Pilot Iroshizuku

[krazyklod]

Nope don't bother.

Wanna know why???

Diamine ink and Engelica.com, that's why. You can buy empty Iroshizuku bottles from them and only pay for the shipping then use cheaper inks in them. Diamine is excellent quality and many compare it to pilots. So why bother overpaying?

[Adhizen]

I just bought a bottle of Iroshizuku Kon Peki while down in DC from Fahrney's pen store.It wasn't cheap yet, I feel... and this is my oppinion that when I invest is nicer pens and inks I'm supporting something a little more imortant that just buying to fill a functional need. I do have pens and ink that are for my day to day use... yet sometimes I want to elevate it to another level. So the pen has a beauty... and the ink in its bottle is nice to look at... and how the ink moves across the page... its color and saturation... all make the experience of writing or drawing kind of trancendence. That might sound kind of hokey yet there is something about setting up to write that is like setting a table for a fine meal... and then enjoying the process...

[Jon Szanto]

You can buy empty Iroshizuku bottles from them and only pay for the shipping then use cheaper inks in them. Diamine is excellent quality and many compare it to pilots. So why bother overpaying?

And then you have fancy bottles with cheaper ink in them, which seems more than a tad silly. The Iroshizuku inks cost more, and they offer more: the bottles are elegant and well-made, and the inks are second to none in terms of performance and aesthetics. I realize that in various parts of the world, the amount by which these inks surpass a standard, mid-line ink can vary from a modest amount to an awful lot. Whether or not the amount you are willing to pay, above and beyond everyday, garden variety inks, is as much as a bottle of this ink will cost can only be answered by each individual. Nonetheless, they are top quality, and a pleasure to use, look at, and enjoy.

The amount of enjoyment each person chooses to afford themselves varies. These inks are a good indicator of that, and a perfect example of YMMV.

[Roefisher]

It has been mentioned by others but I've also really been enjoying the Pilot Iroshizuku asa-gao (morning glory) blue.

This would be my idea of a proper, rich blue and I just love using it. Along with Pelikan Edelstein Topaz for more fun writing and Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue as a darker option, they easily please me with all the blue shades I could ever wish for.

Mark

[snedwos]

hmmmm, take sumi... I never thought I would like a black ink so much, but writing with it (in a fine nib, no less) is such a pleasurable experience!

But my favourite bit isn't conveyed by pictures: I really like the texture of the label on the bottle! It's what makes a classy product reaaaally classy

[Crossinghouses]

Is it worth it, Well it is made from the Urine of the rare Tibetan Yak that is three times cold filtered through the finest Golden Membrane filters and then bottled by the finest Virgins they could find. So probably yes

What its not, Its just dye and water then its probably not, if you are in the Uk stick with Diamine Inks

Paul

I just had to quote this because it is absolutely beautiful.

[Avalona]

I only own one Iroshizuku ink - Murasaki-shikibu. It's one of the only two that I feel are distinct enough to spend the extra amount on (I'm still going back and forth on Yama-budo). It's a shade of purple that I haven't seen similar of anywhere, and it does write very nicely. But the price... It might take me a while to get through the one bottle, but Noodler's, Diamine, and J. Herbin, however, are much more in my price range.

[Cookies]

I like the properties of their inks, but will only purchase them if the color is really something special. I don't have a problem paying for quality, but I do have a problem with how much they increase the price for overseas customers. It's a much higher percentage than with other imported inks and I think the exporters are really taking advantage of consumers.
If you're in the U.S. you can buy from Japanese seller Santa Trading Japan on Amazon which sells for a much more reasonable price. $21 including shipping the last I checked.

[earthdawn]

I like the properties of their inks, but will only purchase them if the color is really something special. I don't have a problem paying for quality, but I do have a problem with how much they increase the price for overseas customers. It's a much higher percentage than with other imported inks and I think the exporters are really taking advantage of consumers.
If you're in the U.S. you can buy from Japanese seller Santa Trading Japan on Amazon which sells for a much more reasonable price. $21 including shipping the last I checked.

I know what you mean ... I ordered the 2 I have from them and have a third in route. Kon-Peki

[Koyote]

There are a few ink brands that I just trust -- if there is a color I like, I can trust that the ink won't stain or clog or muck up my pen in some other way, and will not feather and bleed like crazy. Sheaffer, Waterman and Pilot inks are like that, and they are not too expensive. Iroshizuku is in this category, too, so I will buy it for a unique color like Tsuki-Yo.

PS: Yeah, I know this is an old thread.

[DrChumley]

Well, I'm an ink hoarder, so I don't really count, but I've now got 9 bottles of Iro, and I still want to get one more color. But I've instituted a very strict one-in-one-out policy when it comes to ink, so I have to finish up a bottle before I buy any more. (I'm sitting at just under 90 bottles, so I could probably go until 2148 without buying any more...

My favorite is Kon Peki, but I'm a big fan of Ku-Jaku and Syo-Ro. I really want to try Shin-Kai next.

[kaisnowbird]

Well, I'm an ink hoarder, so I don't really count, but I've now got 9 bottles of Iro, and I still want to get one more color. But I've instituted a very strict one-in-one-out policy when it comes to ink, so I have to finish up a bottle before I buy any more. (I'm sitting at just under 90 bottles, so I could probably go until 2148 without buying any more...

My favorite is Kon Peki, but I'm a big fan of Ku-Jaku and Syo-Ro. I really want to try Shin-Kai next.

With 90 bottles in your collection, assuming most get used, it would indeed take eons to see an empty bottle. Might I suggest you consider revising your policy to "finish up the volume of ink equivalent to a bottle before buying another one". It's much fairer that way.

Just enabling it forward.

[Bogon07]

Well, I'm an ink hoarder, so I don't really count, but I've now got 9 bottles of Iro, and I still want to get one more color. But I've instituted a very strict one-in-one-out policy when it comes to ink, so I have to finish up a bottle before I buy any more. (I'm sitting at just under 90 bottles, so I could probably go until 2148 without buying any more...

My favorite is Kon Peki, but I'm a big fan of Ku-Jaku and Syo-Ro. I really want to try Shin-Kai next.

I instituted that type of policy on my ink collect at around 30 bottles in total not just Iroshizuku and it was not entirely successful - now I have 60+.
The Iroshizukus mirrored that going from 3 to 5.

[DrChumley]

Well, I'm probably going to start having giveaways of the bottles I don't love on my blog here in the next month or so...so I can get around my One-In-One-Out rule.

[cwent2]

Well, I'm probably going to start having giveaways of the bottles I don't love on my blog here in the next month or so...so I can get around my One-In-One-Out rule.

That's right, rules are meant to be circumvented!

Just sayin'

Cw

[Mags]

Give the ink away or pay it forward to keep the hobby alive. Either way so many inks so little time right.

[cafinn]

Ink hoarding - I could be guilty - I make a point of not counting them - I prefer the mystery. I have about 20 on my desk and three storage boxes on the shelf.

On the topic though, I just got a new bottle of Asa Gao yesterday and with a Platinum 3776 Black/Gold with a music nib. Such a broad nib needs a well behaved ink. I can not believe how little it bleeds through - even on the copy paper and my cheap (work supplied) diary.

This is my new standard ink - pushing aside Waterman Florida Blue.

[Mags]

Cafinn that's a Pilot ink right? They are well done and not overly saturated.

[Ed333]

Staples carries this ink, I ordered a bottle for delivery to my local store, no shipping charges.

[Jon Szanto]

Staples carries this ink, I ordered a bottle for delivery to my local store, no shipping charges.

This is true, but they only carry about a 1/3 of the available colors, from what I can see on the Staples.com site.