The color I found on a day I was lost in choosing ink. Why I chose Pilot Iroshizuku 'Chiku-rin'
Hello, this is Kengi.
When choosing fountain pen ink, have you ever had an experience like this? Standing in the ink section of a stationery store, looking at the rows of bottles, and feeling lost, thinking, 'They all look like similar colors, and I have no idea which one to choose.' Especially with blue and green inks, there are so many varieties that even if you search and compare them on your smartphone, you can't quite grasp the actual color through the screen.
Once you finally buy one and start using it, it might be much flashier than you thought, or conversely, too dull to be fun to write with. The deeper you get into the swamp of choosing fountain pen ink, the less you can see the bottom. Furthermore, even if you find a color you like, you might hesitate, thinking, 'Is this a bit too unique for everyday use?' and end up going back to your usual black ink. For those who keep repeating this cycle and want to find that one 'color just for me,' I have a story I'd like you to read today.
In conclusion, among the Pilot Iroshizuku series, 'Chiku-rin' (Bamboo Forest) is a bottle with an exquisite balance of everyday usability and personality, an ink that will significantly enrich your fountain pen life.
The greatest appeal of Iroshizuku 'Chiku-rin' lies in its unique color positioning. To express it in one phrase, it is a 'deep green with a touch of astringency,' but this phrase alone cannot convey the nuances packed into it. It is not a pure green, nor is it olive; it is a hue that possesses a calmness close to sumi ink while still emitting a solid presence of green.
Under bright lighting, it looks close to a deep green, and in soft natural light, it changes to a bluish green that looks like light filtering through bamboo leaves. This property of changing its face depending on the light is one of the reasons why I never get tired of using it. It is also easy to create variations in shading; the edges of characters written with a broader nib gain depth, and faint green emerges in areas where the ink skips.
There are few inks that allow you to experience the joy of shading unique to fountain pens as naturally as this one. Every time you look back at the characters written in your notebook, you discover the richness of its expression.
Next, I want to focus on the writing comfort and ease of handling that the entire Iroshizuku series boasts. Pilot has a top-class track record as a fountain pen manufacturer in Japan, and there is similar trust in the quality control of their own ink. The Iroshizuku series, including 'Chiku-rin,' is compatible with both cartridges and converters, and can be used as-is in almost all Pilot fountain pens.
The ink flow is stable, skipping at the start of writing is unlikely, and it almost never bleeds due to excessive ink output. It dries relatively quickly after writing, and the fact that it is hard to see through to the back of the page even if you turn the page immediately after writing in a planner or notebook is a real help for everyday use. Also, the bottle shape is beautiful, and it is designed to make it easy to dip the nib even when the ink is running low, so you can use it up without waste until the end.
Just having the ink bottle itself on your desk elevates the atmosphere of your study or workspace, which is a point that stationery lovers cannot overlook. Another reason why 'Chiku-rin' is highly rated is its high versatility. Despite being a unique color, it has excellent compatibility with Japanese characters.
Japanese, which has many fine lines in hiragana and kanji, can become heavy and difficult to read if the ink color is too dark, but the astringent deep green of 'Chiku-rin' tightens the characters without being too assertive, maintaining readability.
It blends in without standing out in any scene, whether it's writing plans in a planner, keeping a diary, or writing letters. Furthermore, when used for letters or cards, it is a color that easily makes the recipient feel that you have 'good taste.' It stands apart from black or blue ink, yet it is not too eccentric. That balance is exquisite, and it has a depth that can be enjoyed by both those who have just started using fountain pens and veterans who have been using them for many years. It can be used regardless of the season, but especially from the fresh green of spring to summer, just using this ink lifts my mood.
Looking at the voices of users who actually use it, comments like 'I thought it was a quiet color at first, but when I tried writing with it, I was surprised by its unexpected presence' are often seen. Also, there are many voices saying, 'The shading is beautiful, and when written with a broad nib, the light and shade of the color appear fantastically' and 'This was the first color ink I bought when I started using fountain pens, and it is still my favorite that I cannot let go of,' making it an ink with many repeaters.
On the other hand, there is also an honest comment that 'depending on the type of paper, the green can sometimes appear a bit too strong,' and tips on how to use it, such as combining it with Tomoe River or cream cotton-type paper to make the color look calmer and more beautiful, are shared in the community. 'Chiku-rin' reminds us once again that fountain pen ink is something to be enjoyed in a trinity with the pen and paper.
In terms of comparison with competing products, there are attractive green inks in the Sailor Ink Studio and classic ink series. However, those can sometimes have hurdles for casual daily use, such as being difficult to obtain or having concerns about the burden on the inside of the fountain pen due to waterproof properties. In that respect, Iroshizuku 'Chiku-rin' can be stably obtained on Amazon or at stationery stores, the price range is accessible, and it has a standard presence that can be used with peace of mind by everyone from fountain pen beginners to advanced users.
I understand the feeling of 'but I don't know if it suits me.' However, the joy of fountain pen ink is something that can only be felt after actually writing with your own hand. 'Chiku-rin' has an intuitive appeal that makes you think 'this is it' from the moment you start using it. If you want to add a little special time to your daily notebook or planner, please try this bottle first. You will surely come to love writing characters even more.