thINKthursday
Iroshizuku Fuku-roku-ju

May Fuku-roku-ju bring you happiness, longevity and wealth.

thINKthursday – Iroshizuku Fuku-Roku-Ju

In celebration of Pilot’s 100th anniversary, the company has produced 7 limited edition inks. Each ink corresponds to one of the 7 Japanese gods of fortune and a limited edition maki-e pen. Fuku-roku-ju is the god of heath, longevity and wealth, and is usually accompanied by turtle. The ink comes in Iroshizuku’s standard 50ml glass bottle. The outer packaging is a different, brushed matte gold and the ribbon around the bottle opening is an ornate gold and white braid. This review was done with a Pilot Metropolitan F, Kaweco Sport B and on Rhodia blank No.18 paper.

Fuku-roku-ju is a lovely soft green that showcases a nice range of colors in both a fine and broad nib. At its lightest, the ink is a pastel sea foam green. From there, it shades to a pear green that is close to a standard green. At its darkest, the ink flirts with emerald hues but always maintains a slightly tinted appearance.

As is to be expected with Iroshizuku inks, Fuku-roku-ju behaved wonderfully. The ink had excellent flow with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. It is a moderately saturated ink with good dry times at 20-30 seconds. While the ink didn’t have any water resistance, clean up was very easy.

The Iroshizuku lineup of inks has been consistent for so many years that I was really excited to see some new colors added to the line, even if it’s only for a limited time. Fuku-roku-ju is the more traditional green that Iroshizuku has been missing from its lineup. It’s a well-behaved and easy-to-use ink. Pick up a bottle before they’re all gone.

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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