Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo

[yogalarva]

This is a more subdued color because I’m hoping that if I stop using bright, summery colors, fall will hurry up and get here. It is my favorite season after all…

 

 

This ink was sent to me by a very generous member on FPN, who I will not name for privacy (thanks again!!!). It’s a blue black that I think looks just like Diamine Registrars right after you put it down on paper. So, if you wanted that blue/black/grey color of an iron gall but you don’t want the upkeep requirements of an iron gall, this might be a good choice for you. As you can see, it’s not completely water resistant, but I would say there’s enough left there that you could decipher what’s written if you really needed.

 

 

Otherwise it’s a really nice ink, just like every other Iroshizuku I’ve tried. Very well behaved, no real issues with feathering or bleeding and no hard starts.

 

This is a hard one to recommend. The color is nice, but to me it’s not that exciting. Like I said, if you are looking for a classic blue-black, I think this is a good one. On the other hand, pretty much every brand has a blue-black and there is probably one to be found that would be cheaper than this one, at ~$28/bottle in the States. My advice would be to try a sample first so that you can ensure it will be worth the investment for a full bottle. I have a few other blue-blacks in my sample collection, so I’ll try to do a comparison between the ones I have this weekend. :-)

 

This ink was provided for the purpose of review and I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree if you like.

[playtime]

Nice review!

 

I used to use this ink with the Namiki Bamboo in Rhodium - and in that pen you can capture just a hint of green (when contrasting with the rhodium nib and body of the Namiki Bamboo), which gives it that moonlight note on water. It's that green hint that distinguishes this ink:)

 

J

Edited September 5, 2014 by playtime

[Lynn Teague]

In my wet semi-flex Pelikan 140 on Rhodia or Tomeo River, Tsuki-Yo has a definite green tone and is not at all an ordinary blue-black. I agree that it is unimpressive in the OP's photos, but this is a case in which the pen and the paper make a big difference.

[yogalarva]

In my wet semi-flex Pelikan 140 on Rhodia or Tomeo River, Tsuki-Yo has a definite green tone and is not at all an ordinary blue-black. I agree that it is unimpressive in the OP's photos, but this is a case in which the pen and the paper make a big difference.

 

Hmm, I'll have to load some up in my 1.5 stub this weekend and give it a go on TR. I can see the hint of green in my writing, but it doesn't show up well in the scans and I really have to squint to see it. Thanks for the suggestion! :-)

[playtime]

Tsuki-yo is truly a moonlight serenade:)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ANCIw4oi-mo

Edited September 5, 2014 by playtime

[Brian K]

I have tried some Iro samples recently and I am underwhelmed with Tsuki-yo. It performs wonderfully but, to my eye, it seems like a blah version of DeAtramentis Steel Blue. The DeA also has a lovely red sheen on fp friendly papers like Rhodia or Tomoe River - T-s is nice enough but I'm more likely to buy another bottle of the DeA; more bang for considerably fewer bucks.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Brian K

[white_lotus]

I think the Iroshizuku Shin-kai is their version of an actual blue-black. I like my bottle of Tsuki-yo and the ink in it too!

[sarahfar]

I agree and it is their most popular color because a lot agree......

[Brian K]

Interesting, because my first thought when I tried the sample was "Hmm...just like Steel Blue with the pizazz sucked out of it."

 

As my Nana used to say, "That's what makes the market."

 

If we all had the same opinion about the same stuff it'd be a pretty boring world - and there would be only a couple dozen or so instead of many hundreds of inks to choose from...not to mention pens and papers and what all else!

[annettefhorn]

I love Tsuki-Yo. It doesn't have movie-star good looks, but the more you look at it the more subtle beauty you see. And for me it shades as long as the pen is not ultra-fine.

 

Ditto Shin-kai.

[napalm]

How does Tsuki-Yo compare to Pilot/Namiki Blue?

 

Edit: Oops, sorry, I was thinking of Tsuyu Kusa... please ignore me.

Edited September 5, 2014 by napalm

[yogalarva]

 

As promised, here is a comparison of the blue-black inks that I have available in my sample holder. This isn’t meant to be a review of the other inks pictured, just a brief comparison for anyone who cares. All were written with my Rohrer and Klingner glass dip pen on Staples bright white inkjet paper. Because I was using a dip pen (that I still need to get some more practice wielding), it does lay down a bit more ink than a normal nib, but you can get a good idea of the colors.

 

Salix is a bit of a dusty blue, Midnight Blues is a dark, indigo/navy blue, Black Ed. - Blue definitely has some green leanings and the Tsuki-yo does as well but not to the same extent.

[XiaoMG]

Tsuki-yo was the ink that mostly worked the idea into my skull that popular opinions about ink generally don't match my tastes. More recently I had the same experience with Yama-dori, though I had a pretty good idea what to expect there. Not a bad ink, but a lot of hype.

[rudyhou]

i have always wondered about this particular iroshizuku ink color. however, it seems on my screen that this tsuki-yo ink is not as dark as i expected it to be. it is a nice color, i was just expecting it to be a deeper darker shade of blue.

[Flaxmoore]

I love Tsuki-Yo. It doesn't have movie-star good looks, but the more you look at it the more subtle beauty you see. And for me it shades as long as the pen is not ultra-fine.

 

Ditto Shin-kai.

You and I are very much in agreement. Tsuki-yo is by far my favorite ink. The cost doesn't even bug me. I figure if I pay $25 for 50 ml, that's half a buck a fill. If a fill is good for 2 days, I get three months of an ink I very much like using for a quarter a day.

 

It's really fun in my Ahab on a Black and Red. Tons of shading, superb tone.

[Swordfish23]

I always figured this ink to be darker based off the swab I found. When I tried the sample it was very light, glad to see it wasn't just me. Saved myself from buying a bottle I was only interested in.

[GeekyGirl]

Tsuki-yo was the ink that mostly worked the idea into my skull that popular opinions about ink generally don't match my tastes. More recently I had the same experience with Yama-dori, though I had a pretty good idea what to expect there. Not a bad ink, but a lot of hype.

 

I agree with you that popular inks don't necessarily match my tastes either (Kon-peki comes to mind). And I don't understand all the hype about Yama-Dori either. –I don't see the sheen that everyone raves about with my nibs/papers, and I find it to be a little dry, especially in Lamys. But the thing I do love most about it, the black in the shading, is something that I haven't seen anyone else mention.

 

I haven't tried Tsuki-yo yet, but I would like to.

 

Since you've used both, how do you think Tsuki-yo compares to Yama-Dori?

[amberleadavis]

I would say the inks are very different... but dang, the scans make them look alike.

[Lou Erickson]

Is this a blue-black? I've been writing with it for a couple weeks, as it's this month's Iroshizuku Co-Razy View ink, and I've seen it as more blue-green.

 

In a wet pen it's pretty dark, but in a drier pen or or more absorbent paper, it's much more varied.

 

I hope to have time to do more review of it this weekend, so I'll have posts over in that other thread.

[Downcelot]

I agree, Tsuki yo should not be called a blue-black, it should be blue green with strong blue hue. I like it, especially in a wet pen (EF - wet writer). In a dry pen, you get the 'not saturated' shade of Tsuki yo, it looks very... meh. The closest alternative I find is Diamine Teal but it has much more modest flow.