review: pilot iroshizuku ina-ho

Hey everybody! Welcome back for another ink review. I'm working through the ink samples that I picked up while I was in Toronto. I hope you enjoy this review!

Ever since I saw Ina-ho on Aileen's Instagram feed, I've been very intrigued. It's a color that I don't think I've ever seen before; I've always been a fan of interesting greens, and it seems that quite a few brands have their own version of a "standard" green.

I tend not to buy Iroshizuku inks because they're a bit expensive. I usually buy the smaller 15 ml bottles, as I've only ever bought them in Taiwan, and most stores don't sell the larger ones. I have to say that the small bottles are very enticing. They're beautiful in their own right: they come in a set of three, nestled in foam and encased in a plastic, clamshell case. In the U.S., you usually have to purchase in pre-made sets; in Taiwan, I've only ever seen them in choose-your-own displays. 15 ml is a good size: you get a nice number of fills in your average cartridge/converter, and you can test out colors before you splurge for the larger size.

Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho is a green-brown color.

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This ink has very little to no water resistance. Most of it will fade quite readily if it comes in contact with water.

It takes a bit longer to dry than other Pilot Iroshizuku inks, but it's still dry to the touch before thirty seconds on Kokuyo MIO paper.

It doesn't shade much in either the fine or broad nib.

On Tomoe River paper, it doesn't quite shade. But it almost looks like it should be? It's hard to describe.

I compare it to a couple of inks that I have, none of which are quite similar. Platinum Classic Citrus Black might seem close, though it's more yellow and also an iron gall ink. De Atramentis Umber is much less saturated. Colorverse Dust Storm is lighter and more yellow, and Colorverse Gluon has shimmer (though it's hard to tell) and is more green.

I have this ink in my TWSBI Diamond 580 with a broad nib, but this ink shines in stubs and italics. I had no issues with flow—Pilot Iroshizuku inks are a good, all-purpose inks, and Ina-ho follows suit.

Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho is a desert island ink for me. I love the way that it seems to shift color. It looks good pretty much anywhere. I'm a big fan.

Where to buy

I purchased this ink with my own funds.

• The Goulet Pen Company: bottle / sample
• JetPens: 15 ml, 30 ml bottle
• Pen Chalet: bottle / sample
• Wonder Pens: bottle + sample

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This post was updated on 1/12/20 to match my current review methodology.