review: pilot iroshizuku tsuki-yo

Here's another Pilot Iroshizuku ink review! We're still looking at blues and blue greens today, so you know I'm a big fan of these tones.

All my Pilot Iroshizuku inks come in the smaller 15ml bottles. I've talked about these before, but they're a nice way for you to try out the relatively pricy Iroshizuku inks without breaking the bank. In the U.S., they usually come in pre-packaged, three-bottle sets: Spring, Summer, and Fall. I usually buy Iroshizuku in Taiwan, where indie stationery stores distribute these sets in build-your-own boxes.

Tsuki-yo is a dark blue, on the lighter end of what I would consider blue-black.

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The ink is quite water-resistant. Much of the surface ink will lift off but what remains is nicely readable.

It took more than fifteen seconds to dry, but didn't smudge when touched at the thirty second mark. 

In both the fine and double broad nibs on Kokuyo MIO paper, there was a small amount of shading. It looks nice!

There is the slightest amount of sheen on Tomoe River paper. In very heavy applications there is certain to be much more, but my Kaweco AL Sport was running a little dry when I did this sample.

I've compared it here to a bunch of blue-black inks that I own. Robert Oster Signature Great Southern Ocean is kind of close, but there's such a range of tones in blue-black inks that Tsuki-yo is kind of out there on its own.

In my Kaweco AL Sport with a double broad nib I struggled with some dry flow. This would be an issue with the pen, not the ink: I've inked up Tsuki-yo previously and it flowed nicely in other pens. After breaking in the AL Sport a bit I had a much better experience.

Would I purchase this ink again? I'm not sure. I think if I wasn't already packed to the gills with blue inks, I would. Pilot Iroshizuku has dropped in price in recent years, which means it's far more affordable for me as a "treat yourself" item.

Where to buy

I purchased this ink with my own funds.

• The Goulet Pen Company: bottle / sample
• JetPens: bottle (15 ml, 50 ml)
• Pen Chalet: bottle
• Wonder Pens: bottle + sample

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This post was updated on 4/12/20 to match my current review methodology.