Ink Review: Pilot Iroshizuku yama-guri

[Chrissy]

Today I’m reviewing Pilot Iroshizuku yama-guri ink.

“The name "iroshizuku" is a combination of the Japanese words "iro" (colouring) expressing high standards and variation of colours, and "shizuku" (droplet), which embodies the very image of dripping water. Each ink name derives from the expressions of beautiful Japanese natural landscapes and plants, all of which contribute to the depth of each individual hue. Enjoy Japan's rich and subtle colour aesthetic as you write. PILOT has always manufactured its own inks, which are renowned throughout the world.”

From Japanese yama-guri translates to Wild Chestnut and it is a dark chestnut colour.

It didn’t suffer from any hard starts or non-starts when I put the uncapped pen down to do swab tests, dry times and water resistance.

It’s a dark brown that can sometimes look quite black when writing. I prefer my browns to not look so black but otherwise yama-guri is a well behaved ink.

Available in attractive Pilot Iroshizuku 50ml and mini 15ml glass bottles from many outlets worldwide. When I reviewed this ink it was a mystery ink sample on FPGeeks Thank you junglejim for sending me the sample.

• Flow Rate: Good - wet.
• Lubrication: Not bad - prefer my inks to feel a bit more lubricated.
• Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.
• Start-up: Immediate.
• Saturation: Quite saturated
• Shading Potential: Not much shading seen.
• Show-Through: None seen on the papers I used.
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None seen.
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen, even after several days in the pen.
• Staining (pen): Not seen after several days - easy clean-up.
• Staining (hands): Washed off of my hands easily.
• Clogging: Not seen.
• Water resistance: Not sold as waterproof, but shows some water resistance.

P.I. Yama guri.jpgP.I. Yama guri 1.jpg

[Yazeh]

Another excellent review Chrissy. Love how you encompass everything as neat as a pin and show case the ink in all it's glory
It seems almost identical to Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown, doesn't it?

[Chrissy]

Another excellent review Chrissy. Love how you encompass everything as neat as a pin and show case the ink in all it's glory
It seems almost identical to Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown, doesn't it?

Thank you and you're welcome. I think Cult Pens DD Brown leans more red. Maybe I'm just generally a neat type of gal? LOL

[Lithium466]

Thank you for that review!
I'm a bit surprised by your comments about lubrication, do you find that Yama-Guri lubricates less than Asa-Gao (for ex)?

[Chrissy]

Thank you for that review!
I'm a bit surprised by your comments about lubrication, do you find that Yama-Guri lubricates less than Asa-Gao (for ex)?

You're welcome. It felt less lubricated when I used the Lamy M nib but was better when using the broader nibs. Lower lubrication for me means more feedback sound and less "softness" rather than the flow of a dry ink through the pen. Haven't had Asa Gao in a Lamy Safari type M nib for a while but it's never been a problem in my Lamy 2000.

[LizEF]

Thank you for this review and the work behind it! This is one I'll need to get a sample of - a very nice-looking brown. (I have yet to settle on the perfect brown.) And look at that chroma - very cool. Really appreciate your review format, too - so easy to see all the details of interest.

[mizgeorge]

Great review, as always Chrissy - thank you

This is one of my favourite browns, though sadly I daren't use it in several of my favourite brown pens because they're latex sacced and I'm a bit over-cautious about alkaline Japanese inks in these - though I should probably find out what the pH actually is as I believe some are actually OK.

It's very nice when diluted too - the chroma really comes in to play and can show some really interesting tones, including a really nice blue at times.

I'll add my appreciation of the format as well.

[Brilliant Bill]

Thanks. I notice you did not compare to Akkerman Bekakt Haags, m brown of choice. This makes me wonder if Akkermans are out of favor. A few years ago they were all the rage --- was that just because of the bottles?

[Chrissy]

Thank you for this review and the work behind it! This is one I'll need to get a sample of - a very nice-looking brown. (I have yet to settle on the perfect brown.) And look at that chroma - very cool. Really appreciate your review format, too - so easy to see all the details of interest.

You're welcome. I agree that is a magnificent chroma. It's basically the format I've used since seeing it on FPN although I've adjusted it slightly many times since I first used it way back then. If it isn't all laid out in front of me I might forget to put something in.

Great review, as always Chrissy - thank you

This is one of my favourite browns, though sadly I daren't use it in several of my favourite brown pens because they're latex sacced and I'm a bit over-cautious about alkaline Japanese inks in these - though I should probably find out what the pH actually is as I believe some are actually OK.

It's very nice when diluted too - the chroma really comes in to play and can show some really interesting tones, including a really nice blue at times.

I'll add my appreciation of the format as well.

You're welcome It is a nice brown but for some reason I don't often use P.I. inks. Not sure why that is. This is one I don't have but I love browns and have plenty to choose from. I like this new review format with all of the different nibs. I can just switch nibs on one Lamy pen and see what all of them are like and am quite happy with my current form of the moment.

Thanks. I notice you did not compare to Akkerman Bekakt Haags, m brown of choice. This makes me wonder if Akkermans are out of favor. A few years ago they were all the rage --- was that just because of the bottles?

You're welcome. I don't have Akkerman Bekakt Haags but it looks slightly more red leaning. I probably have the Diamine equivalent which looks like it might be Chocolate? I don't know until I could compare them next to each other.
I love the Akkerman bottles and when I was once in the US bought several empty ones to bring back home with me.

[TSherbs]

Cool chroma, for sure. But it results in a color that I don't care for.

Thanks for another review tho!

[Chrissy]

Cool chroma, for sure. But it results in a color that I don't care for.

Thanks for another review tho!

You're welcome.

[Robert]

Another very fine review, Chrissy - - thanks! Yama-guri has been my go-to brown for many years (just picked up another bottle a couple of weeks ago). Mostly I use it in my old Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze, which has an exceptionally smooth 23k palladium medium nib ground to stub some years ago by Mike Masuyama.

[Chrissy]

Another very fine review, Chrissy - - thanks! Yama-guri has been my go-to brown for many years (just picked up another bottle a couple of weeks ago). Mostly I use it in my old Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze, which has an exceptionally smooth 23k medium palladium nib ground to stub some years ago by Mike Masuyama.

You're welcome. Your Visconti sounds like it has a nib that I would love. Stubs are my favourite nibs.
You have the most exceptional pen store where you live and I have had one of my pens ground to a stub right there by Kirk Speer just this year.

[Carpio]

Hello,

Oh yeahhh!
Awesome review as expected, and as is the usual. Thank you Chrissy.
My favourite colour for ink is brown, and this ink is no exception.
I do actually have a bottle of this ink, and I am so happy to read that you see the ink as black the same as I do with an EF nib.
It is only the cost putting me off being an Iroshizuku floozy ink user only. Nothing against any other ink manufacturer, but I like the way that Iroshizuku is 'wetter'. (I don't expect anybody to understand) Oh, and their bottles are cool too.
I don't understand what 'chroma' is/signafies, so if it isn't too much trouble, maybe you could oblige by making a post explaining what is involved in ink testing, what you look for, and the terminology and meaning. (there may even be a post like this - if so, do you have a link for it?
Kind regards,

Carpio

[Robert]

Chrissy wrote: "Your Visconti sounds like it has a nib that I would love. Stubs are my favourite nibs.
You have the most exceptional pen store where you live and I have had one of my pens ground to a stub right there by Kirk Speer just this year."

I've not tried Kirik Speer's work yet, but your endorsement may be just the push I need. To date, most of my pen tunes/grinds have been done by M. Masuyama with a few by Dan Smith. And I would have to agree that stubs are my favorite, too. Very nice line variation and good results generally for this lefty overwriter

[penwash]

Chrissy, thank you for this. I don't keep up with Iroshizuku series of ink, and I think this one appeals to me.

On my monitor it looks like a dusky brown with a hint of green.

[Chrissy]

Hello,

Oh yeahhh!
Awesome review as expected, and as is the usual. Thank you Chrissy.
My favourite colour for ink is brown, and this ink is no exception.
I do actually have a bottle of this ink, and I am so happy to read that you see the ink as black the same as I do with an EF nib.
It is only the cost putting me off being an Iroshizuku floozy ink user only. Nothing against any other ink manufacturer, but I like the way that Iroshizuku is 'wetter'. (I don't expect anybody to understand) Oh, and their bottles are cool too.
I don't understand what 'chroma' is/signafies, so if it isn't too much trouble, maybe you could oblige by making a post explaining what is involved in ink testing, what you look for, and the terminology and meaning. (there may even be a post like this - if so, do you have a link for it?
Kind regards,

Carpio

You're welcome.
I found yam-guri quite dark to start with but it's also one of those inks that gets darker as the water starts to dehydrate a little inside some pens. The broader the nib the wetter it feels and I tend to use broader nibs now.
I'm sure there have been posts about chroma testing but I only found this one so far

I'll start another post about chroma testing when I have thought a bit more about how to write it. It's a way of showing the component dyes that the manufacturer uses to make the ink in a particular colour.

[Chrissy]

I've not tried Kirik Speer's work yet, but your endorsement may be just the push I need. To date, most of my pen tunes/grinds have been done by M. Masuyama with a few by Dan Smith. And I would have to agree that stubs are my favorite, too. Very nice line variation and good results generally for this lefty overwriter

The Space City Pen Club meets at Dromgoole's and Kirk Speer visits from Colorado regularly to grind nibs there. It's good to have a nibmeister in store where you can sit and watch your pen being ground to your exact specific requirement without having to send it away then get it back and hope it's exactly as you want it. There are always plenty of customers for his service so his work speaks for itself. As far as a stub grind goes it's fairly straightforward to do and relatively quick. If I return next year I would try to be there when Kirk was visiting and have more work done.

[Chrissy]

Chrissy, thank you for this. I don't keep up with Iroshizuku series of ink, and I think this one appeals to me.

On my monitor it looks like a dusky brown with a hint of green.

You're welcome.
I think the description of a dusky brown with a hint of green fits yama-guri quite well. It also seems to exhibit a hint of red when the pen is dipped in water but that doesn't come through so much when writing/drawing with it.

If I could buy P.I. 50ml bottles in the US I would do so because there are more offers there. It's very expensive to buy them here. This one has been added to my hopeful wish list just in case I might visit Houston again next year and find it available.

[Jon Szanto]

As always, a fine, in-depth review, Chrissy. I have one pen that is perennially inked with this. Ta!