PILOTBottle Ink iroshizuku Shinkai, Blue, 50 milliliters

Beautiful blue ink color. Looks professional. Like every single other Pilot Pen Co. product I have ever used, this ink is outstanding in quality and performance. The ink color is pleasing to the eye and it flows smoothly. I have only used it in my Pilot Pen Co. fountain pens with both fine and medium point nibs and the writing experience is very enjoyable and satisfying. No smudges or blotches or smears. The ink dries quickly and seems to work well with all types of paper regardless of the paper quality - so far.This is a superior ink product and I like it so much that it may be the only color I use from this point forward.

Simple but nice color, smooth out of the nib.

Perhaps some judge inks as others judge fine wines, but not me. All I can say is that it's an excellent product and on a par with other inks I use, and similarly priced.

Affordable price

I have a Pelikan ‘1935’ limited edition pen in lapis blue that long has been neglected because I never liked writing with it; it has been a dry and slightly scratchy writer. Having heard these iroshizuku inks are as free flowing as you can find, I decided to try the shin-kai blue/grey version.The pros: For starters, the presentation. The bottle is heavy, nicely proportioned and beautiful. In my ‘1935,’ the ink does indeed flow freely. It seems to be well-lubricated as well; and after just a tiny bit of abrasive smoothing, the nib and pen have become a pleasure to use.The cons: I’m not thrilled with the appearance of the ink. It’s a flat, rather washed out bluish grey — elegant, yes, but a bit too restrained for my taste. I often use Montblanc ultramarine and Pelikan 4001 royal blue, both of which are a lot more vibrant, but not in your face. iroshizuku is premium priced, as is the Montblanc ink; Pelikan’s 4001 inks are far more reasonably priced. For the premium price, I’d expect to be wowed by the look of the ink… this doesn’t do it.On balance, this ink does serve its intended purpose… it’s definitely free flowing and lays down a nice smooth line, without being unduly wet. Not up there with my favorites, but a good work around for problem pens.

Nobody ever mentions this but this ink comes out bright blue and darkens into blue-black when it dries. This makes it one of my all time favorite inks and the only bottle out of many, many bottles that I will soon run out of and have to repurchase. You can't go wrong with this ink. Pretty, yet professional, runs flawlessly in any pen I have used. If your pen doesn't run great with this ink, you know your pen has an issue.

Gorgeous color

Easy transaction, fast shipping & a great price. And Shin-Kai is even better than expected. The perfect blue/black for any situation. Great shading even with a Pilot Vanishing Point EF nib.