Posts filed under Kyo-no-oto

Kyo No Oto Sakuranezumi 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.)

Kyo No Oto inks are made in Kyoto, Japan. Also known as Takeda Jimuki or TAG, the inks in this collection are meant to evoke colors from the beautiful city of Kyoto.

Sakuranezumi is a purple-grey color inspired by cherry blossoms beneath grey, cloudy skies. Literally, the words "sakura" and "nezumi" mean "cherry blossom mouse," which just makes me so happy. I mean, these days, it's the little things, am I right?

The ink comes in a 40ml glass bottle curved on the sides and flat in the front and back. The bottle is tall enough to ink large nibs (unlike the flat, round Sailor bottles that drive me crazy).

This dusky-grey purple is, in a word, glorious. On the Col-o-dex card, you can see the various shades of the ink in the swab and the green sheen in the splats.

Sakuranezumi is especially pretty on white Rhodia paper. I used my Leonardo Furore with a 14k 1.3 stub nib to test the ink. It displays excellent shading and is saturated enough to work well in all nib sizes. The ink is fairly wet, drying completely after about 35 seconds. It is not waterproof.

Chromatography displays the complexity of this ink. It contains multiple colors which make for the rich purple-grey when combined.

Kyo No Oto Sakuranezumi Ink Chromatography

The ink is lovely in extra-wide nibs (such as my Handwritmic ruling nib), demonstrating shading, sheen, and deep pools of color.

I used my MD Notebook Journal to practice calligraphy and to write a long passage out with the Leonardo stub. This ink looks extra nice on cream-colored paper.

Kyo No Oto Sakuranezumi Ink Alphabet Close

I looked through all my purple ink swatches, and none of them was similar to Sakuranezumi. I'm sure there are probably similar inks, but to my great delight, I don't own them. I love it when I find an ink that is unlike any in my collection.

You can purchase Kyo-no-oto Sakuranezumi from Jet Pens for $22.00 (for a 40ml bottle). Yes, this is a higher priced ink, but if you love moody colors with lots of character, it's totally worth it.

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

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Posted on September 4, 2020 by Susan Pigott and filed under Kyo-no-oto, Ink Reviews.

Kyo No Oto Fountain Pen Ink Giveaway

Yesterday, I reviewed Kyo No Oto Nurebairo, and today I’m giving away one bottle of Kyo No Oto ink in the color of your choice. The Raven color of Nurebairo is my jam, but yours may be the pink of Imayouiro or the green of Kokeiro. One winner will get to chose their ink, which will ship directly from JetPens. Read the rules below and enter away!

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Kyo-no-oto, Giveaways.

Kyo No Oto Nurebairo Ink Review

Kyo No Oto Nurebairo is a black ink that breaks the boring mold.

I’ve used other black inks in the past - primarily Sailor Nano Black - but there are no other black inks that I choose to use, unless forced to do so. That’s a common issue for black inks. Why use it when there are thousands of inks on the market with more color and character?

Nurebairo is the first black ink in recent memory that I actually look forward to inking up and using.

For starters, I see this as a very black ink on the page - especially when I’m using a wide, wet nib like this Nakaya broad stub. It goes down thick, and dries dark. I bring this up because some users see a dark blue undertone with this ink. I see that shade if I spread it on thin and dry, which I think is a feature. That undertone of blue is one of the reasons I love it.

Secondly, this ink sheens well. The full perimeter of my letters on the page show a bronze-tinted halo. But, it is a very office-friendly look at the same time. If your boss peeks over your shoulder at your notes they won’t have to wonder what wild shimmer ink you’re using. It is boring black from afar, but you can see how special it is from close range.

Thirdly, you can’t see any of this in my photos. The character of the ink was practically impossible for me to capture.

*This is as close as I could get to showing the sheen. The page is angled in the light, picking up the added color in the top half of the image. (Yoseka notebook)*

Nurebairo translates to “jet black,” which I think is fair. Many other users of this ink refer to it as Raven, which I think is a better description. Have you ever seen the iridescent shine on a raven’s feathers? That is what this ink is like. This color is not basic black, it is Black+.

If I’m forced to list a downside to this ink it is that it’s not waterproof. That never changes my opinion of an ink, but I also don’t require waterproofness for daily use. If I did, the aforementioned Nano Black does the trick, along with the hugely popular Platinum Carbon Black, which is an artist favorite.

Is there another black ink on the market that is as interesting as Kyo No Oto Nurebairo? If so, I would like to try it, because I have no use for any other black ink than this one.

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

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