Nicely lubricated and wet, and quite black for me.

Lovely ink of course, but fades to gray in an extra fine Kakuno. Ah well. This is why samples are great!

This ink feels luxuriously lubricated on paper, and lays down a lovely dark black with a bit of sheen. I'll probably repurchase this once my sample is done.

Ink similar to Aurora Black in every aspect. I think that Noodler's Black or Platinum Black is a much better value for the money. Please pay attention to the fact that Platinum Black has lighter tone than Noodler's or Pilot/Aurora. It's more like dark grey.

Can't write any more than Iroshizuku inks are excellent performers. I read different reviews about Take-sumi not being black enough or too black. I find that the ink is black enough for documents while being softer and easier on the eyes. As for performance, the ink dries relatively quickly in spite of being wet. There is a little bit of greyish shading but no sheen. Perfect for sketching and writing.

I bought a sample of this color to try out, since this is a more expensive brand of ink. So far, this ink writes wonderfully. I feel like this would be an ink worth purchasing. I did notice that this is a very 'wet' ink. If you prefer drier inks, this may not be what you want to use. I don't mind, however. This black ink brand works well for me.

Very smooth and deep black.

I personally love this ink and the shade of black is perfect! Iroshizuku nails it outta the park every single time.

This is a very lovely black. I really like the flow being a littler more on the wetter side, but not spilling out. It's not too intense, but it is not shy, intentional yet composed, and balancing out to be one of the top staple blacks IMO, up there with wet Aurora black, the indelible Noodler's black.

Great ink cant wait to try the others

In the subjective area of rating inks, I am NO fan of Iroshizuku inks in my pens, although I love their bottles. I write with F and EF nibs; I've tried 6 Iro's now & they're usually too 'scratchy' for me, giving more paper-feel than I like (using: Lamy, Nemosine, Sheaffer, Platinum & Pilot pens). That said this is definitely NOT the case with the Iroshizuku black ink! Also, on my Mac monitor, this ink is in fact darker than the sample pic displays. Take-sumi 'Charcoal' is an outstanding exception to my Iro-grumpiness. It is very well-behaved with no bleeding, even on cheap paper (they all are to be fair); best of all Take-sumi lays down a line that is noticeably blacker than its less-costly counterpart, Pilot Namiki Black, or Sheaffer's or Platinum's black. In fact, the lines I wrote with Take-sumi using an Asian F nib were powerfully darker than the same lines written with a different black using a European M nib, and since my writing leans to the F nib to be readable this makes the case for me. I'll gladly pay a bit more for such an assertive, no-nonsense black ink.

A rich, full black ink that performs well with most papers. I use this as my black ink for tasks at work. It is great for all but the most challenging of applications; I keep some X-Feather around for those situations.

Against Noodler's black, Aurora black, and Faber Castell Carbon black, this Pilot ink is the best. It dries faster than the Faber Castell ink and doesn't feather even on copy paper and index cards. I am quite surprised. I got a lot of ink samples in my last order and I was hesitant to try the take-sumi since the chiku-rin and yu-yake feathered a lot on cheaper paper and even bled through (though they look superb). I take lots of notes in a field notes memo book so I open and close it quickly after I write, it hasn't smudged the ink yet. I'm surprised that it beat the quick dry ink from Faber Castell...witch didn't dry very fast at all. The only thing that could make it better would be if it were water proof and if it cost a bit less. I don't really have a choice but to buy a bottle and just enjoy it. I WANTED to like Noodler's black so much since it has such a following and is nicely priced but this ink is better although not waterproof like noodler's. Aurora feathered way to much for my use and that is my only complaint for them. I may edit later after I see how it does in my flex pen. For me this ink will be my new go to ink.

Excellent true black, velvety, little to no shading. A little slow to dry but generally an excellent choice for black. I'll be getting a bottle as soon as I can source one in the UK!

This is a very good black ink that flows well out of the pens I have tried so far. I am surprised how slick and well distributed the color. Only downside is even with an EF nib the characters started feathering on cheaper notepads. Well only one ink made it past that test so I won't hold that against it. The ink bottle is gorgeous and plan to re-use it in favor of that small nib dip in the center. Water resistance is good enough that it doesn't wash away but not impervious to spread. I am definitely going to get more Take-sumi especially once I switch completely over to fountain pen friendly paper.Great packaging that allowed it safely to reach my door during the winter too!

I was waiting for this one, and very impressed. :) Problem that I face is what to do with my other black inks.

I'd prefer it a little more saturated, but it's still very dark. I will definitely be considering this one to replace my Aurora Black when that bottle is empty. What you're paying for with this ink is the way that Iroshizuku inks behave. Like all Iroshizuku inks I've tried, it behaves exceptionally well in the pen and on paper.

I am a fan of black ink. Take-sumi is not as black as Aurora Black, but is more comparable to J Herbin's Perle Noire. The ink does not feather and dries quickly. I tried it in a Sailor King of Pen with a medium nib, as well as an Omas 360 also with a medium nib It does have a slightly greater tendency to bleed through Moleskine paper than J Herbin. It is not water resistant, but then I think none of the Iroskizuku inks are.Unlike Noodler's Black, there is very little tendency for nib creep. I know that's a matter of personal aesthetics, but it matters to me. The bottle is well-designed. It will accommodate large nibs.Overall I am a fan of this ink, but I am biased because I own about five other Iroskuzuku inks now.

I am so happy that this black ink has been added to the Iroshizuku line from Pilot/Namiki. It performs amazingly in my Namiki Falcon as well as my Lamy Safari. No feathering on Moleskine or Rhodia and a little shading. Definitely worth trying a sample!

I don't use black very often, but when I do, I use Aurora black. Take-sumi is maybe a bit wetter, and behaves well in general, but it seems to feather more than the Aurora. So while I love Iroshizuku, I won't be giving ordering a full bottle.

I'm in love with the Pilot Iroshizuku inks and I ended a reliable black, so I had to try and I'm not disappointed. Dry time is nice with a dry writer like the Pilot Metropolitan, so it can be used for quick letter writing and note taking. I've already gotten a full bottle.

Actually black rather than the apparent gray of the sample swab. Smooth writing and flows well. Yet does not soak through paper to back. On softer papers you can see the ink from back, but ti does not reach the back surface. On softer papers, slightly wider line, but with tip of pen sitting still on paper ink does does not bleed wider.

more of a grayish black when used on Apica Premium notebook

I'm using this ink in the Lamy Safari pen with a medium nib. It's very smooth and writes easily and consistantly- no starting issues at all- providing a clean, crisp black line. The ink and nib are 'buttery' smooth as Katy promised. So far, this is the only ink I've tried in my Lamy. I will be be trying the other Ink samples I purchased soon and will be better able to report on them in future...

I love Iroshizuku inks, but there are other, nicer substitutes for this. Too black, not enough exotic charcoal.

Out of all the black inks I've used, this seems (at least anecdotally) to be the blackest.

Essential to have if you like a dark, true black ink. Flows nicely, dries quickly in my midori travelers notebook as well as my Rhodia dot pad.