Iroshizuku Writing Sample Comparison

[MCN]

I am in the same boat as AlejoPlay. I am looking to purchase my first bottle of Iroshizuku and am torn between Ku-jaku and Syo-Ro.

How green is Syo-Ro in person? What inks look most similar to it?

 

I am a recent syo ro fan. The thing about it that I find so fascinating is that it is impossible to decide if it is green or blue. In fact the answer changes as it dries. Plus there's sheen! This week I got samples of a few other inks that I thought might be similar but none had that elusive mix of characteristics. It doesn't seem to get nearly the attention here that other Iroshizuku colors do but I am totally entranced.

[geoduc]

I am in the same boat as AlejoPlay. I am looking to purchase my first bottle of Iroshizuku and am torn between Ku-jaku and Syo-Ro.

How green is Syo-Ro in person? What inks look most similar to it?

 

Those colors just do not scan well or something. I've seen scans where Kujaku looks like a very jewel toned cross between a royal blue and a turquoise and scans where it just looks like a turquoise. Syo-Ro I've seen look really green and a dark teal. I would love it if geoduc's scan is accurate! What I am hoping for is one of those displays I've seen on here with a bunch of pens inked with each Iroshizuku color so I can see the colors in person.

 

 

That's the trouble with looking at images on a computer screen. Differences in scanners, cameras, computer monitors, not to mention pen and paper, will all affect the appearance of an ink. On my monitor, the scans I posted are fairly true to color of the originals, although they may be a little on the bright side.

 

With the pen/paper combination used in the scan, syo-ro is more blue than green once it dries. I've found that with a wetter nib, the green tone is more apparent in the areas where the ink pools.

 

Here's a scan from my ink journal showing ku-jaku, syo-ro aand several other inks all written with the same Nakaya Neo Standard 0.7mm stub on Clairefontaine paper. Hopefully this will make it easier to see how these inks look in relation to other inks that you might have experience with.

 

[AlejoPlay]

Thanks, geodoc! The only ink on that scan I've used is Pelikan Royal Blue and I can get a decent idea of what the Iro inks look like in comparison. I may skip Tsuki Yo entirely and just get Kujaku/Syo Ro and Shin Kai!

 

EDIT: I journaled with Tsuki Yo this morning and damn does that ink continue to confound me. I may have to get a bottle only to tip my hat to it's elusive mysteriousness.

Edited December 14, 2012 by AlejoPlay

[mAnuscript69]

Thanks for the clarification, geoduc. I think I've found my solution: save up and get both Syo-Ro and Ku-Jaku

[skysora]

You won't be able to see the colors side by side, but you can look at writing samples of each Iroshizuku color penned by Pilot's penmanship trachers.

 

http://www.pilot.co.jp/library/010/index.html

 

You'll see thumbnails in the middle of the screen. Click one to enlarge. From there you can tap on the left or right edges of the pop up screen to go through the colors. I think they're using Pilot pens, too. It took a good few seconds for the pop up screen to come up on my iPad, but it worked.

 

You'll see beautiful shading from pressures applied to the nib. Chinese/Japanese characters have hooks and swooshes that invite you to apply different pressures on the nib. That's part of the reason vanishing point and falcon nibs are so nice and springy. Springiness somewhat replicates the calligrpahic effect of soft animal hair brushes. There are also people who prefer consistent line widths--stiffer Prera nibs are good for that purpose, I think. (Although I have not used a Prera nib so I can't say for sure.)

[amberleadavis]

When I was looking for a replacement for BSB, Visconti was the recommendation. I have to say it is a very pretty ink.

[SeeksAdvice]

Go to the Ink Reviews forum and do a search on "Iroshizuku". For me, the most "different" of these inks is the slightly feminine Yama Budo.

 

Other than Yama Budo, none of mine really stand out enough to justify the cost of the ink, though they do make nice bottles.

 

 

And we made this man a moderator?

 

:roflmho:

I quite agree with this comment. It's not the first time I see such "assertive" comments on Iroshizuku inks highlighting they aren't worth the price. Quite weird it comes from a moderator.....I've always replied to such assertive negative comments on Irohizuku inks that:

1) their overall performance in terms of flow and shading is generally better than most ( all , in my experience) inks . This already justifies the price in my opinion. All pens I filled with Iroshizuku inks write much better than before, but that's only my experience of course (although I've tried many inks in over 40 years....)

2) quite a few ( not all of course) of their colours are unique: for example, tsuki yo is a unique dark blue, Kon Peki a unique bright blue without needing to be a "south seas turquoise" , Fuyu Syogun is a marvelous bluish grey; Ku-Yaku is the most versatile blue/green on the market and can be used as an everyday ink; Yamaguri is a lovely dark brown ink, no too brown to be considered unusable as everyday ink, not too dark to be considered a desaturated black ink.

 

3) in general, in my opinion who is so negative on Iroshizuku inks either hasn't tried them thoroughly or...has a problem witjh his pens....

Best

 

 

Piero

 

I am, by no means, an expert on inks. However, I will have to say this: Of the inks that I have tried, Iroshizuku's work in every pen, every time. Yes, there are cheaper products, but there comes a point in time at which performance matters more than cost. Sort of like buying a Kia Rio (or a "Sonic" that may or may not ship with working brakes) versus something else ;P

 

I cannot say that of the MB, Noodler's, DeA inks I've tried. Plus the Iroshizuku's seem to behave well in the pen, and most importantly ... stay in the pen and not on my hand.

 

Sometimes you just want something that works. Something that won't leave you looking like a smurf, or like you are supposed to be part of the "Blue Man Group."

 

I have tried samples of, or bought bottles(*) of: Shin-Kai; Asa-Gao*; Tsuyu-Kusa*; Aji-Sai; Kon-Peki; Take-Sumi; and Tsuki-Yo*. So far, they all seem well behaved, with Shin-Kai and Take-Sumi being rather "wet." Also, for the most part, they look like what they say they do. Only exception to that I've seen is Shin-Kai, which to me looks more like old fashioned "blued" steel than deep water. Not saying that I don't appreciate it, just saying that it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

[GreenVelvet]

I'm a little late to the game, but I did a blog post comparing 3 Iroshizuku inks a while back. I didn't put Tsuki-Yo in that mix, but I do have a clean toothpick test using Ku-Jaku, Syo-Ro (by far my favorite, for the fascinating blue-green mix), and Shin-Ryoku.

 

Or, you can skip the blog post and just look at the photo.

[amberleadavis]

@SeeksAdvice --- What's wrong with the blue man group??? I'm a BSB-groupie and proud Las Vegan.

[KCat]

Go to the Ink Reviews forum and do a search on "Iroshizuku". For me, the most "different" of these inks is the slightly feminine Yama Budo.

 

Other than Yama Budo, none of mine really stand out enough to justify the cost of the ink, though they do make nice bottles.

 

 

And we made this man a moderator?

 

:roflmho:

I quite agree with this comment. It's not the first time I see such "assertive" comments on Iroshizuku inks highlighting they aren't worth the price. Quite weird it comes from a moderator.....I've always replied to such assertive negative comments on Irohizuku inks that:

1) their overall performance in terms of flow and shading is generally better than most ( all , in my experience) inks . This already justifies the price in my opinion. All pens I filled with Iroshizuku inks write much better than before, but that's only my experience of course (although I've tried many inks in over 40 years....)

2) quite a few ( not all of course) of their colours are unique: for example, tsuki yo is a unique dark blue, Kon Peki a unique bright blue without needing to be a "south seas turquoise" , Fuyu Syogun is a marvelous bluish grey; Ku-Yaku is the most versatile blue/green on the market and can be used as an everyday ink; Yamaguri is a lovely dark brown ink, no too brown to be considered unusable as everyday ink, not too dark to be considered a desaturated black ink.

 

3) in general, in my opinion who is so negative on Iroshizuku inks either hasn't tried them thoroughly or...has a problem witjh his pens....

Best

 

 

Piero

 

Hmmm. I'm just seeing this.

 

First, I was joking about Jeffery's status as moderator. He is an excellent moderator. He didn't slam the Iroshizuku inks nor did he wave about wildly saying they were amazing, astounding, and dang near God's gift to inks. He was...moderate. They're nice enough but not worth the extra cost as far as he's concerned. I find that a valid opinion and I hope we will all allow each other to share such opinions here. I was only teasing him because I can be a rabid supporter of Iroshizuku inks at times even though I know such things are subjective.

 

And when I look at Asa-gao I wonder what all the fuss is about. It's another slightly purplish blue. Zzzz. Point being, we dont all like the same things. Jeffery may have used every one of the inks and may have used them in fantastic pens and still come to the conclusion that they are just decent inks but not worth the extra $20 or so a head. This is not a character flaw. Nor is it a flaw in moderator style for him to say as much.

 

My apologies to Jeffery and to others if anything except friendly harassment was inferred from my comment. I thought the smilies gave it away but...

[JustinJ]

I suggest buying samples of ink. I have tried most of the Iroshizuku inks through samples. I like the Iroshizuku inks but they are very expensive. You may not think they are are worth the money after sampling them. I bought a bottle of Fuyu-Gaki after trying out about ten samples of Pilot Iroshizuku inks. It was the only one of the ten samples that I liked enough to buy. I have to like a sample enough to load it two times in a row in my pen before I would even considering purchasing it.

 

You can buy samples from some of the FPN users in the classifieds, Goulet Pens, or Isellpens.com . I am sure there are other places to buy samples but these are the ones I'm familiar with.

 

In the past, I bought ink bottles based on reviews and color scans. I ended up more often with inks that were not as good as I thought and less money in my pocket.

Edited February 26, 2013 by JustinJ

[dspeers58]

I am glad the moderator chimed in. It is important to be able to hear candid opinions, especially for those of us who are still making our way in and among all the varieties of stuff available. I like Pilot/Namiki inks very much. The simple Namiki/Pilot blue is very cheap and behaves very well including some water resistance. The Iroshizuku inks that I have purchased have all been very well behaved, and work well in all my pens. They are about $0.55 per ml. Compared to Noodler's or Diamine or even the basic Pilot/Namiki Blue, generally speaking, the Iroshizuku inks are 4xs the cost. LIke pens, for some, the cost is not worth the pleasure of using the product. I cannot bring myself to even consider something like a Mont Blanc pen, but, for some reason, some Urushi pens (eg Nakaya, Platinum, Pilot) seem worth the money. The Pilot brand of ink is very good, throughout, in my opinion.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

I did enjoy many kinds of samples. Thanks for sharing!

Here're my samples.

 

Just for your information,

Kota Adachi

 

 

ink comparison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJdw1A_BKM

 

 

Iroshizuku Kirisame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj6qxMwMp1U

[Vshin]

I think it depends on each individual ink. Some Iroshizuku inks share the same color and behaviour of inks from less expensive producers (e.g. some of the blues/greens/browns). Of these, I don't see any real reason to buy the Iroshizuku versions.

 

But certain colors are rather unique or not reproduced exactly in terms of shading or saturation, such as the Tsuki-yo or Yama-budo. In addition, some colors aren't unique but behave better such as the Yu-yake (other saturated/high-shading oranges tend to precipitate or leave sediment on the nib). And of course there are other difference such as feathering, bleedthrough, wet/dryness, etc.

 

Therefore, I recommend you take a very selective approach when purchasing Iroshizuku inks. You want to have a specific reason in mind when you pick one, whether its for a unique color or better behavior. The best way to figure this out is to obtain a sample of the various colors from a seller or friends and test them out yourself before making a purchase - reading ink reviews is not sufficient. I would take any advice that praises or condemns the entire Iroshizuku lineup as a whole with a grain of salt.