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. There’s not a lot of shading in this ink, but there’s just enough to bring out the pink undertones in the areas that the ink doesn’t 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 it’s so minimal that I don’t foresee it ever showing up in writing.
Ink splat
Ink droplets
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 wasn’t 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 what’s left over after water exposure may be too light or hazy to be readable.
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 didn’t 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 didn’t 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 thoughts…
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 it’s safe with me, I can talk about it. Hooray!
Fuyu-gaki (meaning “winter persimmon”) is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a bright and fresh orange that resembles a fuyu-persimmon — it’s perfect for winter. “A winter orange? Not fall?” Absolutely! You see, fuyu-persimmons are cultivated in the fall, but they’re harvested and enjoyed in the early winter. Inspiration for the color aside, it’s still an excellent winter orange. That hint of pink undertone changes everything. Now it’s a cool orange. A vibrant orange. But not so much that it looks artificial. No, it’s 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. “Guess what ink that is.”
”It’s my Fuyu-gaki, isn’t it?”
Later that day, I found a test sheet on which she had scribbled “Diplomat Elox w/ Fuyu-gaki The Betrayer! ♡”
Another happy ending. 👍
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