Is Iroshizuku Ink Worth The Price?

[Kuhataparunks]

I use Take-Sumi...

How black is Take-Sumi? Is it a truly dark black, or when it dries does it turn into a grey like most black inks?

It saddens me how washed out the cartridge black is; I hope Take-Sumi isn't the same.

[Diderot]

 

@diderot keep checking their stock availability, it changes (and the price too) almost every day

 

 

 

 

Ah, good to know. I've now bookmarked it.

Thank you.

[Algester]

How black is Take-Sumi? Is it a truly dark black, or when it dries does it turn into a grey like most black inks?

It saddens me how washed out the cartridge black is; I hope Take-Sumi isn't the same.

just the name bamboo charcoal implies its black with hints of green its not gray unless totally washed out

[AllenG]

How black is Take-Sumi? Is it a truly dark black, or when it dries does it turn into a grey like most black inks?

It saddens me how washed out the cartridge black is; I hope Take-Sumi isn't the same.

Very black. All of these samples were written with a glass pen so the flow is variable. The smears are the same though.

[Kuhataparunks]

Very black.

 

WOW! Darker than Noodler's Black!? (I suppose that's quite an underdog compared to Iro, haha)

I thought Noodler's was among the blackest. Grrrr... Now that I like this Asa-Gao I'm tempted to get Takesumi!!

[AllenG]

WOW! Darker than Noodler's Black!? (I suppose that's quite an underdog compared to Iro, haha)

I thought Noodler's was among the blackest. Grrrr... Now that I like this Asa-Gao I'm tempted to get Takesumi!!

When I washed my glass pen the Noodler's stained the water brown. The Mont Blanc, and Akkerman stain the water blue. The take-sumi turns the water grey. It's charcoal black.

[Lyander0012]

When I washed my glass pen the Noodler's stained the water brown. The Mont Blanc, and Akkerman stain the water blue. The take-sumi turns the water grey. It's charcoal black.

 

Haha, thus the name of the ink is quite appropriate, no? I dislike black FP inks by their virtue of having bad undertones (even Noodler's), but now that I know Take-sumi is a serious black... well, maybe eventually, since it's still fairly pricey an ink

[Chrissy]

 

Chrissy--I am filled with FPN love for you and your source for very cheap Iro. Amazon is now $30 a bottle for some of them. I think that is a 40% increase in a year.

Well thank you. I should be getting commission from hobby_japan...... When I bought my PI inks they were $15

[Algester]

When I washed my glass pen the Noodler's stained the water brown. The Mont Blanc, and Akkerman stain the water blue. The take-sumi turns the water grey. It's charcoal black.

to me mystery black turns it into light purple but I think that's just me...

[Diderot]

If you buy it from hobby_japan on ebay it's currently less than £15 per bottle so it will not attract any tax or charges coming into the UK. That's even assuming it's marked as merchandise. (that's hobby_japan)

 

In fact it's only $14.10 per bottle plus shipping, and that's the cheapest I've found. And his shipping is quicker than other Japanese sellers I have bought from

 

 

@diderot keep checking their stock availability, it changes (and the price too) almost every day

 

 

 

 

Thank you both.

My bottle of Asa Gao came two days ago, nicely packaged and 2 weeks from posting.

Now in one of my M800's and writing very nicely.

[gwyneddd]

I'd ordered the two I own from Ebay--definitely the best price in the US (so far) and mainly, I ordered it for the bottle, which as someone said, is spectacular. The heavy glass base looks beautiful on the desk and the odd wide oval shape is very different. I may never use up all the Momiji but the color in the flacon is heavenly to look at.

 

Now I'm tempted to try Kon-peki as I haven't found a blue ink I like very much. I write with Bleu Mystere for times when I'm being unexceptional, and I have a bottle of Diamine Steel Blue, which isn't bad but is quite greenish. The Iro blues are by far my favorites.

[A144]

WOW! Darker than Noodler's Black!? (I suppose that's quite an underdog compared to Iro, haha)

I thought Noodler's was among the blackest. Grrrr... Now that I like this Asa-Gao I'm tempted to get Takesumi!!

 

When coming out of a FP, I find Noodler's Black to be darker than Take-sumi. That said, these are the only two black inks I use, and I enjoy Take-sumi more because it has a bit more character than Noodler's Black. It tends to write lighter for me, which gives it a bit of shading but it definitely isn't grey to me.

[Kuhataparunks]

To close the argument presented in this thread, I should have titled it different:

"Is Iroshizuku Worth The Markup?"

 

I don't intend to endorse, but I merely state Japanese sites like engeika sells 50ml bottles for $13(and some change). That is a STEAL compared to what's charged in the US.

Even if you pay for the shipping, the price of one bottle is still cheaper than if bought from a US vendor.

 

So yes, Iroshizuku ink is well worth the $14 price tag when purchased direct from Japan. !

Which is close to the price of any other bottled ink, just a few pennies more.

[purplepen]

I LOVE the brand because of the colors. My pens seem to love it too.

[XiaoMG]

I like a few colors in the Iroshizuku lineup but for the most part they are unimpressive. However, one thing I do like about them is that their dyes seem rather stable...most of the ones I tried were pretty good (not amazing but much better than average) at not fading. They also adhere much better to printed magazine paper, which is admittedly not a common need but nevertheless one that applies to me often.

 

I do not think the colors are truly unique, nor do I think their visual properties stand out relative to other inks. I do not think they are much smoother or easier to clean out of my pens, either. They are generally well-made inks with high quality stable dyes, but the marketing and hype are a turn-off.

[SeeksAdvice]

I own 7 Iroshizuku inks.

 

I see the comparison between the various black inks. Take-Sumi seems to be a black that contains elements of blue and/or green. Surprisingly dark, but also "soft" at the same time. Hard to describe. In flat-out "black" it loses to Borealis Black, and probably Aurora, though I don't own that ink.

Here are my most recent thoughts on Iroshizuku inks:

 

1) Out of all the brands I owned, they. MB, and Sailor were the only ink brands not hit with SitB. Pelikan, Diamine, and Noodler's all = fail on that one.

2) They work in almost every pen on almost every paper. Only serious exceptions for pens that I can think of are my two vintage ones in which it is massively "wet." Our new recycled used Soviet toilet tissue "office paper" appears basically incompatible with any liquid inks.

3) Unless I do something "really stupid" , the ink stays where I want it to.

4) They have minimal water resistance.

5) They are smoother writing than some inks, but not as smooth as the Sailor "nano" inks.

6) They resist fading better than Diamine

7) They are mostly easy to clean out of pens

[theMEESH]

I bought all three of mine from Amazon for less than $25. The prices do fluctuate on Amazon, but I have Prime and free two day shipping has ruined me for everything. I enjoy the Iroshizukus I have. It seems really smooth to write with in whatever pen I've put it in. I have a few more that I want to buy, but like with all lines of ink, I'm not interested in all the colors.

 

The price for the ink, even if I had to pay $28-$30 for it doesn't seem so bad, probably because with vaping (my other hobby), I can go through a $20 bottle of e-juice in a week or less. I've had my Iroshizukus for about 3 months and they're not even halfway gone.

Edited September 20, 2014 by theMEESH

[Kuhataparunks]

The price for the ink, even if I had to pay $28-$30 for it doesn't seem so bad, probably because with vaping (my other hobby), I can go through a $20 bottle of e-juice in a week or less. I've had my Iroshizukus for about 3 months and they're not even halfway gone.

That is a very good way to put it; ink is a long-lasting investment. Not only that, but it retains its value quite well. With that said, even $50 for a bottle is justifiable if it'll last an entire year.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Kuhataparunks

[gwyneddd]

That was a good point on the bottle of wine--I usually spend about $12 (just because I don't think they stock anything that much better for the $18 here) and it lasts me not an evening but a week-- I'm a cheap date. But the ink is lasting quite a while

 

...and thanks (NOT) to you folks for making it clear I would like also to own a bottle of Kon-Peki and Yama-Budo, both of which I've been eyeing anyway (along with any number of yellow or olive greens that would be fun to use.)

 

I do find the Iroshizuku ink flows in any pen I own. In fact, half the pens have it in them at the moment. It's one of those aesthetic things--the bottles are as pretty as any glass paperweight on the desk.

[Morwen]

To me - yes! I have not used better-behaving inks - probably the Caran'dache chromatics come very close, but then - they are even more expensive. Many people say Diamine and noodlers are almost as good for a third of the price... well - I don't think so. Diamine and noodler's quality varies largely by color, whereas Iroshizukus are all very good - I own 19 colors so I know. And even the best of Diamine and Noodlers are not as good. In terms of color alone, Diamine has some amazing, bright and saturated colors, I own quite a few and I love them, while Iros are more washed out. But in terms of how it feels to write with one, sorry Diamine, you lose . Noodlers - I have also tried about 10 colors, and not one comes close in behavior. So, if you like the color, it is worth the price!