Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Ink 15ml - Shin-kai (Deep Sea)
There are blue-black inks, and then there is Shin-kai. Named for the Japanese word meaning "deep sea," this dark, smoky blue hints at the inky depths of the ocean - subtle, moody, and endlessly versatile. It occupies a middle ground that few inks manage with such elegance: serious enough for the office, yet complex enough to reward those who notice these things.
A colour that lives and breathes
What makes Shin-kai genuinely distinctive is how it behaves on the page. It goes down as a rich medium blue and dries to a vintage, dusty tone that shifts depending on the paper and the light. Subtle grey and purple hues emerge depending on how dry the ink is and the angle at which you view the paper, along with a very nice, understated red sheen. This depth of character is rare in a blue-black, and it is precisely what has earned Shin-kaia devoted following among fountain pen enthusiasts worldwide.
It is the perfect combination of blue and black, with none of the stray green, teal, purple, or grey tones that mar lesser blue-black inks.
Performance you can rely on
Shin-kai produces no feathering and zero bleed-through, even on smooth papers like Rhodia, making it an excellent choice for high-end notebooks and planners. It works with any size nib, from extra-fine to broad stubs, and flows with a lovely, consistent wetness that keeps even more demanding nibs running cleanly. Dry time is quick for an ink of this saturation - it dries fast and has no tendency to smear or smudge, which is welcome in everyday use. Water resistance is moderate: some ink may wash away if the page gets wet, though legibility is typically preserved.
Cleaning is straightforward, as you would expect from the Iroshizuku range, and the ink will not dry on the nib between writing sessions.
The Iroshizuku standard
The word "Iroshizuku" combines the Japanese words for colour and droplet - "coloured dew" - a name that captures the philosophy behind the entire range. Each ink in the collection captures a particular scene or feeling from nature, and Pilot's Iroshizuku line is widely recognised for its smooth flow, sophisticated colours, and premium packaging.
The 15ml bottle is a hand-blown glass vessel with a concave well at the base - a considered detail that makes it easy to fill your pen even as the ink runs low. It arrives in a silver presentation box that is restrained and precise, exactly in keeping with the ink inside.
Specifications
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Soft armchair
$420.00
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