Ku-Jaku Sheen

[dms525]

I received a sample of Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-jaku ink this past week. I sucked it into a Pilot 78G with a B (stub) nib and have been trying it out. I rather like the color, but had just about decided I prefer Syo-ro, mostly because it seemed to have more shading. Then I wrote a letter to a family member using Ku-jako on Tomoe River paper. To my surprise, as the ink dried, it developed a moderately prominent reddish sheen. Not as much as Sailor's Yama-dori, but a quite respectable amount.

 

I couldn't remember seeing any reference on FPN of Ku-jaku being an ink with sheen. A cursory search just now didn't find any either. But here it is for your consideration and comments:

 

 

 

Has anyone else observed this?

 

David

[ENewton]

I have seen references to this phenomenon before, but although I have a bottle of Kujaku, I have never observed the sheen, probably because I do not use Tomoe River paper.

[saskia_madding]

I definitely know this ink sheens, but it takes a really wet, wide nib, and a paper that's good for bringing out sheen in inks. It's not an ink that sheens no matter what, in my experience.

[dms525]

I definitely know this ink sheens, but it takes a really wet, wide nib, and a paper that's good for bringing out sheen in inks. It's not an ink that sheens no matter what, in my experience.

 

Thanks for your comments, Saskia!

 

From my understanding, 2 of the three ideal conditions for sheen were present: A wide nib and very smooth, nonabsorbent paper. The Pilot nib is a relatively dry writer, however. I will probably be getting a bottle of this ink, and I'm eager to try it in a pen with a wetter nib. I must say, though, that the way the 78G wrote with this ink had me feeling they were made for each other. Hmmm ... Pilot pen. Pilot ink. You don't suppose?

 

David

[Prolix]

I get noticable red sheen with Ku-Jaku on Rhodia all the time. It is one of the many reasons that I love this ink! It especially shows up at night. It isn't doesn't very noticeable in daylight or difuse lighting.

[dms525]

I get noticable red sheen with Ku-Jaku on Rhodia all the time. It is one of the many reasons that I love this ink! It especially shows up at night. It isn't doesn't very noticeable in daylight or difuse lighting.

 

Thanks.

 

I am finding I like Ku-jaku more than I expected to.

 

David

[lgsoltek]

I consider Ku-jaku a "saner" version of Yama-dori. YD sheens like crazy. Sometimes it has too much sheen and you can't even see what its original colour is.

[haruka337]

Inks that normally hint at sheening or do not normally sheen will sheen on Tomoe River paper.

 

Beautiful writing, by the way.

[dms525]

Inks that normally hint at sheening or do not normally sheen will sheen on Tomoe River paper.

 

Beautiful writing, by the way.

 

Now I have to try Yama-dori on Tomoe River Paper!

 

And thanks for the compliment!

 

David

[beanbag]

On Clairefontaine paper, Ku Jaku does not sheen very much, even if I lay it on thick.

[amberleadavis]

 

Now I have to try Yama-dori on Tomoe River Paper!

 

And thanks for the compliment!

 

David

 

David, you will fall in love with Yama-Dori and it will be exquisite with your penmanship.

[dms525]

 

David, you will fall in love with Yama-Dori and it will be exquisite with your penmanship.

 

I already did, Amber. Yama-dori is one of the few inks of which I ordered another bottle after writing less than a page with my first bottle.

 

My taste in inks is undergoing some sort of radical revision of late. I used to pretty much stick to the black, dark blue, blue-black group. The exceptions were reddish browns, which I still like. These exotic teals and varietal wine-colored inks? I wouldn't have seriously considered them usable. But, when I actually try them, I truly prefer them. I even wrote a letter to my adamantly black ink only DIL in Ku-jaku! There is hope for her too. The last time we sat down with a dozen pens filled with as many inks, she chose the pen filled with Black Swan in English Roses with which to write a "Thank you" note to a colleague. I bought her two bottles for her next birthday.

 

I think we initially believe we prefer the inks that we think best fit our self-image. These choices may not truly reflect our aesthetic sensibilities. But that has to be discovered, somehow. In my case, the crazy thing is that the inks to which I am now most attracted are close to my favorite crayon colors from childhood.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

Edited July 22, 2015 by dms525

[DrDebG]

 

I already did, Amber. Yama-dori is one of the few inks of which I ordered another bottle after writing less than a page with my first bottle.

 

My taste in inks is undergoing some sort of radical revision of late. I used to pretty much stick to the black, dark blue, blue-black group. The exceptions were reddish browns, which I still like. These exotic teals and varietal wine-colored inks? I wouldn't have seriously considered them usable. But, when I actually try them, I truly prefer them. I even wrote a letter to my adamantly black ink only DIL in Ku-jaku! There is hope for her too. The last time we sat down with a dozen pens filled with as many inks, she chose the pen filled with Black Swan in English Roses with which to write a "Thank you" note to a colleague. I bought her two bottles for her next birthday.

 

I think we initially believe we prefer the inks that we think best fit our self-image. These choices may not truly reflect our aesthetic sensibilities. But that has to be discovered, somehow. In my case, the crazy thing is that the inks to which I am now most attracted are close to my favorite crayon colors from childhood.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

Two thoughts: First, re: Ku-Jaku - I have tried it with a fairly wet nib (Delta Horsepower with 1.3 stub gold nib) on Midori paper and did not notice sheening (or shading for that matter). I will give it another try on my wettest nib on Clairfontaine paper.

 

I appreciate your comments regarding your "ink revision". I understand completely. I have always used medium to dark blue as my "signature" color. Then, I transitioned to more turquoise type of colors for notes and journal writing. Now, I seem to be gravitating towards burgundy/wine colors like DeAtramentis Thomas Alva Edison and Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Bordeaux. I love Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses but I really don't find the ink to be well behaved in most of my pens.

[dms525]

Two thoughts: First, re: Ku-Jaku - I have tried it with a fairly wet nib (Delta Horsepower with 1.3 stub gold nib) on Midori paper and did not notice sheening (or shading for that matter). I will give it another try on my wettest nib on Clairfontaine paper.

 

I appreciate your comments regarding your "ink revision". I understand completely. I have always used medium to dark blue as my "signature" color. Then, I transitioned to more turquoise type of colors for notes and journal writing. Now, I seem to be gravitating towards burgundy/wine colors like DeAtramentis Thomas Alva Edison and Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Bordeaux. I love Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses but I really don't find the ink to be well behaved in most of my pens.

I didn't see the sheen in Ku-jaku on Rhodia, and some one earlier said they had not seen it with Clairefontaine paper either. But it was very present with Tomoe River paper.

 

I have not ever used BS in Australian Roses. My reading indicates the color changed substantially at some point. BS in English Roses is very well behaved, at least in the one pen that I have used it with consistently, a Conway Stewart Belliver with an italic nib. The combination of pen and ink is a dream!

 

David

[bureaudirect]

I consider Ku-jaku a "saner" version of Yama-dori. YD sheens like crazy. Sometimes it has too much sheen and you can't even see what its original colour is.

 

+1 Yama-Dori is very hard to photograph because of it's sheen!

Ku-jaku does have a very nice sheen. Perhaps a little less noticeable than YD or Tsuki-Yo.

A lot of ink on Tomoe River is the key to sheen

[HalloweenHJB]

I consider Ku-jaku a "saner" version of Yama-dori. YD sheens like crazy. Sometimes it has too much sheen and you can't even see what its original colour is.

 

 

As a brand-new user of Ku-jaku, I noticed the sheen immediately with a few words written on Clairefontaine paper. On Tomoe River, even more so. Happy I got a bottle —it really does seem to be, as Lgstoltek says, a "saner version of Yama-dori."

Edited December 2, 2016 by HalloweenHJB

[clazbill]

I'm a great fan of Ku-Jaku. I only see sheen from it in very wet pens on specific papers. I used this ink for about a year before noticing any sheen. I'm not surprised it flys under the radar for the Does It Sheen! group.

[squishyink]

I recently received a bottle of Ku-Jaku in trade and it was the best trade ever. I use tomoe paper all the time, so I saw the sheen right away. It is now one of my favorites!

[HalloweenHJB]

I'm a great fan of Ku-Jaku. I only see sheen from it in very wet pens on specific papers. I used this ink for about a year before noticing any sheen. I'm not surprised it flys under the radar for the Does It Sheen! group.

 

Subtler, and more elegant than Yama-dori, in my opinion.

 

I recently received a bottle of Ku-Jaku in trade and it was the best trade ever. I use tomoe paper all the time, so I saw the sheen right away. It is now one of my favorites!

 

 

On TR paper, it's just great!

[HalloweenHJB]

 

Subtler, and more elegant than Yama-dori, in my opinion.

 

 

 

On TR paper, it's just great!

 

 

For example: