review: 3 oysters giwa

Let's take a look at a 3 Oysters ink!

3 Oysters is a Korean ink brand. It's fairly new to the market: I think it showed up in the West sometime last year. They don't have a huge amount of ink available, though I think they're nicely curated. Giwa is from the "Delicious" lineup, which is a tribute to Korean delicacies and, like, cultural/social touchstones, I think?

3 Oysters Giwa is a deep, brown-tinged green.

For information on how I do my reviews, please visit my policy page.

Giwa has a bit of water resistance. Most of the green color lifts away, leaving behind a khaki-ish tone.

Thisi nk takes quite a bit to try. It stopped smudging between the thirty and forty-five second marks.

There is almost no shading at all on Kokuyo MIO paper in either the fine or medium nibs.

It's much the same story on Tomoe River paper.

I compare this ink to a few of the other dark greens I have in my collection. Funnily enough it's very close to 3 Oysters Black Moss, though Giwa is slightly more green. Diamine Green/Black and Platinum Forest Black are both less gray.

I have this ink in my Live In You Shiyou with a broad TWSBI nib. No issues here. It's not a particularly "nice" combination, but it works.

I don't think I would buy a bottle of Giwa. It's a nice ink, but there's nothing about it that really stands out. It performs well, so if you're looking for a dark green ink it might be a good option!

Where to buy

• JetPens: bottle
• Pen Chalet: bottle / sample
• Vanness: bottle + sample