Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu and Fountain Pens

In this video I test Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu:
in a variety of pens and nib sizes
on Tomoe River and copy paper
comparing it to similar inks in my collection
water resistance test
Created by InShot:inshotapp.com/...

[@caffeole1]

Love this ink color. Currently have it in a Pelikan M400 Tortoiseshell White FP. Great combination. TFS!

[@gadgetstop321]

You're welcome! Tokiwa-Matsu and a Tortoiseshell Pelikan does sound like the perfect pair. I need to do a long term test of this ink in a couple of my fine nibs to make sure that it doesn't dry out.

[@caffeole1]

@@gadgetstop321 I've had my M400 (EF 14K Nib) inked with it for 2 mo. didn't use it for 2 weeks and when I went to write with it, it wrote straight away. I think you will have the same results. :)

[@JuceePeachz67]

Great video as always Kathy! I like the color of this ink and may have to add it to my collection. It was really great to see you on Appleboom’s Top 3 Pens video. It’s nice to put a face with the voice and hands!!

[@gadgetstop321]

Thanks, Marianne! It's good to hear from you. I hope you're doing well. The Appelboom video was fun to make, but narrowing my favorite pens down to 3 was a challenge. This might be my new favorite green ink...but I'm starting to feel like I say that about almost every ink, LOL. 😂

[@dylanfoss6196]

This is a complex green ink, but I ultimately stopped using it because of the hard starts. They only got worse for me the longer the ink was in the pen. Changing pens made no difference for me. I’m trying Monteverde Olivine currently as an alternative.

[@gadgetstop321]

I was afraid of that. 🙁

[@Inazarab]

One of my favorite inks

[@pleestationeryteahouse]

I love this ink color!

[@gadgetstop321]

I agree, it's a nice green! 💚

[@geslinam9703]

Would you say this is an olive green, more muted? It looks like it here, but the swatches in the stores, like Jetpens, it looks very bright.

[@gadgetstop321]

This is an interesting ink. It has a lot of blue in it that should make it look more brighter and more cool, but the sheen makes it come across as a warmer olive color.

[@geslinam9703]

@@gadgetstop321 thanks. I love these types of greens….but of all the ink I have, nothing like it. It’s not that pricy, think I’ll just buy a full bottle.

[@dashsunil]

Wonderful comparison. I really liked this color. Looking at its performance, I think it will be good for my Sailor MF nib. I could not recollect the paper where you were showing the bleedthrough?

[@gadgetstop321]

Thank you, Dash! The writing sample that I show on plain paper is done on 20-lb copy paper, since it's the type of paper many people have to contend with at work or school.

[@dashsunil]

@@gadgetstop321 thank you. Got it.

[@korax67]

All Shikiori inks are wonderful and very special and Tokiwa Matsu is no exeption. You have to try Rikyu Cha, it is even more interesting !

[@gadgetstop321]

Rikyu Cha is one of those inks that I've often heard people talk fondly of. I do need to give it a try. However, I don't recall hearing much buzz about Tokiwa-Matsu, or maybe the buzz occured before I started dabbling in inks.

[@lukaszpokoju]

@@gadgetstop321 Rikyu-cha is very very similar to Shirakashi. So much so that on some papers with F end EF nib it's impossible to tell them apart.

[@gadgetstop321]

@@lukaszpokoju That's interesting. I do like Shirakashi.

[@Marshallmallowlol]

Gorgeous ink , why nobody mentions this one in recommended green inks

[@gadgetstop321]

I've had Tokiwa-matsu in my Leonardo Momento Zero with a steel EF flex nib for a couple days. Today I was able to write a couple skippy sentences before it went completely dry. I primed the feed then it wrote beautifully. It has behaved like this in each of the pens that I've tried it in, which seems to be the downfall of this ink. However, I love the color and it's a joy to write with after you prime the feed, so I still love it. 😀

[@Marshallmallowlol]

@@gadgetstop321 hard starter ? Heard . That might be a dealbreaker for me

[@gadgetstop321]

@@Marshallmallowlol In most cases it would be for me too. Maybe I have more patience for these types of issues now that I'm retired and instead of taking notes in meetings I'm just journaling for my own enjoyment.

[@thuntz29]

This is one of those colours I’m so tempted to get, but I also love so many other greens... and I don’t want a huuuge collection of inks. But looks really good. Would you buy a bottle of this ink?

[@gadgetstop321]

I know what you mean! Before I recommend Tokiwa-Matsu, I'm going to do a long term writing test in my Sailor Lecoule and Pilot Metropolitan to see if it has the same problem with drying out as Jacques Herbin Bleu Plenitude.

[@evanseaman8946]

I know you've tried writer's blood, but you should also try oxblood. It's a great red.

[@gadgetstop321]

I was just talking to someone about Oxblood. I need to get a sample of it from my sister.

[@jessicacollins8049]

Tokiwa matsu is one of my favorite inks.

[@gadgetstop321]

I still have to do an extended writing test, but this might be my new favorite green ink.

[@humanfirst11]

Most of your earlier videos and unboxing were of electronic gadgets (as the name of your channel) and then you completely transitioned to fountain pens! I am very interested to know how that happened? Are you still interested in your gadgets category?

[@gadgetstop321]

I enjoyed using tech gadgets when I was a teacher, and in the early days it seemed like technology was improving at the speed of light. Each year there was some new device that overcame limitations of previous devices, and I would look forward to getting my hands on it. But as I neared the end of my career, the rate of advance slowed down, and limitations remained: 1) getting a device turned on/logged in and ready to write takes precious time. 2) wifi being down derailed many lesson plans over the years 3) writing on glass doesn't compare to writing on paper...and so on. Using fountain pens and paper has reinvigorated my excitement about the tools used in the learning process, and that enthusiasm has only increased with time. 😀

[@Detman101]

Augh...I want to like this ink soooo much. But it's sooo dark. I wish it were a little lighter...rats. I think I'll stick with "Vinta - Sirena" for next months fun-ink-buy.

[@gadgetstop321]

Tokiwa-Matsu is the type of ink I like to use in my Japanese fine nibs when I have "work" that I need to get done. However, Vinta Sirena is an ink I'd like to play with.

[@dylanfoss6196]

This is a complex green ink, but I ultimately stopped using it because of the hard starts. They only got worse for me the longer the ink was in the pen. Changing pens made no difference for me. I’m trying Monteverde Olivine currently as an alternative.