thINKthursday
kyo-iro Stone Road of Gion

Walk with us as we explore the Stone Road of Gion by kyo-iro.

thINKthursday – kyo iro Stone Road of Gion

Kyo-iro and ky0-no-oto inks are both produced by Kyoto TAG, and are welcome additions to our ink lineup. Stone Road of Gion is an earthy grey sepia that shades wonderfully. These inks are vegetable based, and the kyo-iro series of inks are based on famous locations around Kyoto. The ink comes in a understated but beautifully designed box. The 40ml glass bottle is stout with rounded corners. The bottles opening is big enough to fit any pen. This review was done with a Platinum 3776 F, Lamy Safari B and on Rhodia blank no.18 paper.

Stone Road of Gion is a unique ash sepia that changes considerably depending on which nib one uses. In a fine nib the ink is fairly monotone, although there is some shading. The ink can initially appear grey but on closer inspection there are subtle brown undertones. A broad nib shows off the full depth of this ink, producing some great shading. Earthy espresso colors shade into rich walnut-umber.

The one thing I noticed, and others have commented on this as well, is kyo-iro inks tend to write a little dry. This isn’t necessarily a negative, some people like a dry ink to go in a very wet flowing pen, but it is something to consider when you’re choosing which pen to ink it up with. Outside of that Stone Road of Gion performed very well. There was no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper, and the dry times were good at 15-25 seconds. As mentioned earlier the ink is a great shader brought on partially by its low saturation. The ink did not have any water resistance but clean up was a breeze.

I enjoy earthy colors, so I’ve been liking the whole color lineup of the Kyoto TAG inks. Stone Road of Gion isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those who like subtlety in their inks it is a great choice. Ink it up in a juicy broad nib to get the best of what this ink has to offer.

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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