Iroshizuku Syo-Ro

[zenrabbit]

I just received a sample of this ink (among many) from Goulet Pens and I was moved to do a review primarily because of the fascinating color change that this ink undergoes as it dries on the page. It is one of the most dramatic that I have seen. The color of the ink in the bottle and when it is wet on the page is a dark turquoise. As it dries it turns to a greyish-teal seen on the form below. I have seen a couple of other inks do a slight color change (J Herbin Eclat de Saphir goes from violet to blue, Diamine Violet goes from blue to violet) but they happen within a second or so and the change is not so dramatic. With Syo-ro it takes 3-5 seconds for the ink to completely change colors so you can watch it happen slowly as you write. Quite wonderful! I really like the final color, almost indistinguishable from Noodler's Legal Lapis. I have seen others comment that they like the look of that dark turquoise when it is wet and that the final dry color is too washed out or too grey. For me, that is the beauty of this ink. The final color is a nice subdued shade with a vintage feel to it but I also get to watch the color change show as I write! No complaints with this ink. I feel it behaves a bit better than Legal Lapis (no nib creep, slightly faster dry time) although it does not have the waterproof qualities. It will be my next ink for a full bottle purchase in spite of the price.

[Korybas]

Nice review, thank you so much.

Reading the other reviews on Syo-Ro ink here in FPN, I admit that I was perplexed as to weather I should purchase a bottle or not, but your review convinced me I should, even if it is for experiencing this "color change" and for the "vintage" looks of the ink.

What was the nib on the pen you used for your review? Was it a Medium?

Thanks again for an informative review.

 

Aris

Edited October 26, 2011 by Korybas

[Margana]

Thanks for putting up the review. Syo-ro was my first Iroshizuku ink and remains one of my favorites.

[zenrabbit]

Aris,

The nib used was an Esterbrook 1555 nib which was originally designed for Gregg shorthand. I would call it a fine point for those not familiar with Esterbrook nibs.

Brett

[zenrabbit]

Was messing around grinding a custom italic nib and tried the new nib with this ink to see how it looked with a broader, wetter, nib. Very nice. It brings out the teal color more and looks a bit less grey. There are also some interesting dark edges to much of the lettering that are visible if you enlarge the scan. A very interesting ink with good writing properties and unique effects.

[Laura N]

This is such a nice review. I have to admit I'd just ignored this ink before, and now I'm intrigued. I think it will be on my next sample order.

[PAKMAN]

Nice review. I love inks that change. The most dramatic change I've seen is from good old Parker Quink Blue Black. It actually occurs over a longer time say several hours.

[leod]

I am also impressed with this ink change in Syo-ro, initially it looks more like kujaku and the difference in color will show in bright light.

[saketb]

Very nice and detailed review. The Syo-ro is quite pleasing and I think I shall have it in my small but growing ink collection.

 

Thanks.

[Laura N]

I just got my sample which was inspired by this review. Wow, what a nice ink. I am a fan of Pilot Iroshizuku's Ku-jaku. Syo-ro is very close to that, just greener where Ku-jaku is bluer. And I think a bit subtler and more complex, while the Ku-jaku is more cheerful.

 

The Syo-ro has some shading, so I tried it in a flex pen. Even in a flex pen, the shading isn't terribly dramatic. But the color changes slightly. With a regular nib, the ink looks like a lovely quiet blue-green. But with the flex pen, it seems a slightly more vivid, but still calm, blue-green. I think this is the same effect zenrabbit showed with the broader nib. I will note that my sample is a little bluer, and a little less gray, than zenrabbit's scans look on my computer.

 

It's a really lovely ink. I already have the Ku-jaku, so I can't justify another expensive bottle right now. But I think it's going on my Christmas list. I'm so glad I stumbled on this review and tried the ink.

[zenrabbit]

Since I wrote this review I have purchased a bottle of Syo-ro. As Laura N mentions above, the ink that I use from the bottle does indeed look bluer and less grey than the review that I wrote using the sample ink. It is still one of my favorite inks. I would also note that I am currently trying a sample of Diamine Eau de Nil and it is very similar to Syo-ro to the point that some writing samples side by side are hard to distinguish. Two very nice inks for those looking for a nice subdued teal color.