Kyoto Kyo-Iro Higashiyama Moonlight Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Kyoto Kyo-Iro inks are plant-based inks inspired by places in Kyoto, Japan, sold by the TAG Stationery Store. Higashiyama is a ward within Kyoto, and Moonlight is a color based on moonlight reflected off the Kyoto style houses. All the colors in this series are muted, earthy tones.

Higashiyama Moonlight is a terracotta color with peach and deep orange tones.

The ink is an unusal color with excellent shading properties. It is a fairly dry ink, even in my Pelikan medium italic. Nevertheless, it flows well and retains its rich color even after drying. It is not waterproof.

In wide nibs, like the Pilot Parallel 2.4mm, the ink exhibits gorgeous shading.

It also has a beautiful dark brown sheen in ink splats and wherever the ink pools with wide nibs.

I much prefer terracotta-colored inks over bright oranges, and Higashiyama Moonlight is an absolutely gorgeous shade. If you like earthy, muted inks, you’ll like the Kyo-iro line. My next bottle will be Soft Snow of Ohara. You can buy these specialty inks from Vanness Pens, $28.00 for a 40ml bottle or $3.50 for a 4ml sample.

My wonderful husband purchased this ink for me for Mother’s Day from Vanness Pens.

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The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 258 - Kind Of Not Interesting

I’ve had some interesting topics in my inbox that were waiting for the right episode to make their appearance. This is the one. Who doesn’t want to learn about cellulose nanofiber and how it makes your writing experience better?

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Sakura Decorese Gel Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

It was the pretty pastel color palettes that drew me to the Sailor Decorese Gel Pens. With the Floral and Fruity sets combined, there's a great variety of spring colors.

I was surprised when I first wrote with them. I'd definitely say these fit more into the realm of art supplies rather than writing tools. The ink wasn't quite what I expected from something called a gel pen--they remind me more of pigment or paint pens. The ink is thick and coats the paper, maintaining a glossy, raised surface even after drying. Drying takes quite a long time. When I used it to fill in areas in my journal, it wasn't a sit-and-wait-for-dry-time ink, but a get-up-and-do-something-else-while-you-wait dry time. The ink also can dry out on the tip of the pen, and sometimes requires wiping away, so it doesn't clog the flow or drag on the page. When the pens are left uncapped or set aside for a length of time they can require some priming to get started again. I also ran into issues when I tried to go back and write over the ink when it was partially dry. The tip would scrape away the old lines and make a general mess of things. But as long as the lines were totally dry, they could be layered safely.

Once I adjusted my expectations of these pens, I really enjoyed working with them. The flow is good, the ink has great coverage, and they write on a number of surfaces, like plastic, glass, metal, photos, or dark paper. They work great for drawing highlights or writing overtop of other media like watercolors or color washes.

The pen bodies are very well constructed. They're a sturdy white plastic with a flared snap cap. The cap helps stop the pen from rolling and also has an easy-to-see ink color swatch at the top. It also snaps to post securely. The body is decorated with a clear plastic wrap that's printed with the branding, a gold filigree pattern, and a floral mark that also indicates the ink color.

There isn't a grip section. They have a long conical tip in the same white plastic as the body, and a metal rollerball point. It feels fine to hold the pen back on the body, but I'd definitely prefer a defined grip section. Still, the pens are clearly not designed for long writing sessions, so grip comfort isn't a huge consideration.

Ultimately, I was disappointed to not have a standard gel ink in these lovely color sets. I do still use them fairly often, but the dry time is a bit of a deal-breaker when it comes to everyday use. They are very pleasant as paint pens, but the product name is misleading. There's nothing wrong with the product itself--it's just another reminder of how product names shape users' expectations--and how a good product can bum you out if it's not what you were looking for.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!