Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki
Ink Review #48
*Please note that the scan is the accurate representation of this color.
Overview
The color/properties:
Fuyu-gaki is a vibrant orange with light pink and yellow undertones. It shades with a soft gradient and low contrast where the ink pools. Thereβs not a lot of shading in this ink, but thereβs just enough to bring out the pink undertones in the areas that the ink doesnβt pool to give this ink a cool and refreshing coral glow. There was a minor golden sheen around the edges of some of the ink droplets, but itβs so minimal that I donβt foresee it ever showing up in writing.
Ink splat
Ink droplets
Rhodia
Leuchtturm1917
Performance on paper:
There was light feathering in the Leuchtturm, Maruman, and Kokuyo notebooks. There was heavy bleed-through as well in the Kokuyo notebook, but otherwise, there wasnβt any bleeding on the other test papers. While not a typical condition, there was some light feathering around the edges of the ink droplets (done on Rhodia cards) as well. This ink can be pretty aggressive on paper, and while most fountain pen-friendly paper choices should work just fine, Fuyu-gaki may pose some issues with the less ink-resistent paper options.
The dry times were a touch below average, but all of the nibs dried within the 30-second mark, and on Kokuyo, the ink managed to dry within 10 seconds with all of the nib sizes (although the performance otherwise was the worst). There was some water resistance, but whatβs left over after water exposure may be too light or hazy to be readable.
Midori MD
Maruman
Tomoe River
Kokuyo
Some of the feathering on Leuchtturm (left) and Maruman (right)
Water resistance
Chromatography
Performance in the pen:
During my tests, Fuyu-gaki barely functioned in the needlepoint, but otherwise, the performance was excellent. Fuyu-gaki has a medium flow and feels well-lubricated. I didnβt have any hard starts, stops, or skips (apart from the needlepoint) during my tests, and it was an overall great writing experience. Cleaning was easy as well: the ink washed out with a single soak and flush and didnβt leave behind any residue or traces of color in the pen or nib units.
Performance in a pen: 8.5/10
Performance on paper: 7.5/10
Color saturation: 8/10
Sheening: 1/10
Shading: 2/10
Dry time: 6.5/10
Water resistance: 4/10
Ease of cleaning: 8/10
Shimmer: None
My personal thoughtsβ¦
I originally came into possession of this ink through my girlfriend, who absolutely hated it. Seriously, she disliked it so much that it almost ended up on the freebie table at the DC pen show before I commandeered it for myself. Now that itβs safe with me, I can talk about it. Hooray!
Fuyu-gaki (meaning βwinter persimmonβ) is exactly what it sounds like. Itβs a bright and fresh orange that resembles a fuyu-persimmon β itβs perfect for winter. βA winter orange? Not fall?β Absolutely! You see, fuyu-persimmons are cultivated in the fall, but theyβre harvested and enjoyed in the early winter. Inspiration for the color aside, itβs still an excellent winter orange. That hint of pink undertone changes everything. Now itβs a cool orange. A vibrant orange. But not so much that it looks artificial. No, itβs a beautiful, natural, vibrant orange.
In case anyone was wondering, I did manage to bring my girlfriend around to this ink later. She gave me a Diplomat Elox with a bad nib to repair, and I handed it back to her with a fixed nib and this ink inside, and she loved it. βGuess what ink that is.β
βItβs my Fuyu-gaki, isnβt it?β
Later that day, I found a test sheet on which she had scribbled βDiplomat Elox w/ Fuyu-gaki The Betrayer! β‘β
Another happy ending. π
Written in a Clairefontaine Triumph notebook with a Sailor Pro Grear Slim (medium-fine)
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 are tuned to perform at the same medium wetness.
A Rhodia No16 A5 DotPad
A Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
A Midori MD A5 Notebook
A 68gsm A5 Tomoe River Notebook
A Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Spiral Notebook
A Kokuyo Campus A5 Notebook