Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo: Ink Review

Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo is a deep magenta ink that is sure to catch the eyes of others when it's being put on the page.It's got a very smooth flow, great color, and hint of sheen are just a few reasons we love it. Check out the full review below!

Ink Review 

Supplies Used:

• LAMY AL-star with medium steel nib
• Rhodia No. 16 dot pad, 80g white paper
• Tomoé River 52 gsm white paper
• Leuchtturm1917 80g notebook

Smear Test (Dry Time):

• ~20 seconds – Most lines/marks that aren't too saturated will be dry within 20 seconds. Some more heavily saturated areas may take a bit longer to dry.

Drip Test (Water Resistance):

• Low – You may still be able to see a few faint lines but it certainly isn't water-resistant by any means. It may work well if used for ink-washing.

Saturation:

• High – As seen in the swab section of the writing test sheet, there isn't too much of a difference between the first and third swabs. Everything that's put down when using this ink is pretty deep in color. However, if you do get a lot of ink in any one place, you might see some gold-ish sheening happen!

Ease of Cleaning:

• Easy – This ink didn't give any issues when being cleaned out of a LAMY pen and converter but it may cause some staining if left in a demonstrator for a while.

Shading:

• Low – There is some variation that can be seen in some areas when writing/using this ink.

Flow:

• Wet – This ink is on the wetter side, as it seemed to put down a lot of ink despite using different papers. There shouldn't be any flow issues with this ink in any pen.

 Packaging and Aesthetics:

• 50ml glass bottle packaged in a nice box.
• Also Available in Cartridges
• Large opening on the ink bottle and a conical dip in the bottom of the bottle that allows for easy filling.

If you're interested in similar colors, check out our Swab Shop where you can compare colors side by side.

Summary:

Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo is a fantastic choice whether you're using it for fun or for notes and it'll stand out, making itself seen amongst all other colors! It's a lovely pink-leaning magenta color that's got a bit of sheen to it when saturated enough, especially if used on paper that's similar to Tomoe River. It's practical since it dries fairly quickly but it still flows on the wet side for those who prefer a smooth feeling from their ink. It's certainly worth a try, even if you aren't a fan of pink, as the color may prove to be a favorite!

This color is available in a 50ml bottle as well as our 2ml sample size.