Pilot ku‑jaku

[Ghost Plane]

Thanks for the link to a thread I missed. I've got a bottle of the fuyu/gray, so I might dump that in next rotation of that pen and see how it goes. I hesitate to add Tanzanite to the mix as it's so saturated.

[Mercian]

I recently decided to look for reviews of Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku, and found that there were not that many of them on FPN.

So, I have decided to try to 'restore' the photos to this review, in the hope of encouraging people to read what
@Sandy1 chose to write about the stuff.
She was a veritable hive of 'inkformation'!

 

I hope that my efforts prove useful to folk in the future 🤞

BUT: I want you, dear reader, to bear in mind that these scans were done in 2013 - scanning technology has improved since that date, and the ink may even have been reformulated since then.

E.g. my own impression from looking at the other reviews of this ink that I can find is that Ku-Jaku tends to be much more of an aquamarine/teal colour than these scans show, so I urge you to look at newer reviews of this ink in order to see more-accurate pictures of its colour!

 

Anyway, that's enough from me! You're all here to see what @Sandy1 had to say about Ku-Jaku!
So, here goes:

 

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➤ Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Grey Scale below. As the patches are neutral grey, that is what you should see.

• Mac https://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-Your-Monitor
• Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/ ← this link dead as of 2025-05-02. M.

 

Grey Scale.


➤ As Photo*ucket has lost the functionality to display linked files as required and includes advertising with linked images, I've embedded the HiRes images. I apologise should that choice slow your display times.

=^=

 

 

Figure 1.
Swabs & Swatch:

Paper: HPJ1124.

 

Figure 2.
NIB-ism
Paper: HPJ1124.
Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

Pens: L ➠ R: Estie, M200, Sheaffer, Somiko, NPS & C74.


WRITTEN SAMPLES: Moby Dick
Ruling is 8mm.

Figure 3.
Paper: HPJ1124.

 

Figure 4.
Paper: Rhodia.

 

 

Figure 5.
Paper: G Lalo.

 

Figure 6.
Paper: Royal.

Figure 7.
Paper: Staples 20lb.
Pen: Somiko.

 

Comparison Exemplars for Turquoise Inks:

Figure 8.
Paper: HPJ1124.


Figure 9.
Paper: Rhodia.

OTHER STUFF

Figure 10.
Smear / Dry Times & Wet Tests

 

 

Figure 11.
Bleed - Show-Though on Staples.
(Reverse of Figure 7)

Hi-Res Scans:

Estie on HPJ1124.


 

Sheaffer on Rhodia


Somiko on G Lalo

 

 

C74 on Royal

 

 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Presentation:

• Bottle.

Availability:

• Available when Topic posted.

Daily writer?

• Quite possible.

A go-to ink?

• Yes - when nothing else will do.

 

 

USE

Business:

(From the Office of Ms Blue-Black)

• While this may not have the gravitas that some prefer, this ink has charisma, and as such is an excellent choice for those at risk of being overlooked in the peloton of a corporate rat race, or working in a team / egalitarian environment.
• Certainly acceptable for lateral and downward internal correspondence, yet an ink with more gravitas may well be kept in the break glass cupboard along with the silver bullets.
• The writing experience is exceptional, even with very narrow nibs, so is a boon for those who write at length.
• Readability is high, though at high value Pk-j can become a bit vibrant during a long read.
• Welcome for forms work and mark-up & annotation of material printed in Black.
• Does not suit error correction or grading of assignments.

 

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Quite possible.
• Might replace colours that are currently mixed, and slip into the spot between Blue and Aqua for charts & graphs in both line and area formats.
• Line quality suits lines & labels.
• As a watercolour, the dye/s seem to act in harmony, so washes of varies values should remain the same hue. Even at high value, the ink retains much of its character.

 

Students:

• Possible.
• Ran well on all papers, though not at its best on 'lowest bidder' papers.
• Robust enough to withstand accidental encounters with potable liquids.
• To compensate for the higher cost of this ink, simply stop eating junk food - your brain, physique & GIT will thank you.

 

Personal:

• Absolutely.
• If one uses slightly dark inks for personal correspondence, this is a must-have; and perhaps The Go-To when the Blues are chilly, the warm colours too cozy, Brown is blah, and lighter inks too fluffy.
• The writing experience with any nib type shape or width is excellent, which makes Pk-j a top pick for long haul writing sessions. Prior to writing, kindly ensure that your paper shelves are fully stocked, and at least one kilo of espresso beans are ready to grind.
• One could easily run any nib with this ink, although I prefer an oh-so-boring mono-line - best that the reader not be [overly] distracted by the ink, so might actually read what I've written for once.

 

 

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS:

Flow:

• More than willing.

Nib Dry-Out:

• None.

Start-up:

• Immediate.
• With confidence.

Lubricity:

• Outstanding.
• Provides a whisper of feedback so one may keep the nib running on its sweet spot.
• Makes even the lesser nibs seem like they've been tuned by a master hand - well, almost.

Nib Creepies:

• None.

Staining (pen):

• None after 3 days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed- Show-Through:

• Staples: More than a few freckles.
• All other pen+paper combos shown are greenlighted for two-sided use.

Feathering:

• C74 on Royal: In some 'ink pools' at the end of a stroke.

Aroma:

• Very faint.
• Rounded sweet esters.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not noticed.

Clean-up (pen):

• Fast and thorough with plain water from recently charged pens.
• After three days the use of a DIY pen cleaning solution of 0.5% ammonia+surfactant did not release any visible residue after my OCD water-only cleansing regimen.

Blending:

• No stated limitation, but Father Christmas & Uncle Sam's NSA will know if such a rogue thought even crosses your mind, then its downhill from there.

Archival:

• Not claimed.

 

 

THE LOOK

Presence:

• Classy.
• Friendly.
• A firm handshake - no hug or bisou.

Saturation:

• A fully-inked line is quite do-able.

Shading Potential:

• Oh yes, that too!

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used:
  • More than expected.
• Papers used:
  • A bit more than expected.

Malleability:

• Fairly good.
• Responds well to fine tuning in a fairly predictable manner - no pranks from this well mannered ink.
• Bon temps rouler!

 

 

PAPERS:

Lovely papers:

• Crisp white paper.
• Tonnes of the good stuff.

Trip-Wire Papers:

• Those with grids, lines or [polka] dots.

Copy/Print Papers:

• Not the home range of Pk-j.
• Though the appearance was up to par on HPJ1124, the Staples 20lb swallowed enough of the lustre that I felt short-changed.

Tinted Papers:

• Possible, but greatly a matter of personal taste.
• I do enjoy Pk-j from a wet pen onto the Tomoe River and Rhodia 'R' 90gsm papers, both of which combine a warm base-tint with a smooth surface.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• No doubt that Pk-j does nicely on the HPJ1124, yet if one wants to exploit the full potential of this ink, then pairing with a high-end paper may well kick out the chocks.

 

ETC

Majik:

• Just add some encouragement.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• NPS on Rhodia.
• The wide nib puts down a satisfying amount of ink, yet the nib is dry enough so we have gentle shading.
• The Rhodia is not such a stark white that it counteracts the shading that its smooth surface promotes.

Yickity Yackity:

• The look is exquisite and unique, yet not startling.
• The writing experience, and the ink's generosity while writing is something else. This ink wants to write and do it so very well.
• Ah kushbaby, I imagine this is on your top shelf too.

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NUTS BOLTS & BOILERPLATE

Pens:
- Written Samples:
A. Esterbrook J + 2550 posting steel XF nib.
B. Pelikan M200 + g-p steel EF nib.
C. Sheaffer Imperial TD + 14K F nib. *OoooLaLa*
D. Somiko + TIGP B nib.
E. The Notorious Pink Safari + steel B nib.
F. Pilot Custom 74 + №5 14K three-tine MS nib.
- Lines & labels: Pilot Penmanship + EF nib.


Papers:

• HPJ1124: Hewlett-Packard laser copy/print, 24lb.
• Rhodia: satin finish vellum, 80gsm.
• G. Lalo Verge de France: natural white, laid, 100gsm.
• Royal: 25% cotton, laser/inkjet copy/print, 'letterhead', 90gsm.
• Staples: house brand multi-use copy/print, USD4/ream, bears FSC logo, 20lb.

Imaging

• An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce low-loss jpg files.
• No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photo*ucket, IP.Board s/w, and your viewing gear.

Other Inks

• This Review uses the same Written Sample format, atrocious handwriting and some pen+paper combos common to most of my previous Reviews of Blue and Turquoise inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported.
• Should that functionality not meet your requirements, I welcome your PM requesting a specific comparison. Additional scans may be produced, but the likelihood of additional inky work is quite low.

Fine Print
◊ The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used.
◊ Ink does not require a label/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc.
◊ As always YMMV, due to differences in materials, manner of working, environment, zebra migration, etc.
◊ Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

-30-
TAGS: fountain pen ink review Pilot iroshizuku ku-jaku kujaku Peacock Blue Turquoise Sandy1

Edited November 8, 2013 by Sandy1

 

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Does anyone have anything to add to this review?

As I said at the start of this post, I do urge you to look at other reviews to get a better sense of this stuff's 'true colour'.

 

Also do any of you know from personal experience that Ku-Jaku has been reformulated since 2013, or that these scans have not quite captured the ink's true colour?
If so, please do share your experiences after this post!

All credit for creating this review - the effort to create all the writing samples, and to photograph and upload them, then link to them on here - them belongs to @Sandy1

 

Slàinte,

M.