Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki - Yo

[tawanda]

I really love Tsuki-Yo, in fact I adore all Iroshi inks.

 

But I cannot justify the price Pilot asks for their Iroshi series. I mean, it's ink, right? So, I use Diamine Denim as a go-to replacement for T-Y, and use my only bottle of Tsuki-Yo, which I purchased a few years back before it went from $10 to $25 overnight, very sparingly. Now, it only comes out on high days and holidays...

[Sandy1]

I suspect this is one of those inks I'll just never quite be able to appreciate. I loaded another pen with it to give it a chance, but it just doesn't impress me the way it seems to impress everyone else. It seems like a nice, sober, blue-black, but that's about as much as I can get out of it. I will need to give it a few full pages of text to see if there's something happening at larger scales that I can't see from a short line or two.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

As mentioned above, my initial impression was not overly positive - it took a while for me to see what was going on with this ink. To make a decision about an ink based on 'a short line or two' seems rather short shrift.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

I really love Tsuki-Yo, in fact I adore all Iroshi inks.

 

But I cannot justify the price Pilot asks for their Iroshi series. I mean, it's ink, right? So, I use Diamine Denim as a go-to replacement for T-Y, and use my only bottle of Tsuki-Yo, which I purchased a few years back before it went from $10 to $25 overnight, very sparingly. Now, it only comes out on high days and holidays...

 

Hi,

 

I do not care to address the cost of an ink. Post № 5

 

I completely agree with you that some inks (regardless of cost) are chosen for certain recipients, occasions, pen+papers or whimsy.

For example, when I found that Parker Penman Sapphire was discontinued, I scrambled to find a body double that could stand-in for PPS for routine writing. But when I use PPS, I know that is exactly what I want.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited June 3, 2012 by Sandy1

[quinden]

This is a beautiful ink, and will probably be my first Iroshizuku purchase.

[RPB]

Well thanks to all the reviews, however specifically your review Sandy1, I have a sample of Tsuki-Yo on its way to me along with another sample of Kon-peki as well. I can't wait!

Then I may have to find a bottle from somewhere!

[Sandy1]

This is a beautiful ink, and will probably be my first Iroshizuku purchase.

 

Hi,

 

If you like it on your monitor, you should looove it in person.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Well thanks to all the reviews, however specifically your review Sandy1, I have a sample of Tsuki-Yo on its way to me along with another sample of Kon-peki as well. I can't wait!

Then I may have to find a bottle from somewhere!

Hi,

 

Ah! Only a sample?

 

The kon-peki should also be a pleasure.

 

May all your inks be 'top shelf'!

 

Bye,

S1

[ChuckR9]

I think the ink is very nice also - even though a bit pricey.

[pelahale]

this is definitely my favorite non-black ink. We solute you Sandy1.

[Sandy1]

this is definitely my favorite non-black ink. We solute you Sandy1.

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks!

 

As I do not use Black FP ink, Pt-y would be one of my favourite non-Black inks too.

 

Bye,

S1

[Nick T]

At this moment in time - Tsuki-Yo is my favorite ink of all time. Does that make sense?

 

It allows so much creative control on paper, reacts wonderfully to my mood, and of course, I loooove the color.

[XiaoMG]

After quite a few more pages dedicated to Tsuki-yo in different lighting and on different papers, I am still scratching my head over exactly what it is that others love so much about the ink color. It's subtle, I suppose. Others have told me it conveys an old-fashioned appearance. I think I simply prefer something with more drama and vitality.

[xspect]

I finally load my pen with this ink. It appears more of a muted/pale blue. I really like this color. I think it will be on my to buy list.

[mhosea]

I am still scratching my head over exactly what it is that others love so much about the ink color.

 

It's not possible for a color in this range to captivate me, but I know this is a range of colors that some people like rather a lot, and obviously some shade or other is probably going to be the one you like best. So I don't wonder about favorite colors. What I'm scratching my head over, rather, is why, after samples Tsuyu-Kusa, Asa-Gao, and Kon-Peki, I don't feel that there's anything particularly nice about the lubrication of Iroshizuku inks.

[Ad_Astra]

I am still scratching my head over exactly what it is that others love so much about the ink color.

 

It's not possible for a color in this range to captivate me, but I know this is a range of colors that some people like rather a lot, and obviously some shade or other is probably going to be the one you like best. So I don't wonder about favorite colors. What I'm scratching my head over, rather, is why, after samples Tsuyu-Kusa, Asa-Gao, and Kon-Peki, I don't feel that there's anything particularly nice about the lubrication of Iroshizuku inks.

 

Better question: what are the inks you're mentally comparing them to? I'll be the first to say that I don't think they're that amazing on the glide scale, but I've used too many dry and 'grabby' inks to not appreciate them. Plus, they always behave well on any paper and have nice colors to choose from.

 

Would I buy Tsuki-Yo again? Yeah, definitely. Would I buy any other Iroshizuku? Eh. Depends.

[mhosea]

What I'm scratching my head over, rather, is why, after samples Tsuyu-Kusa, Asa-Gao, and Kon-Peki, I don't feel that there's anything particularly nice about the lubrication of Iroshizuku inks.

 

Better question: what are the inks you're mentally comparing them to?

 

I think they're better lubricated than Pelikan Royal Blue for sure, but not, say, compared to Diamine Ancient Copper. Noodler's Blue, Noodler's Bad Blue Heron, and Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher are pretty slippery to me as well.

[bphollin]

I suppose it all comes down to one's priorities and preferences. For myself, I like inks that aren't too saturated, flow well, have a nice color, dry fast, and are easy to wash out of any pen (sac, piston, cartridge converter, etc). Tsuki-yo fits that bill. Noodler's Bad Blue Heron, at least the bottle I bought when it first came out, had a similar color to Tsuki-yo, but none of the other properties I was looking for (I seem to recall, vaguely, buying them near the same time).

[XiaoMG]

I think they're better lubricated than Pelikan Royal Blue for sure, but not, say, compared to Diamine Ancient Copper. Noodler's Blue, Noodler's Bad Blue Heron, and Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher are pretty slippery to me as well.

I think they're pretty good but haven't found much to hype the way others here do. Pilot severely gouges international customers, but the ink for me is only around $19usd, so I don't see it as a precious luxury ink...just a bit expensive, which I guess is understandable given the bottle, label, and packaging. They are nice inks, and the smoothness of my Capless Decimo was noticeably better with Kon-peki than with, say, Liberty's Elysium, but I agree there are probably more lubricious inks out there. They don't clog or dry out, but neither do many other other inks. It is probably a bit obvious to say a lot of acclaim for Iroshizuku comes from the price.

[mhosea]

They are nice inks, and the smoothness of my Capless Decimo was noticeably better with Kon-peki than with, say, Liberty's Elysium, but I agree there are probably more lubricious inks out there.

 

I should have mentioned Namiki Blue as well. In my Namiki Falcon (S-M, Binderized), it's especially slick. Wish it dried more like it looks when wet, though. I agree with you about LE. I wasn't tempted to mention that one.

[mhosea]

I suppose it all comes down to one's priorities and preferences.

 

Just to clarify, I meant no disrespect to the choice. It's just the lubrication aspect, and I think it would be fair to say only the lubrication aspect, of the Iroshizuku inks I've tried that doesn't seem to match up with what reviewers have tended to say. It is a mystery to me. The only thing I can think is that almost all my pens are very smooth writers, and I use Rhodia and Clairefontaine paper a lot.