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Pilot iro-utsushi Dip Pen For quick testing of fountain pen inks, I typically use a J. Herbin glass dip pen. I like the convenience it provides: dip it in the ink bottle, write a quick line. Then rinse under the water faucet and you're done. The biggest problem I have with the glass dip pen is that it's fiendishly difficult to control the ink flow. More often than not, I get a big blob of ink on the paper. Recently I bumped into this simple Pilot iro-utsushi dip pen (at stiloestile.it) . It looked like a better alternative, so I decided to give it a try. The Pilot iro-utsushi dip pen is basically a nib (F or M) attached to a holder - nothing fancy, no feed, just a nib with a handle to grip it. These dip pens come in two varieties: a cheap 8.50 EUR version in plastic, and a more luxurious 21.90 EUR version with a wood handle. I got me the maple wood version with M-nib because it's more elegant and just looks better than the plastic stuff. The nib is non-removable, so if you want multiple widths, you need to buy separate dip pens. I don't consider this a problem: the purpose of this dip pen is quick ink testing and comparison, not doing a long writing session. This dip pen looks great, and serves its purpose well. Doing a short writing sample is quick and easy, and cleaning the nib literally takes only a few seconds (rinse and dry). One thing I don't like is that the nib is protected with a cheap plastic slip-on cylinder - the kind you also use with paintbrushes. It works and is functional, but just doesn't look great. I wish Pilot had come up with a better solution for protecting the nib - a click-on cap perhaps? The above jars me a bit, because Pilot usually has more eye for detail. Take e.g. the built-in roll-stop. Part of the handle at the underside of the nib has been levelled, creating a flat surface that functions as a roll-stop. An ingenious idea, and one that does the job really well - nicely executed. As a dip pen, this Pilot iro-utsushi works as advertised. There is no feed to contain and regulate ink flow, so writing is still not perfect, but it's exponentially better than the uncontrolled behaviour I get with a glass dip pen. Writing a short sample to test an ink is much more akin to what you will get with an actual fountain pen. So if you currenly use a glass dip pen for ink testing, this might be a valuable alternative. Check it out...