Graf von Faber-Castell Yozakura Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Yozakura means "night cherry blossom," and that certainly describes the color of this ink from Graf von Faber-Castell. It is the dusty pink color of cherry blossoms in the evening light of Japan.

The 75ml bottle is beautiful in its own right. It is made of glass in an oblong shape with a thick, stable base. The cap is gilded in silver with the Graf von Faber-Castell logo on top.

Yozakura ink is dry and light, especially in finer nibs. It does not exhibit any sheen but offers good shading. Graf von Faber-Castell states that it is indelible ink, though in my water test it faded slightly.

The ink has a salmon tinge to it, as you can see on the Col-o-dex card. Because the ink is waterproof, chromatography doesn't separate the colors effectively.

A large, wet nib brings out the best in this ink with lots of shading, color variation, and pooling.

I used my TWSBI 580 EF nib to test the ink in longer writing sessions. This wasn't the best choice, in retrospect, because the ink is so dry and light. It's almost unreadable in my MD Paper journal. However, I think it would work much better in broad and stub nibs that have a wet flow.

Yozakura is similar to Robert Oster Sushi (reviewed here). It's a bit darker than TWSBI Pink and much lighter than Kyo-iro Keage-Sakura and Iroshizuku Tsutsuji.

I love dusty pinks and purples, so I created a mandala with Yozakura and Kyo-no-oto Sakuranezumi (reviewed here). This isn't one of my better mandalas, but I like the color combination.

You can purchase Graf von Faber-Castell Yozakura from Vanness Pens. 75ml costs $32.00. That's a lot of ink, so you might want to try a 4ml sample first ($4.00).

(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Graf von Faber-Castell Platinum-Plated Perfect Pencil Review

It’s not worth it.

There is no point in burying the lede here. The Graf von Faber-Castell Platinum-Plated Perfect Pencil has not been worth the money I spent on it.

As with any product that costs a decent amount of money, I didn’t rush into the purchase. I was fascinated by the looks of the Perfect Pencil, and spent the better part of two years with it in my mind. I picked one up any chance I could, read reviews when I could find them, and generally worked through the process in my head. I do this a lot for all types of purchases.

I finally decided to bite the bullet this Spring. I was excited! And the excitement didn’t stop once I received the Perfect Pencil. But, after extended use I realized this is not a product for me. Let’s break it down.

The Good

This is a beautiful product. That’s what drew me in. It is stunning to look at, to hold, and to use. It’s an all-time design classic. The platinum-plated cap is the star of the show, with its traditional GvFC styling. You can tell from a mile away what it is. The construction is excellent too - it feels like a well-made product. Even the pencil has additional features, such as a matching platinum-plated twist cap over the eraser, and unique machined grooves down the barrel. I have zero complaints around the aesthetic of this product.

The Bad

The price. Let’s not beat around the bush here. At $260, I knew beforehand that it was egregious for what it was, but that can be said about most any pen or pencil I buy. I buy products like this because I enjoy them, not because I need them. No one needs any of this! But if I am spending this kind of money on what is essentially a glorified pencil cap I want to feel that it is money well spent. That it was worth it. I don’t feel that at all with this model of the Perfect Pencil.

If the overall price isn't enough of a deterrent, the pencil price alone will stop you in your tracks. They are sold in a 5-pack for $50. Even I can do that math. I didn’t buy any extra pencils with my order, knowing that I would be trying and using other pencils I love in the Perfect Pencil cap. The marketing says the cap only fits GvFC pencils, but that’s just not true. It didn’t fit every pencil I tried, but more than enough worked perfectly well.

The Ugly

The sharpener. This is what broke the spell for me. It’s not good enough to make me enjoy the experience of carrying a $260 pencil around. In fact, I hate it. When you are a stationery junkie like me, you learn what you like, what you accept, and what you dislike. I like long point sharpeners. I knew this wasn’t one, and I accepted that fact thinking the experience and quality of the Perfect Pencil sharpener would be fine. It wasn’t. It is frustrating to use, and worse, does a bad job at its only job.

I didn’t buy the Perfect Pencil to use another sharpener with it. That defeats it’s entire purpose in my mind. But I do, because I don’t enjoy using this one.

The Wrap-up

Everyone has a different formula in determining the value of non-essential items in their life. I’ve spent far more on goods that I love and use daily, and I’ve spent far less on products that are collecting dust. My mental math told me that I would enjoy the Perfect Pencil and that the price would be justified, but I didn’t get a true feeling of the product until I put it through my own personal ringer. In the end, this product provides more frustration than enjoyment, making it not worth it in my book.

My assessment of this product leaves one big open-ended question on the table: What do I do with the Perfect Pencil now?

(I purchased this pencil at full price from C.W. Pencil Enterprise.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!