Pilot Iroshizuku Autumn Inks

The latest three Iroshizuku inks, Fuyu-Gaki, Tsukushi, and Yama-Guri, plus a couple of comparisons to show which way the ink colour shifts.

Click to enlarge!

Enjoy!

July Update

It's been a quiet few months in pendom for me of late. Work, art and friends have been taking up more and more of my time. But, there are some small tidbits of (old) news to share...

• Pilot Iroshizuku Autumn Inks
  Three gorgeous new inks came out several weeks ago, and I must say that the Autumn edition is my favourite Iroshizuku release so far. With the gorgeous red-orange fuyu-gaki, burgundy-brown tsukushi, and subdued brown tones of yama-guri (which is a match for Penman Mocha, by the way), Pilot couldn't really miss this time around.
  However, I expect others will be less pleased with the Autumn range than I am, because in pendom, blue ink *still* reigns supreme, and I am in a distinct minority because I don't care for blue ink - at all. ;)


• OMAS Princess Scarlet Red
  A second Scarlet Red Princess will join my collection this month, taking my Princess total to six. Scarlet Red is my favourite OMAS celluloid after the beautiful Saft Green.


• Nakaya Piccolo IV
  By now, I should have already ordered my fourth Nakaya Piccolo, but I just can't decide on a design. I have several designs of my own creation short-listed, but love them all equally, so I keep dithering between them and never choosing.
  In the meantime, I have decided to order a Aka-tame Desk Pen. No design motifs, just that classic lacquer with a rose gold SEF nib.

Pilot Iroshizuku Ito-Ya Inks

The other day I received two bottles of Pilot's 'Tokyo Limited Edition' ink. These were made especially for the stationery store to end all other stationery stores, Ito-Ya, Ginza district, Tokyo.

Click to enlarge!

Three inks were produced: Shimbashi-Iro, Edo-Murasaki and Fukagawa-Nezu. Not being a fan of blue, I passed on the Shimbashi-Iro, but the rich red-violet and green-grey tones of the other two were unmissable!

The ink samples I brushed on above are: Yama-Budo, J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune (Moondust), Edo-Murasaki, Fukagawa-Nezu, Fuyu-Syogun and Kiri-Same.

I don't write ink reviews, but keep your eyes on Inkophile, because samples of Edo-Murasaki and Fukagawa-Nezu will be with Margana shortly.

Gel Pens

I'm not a big fan of gel pens in general. The points are usually far too large for my handwriting, but I must say that I have been enjoying Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.25mm gel pens for some time now. I have found them to be wonderful for drawing and sketching in particular.

I really wish they were available in the full colour range, though... the 0.3mm/0.4mm colour range is beautiful.

(This concludes one of my very rare "pens-but-not-fountain-pens" posts!)

Iroshizuku Inks - Autumn Range

My Iroshizuku inks arrived today! Four beautiful bottles! The colours are gorgeous and bright!

Yay Pilot!

(Also posted on FPN.)

New Pilot Iroshizuku Inks!

New Autumn colors from Pilot in the beautiful Iroshizuku range!


Such juicy and sweet colors!

Find them here.

A Pilot Gift

Last week I received a very generous gift - a 1979 Pilot Red Stripe (model name unknown, so that's what I'm calling it).

I received this lovely gift because I mentioned in passing that the pen and I shared the same date code - "1179" (November 1979).

The prized Red Stripe:
Thank you. :)

Waterproof Inks

I am very pleased to report that the waterproof black inks I recently purchased have given me no trouble at all in my fountain pens! When I use watercolour paints or water-soluble pencils on sketches drawn with these inks, no black ink is released by the water and brush.

Pilot Security Black is marginally darker than Platinum Carbon Black - although this is only apparent when the inks are carefully compared side by side. I'm using Security ink in a regular DPP-100 Pilot Desk Pen, and the Carbon ink in a Platinum Carbon Pen. Sometimes the Pilot won't start on the first stroke, but that's the only thing I've noticed. Neither ink appears to settle or do anything unwanted inside the pen.

Ujuku were out of Sailor Kiwagura stock, so I should get that ink in a couple of weeks, but so far I'm thrilled - these inks have worked out perfectly!

Pilot Iroshizuku Ink

The end of 2007 brought five exciting new inks from Pilot - Iroshizuku Color Drops, a range of blue inks with hues derived from nature:


While blue is not my favorite color preference, the Iroshizuku inks asa-gao, ajisai and tsuki-yo have soft undertones of blue-violet and green-blue, making them quite appealing.

I hope the initial Color Drops range is a sign of things to come from Pilot - imagine a small series of this ink in beautiful reds or greens!

Pilot Goodies

Today I finally ordered a few Pilot pens I have been meaning to buy for some time. I'm always apprehensive of buying pens with Fine nibs instead of Extra Fine nibs, but the general consensus is that these Pilot F nibs write like an EF nib does.

If that's the case, great! If not... well, they'll end up on eBay at some point.

1. Pilot Prera - Lime Green, F nib.
The Prera has been recommended to me by more than a few people, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I had a tough time deciding between the Ivory and the Lime Green, but in the end my love of the colour green won out over good taste. ;)
Pilot Legno 89s - Deep Red Cherry Wood, 14K F nib.
This pens looks soooo cute! Like the Prera, it's a very small pen with the flat-top styling that I love.
Pilot Desk Pen - Red, EF nib.
I have a couple of these pens already, but the EF nibs are just so amazing that I had to have another - the line these pens lay down rivals that of my 0.2mm/XXXF Needlepoints.

Now, what colour ink do you fill a Lime Green pen with...?

Incoming Pens!

It's been awhile since my last posting, so today's entry will be a large one - I have lots of nice pen news to share. :)

Last month I acquired some unusual Japanese pens, and while I promised some photos, I didn't get around to posting any. However, they are here now!

Platinum 'Zogan' (1970's)
Initially, I didn't know what to make of this pen, as it was much larger than I had anticipated it would be. I pondered it for a couple of hours, and debated whether it should remain in my collection or not. Eventually, I decided I did like the 'Zogan' and upon inking it with R&K Sepia, I found I liked it even more.

Pilot Etched Floral (1970's)
I saw a couple of these pens sell on eBay earlier this year, but they sold for more than I was prepared to pay (and more than they were worth). Stan had one for sale recently, and I managed to snag my first colour choice at a great price. This is a gorgeous pen, and the photo doesn't do it justice. The metallic enamel inside the deep etching changes under different lighting conditions - really pretty.

Pilot-Namiki Black Red Celluloid (1930's)
I was really pleased to acquire this pen as a NOS item with its box, papers, barrel label etc. It is in great condition, and the dark celluloid and black urushi jewels make a very nice contrast with the nickel trim.

Well Black Urushi Eyedropper (1930's)
Another nice one! The black urushi coating on this pen is perfect, and quite thick. The urushi-clad clip is most sexy, in my opinion. The nib is a nice one, with a cut-out on either side to increase flexibility. I have a Nakaya with an Elastic nib which features similar cut-outs. It's nice to have an early example of such a nib, as well as a modern one.

* * *

In other news, I have several exciting new pens winging their way to me as I type! July has been another good month for interesting pens. A brief summary:

• Platinum PKH-2500. I have one of these cute short-long pens already, as shown here. My current short has a Clover motif, the new short has a Maple Leaf motif.


• Platinum Ivory Celluloid. I’m looking forward to this one. A 1950's Platinum 10 Year model in a lever-fill configuration.


• Well Eyedropper. Yep, another Well... but not quite as old as the first one. This one has a very interesting nib also - instead of a traditional round or heart-shaped vent hole, this Well has the letter W instead. Nifty!


• Yotsubishi Eyedropper. My first Yotsubishi, and hopefully not my last. What makes this 1950's example nice is that it has been finished with a Red Urushi coating.

Lastly, I have my eye on a couple of brand new modern pens. The first is a delicious new Aurora, the Fuoco Minima. I think this Aurora series is based on natural elements, as the Fuoco features a flame motif, just as the Sole Aurea Minima features a sun motif. The colour is beautiful!

The other modern pen I am considering is a Danitrio maki-e pen. I've not yet decided exactly what to purchase though... decisions, decisions!

More Japanese Pens + Fascinating Facts!

This week, I was very pleased to add a few more nifty Japanese pens to my collection. Here's a summary - I will add some nicer photos when they arrive:

• Platinum 'Zogan'. This is a 1970's Platinum with interesting Lamy 2000-esque styling. The cap band has a floral motif in the decorative zogan technique, which is the inlaying of gold into a surface. Platinum revisited the 'Zogan' in the 1990's, this time styling the pen on their classic #3776 model.
  I dislike using other peoples images, but for now here is the 'Zogan':
  The top image is from Stan Klemanowicz, and shows the 1970's model. The bottom image is from the Internet, and shows the 1990's model.


• Pilot Etched Floral. This is a 1970's stainless steel Pilot with gold trim and deep floral sprigs etched into the body. The etchings are filled with a green-gold reflective lacquer. Pretty!


• Pilot 'L'. Someone on eBay advertises these under the name of "Lex" or the more ridiculous "Mysterious Reflections". The other name for this model is simply the "Lady" - however, while browsing Yahoo! Japan one day, I found one of these pens marked "Laureat":
  My "L" fountain pen is on the left, the Yahoo "L" ballpoint pen is on the right. I wonder what Waterman thought of Pilot using the name Laureat?! Ah, the oddities of the pen world...


• Pilot-Namiki Celluloid. This is a nice, red-black mottled celluloid lever filler which is stickered, and has the original box and instructions. I was especially pleased to find this pen, as it is a prewar model bearing a "N" (Namiki) logo on the barrel. In 1938 the logo letter changed from "N" to "P" for Pilot, so I would put my pen as being from 1936/1937. The pen has a steel 'Shiro' nib.
  Pilot fountain pens from the 1930's to 1960's had a couple of different barrel stamps, as shown below:
  The first two lines of text are the standard imprint - sometimes model names or patent info is present, but that's the basic text. The central round 'lifebuoy' is depicted as one of the above three logos, of which the dates concerning the later two are approximate.


• Well Eyedropper. The Well Fountain Pen Company was founded in the 1920's and was a popular prewar manufacturer. However, after the war, the company had a short lifespan and eventually closed in the 1950's. The pen I bought is an Ebonite (hard rubber) eyedropper, coated with black Urushi lacquer - even the clip is lacquered black! This pen also has a steel 'Shiro' nib.

I'll have these pens in a week or two, so look out for some photos then - this is an interesting group! :)

Very Exciting Pen News!

Well, exciting for me at least! Here is a summary of pens I am expecting...

1. A second Nakaya Piccolo Cigar! Special Urushi finish, 14K SEF nib.


2. A stainless steel Platinum, exactly like the one shown in this post.


3. A cute Waterman Lady Charlotte.


4. The Fountain Pen Network 'Limited Edition' Bexley.


5. TEN (10) pens from Richard Binder, which I sent to him for nib customizations - I may have them by the end of this week!

Last week I also received two beautiful Japanese pens from the lovely Mr. K. The first was a small Pilot lever-filler, in a gorgeous red celluloid with a firm XF 14K nib. The second was more special... an unusual stainless steel Sailor with a rather exquisite arabesque-like motif. The motif is machined(?) all over the cap, barrel and section. The detail is quite incredible and perfect, and the nib is a 18K White Gold F.

Long Time, No Pens...

...well, not really. Some very nice pens arrived in April, and it looks like May will bring more of the same.

The above image shows a few nice Japanese pens I acquired last month. From the top:

• Platinum. White enamel with clover motif. 18K Fine.
• Platinum. Pale gold arabesque motif. C/C. 18K Fine.
• Platinum. Stainless steel. C/C. 18K White Fine.
• Pilot. Black with stainless cap. Lever. 'Hardgilt' Steel Flexible Fine.

Also, I received an Aurora 14K EF nib which had been reground to an XF Stub.

Pen & Ink Updates

I have been advised by Pendemonium that the Diamine Umber shipment may finally be arriving. It's been a few months now, nearly four, I think. Damn Diamine.

I've rationalised the number of pens I had inked, and I'm down to eight. Once the Pendemonium inks arrive that amount will easily double, so I might have to trim the current number to five or so...

My writing box restoration is going splendidly. The box has cleaned up very well and I'm in the middle of re-papering the inside compartments with a sedate charcoal-coloured paper. It’s looking really neat and tidy now. :)

Lastly, I've ordered another two Pilot 78Gs from HisNibs, as well as two Hero 329s. I love those F nibs on the Pilot 78G - they are perfection. I'll have every colour now: Teal, Red, Dark Green and Black. :)

Pen Ramblings

More of an update today... no new news to share. :)

Firstly, my Nakaya Piccolo. It is incredibly perfect - I love this pen so, so much.

Next, my Aurora Mini Optima. Not long after I bought it, I felt the ink flow was a little too much. The wonderful Pamela B sorted it all out, and in a roundabout way also gave me the opportunity to have an Extra Fine stub nib ground for the pen. I’m really looking forward to getting it. :)

Two cute Pilot 78G's arrived from HisNibs today - a Teal and a Cinnabar with Fine nibs. Being Japanese this means they are more like extra-fine nibs, and so far the dip-test has indicated these pens are winners! Lovely service from Norman, as usual. :)

Perhaps it's just the combination of the EF nibs and dry-writing pens that I use, but my FPN Special-Edition ink isn't really so brown at all. In fact, it's a middle-of-the-road dirty red-orange. I can see with a wet writer that the colour would deepen, but really, there's a heck of a lot of red in there.

Another Pilot MYU

Picked up a second gorgeous Pilot MYU 701 today. Condition isn't the best, but it will do for everyday use while my other pristine one stays safe in the collection. :)

Pilot Pens Are Sexy

I bought a Pilot MYU 701 Stainless Steel fountain pen this weekend - it's very, very sexy. This is the 'short' version, not the Murex.


Two Omas Princess pens I am awaiting should arrive this week. (Yes, I caved and bought a second one.) I can't wait to test the custom nib on the La Royale Blue. If it's right, I'll send the Saft Green down for the same treatment.

I've also just ordered several bottles of ink, so my mailbox will be a very exciting place for the next few weeks!

Sometimes I simply have no discipline when it comes to pen collecting...