Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku
Ink Review #42
*Please note that the scan is the accurate representation of this color.
Overview
The color/properties:
Sui-gyoku is a deep aqua green that shades with a soft cut between its varying tones. There’s not a lot of contrast between the areas where the ink pools, and with finer nibs, this ink may appear as a more solid color on paper. Wider nibs go a long way to bring out more of the shading that gives this ink a particularly lush texture.
When doing the droplets Sui-gyoku exhibited a slight red sheen, and on certain papers (Midori MD or Tomoe River, for example) you may notice a hint of red sheening around the edges of where the ink pools. A wetter pen would make that more substantial, but this isn’t a sheening ink, and it’s not something to expect from it in most circumstances.
Ink splat
Ink droplets
Performance on paper:
Sui-gyoku mostly performed well. I experienced some bleed-through and minor feathering in the Kokuyo notebook with most of the nib sizes. Despite that, this ink was well-behaved on each of the other test papers. The dry times were just below average. They were notably better on the Kokuyo paper, but that was also where the ink performed the worst. On the other papers, the finer nib sizes had slightly longer dry times than average, but typically, the larger nibs still maintained dry times within 20 seconds. There was some water resistance, but the ink creates a cloudy haze when exposed to water and the readability may vary.
Water resistance
Chromatography
Performance in the pen:
Sui-gyoku had a wet flow that was consistent across each of my test nibs. I didn’t encounter any hard starts, skips, or stops during my tests, and the ink felt sufficiently lubricated to provide a comfortable writing experience.
Cleaning was easy, and the ink washed out with a basic flush and soak, without leaving behind any traces of color or residue inside the pen.
Value/cost per ml:
At the time of writing, Sui-gyoku can be purchased for $23.73 (from US retailers) for an 50ml bottle putting this ink at $0.47 per ml.
The bottle/packaging:
Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku comes in a decorative glass bottle that exhibits excellent clarity, allowing the color to easily be seen inside the bottle. There’s a textured label marking the name of the ink, as well as a silver tassel around the neck of the bottle creating an especially elegant appearance. The cap is faceted to allow for easier opening and the opening is wide enough to suit filling most pens. The bottle is reasonably stable for filling, and it even has a small divot at the bottom to allow you to get as much of the ink out as possible.
Score: 68/70
Price per ml: 6/10
Performance in a pen: 10/10
Performance on paper: 9/10
Color saturation: 7/10
Sheening: 3/10
Shading: 4/10
Dry time: 7/10
Water resistance: 4/10
Ease of cleaning: 8.5/10
Bottle form: 5/5
Bottle function: 4.5/5
*Only 70 of the 100 available points are required for an outstanding score.My personal thoughts…
I did some research into the meaning of “sui-gyoku” and fell down a rabbit hole. I’m no language expert and some of the explanations and definitions I found seemed rather complex, but the simplest answer seems to be “Emerald.” Fair enough – that makes sense. I see where it’s coming from. The product listings didn’t lie to me after all! Name aside though, I love the color. It’s a welcome diversion from the standard dark blue-green-with-red-sheen that I’ve seen done time and again, and a very welcome addition to my collection.
Written in a Profolio Oasis notebook with a Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero “Caretta Caretta” <F>
More images/info:
Tools and materials used in the writing samples:
A TWSBI Diamond 580 AL with 7 nib units including a Needlepoint grind, EF, F, M, B, 1.1mm stub, and an Architect grind. All nibs tuned to perform at the same medium wetness.
A Rhodia No16 A5 DotPad
A Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
A 68gsm A5 Tomoe River Notebook
A Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Spiral Notebook
A Kokuyo Campus A5 Notebook
Color comparisons:
