These New Iroshizuku Inks Are AWESOME (Hands On!) | Goulet Q&A Ep. 293

[@ericneal8582]

Can we take a moment to appreciate that 7 minutes was spent discussing feed adjustment followed by almost 20 minutes on ink properties? Where else are we going to get this level of passion and nerdery? So glad to have found Goulet Pens!

[@fossilimprint2954]

YES please add "Wet vs. Dry vs. Average" for your inks! This is something that I would find most useful. Also, I noticed that some inks have a paper showing how much water resistance it has (where you actually show the results of water on the ink). If possible, please make this for as many inks as possible.

[@Dosbomber]

Sometimes a pen wants a wetter ink to work better. Rather than taking the risk to "adjust" the pen, it'd be nice to just go with something more wet/lubricated as a test before doing anything dramatic.

[@TomThomson_achubbyscotsman]

Some geeky Knoweldge for you here as feedback on Oak trees, my whisky background adds some additional elements here, for Iron Gall inks.American White Oak (Quercus Alba) used for Bourbon is lower in Tannins that European Red Oak *Quercus Robur or Quercus Petraea) and is higher in Lactones (vanilla, sweeter notes, coconut), and although Galls also form on the American White Oak they tend not be used for Gall inks due to their lower Tannin levels with the Tannic acid assisting in the production of Gall inks. European Red Oak is higher in tannins ( thus why many wines and spirits from Europe are more tannic) and it is also where these inks were traditionally produced and European Oak is most likely where the galls are havested for when making iron gall inks.

[@InkyMD]

As a data geek I would love if the surface tension and viscosity of the ink was recorded in the tech specs of the ink.

[@SKton-c1g]

I just want to know if an ink would or not be able to write flowlessly in Neponset & Triple Tail. Those pens are very picky, all other pens can write with all inks !

[@E.Williams-z9y]

Colorverse provides those properties, and ph too.

[@madisonlerma6939]

I was so scared with that pause 😮‍💨

[@tlr9230]

💜Love the new pilot iroshizuku inks & demos! Thank you, Brian(s). Have a wonderful holiday break!

[@dlmarsh1916]

I ordered the three new Iroshizuku inks from you for my Christmas present to myself. They arrive Tuesday. After seeing this video, I can't wait to try them out! And, thank you for the discussion of iron gall inks. I use Tools to Liveby blue black in my everyday writer, a Sailor Pro Gear Slim 《ef》 nib. I was wondering if there might be a problem. Sounds like it should be okay.

[@mumalogue]

Brain err Brian, thank you so much for the insider blotting scoop, I can merrily blot away guilt free now. Best wishes for the new year

[@campingknitter]

thanks for the video! love the new pilot colors - going to order samples as a new year's gift to me! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

[@sorual4604]

I think the best way to integrate subjective qualities into the website would be to work it into community reviews. Maybe have the option to input certain qualities (Ex: Sliding scale from "dry" to "wet") as part of the reviews for an ink. Aggregate them to give an idea of the community consensus. This could also be used for pen/nib qualities like toothyness and bounce. Even if something is subjective, it can still be aggregated.

[@followyourbrush]

I had a Conklin with an uneven flow. I ordered a new nib, watched your video on how to change the nib. I bravely used the nib grip I purchased from you and carefully removed the nib. Then I discovered the nib I ordered was not compatible. ( first time doing this stuff) So I carefully replaced the original nib, and it began to write better! So I unknowingly “fixed” it! 😂 I will go about it differently next time, but I kinda thought it was funny! Pam

[@GingahSnapsArt]

The problem with "wet vs dry" is the variability even beyond what you cited. Consider the environment which the ink/pen is being used in. Even weather - comparing hot/humid vs hot/dry vs cold/humid vs cold/dry - these are veeery different environments. I can say from experience that paints (watercolor, acrylics), paper (especially watercolor paper), and at least gel pens - all behave differently between environments - to a point where some art supply items are notoriously "well behaved" or "poorly behaved" in different parts of the world. (Ex honey based watercolors + humid environment = *HOT MESS*) I imagine inks probably have similar (but hopefully less extreme) variability in different environments. Which is yet another confounding factor to contend with. I appreciate the detailed ink swatch (which includes dropping water on ink and smudging at certain time frames) - I feel that is helpful definitely. But for a "wet vs dry" filter... as you say - *it's complicated*.

[@denniskirschbaum9109]

I think I bought a pack of blotter paper 10 years ago (from Goulet). It lasts a really long time. I love my rocker blotter. Transports me back 100 years. 🙂

[@sorual4604]

Amateur nib meister here! Something I've noticed is that bouncier nibs are more difficult to get writing smoothly compared to stiffer nibs. Like my Pilot Falcon, which I can get to write like a dream until there is even slight variance in pressure or rotation, at which point I get scratches. I find that this is hardly a problem at all on stiffer steel nibs, perhaps because there isn't as much variance of the tines relative to each other. My question is: Am I hallucinating? Or is this a real thing?

[@blueplague5911]

Ah, you're so funny Brian. I hope you have a good holiday.

[@Laine_1219]

I really like the black purple Syun-gyo color! I can’t wait to try it, it just might be my new favorite ink color for work! That yellow looks exciting to use as well!

[@danbradli4970]

Merry Christmas! Did kind of miss some Christmas sweaters this season! 😂

[@kirbynix9189]

Really appreciated the deep dive on the iron gall question. I had heard you talk about the relative safety of modern iron gall inks in the past, but I recently picked up a sample of Citrus Black from a local brick and mortar store (I split my fountain pen shopping between the local brick and mortar store and Goulet for online stuff) and was warned to be careful with it, and started second-guessing everything I thought I had learned, lol. I knew the very basics of how iron gall inks were formulated, but the depths you went to in your research were fascinating to a nerd like me, and I learned quite a lot, and had my fears quieted -- time to ink up this sample and have some fun!

[@BlushnBlue]

Beautiful ink! Pilot is my absolute favorite.

[@Donna_G]

I think all inks are wet since they are made using water and water, in my opinion, is wet. However, the same ink can flow better in one of my pens and not the other. Since I don't know how an ink will work in a particular pen, I would purchase an ink sample. If the sample that I pick for a particular pen doesn't work, then I am glad that I didn't buy a full bottle and will try something different.

[@juicylouisey]

@an ink guy (Adam) He does brilliant KZbin ink reviews. I do like his chromatography. Especially for blacks. Complex ones stay darker on extra fine nibs. And it gives an idea of water resistance. Flow tests are good too. Resistance tests for how to clean your pen of the ink.

[@SilverSeaOT7]

Thanks for all the info Brian. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

[@marcusm359]

Why is Diamine Ancient Copper notorious for being so dry? It doesn’t strike me as being super saturated to cause issues.

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi Brian! Thanks for another great Q&A! Those Pilot inks look really good! Going to sample those, probably! May EVERYONE have a super Christmas!

[@osirisgolad]

I think the issue with ink properties is mainly an issue of language, not science. Flow and lubrication simply aren't the same thing, not to mention that the amount of ink deposited onto the paper can be very different from how readily the ink makes its way from the ink reservoir, through the feed & slit and finally to the tipping.

[@ylee7644]

Definitely try to add wet/dry information. It could be vague like "leans wet/dry", "moderately wet/dry", "wetter/drier". But that information would be super helpful. You'd also need a reference base, but please don't use Noodler's Black for that. It would have to be an old, consistent, widely available ink, or else one that you personally know the chemical make-up of (ie. one that you own or can control for reference purposes). Good luck!

[@Danny.._]

kanji meanings and fun facts: to-ro 燈路 (japanese pronunciation tourou): not a word in japanese, but made of the characters for lamp/lantern (燈 - the archaic version, the modern simplified version is 灯 and this old version only exists today in proper names) and path/road (路), so the meaning would be lantern path, and evokes the image of a path at nighttime lined with hundreds of traditional paper lanterns, maybe during a summer festival, and the ink is the color of the light of those lanterns. shun-gyo 春暁 (japanese pronunciation shungyou): spring dawn, or the dawn of a spring day, and Brian described that himself in the video. rikka 六花: made from the kanji for six and flower, it means snow - it's a very poetic word to be sure, not the normal word for snow and you'd never hear anyone say rikka to mean snow today; it's only used today as a girl's name

[@PennedUp]

Happy Holidays, Brain

[@justagerman140]

Great, just as I got the whole iroshizuku line up as an Advent calendar they add three new colors...

[@nsatoday]

I love Pilot as a company; however, I’m frustrated that nib options are still a problem in the U.S. since the FM is so near to a western fine, why can’t I order it on an 823? Why is the FM nib unit for the vanishing point not available separately or on a decimo? Then plain colors. So you can get a Black, deep red, Blue, and green 74 in Japan. Why not in the 742 and 743. Same thing with the nib selection though. It’s just frustrating.

[@TheRacerRich]

It's not so much a wetness rating that would be beneficial but a "warning this is one of the very dry ones" or "this is one of the very wet ones"

[@davegoodridge8352]

I hope everyone has a great Christmas. And we all have a wonderful new year. Thanks

[@marknovak9310]

I think determining whether an ink is wet , dry or in between would be helpful. However, to save time I think just listing an extra dry or an extra wet ink would be plenty since so many inks are the same and splitting hairs between them would not be worth the time.

[@lynnephelps2370]

Thank you SO MUCH for the deep dive on my question about wet vs dry inks!

[@ElPlacerdeLaEscritura]

I am mixing ASA-GAO that was a little dull with RIKKA and i love the result. Great video, thank you Brian!

[@mumalogue]

Thank you for all the answers on blotting! Have a wonderful break.

[@enrich_83]

I’m excited to get my hands on the ink samples for the new Pilot Iroshizuku inks that just came out. I’ve been wanting to try out the Rikka in my limited edition Pilot Vanishing Point 2024 Seashore that I bought from you guys 2 months ago. The Syun-gyo caught my attention from the get go so debating when to buy the samples. The Syun-gyo seemed like a browner looking color at first glance but I liked the shade of darker purple that it was showing depending on the paper used. Just a random question ran through my head but for sheening and shimmering inks I heard that it’s better to go with broad nib fountain pens but any suggestions on which brands of fountain pens to go with those types of fountain pen inks?

[@NameLikeNobodyElse]

I love throwing random ink samples in my cart b4 checkout! I get to find new inks in the group every time. Highly recommend the random sample ink set.

[@sorual4604]

It's sometimes hard to realize that even though GPC has perhaps the single strongest online presence of any company in the fountain pen community, it still pales in comparison to established pen and paper brands in terms of scale.

[@maryannehommel103]

Thanks for answering my question about feeds, it was helpful for ruling out what might be wrong. I think your teams take on ink would be helpful, once you establish your wet/dry parameters I would know how to place that in my preferences. Missed your Christmas sweaters, Merry Christmas to the fam and the team!

[@debpaynepurnell6131]

Those inks are beautiful.

[@ivanupton6586]

For those Interested the Canada Post Strike was pretty much exactly a Month November 15 to December 17 I believe are the precise dates

[@JosephDickson]

The Brain of Goulet.

[@Dosbomber]

15 years ago or so, when I was doing international business for the company I work for, Uruguay's postal service was on strike for at least 6 months, during which one of my Uruguay customers had placed an order. He asked about it some months later, as he apparently didn't know the strike was going on. Uruguay no doubt pales in comparison to Canada as far as items being transported... I'd love to get a peek at the mountain of packages that are awaiting delivery by CPC in Canada, even after only ONE month.

[@followyourbrush]

I would like to have an idea of general information on wet or dry categories, understanding that the conditions will vary with nib size etc. But I think it would be helpful to know the “probability” of wet or dry. It would help me to decide what pen may work with it better. Similar to knowing if it’s a sheen or shimmer ink. I’m learning some of my pens will tolerate the ink better than another. Don’t personally need specific scientific information. 😂

[@the-wonder-of-it-all]

I got the group Christmas photo!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!! Sure made me happy!!!

[@mellow-jello]

Guess who else is wearing red-black buffalo checkered flannel top, haha? As a Canadian, it is part of our winter uniform, like a Sherpa lined jean jacket, Canada Goose parka, and a pair of Sorel 1964 PAC winter boots.

[@dopacr11]

I would like to see ink wetness and dryness in your descriptions. Happy Holidays to ALL🎉🎄

[@Carbon.Organic_Emperor12]

TODAY I JUST BOUGHT PILOT IROSHIZUKU TSUTSUJI IF I KNEW ABOUT NEW COLOURS I WOULD HAVE ORDERED THOSE INSTEAD!!!😨 Anyway goulet pens is a big influencer of fountain pens so I mostly relay on you guys for fountain pen updates 😊

[@kjmav10135]

Tsutsuji was one of the first inks I bought when I started with this hobby. It’s super BRIGHT and saturated! It’s really in-your-face, isn’t it? I use it when I feel the need to be in somebody’s face! 😂

[@Carbon.Organic_Emperor12]

@kjmav10135 yea you are right I just bought it as pink which is something different. I want to HAVE all iroshizuku ink but that's not possible due to special editions so I want some really beautiful and vibrant inks of pilot but also in general !

[@Carbon.Organic_Emperor12]

@@kjmav10135 how many inks do you have

[@gihanzohdy3284]

Tsutsuji is a great colour.

[@kjmav10135]

@ I agree! If one is looking for a very bright pink-it’s very bright!

[@mirrorknight12]

Would love a wet or dry indicator on the website. I've had a lot of trouble with dry inks and flow, so I tend to look for wet inks when I can.

[@sarahmitchell9247]

Yes, please…help any way you feel to address wet vs. dry inks…subjective or not would be helpful

[@franziskaschwarz9556]

Dear Brian, I got a curious nib question: is an architect nib the same as a long sword nib? I came across the brand Hongdian and ordered two fountain pens each with a long sword nib. which kind ob works exactly different to a wide, calligraphy nib. pulling the nib down causes a thin line, pulling it to the side it will cause a wider line. I just love it, changes the whole writing experience for me. So I looked up a few brands and their nibs and just by the looks it seems like an architect one is the same or similar. Can you enlighten me what by definition you guys know as an architect and long sword nib. Thanks a lot. Fran

[@DarwinSwimsWithTheFish]

@TheGouletPenCompany Thanks for all the videos and the special edition history information on the blog, all very helpful and informative. 👍

[@lord_ishamael]

Hey, hope all is well! I've been a fountain pen user for the past few years on and off, and I just settled into my long-term career as a trucker. I've been using a Lamy Al Star as my daily driver filling out forms on the go, however it is not ideal as driving all day I commonly go through mountains with large elevation changes. If I dont keep my pen near full capacity, I get the dreaded burping and following cleanup. So my question is this; Are there any pens like the TWSBI Vac pens that have the ability to fully seal and help allow for controlled pressure equalization by cracking the cap with the pen upright like opening a soda, or similar anti-burping measures built into the pen? I like the Vac's in theory, however my last one got a bent piston (as im pretty clumsy) and I dont really want to get another and risk that again.

[@jeremynuttall5965]

Howdy Brian! I recall seeing in period style movies, after a quill pen or sometimes a fountain pen is used, a dry powder being lightly sprinkled over the top of the ink and then blown off. Are you familiar with this practice and do you know what the powder is that was used? The blotter paper question reminded me of these rare clips in movies I've seen over the years. Thanks for a great year of movies... I mean videos... I mean..... Ya know! Thanks!!! Merry Christmas to you and Rachel and the kids and the Goulet team! Keep up the great work!!!!

[@lynnephelps2370]

I think it was a fine-grain sand.

[@Gurumukh321]

Hi guys I own sailor 1911 and the grip where we hold the pen to write is broken off but everything inside is fine the nib and internal stuff, it writes and everything is but ink comes on my finger so I was wondering is there any replacement for it or the pen is useless.

[@followyourbrush]

Merry Christmas to all of you! 🎄

[@gv0861]

I think several are a few more than a couple. 😂😂😂

[@dr.d723]

Thanks so much for the video! These are great! I am wondering how To-Ro compares with Yu-Yake and Rikfa to Kon-peki or Ama-iro.

[@N1inSK]

Canada Post empoyees were ordered back to work by the government. WHile I appreciate them being back, I hope they can get a reasonable contract out of it.

[@mother7219]

I would love some information on ink wetness and viscocity in the ink specs. I have pens with a variety of flows and I try to keep notes on which of my inks are wet/dry/average.

[@daiana04]

1:01:06 My name, funnily enough, isn't close to a word, but to another name! So, whenever I try to sign an e-mail or a document with my name, Daiana, it always corrects to Diana. Most of the time I don't even notice it and now I have friends that think my name is Diana, and I can't convince them otherwise. It's a struggle!

[@ivanupton6586]

for Ink flow, how about on or for an ink review allow the community to submit for consideration their expiriences with that ink in a given pen with a specific Nib? as in someone has found it to be very wet in a TWSBI Eco with an extra fine nib....

[@SKton-c1g]

Hi & thx for what you do ! My POV is : the real thing about wet or dry inks is too simple : does THAT ink write well in my Neponset, my Triple Tail ??? Inks able to do that are so rare ...

[@jason_holmstedt]

14:39 blotter bookmark 🤯

[@gihanzohdy3284]

Merry Christmas Brian and a great 2025!

[@LoveWallis]

I love these inks..

[@kjmav10135]

Love the To-Ro!

[@Winstonsmom]

Shungyo looks a lot like colorverse pillars of creation.

[@mgepac89]

When does free shipping start? 😂

[@bluejchou4404]

Glad that was joke in the beginning!😅

[@joelvarney5091]

My dad and brother share the name Bryan. I have always thought that Brian should be wrong mostly because of family, but as I get older I started to wonder why Brian is even an option. I don't really have a problem with Brian, but I leave you with this one thing; have you ever seen Ryan spelled with an "i"? And what is a Ryan if not a short Bryan?

[@saraho92]

Brian is not an "option", it is the correct spelling. It is an old Irish name (perhaps you have heard of Brian Boru?). As for Ryan, that is an Anglicised version of Rían (also an Irish name derving from the word Rí, meaning King). Unfortunately many of our names were messed with by the English who prohibited the speaking of Irish when they invaded.

[@joelvarney5091]

@@saraho92 Thank you for the reply! I have never hear of either of those. That is really cool and interesting! However, you are wrong. (I have to maintain my American arrogance, also pronounced "ignorance" lol) /s

[@saraho92]

​@@joelvarney5091lets be honest.... the y does make more sense for pronunciation. Looks cooler too!! 😂

[@shaigluskin1225]

Hey Brian, I don't think it's worth your effort to classify inks on the wet/dry scale for all the reasons you give. Don't second guess yourself. Also, I think the fountain pen ink KZbin world has grown enough so that there are reviews of so many inks. As customers we've got more resources. You were a pioneer in fountain pen education on KZbin. Good for you! It's a good thing that Goulet Pens doesn't have to do everything. One piece of advice I'd give newer folk... the heart of everything is figuring out what you like. When you know what you like all advice is through that prism. Also knowing what doesn't bother you is good to. For example: Long drying times don't bother me; either I have the time or I'll blot the page if I'm turning a page in the middle of a journal entry. The fact that the standard ink reviewer usually speaks of long drying time as a problem is annoying but I just ignore the critical nature the reviewer and take in the the data. I'll usually get more interested in the ink with long drying time because an ink maker who doesn't set short drying time as a requirement has an easier time getting creative with other properties. Watching a review when you know what you like allows you to get data before purchase. The KZbin algorithm likes it when creators express strong opinions, which is a shame, because the same product can be good or bad depending on what you like and what your use case is. But once you know what you like, you can pay attention to information without listening to judgments. Thank goodness The Goulet Pen Company's business strategy is not dependent on racking up a gazillion views on KZbin. They haven't even monetized the channel. So Goulet is not a slave to the algorithm which we benefit from. Brian is often saying that "this item is good for these kinds of users for these use cases." Which is awesome. I'd love to see Brian travel to China and see first hand what is going on in the Chinese pen market. I'd love to see Goulet offering more Jinhao pens but also look into maybe Asvine, Hongdian etc. Just in the almost four years I've been into the hobby the quality has skyrocketed. I buy directly from small retailers in China using regular Ebay. Yes, it is unfair that the Chinese government pays for the shipping. But otherwise these companies are really doing some cool stuff. I don't mind that it takes 2 to 3 weeks for them to arrive and functionally there is no customer service. So I think there is a real space for Goulet to get involved, by in bulk keeping stock in Virginia and providing customer support. All of that is worth significant markup. I don't think this will just help grow the number of people involved. Some people probably thought TWSBI would kill the appetite for expensive Sailor etc and Italian expensive pens. It did not. I think there is a big opportunity for both Goulet and its customers.

[@adrienneyoung898]

❤

[@tootsfour956]

You scared me!

[@followyourbrush]

Ahhh! 😂😊

[@BlairShores]

You’re really missing the insight of the co-host that “left” - you couldn’t give the viewers a few examples of wet or dry inks at the end of the lengthy non-answer ? I may sound salty but I sat through the whole segment and learned nothing about actual inks - why not give an opinion about some inks ?

[@iwishyouhappinnes1125]

Damnit, you scared me.

[@davebrown5440]

A couple = 2 , few is more the 3 & less than 10. Look 👀 up in dictionary the meaning. Hop this is helpful. Dave.

[@innoillust]

Geez, you almost gave me heart attack

[@JericoJopio]

Oh wow! I thought the Rikka, Syun-gyo, and To-ro are just limited edition Iroshizuku inks by Pilot. To be honest, though, I was really surprised-in a great way-that Pilot produced three more new inks in time for the Yuletide season. I'm a newbie fountain pen user here in the Philippines, and I am excited to try those new ink colors. For now, I'll try the Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku ink first.😊😅🇵🇭📙📘✒️🖋️