thINKthursday
Iroshizuku Chiku-Rin

Calming. Serene. Peaceful and Gorgeous! Throw in shading that goes from pear-lime to deeper olive shades and you’re walking through a Bamboo Forest!

thINKthursday – iroshizuku chiku-rin

A favorite of the pen community, Iroshizuku inks come in a wide assortment of beautiful colors. Chiku-Rin translates to bamboo forest. It is an apt name for this lively spring green.

Iroshizuku inks come in gorgeous 50ml glass bottles and a smaller 15ml glass bottle. At 28 and 11 dollars respectively, it is some of the pricier inks on the market – but as with most things, you get what you pay for. This review was done with a Pilot Metro F, Lamy Safari B, and on Rhodia No. 18 blank paper.

The color of Chiku-Rin varies considerably depending on what size nib is used. In a fine nib, little shading occurs and the color is a fairly uniform pear-lime. In a broader nib, the ink shades a lot, which brings in deeper olive shades. In whichever nib, the ink is legible but it is definitely on lighter side.

As is to be expected with Iroshizuku inks, Chiku-Rin has good properties. The flow was good, with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. Saturation was low, which led to the high shading. Dry times were normal at around 20-25 seconds and clean up was easy. I was surprised that the ink had moderate water resistance. The blue ink that must make the base of the ink was easily legible even after the water washed away a top layer of dye.

I really like the color of Chiku-Rin, but for everyday use it may be a little on the light side. I’ve used it in the past for journaling during the spring time, but it can occasionally be difficult to read depending on lighting. That shouldn’t stop you from giving Chiku-Rin a try – all Iroshizuku inks are a joy to use and come great colors.

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you.

Ink it Up!
Chris

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