Pilot kon‑peki

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Grey Scale below. As the patches are neutral grey, that is what you should see.

• Mac http://www.computer-darkroom.com/colorsync-display/colorsync_1.htm
• Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/27ddb717.jpg

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK830_zps90d4443a.jpg

Fidelity

• The ink I used may be compared to the depiction on the Namaki site. http://www.namiki.com/parts/iroshizuku.php
• Namiki describes the colour in the English language as "Deep Cerulean Blue".
• Wiki "Deep Cerulean Blue" - ah, not quite - Cerulean Blue only. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colors_%28compact%29
• See also PrintWiki 'Cyan':http://http://printwiki.org/Cyan

Figure 1.
Swabs & Swatch
Paper: HPJ1124.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK813_zps8da447a6.jpg

Figure 2.
NIB-ism ✑
Paper: HPJ1124.
Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK816_zps40b28232.jpg
Pens: L → R: Sheaffer, M200, Moore, Somiko, NPS, C74.

Figure 3.
Paper base tints:
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN%20Stuff%20-%202011/Ink%20Review%20-%20Private%20Reserve%20Chocolate/86f3378c.jpg
L → R: HPJ1124, Rhodia, G Lalo, Royal, Staples.

WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick
Ruling: 8mm.

Figure 4.
Paper: HPJ1124.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK824-A_zpsc4d7afd1.jpg

Figure 5.
Paper: Rhodia.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK817-A_zps1fc93481.jpg

Figure 6.
Paper: G Lalo.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK818_zps797521fc.jpg

Figure 7.
Paper: Royal.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK819_zps051bf79c.jpg

Figure 8.
Paper: Staples.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK820_zpsf25d930a.jpg

Comparison Exemplars:
These support extended comparison to the Written Samples in my other Reviews of Blue inks.

Figure 9.
Paper: HPJ1124.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK823_zpsd4c1e781.jpg

Figure 10.
Paper: Rhodia.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK822_zpsa5bcef38.jpg

OTHER STUFF

Figure 11.
Smear/Dry Times & Wet Tests.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK815_zps39095a1c.jpg

Figure 12.
Bleed- Show-Through
Paper: Staples.
(Reverse of Figure 8.)
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20kon-peki/INK821_zps57c7115b.jpg

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Presentation:

• Bottle.

Availability:

• Available when Topic posted.

Daily writer?

• Possible.

A go-to ink?

• Yes - when a bright Turquoise-leaning Blue is desired.

USE

Business:
(From the office of Ms Blue-Black.)

• Suitable for all but the most dour business correspondence that could be hand written, though I would use Pk-p for brief lateral and downward notes.
• A colour that conveys more energy and openness than gravitas, so may suit businesses with an egalitarian or team-oriented corporate culture.
• A good pick for personal work product, with a pleasant writing experience and highly readable result, that keeps one's attention whilst slogging through reams of notes & drafts.
• Supports use of hair's-breadth nibs, and not just for marginalia.
• Should enhance the mood of those sequestered indoors for extended periods or sent on assignment to Aberdeen.
• Well suited for annotation, mark-up and editing of material printed in Black, and dedicated forms use.
• Not enough zap for error correction or grading.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Yes, but . . .
• For charts & graphs I'd rather use some other 'default' Aqua.
• Low S/DTs make it a contender when working / reworking quickly, especially on coated 'vellum' papers.
• Pk-p will keep a pen & ink still life from looking freeze dried.
• It seems to me that this ink does not carry forward its rather unique appearance when used from applicators other than pens. (?)
• As a watercolour, it will leave a persistent remnant when over-worked with wet media, though enough dye comes adrift to alter other colours.

Students:

• Quite possible for both general notes and assignments.
• Readability is high, does well on lowest-bidder paper, and what's written should survive exposure to over-the-counter potable liquids.

Personal:

• Yes please!
• As with most other inks of a similar colour, it combines ease of reading with a convivial feel.
• Far too nice for pro forma personal business writing. (Use-up the Rubbermaid Mysterious Blue instead.)
• As a rather animated ink, it seems to suit brief letters of less than eight A4s, so long as the content is not dour, nerve-wracking or unbearably exciting.
• I've used all manner of pens and papers with this ink, and haven't come away disappointed. Even my usual oh-so-boring Western M-B mono-line nibs seem to be imbued with a sprightly air when paired with Pk-p, especially those show-offs prone to generate shading.
• A go-to ink for the times I use very narrow nibs - the gracile lines seem to sparkle.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

Flow Rate:

• Generous.
• Controlled.

Nib Dry-Out:

• Not seen.

Start-up:

• Immediate.
• With confidence.

Lubricity:

• High.
• Use of narrow nibs on coarse paper was very good indeed.

Nib Creepies:

• Not seen.

Staining (pen):

• Not seen.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed- Show-Through:

• A few freckles on Staples.^*

Feathering / Wooly Line:

• A bit on the Royal from the C74.^*

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not apparent.

Clean-Up (pen):

• Fast and thorough with plain water.
• The use of a DIY pen cleaning solution of 0.5% ammonia in water did not release any residue after my finicky water-only cleansing regimen.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibitions.

Archival:

• Not claimed.

___ ___
* Member sirach experienced feathering and bleed-through on "cheap paper". https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/225388-kon-peki/page__view__findpost__p__2399587


THE LOOK

Presence:

• Softly luminous.
• Invites one to [sky] dive right in.

 

Saturation:

• About as high as can be yet deliver shading.
• Can easily achieve a fully-inked line.

Shading Potential:

• Modest.
• Can be encouraged.

Line Quality:

• Very high.

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used:
  • Quite responsive to change of wetness.
  • Can easily manage a range of nib widths and retain its Look.
• Papers used:
  • Slightly less than usual.
  • The low-absorbency textured G Lalo provided the usual challenge, indicating that wetter/wider nibs are better suited to such ink-repellent and textured papers.

Malleability:

• Moderate, but interesting.
• Inks of this colour are prone to change their perceived colour according to value (light - dark): When pale they appear more Cyan; when darker, they can lean toward Blue. That said, Pk-p retains its essential character of a well-poised ink.
• As Pk-p can easily be run at moderate value and still not be too translucent, the papers' base-tint has less than the usual effect on the native colour of the ink - avoiding a 'duo-tone' appearance where the ink is pale [from shading].
• Likely to handle significant changes to both pen and paper without giving an unacceptable result, or appearing other than itself.

PAPERS

Lovely papers:

• Cool-neutral crisp whites.
• Creme wove rag papers, (not shown.)

Trip-wire Papers:

• Not seen.

Copy/Print Paper:

• Certainly.
• Quite unlikely to display bleed- show-through to an extent that would preclude using both sides of the sheet from pens of normal wetness.
• Will tolerate OBAs, and cause dirty whites to tap out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_chemicals#Optical_brightening_agent

Tinted Papers:

• Possible.
• I have enjoyed the results on Powder Blue, and Pk-p a personal favourite on the Ivory-Creme of some uncoated wove papers with high rag content.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Very much a matter of preference over performance.
• Smooth coated papers are likely to be called upon to maximise shading potential.

ETC.

Majik:

• Possible.

Billets doux?

• Not really, but one's interest may be piqued.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• Tough to pick just one, but today my pick is the C74 on Royal.
• The wide wet nib gives very high % coverage of the page, and generates a bit of shading even on the soft absorbent surface of the Royal - presenting an almost rippling surface layer.
• The paper is very white, which gives the ink some snap, and supports the separation of ink from paper so the ink appears to come forward from the plane of the paper.

Yickity Yackity:

• Another ink that is pleasant and rewarding to use, to the extent that it gets to tag along in my casual carry when I take my writing to the caffè terrace.
• Ah kushbaby, can one possibly have too many Turquoise-Blue inks?

=== ===

NUTS BOLTS & BOILERPLATE

Pens:
Figure 2, 4 - 8:
A. Sheaffer Tuckie clipless + 14K Triumph nib. *OooLaLa*
B. Pelikan M200 + g-p EF steel nib.
C. Moore + №4 14K nib.
D. Somiko + TIGP steel B nib.
E. The Notorious Pink Safari + steel B nib.
F. Pilot Custom 74 + № 5 14K three-tine MS nib.
G. Estie
Figure 9, 10.
⁃ Estie J + 9556 steel F nib.
⁃ Sheaffer 330 + steel M nib.
⁃ Sailor 1911 + 14K two-tine MS nib.

Papers:

• HPJ1124: Hewlett-Packard laser copy/print, 24lb.
• Rhodia: satin finish vellum, 80gsm.
• G. Lalo: Verge de France, natural white, laid, 100gsm.
• Royal: 25% cotton, laser/inkjet copy/print, 'letterhead', 90gsm.
• Staples: house brand, copy/print, USD4/ream, bears FSC logo, 20lb.

Imaging:

• An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce low-loss jpg files.
• No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photobouquet, IP.Board s/w, and your viewing gear.

Other Inks

• This Review uses the same Written Sample format, atrocious handwriting and some pen+paper combos common to most of my previous Reviews of Blue inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported.
• Should that functionality not meet your requirements, I welcome your PM requesting a specific comparison. Additional scans may be produced, but the likelihood of additional inky work is quite low.

Fine Print
The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used.
Ink does not require labelling/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc.
As always YMMV, due to differences in materials, manner of working, environment, moon phase, etc.
Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

-30-

Tags: Fountain Pen Ink Review Sandy1 Pilot iroshizuku kon-peki konpeki Turquoise Aqua Azure Caerelean Blue

Edited October 11, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

My Comparison to Sailor Sky High:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/196112-comparison-sailor-jentle-sky-high-pilot-kon-peki/

Edited October 11, 2013 by Sandy1

[Bill Wood]

Stellar review as all your writings Sandy. This is my blue almost everyday. Love it. Thanks for the review of this very popular ink.

[Laura N]

Thank you for another wonderful review. This is such a nice, bright ink. I have to confess it can verge on "too much" for me after a page or two if used in broader and wetter nibs. That might just be my eyes or our lighting. My favorite match for it is a Japanese fine nib.

 

Sailor Jentle Sky High is a great comparison; I'd also mention Pelikan Edelstein Topaz. I think those three inks are all wonderful, similar but different enough to justify trying them all. Or in my case, sigh, buying them all.

[nomadhacker]

Love this ink. One of my favorites. Thanks for the review and also for your Sky High comparison.

[The Good Captain]

A great review of what is so far, my only Iroshizuku ink. Got to wait for my friend's next working trip to Tokyo...

[Sandy1]

Stellar review as all your writings Sandy. This is my blue almost everyday. Love it. Thanks for the review of this very popular ink.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Many thanks for your kind words, and sharing your enthusiasm. I always enjoy hearing from those who use a certain ink on a steady basis, who likely have more experience with an ink.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Thank you for another wonderful review. This is such a nice, bright ink. I have to confess it can verge on "too much" for me after a page or two if used in broader and wetter nibs. That might just be my eyes or our lighting. My favorite match for it is a Japanese fine nib.

 

Sailor Jentle Sky High is a great comparison; I'd also mention Pelikan Edelstein Topaz. I think those three inks are all wonderful, similar but different enough to justify trying them all. Or in my case, sigh, buying them all.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

I also enjoy the 'bright eyed' Blues quite a bit. They're more firm than the Turquoise inks, and a great respite from middle of the road 'default' Blue inks. (So sorry Serenity.)

 

Ah, you've spotted one quandary that I often struggle with: Pk-p or Topaz? No right answer to that one, so I embrace the luxury of choice, with the knowledge that both are more than satisfying. And so the inks don't feel slighted, I take them in turn.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Love this ink. One of my favorites. Thanks for the review and also for your Sky High comparison.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Thanks for sharing you enthusiasm.

 

There are several other comparisons which include Pk-p in the ICS&T Forum, so those are very helpful, especially when conducting advanced hair-splitting.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited October 12, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

A great review of what is so far, my only Iroshizuku ink. Got to wait for my friend's next working trip to Tokyo...

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliment!

 

Have you managed to shorten your Wish List enough so your friend can avoid excess baggage charges?

 

You may also consider my strategy of asking Father Christmas to bring some, but in my case that often fails as I usually make it onto his Naughty List.

 

Bye,

S1

[Calabria]

What is the strange attraction of turquoise? It's not a shade I would associate with my tastes. But then, I find myself using up the bottle of Sailor Sky High and think, let me try Kon-Peki. But why?? Ah, it states it right here: "Should enhance the mood of those sequestered indoors for extended periods of time."

Thanks for explaining my strange attraction to this ink!