Ink Review: Pilot Iroshizuku kon-peki (Deep Cerulean Blue)

Today I’m reviewing Pilot Iroshizuku kon-peki ink.

From Japanese this translates to Deep Cerulean Blue and is a lovely darker cerulean blue colour than ama-iro.

Kon-peki is a well-behaved ink that didn’t suffer from any skips or hard starts when I put the uncapped pen down to do swab tests, dry times and water resistance. It felt neither wet nor dry.

It dried very quickly in 11 or 12 seconds on the Clairefontaine Triomphe paper and didn’t smear after it was dry.

Available in attractive Pilot Iroshizuku 50ml and mini 15ml glass bottles from many outlets worldwide.

• Flow Rate: Very good.
• Lubrication: Very smooth.
• Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.
• Start-up: Immediate.
• Saturation: Quite saturated
• Shading Potential: Some nice shading seen, and occasionally a red sheen outline.
• Show-Through: Some seen on the cheaper additional papers I used.
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not seen
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen, even after a couple of weeks in the pen.
• Staining (pen): Not seen after several days - easy clean-up.
• Staining (hands): Washed off of my hands after two washes.
• Clogging: Not seen.
• Water resistance: Not sold as waterproof, but shows some water resistance.

Attachment 50751

It is for me ...my very first and only Japanese ink, and lubricated.
Knowing Japanese inks were designed for narrow nibs...found an old Lamy sub brand...Artus Biallit in F. Vintage European pens are narrower than modern European nibs by 1/2 a width or more.
It had been years since I used that pen (too many pens) but it felt smoother than I remembered...but I more than likely was using a dry ink back in the day.

Or I was talking my self into something. Well, some day I'll have to try this ink in my Geha 725, my only dry semi-flex nib. I got Waterman blue just for it and it did help....later DA Royal Blue took that Waterman Blue's place.

This is one of my favorite inks!

Excellent review! This is a staple in many people's ink collections. It is in mine. I love the color, the flow, the lubrication and it cleans up very well.