Pen Chalet carries several colors produced by Tag Stationery Store in Kyoto, Japan including the Kyoto Tag Hisoku Ink. Number 7 on the list, and one of the newest colors produced by this collaboration between the Tag Stationery Store and Kyoto Kusakizome dyeing laboratory. This unique association has created special ink colors using 1000-year-old traditional Japanese fountain pen ink dyeing techniques along with some modern processes that are inspired by Japanese culture and history. The dye masters at Kusakizome have created exceptional colors, shading and sheening characteristics that are light and expressive. Kyoto Tag inks are sold worldwide and are ready to ship today from Pen Chalet.
One of the newest ink colors in Kyoto Tag’s ink collection is the No. 07 Hisoku. This is a limited edition ink, so be sure to pick up a bottle of this remarkable ink before it is no longer available. Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink is a light muted blue-grey color. Unlike any other color we have tried and truly an ink shade of its own. Pelikan’s Edelstein Aquamarine ink, which was Pelikan’s 2016 ink of the year, is similar but a deeper blue, with more green and less grey. Hisoku means “secret” in Japanese and is a perfect name for the soft muted color of this ink. Like the other Kyoto Tag ink colors, Hisoku has nice shading and sheening characteristics, which fountain pen lovers will enjoy.
Continuing reading for a chance to win the bottle of Kyoto Tag Hisoku Ink we used for this review.
Kyoto TAG Kyo-no-oto Hisoku Ink
We found the following Traits during our review of Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink that you may find helpful:
Testing Factors
We used French made Rhodia dot pad paper, which doesn’t sheen as well as other paper, but works well with fountain pens and a J. Herbin glass spiral dip pen. The dip pen has a tip that is equivalent to a fine fountain pen nib.
Bottle Sizes
Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink comes in only one size, a 40 ml. glass bottle and is part of the Kyoto Tag Kyo-no-oto ink collection. The bottle is a unique functional shape with a large mouth and simple packaging. The simple white label has the number of Kyoto Tag ink along with the name, in this case No. 07, Hisoku. The modern white heavy cardboard box also comes with a simple letter reflecting the same information as the ink bottle label printed with a unique shaped color sample on the front.
Cost
The price point of Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink is on the higher end of the ink spectrum retailing for $28.00 for a 40 ml. glass bottle. Although on the high price range, it is similar to many other luxury ink brands.
Dry Time
During our review we found a quick dry time of approximately 4-5 seconds. This dry time was obtained using a glass dip pen on Rhodia paper.
Bleed Through
Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink is a lightly saturated ink and thus we found absolutely no bleeding during our review, even during the soaking wet cotton swab test.
Feathering
We found absolutely no feathering during normal use on Rhodia paper. However, during our water test, we did notice some line distortion and feathering but at the test’s wettest points.
Water Test
We conducted a “water test” where we run a wet cotton swab over a dried Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink sample. The results of this test were some line distortion and feathering at the wettest points only and some slight color smearing. Overall Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink held up quite well for a water-based non waterproof ink.
Shading and Sheening
One of the best characteristics of Kyoto Tag inks are its shading and sheening tendencies. We experienced some very nice shading, with a darker blue-grey to a light grey shade. There is also a light blue tint that is quite beautiful. Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink also produced some slight red sheening on Rhodia paper where the ink pooled during the cotton swab test. The sheening effects would be greater using other types of fountain pen paper as well as broader nibs that lay down more ink.
In Conclusion
Kyoto Tag Hisoku ink is a great new addition to the Kyoto Tag ink collection. It’s a unique soft muted color that can be used for many purposes. It held up well under the water test and has the possibility of some fantastic shading traits. The dry time is very quick but the price is on the high side. Overall it’s a good buy being a limited edition ink color and is unique enough to have it in your collection. We hope you enjoy this newest ink color from Kyoto Tag!
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