijionHPInkjetPaper6082_L.jpg

 

 

No, I think Momiji is simply the closest that I've seen of a colour put to paper that shows such an autumnal shade as maple leaves. It's that good. In the UK, one would see this and simply call it a "sixer", and in the US, a "home run". Truly.

 

I'm an immense fan of deeply coloured red and orange inks. I've tested many, and been disappointed many times. For the person who wants a stark red, I've recommended Skrip Slovenian Red or J. Herbin Rouge Opéra as these have been the kind of almost pure extremely "punchy" red that doesn't compromise on the intent of the colour. I've greatly enjoyed Noodler's Ottoman Rose (misnamed a bit in my opinion, but no matter) as a more dignified deeper colour for edits that must perforce carry less jab for the reader.

 

 

http://www.PhotoShare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100855/106718/MomijionBRNotebookPaper8770_L.jpg

 

 

 

But, Iroshizuku Momiji has a tone to it that's unique and quite impactful. I haven't filled a pen with Skrip Red in a couple of months, and the Rouge Opéra has sat forlornly in a drawer, plaintively wondering when next it could enter the rotation again. Only the Ottoman Rose has persisted in the rotation, but the throughput of that ink has dropped precipitously compared with months past.

 

Now, in all candour, the ink isn't super lubricated, not dry, but not a smooth endless flow. I can see that there's the potential for staining, but then, I put reds and oranges into burgundy and orange bodied pens, so that's very honestly of little import to me. It's not at all water resistant, and runs like a gutter when water hits it. The colour doesn't feather at all on good paper, but I've had an occasional slight nib creep with Momiji.

 

But I can forgive all of these things in less than a hummingbird's heartbeat for this colour.

 

 

 

Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji ink is one of the nicest inks that I've ever used.

 

 

 

As a note per the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines related to blogging published in October 2009, I purchased this ink myself from Jet Pens, which came, once again, in roughly forty-eight hours after web-based purchase. I am not paid in any fashion for my opinion or provided with free ink from the vendor or ink-maker.

 

 

 

John P.

 

 

P.S. The scans are only fair in colour balance, but do display poorly through web browsers. If you want a better idea of the colour, right-click on the image and download it, to later open in a photo editing program with better colour rendition.

[MYU]

This is a superb review, John. :clap1: This is the kind of work that makes me hesitate on doing any ink reviews of my own, as I know they'd pale in comparison. :embarrassed_smile:

 

I stocked up on 3 Iroshizuku inks and thought I'd gotten my fill... but Pilot has built up a really nice collection that begs me to buy more.

[PJohnP]

This is a superb review, John. :clap1: This is the kind of work that makes me hesitate on doing any ink reviews of my own, as I know they'd pale in comparison. :embarrassed_smile:

 

I stocked up on 3 Iroshizuku inks and thought I'd gotten my fill... but Pilot has built up a really nice collection that begs me to buy more.

 

 

Well, I'd suggest that anyone can offer reviews that will capture their own experiences with an ink, pen, paper, etc. I'm not of the opinion that my comments are the start, middle, and end of discussion on an ink, to be sure ! Personally, I'm a bit in awe of reviews like Biffybean's exhaustive tour of an entire brand of ink... Daunting work on her part, but it hasn't stopped me from posting reviews on inks, so why not you ?

 

And yes, the Iroshizuku line has a definite draw to it for buying more colours.

 

 

 

John P.

[blopplop]

This is a superb review, John. :clap1: This is the kind of work that makes me hesitate on doing any ink reviews of my own, as I know they'd pale in comparison. :embarrassed_smile:

 

I stocked up on 3 Iroshizuku inks and thought I'd gotten my fill... but Pilot has built up a really nice collection that begs me to buy more.

 

 

Well, I'd suggest that anyone can offer reviews that will capture their own experiences with an ink, pen, paper, etc. I'm not of the opinion that my comments are the start, middle, and end of discussion on an ink, to be sure ! Personally, I'm a bit in awe of reviews like Biffybean's exhaustive tour of an entire brand of ink... Daunting work on her part, but it hasn't stopped me from posting reviews on inks, so why not you ?

 

And yes, the Iroshizuku line has a definite draw to it for buying more colours.

 

 

 

John P.

 

John,

 

Thanks for an excellent review on a fantastic color. I've been using this one for about 6 month's.

 

MYU: I currently have 8 of their colors and I can tell you that these colors are all top notch in the genre's. So far, they all handle well, the color's have good vibrancy, the bottle's are cool, good consistency... Yeah, they're expensive; but I think they're worth the money considering the quality of the ink on all levels.

 

Blessings,

Dave

[Robert Alan]

Thanks for the great review. I so agree! What a revelation! I have an older, Pilot "Capless" with 14K broad nib, and it loved this ink so much.

Happy Holidays!

R.A.

[PJohnP]

Yeah, they're expensive; but I think they're worth the money considering the quality of the ink on all levels.

 

Dave :

 

 

Well, fountain pen inks are an enjoyable indulgence for me. As someone pointedly told me a bit back, they couldn't understand paying for pens and ink, "when the banks and hotels give out free pens full of ink to anyone".

 

And in a certain sense, they're correct, if one considers that the cold bare minimum, not even the lowest common denominator, is all that we should aspire to in our daily lives. I will point out that the same person buys the grande size of extremely fancy coffee drinks at Starbucks, but thinks going to someplace like Dunkin' Donuts for coffee is terribly "blue collar". How to spend one's personal money is a very obviously personal decision.

 

So, personally, I'd like to excel in many things, and the writing that I do day-to-day is only one of them. Is it an indulgence for me to have a cursive italic nib on a fountain pen with a wonderful ink ? Sure. Why deny it ? I take a certain level of pride in having a distinctive pen, beautifully coloured ink with interesting shading, and trying to write something that stands out as better than any casual scrawl. I don't worry much about an automobile that makes a "statement", nor about walking on $700 shoes, so the cost differential in a lovely ink, while admittedly "non-essential" for daily life, is not a terrible burden for me.

 

I find that I immensely like some of the Japanese inks like Pilot Iroshizuku or the Sailor Kiwaguro/Sei boku nano inks. I take deep and great pleasure in some of the Herbin or Noodler's or Sheaffer inks and find my marginal comments stand out later for me when I'm reviewing edits or following up on notes from meetings.

 

So, when people tell me the Sailor Sei boku Nano Blue-Black or the Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji inks are too expensive for their tastes, I certainly respect their perspective, and wish them well with the inks that they choose; hoping, of course, they equally respect my decision to buy the other inks that I like...

 

 

 

John P.

[PJohnP]

Thanks for the great review. I so agree! What a revelation! I have an older, Pilot "Capless" with 14K broad nib, and it loved this ink so much.

 

R.A. :

 

 

Well, if there's one thing that I've learned about the Pilot Iroshizuku inks, it's that they truly shine when used in a broad nib, but don't always show to good advantage on a fine nib.

 

Sometime over the winter months, I want to purchase a fountain brush, and try each of the Iroshizuku inks that I've acquired and see how they perform. I suspect they will be fascinating, but the proof's in the eating of the pudding ! So, we'll see...

 

 

 

John P.

[2Hearts]

Lovely colour! and Amazing handwriting

[professionaldilettante]

Time to add to the ink collection~!