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With apologies to the wonderful amberleadavis, here is my much delayed first CRV. I received the papers several months ago, unfortunately just at the start of work related travel. Anyway, here is the awesome envelope I found in my mailbox all that time ago: https://vgy.me/jeXfa1.jpg With Noodler's Dostoevski I used an el cheapo calligraphy set that was absolutely horrendous to write with. I then bought a Lamy Joy (one of those kits with 1.1, 1.5 and 1.9mm nibs) which lives up to its name. I used an Epson scanner to scan the CRVs and tried to use Photoshop to get them closer to the original writing samples, but struggled to get them exactly the same. So here they are:

Amberlea sent me a whole bunch of CRVs (thanks Amberlea!). I'm returning most of them to her but am keeping a few of them. These are the ones I'm keeping.

Egglorru and I have started exchanging CRVs, and here is our first set with the subject of our favorite inks.

Lgsoltek suggested earlier a CRV to compare some of our inks. There is a fear that some might been mislabeled in the past. Let's try to get to the bottom together. My samples of Bleu Méditerranée, Atlantique and Equinoxe 6 on Leuchtturm and Clairefountaine with relatively similar broad and wet nibs. The colours are consistent with the samples I received earlier. On Clairefountaine it's somehow hard to tell the difference between the BM and BA, but I can assure you that in reality the differences are striking. Now I can understand my constant fear that I filled a pen with the wrong ink whenever I reach for the Méditerranée. These are relatively fresh samples and I noticed there is some colour shift while the inks mature on paper. ORF RAW exported through the Lightroom, no adjustments.

Amberlea Davis was kind enough to send me a beautiful welcome letter and 8 CRVs. I have replied to them and am posting them here; I will send most of them back but I'm keeping a few of them. Thanks Amberlea! BTW, I combined the last one with an ink of the week for M, just like Amberlea did. I will repost that in the appropriate thread. The colors aren't perfect in my scans, but they are pretty close. I adjusted them in Photoshop Elements to get them as close as I could.

I recently made an international CRV exchange with Lgsoltek - he was interested in seeing some of the Monteverde inks (which are readily available only in the US) firsthand. I sent him a page with some scribblings in a Monteverde ink, and he chose similar colors from his own collection. Following are the scans.

Here is my first attempt at the art of CRVs with the starter set from amberleadavis. if that doesn't work: http://s960.photobucket.com/user/milo1119/media/2017-04-28%2020-49-page-005_zps3wi9qfe1.jpg.html Hope that all works out correctly.

OK -- here we go.... http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Boiseshan/IMG_20160424_0001.jpg http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Boiseshan/IMG_20160424_0004.jpg

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/02-Yu-yake-Sunset-header.jpg Yu-yake (Sunset) - CRV - Group Review - 2014-11 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for November 2014 is Yu-yake ”Sunset”. It is a rich orange, which fades between light and somewhat dark, depending on how much ink the nib is laying down. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/02-Yu-yake-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who is always such an inky enabler. Please PM me with any questions. I look forward to seeing everyone's results!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/2014-09-22_Group_Review_Header.png Iroshizuku Co-Razy View Group Review! Pilot’s Iroshizuku inks are beautiful but expensive, and therefore somewhat unknown. Let’s try them out together, so we can see what results others get, and talk about them together! It’s more fun to do things with other people, so this is a chance to try something at the same time other people are, and to discuss it together. This is not a group buy! This is a group of people doing something similar together. If you want the ink to try, you’ve got to find it yourself. Naturally, we can do that together, too. What Will Happen Each month there will be one Iroshizuku color picked, and we’ll discuss it and collect reviews of that one color in a thread for that color over in the Ink Reviews forum. Personally, I will keep at least one pen inked with that color for the entire month, and will have several scans to share. I’ll also make a point to post a sampler sheet with a variety of nib widths. The next month’s ink will be listed a week or two early so that you can find your bottle, or order a bottle or a sample of the color to try, if you wish to do so. How To Join You are welcome to participate in any month you like. If you have a bottle and want to share a writing sample, great! If you are intrigued by the color and want to order a sample or even a whole bottle, you’re welcome to do that too. If you think a color is ugly, you can skip that month. If you are busy, skip that month. It’s okay! There are several ways you can participate! Working Together Let’s go Co-Razy! Things are more fun when people do them together, so I’m going to encourage everyone to try and write half a review! Well, a half-width review, anyway. Amberlea has been doing the Co-Razy Views (CRV) for a while, and it is interesting to see how different people’s pens and handwriting look together. Like this! It lets you really compare them and get a feel for how the ink may behave in ways you might not see. If you have time to write twice, and want to have a penpal, you can write a letter. Write your letter using half the width of the page. Extra bonus coolness if you include the things Amberlea suggests discussing! Scan and post it in the review thread as normal. Then, mail it to me. PM me for my address. I don’t have time to reply to all of them - I wish I could! - so I’ll be mailing you someone else’s review. If there’s an odd number, I’ll write the remaining one. When someone’s letter comes, you write a reply on the second half of the page, next to the original person’s review. Talk back, agree, disagree, doodle, say whatever. Then scan it in and add it to that month’s scans and comparisons thread. On your reply you’re welcome to use the month’s color in your pen and hand, or to use a similar color so people can see how they compare to one another. Both are interesting and valuable! Solo Contributions If you don’t have time to mess about with the mail, but you have or get the month’s color, feel free to and add scans of your use of that ink. Please let us know what paper and pen you’re using. The side-by-side Co-Razy Views are always interesting, so if you want to do one on your own, that’s great too. Compare the month’s ink against a different ink you have, or to show how it looks in two different pens! You don’t have to mail things anywhere to do a comparison! For the same extra coolness, consider including all the things Amberlea discusses in her review thread. Discussions If you have the ink, or have tried the ink in the past, and would like to share your experiences, please chime in on the thread. Scans or photos are great, but not everyone has the time or equipment to make that happen. That’s no problem! Let us know what you think. Ask people questions, too! The Ink Schedule Here’s the schedule for what ink will be the focus of each month! Month Season Ink English Color October 2014 Autumn Tsuki-yo Moonlight Dark Blue November 2014 Autumn Yu-yake Sunset Orange December 2014 Winter Shin-kai Deep Sea Dark Blue January 2015 Winter Fuyu-Gaki Winter Persimmon Orange-Red February 2015 Winter Fuyu-syogun Old Man Winter Grey March 2015 Spring Syo-ro Dew on Pine Tree Dark Green April 2015 Spring Kosumosu Cosmos Pink Red May 2015 Spring Ku-jaku Peacock Blue-Green June 2015 Summer Murasaki-shikibu Japanese Beautyberry Purple July 2015 Summer Tsukushi Horsetail Brown August 2015 Summer Asa-gao Morning Glory Dark Blue September 2015 Autumn Kiri-same Autumn Shower Grey October 2015 Autumn Momiji Autumn Leaves Red November 2015 Autumn Yama-guri Wild Chestnut Brown December 2015 Winter Kon-peki Deep Cerulean Blue Dark Blue January 2016 Winter Take-sumi Bamboo Charcoal Black February 2016 Winter Ama-iro Sky Blue Light Blue March 2016 Spring Chiku-rin Bamboo Forest Yellow Green April 2016 Spring Ajisai Hydrangea Medium Blue May 2016 Spring Shin-ryoku Forest Green Green June 2016 Summer Yama-budo Crimson Glory Vine Magenta July 2016 Summer Tsuyu-kusa Asiatic Dayflower Blue August 2016 Summer Tsttsuji Azalea Pink September 2016 Autumn Ina-ho Rice Ear Tan/Light Brown Thanks To Many thanks to Amberlea for being inspiring and encouraging, and co-ordinating with the moderators of the other forums to make sure these go to the right forum. More thanks to Amberlea for her jumping in and helping with eye-catching titles. Thanks, too, to the enthusiastic people who helped me be sure this would be interesting and fun. Let's do it! Questions? Ask away!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/08-Ku-jaku-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Ku-jaku (Peacock) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-05 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for May 2015 is Ku-jaku ”Peacock”. It is a blue-green, which seems to vary a lot in color based on pen and paper and even has sheen in the right combination - very like the flashy tail of the bird it is named for. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/08-Ku-jaku-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Many apologies for the lateness of the post this month. It's been a busy time. I hope you've tried the ink out and have something to share!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/07-Kosumosu-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Kosumosu (Cosmos) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-04 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for April 2015 is Kosumosu ”Cosmos”. It is pink, pinker than the scan above is showing, full of life and springtime. It is named after a pretty wildflower, and if you look at the pictures you'll see why. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/07-Kosumosu-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Please PM me with any questions. I was not expecting this ink to be quite this pink, but it's a very attractive color and is definitely springlike.

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/06-syo-ro-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Syo-ro (Dew on Pine Tree) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-03 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for March 2015 is Syo-ro ”Dew on Pine Tree”. It is a deep green, full of the suggestion of the lush pine needles of the trees it is named for. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/06-syo-ro-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Please PM me with any questions. I keep thinking this ink is Christmasy, and that it would be great for holiday cards. Very green, but still dark enough to be readable.

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/05-Fuyu-syogun-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Fuyu-Syogun (Old Man Winter) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-02 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for February 2015 is Fuyu-Syogun ”Old Man Winter”. It is a cool grey, reminding me of the endless grey skies of the Seattle winters I grew up with. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/05-Fuyu-syogun-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Please PM me with any questions. I'll admit this month's ink does little for me, yet I know there are people who adore it. Show me what I'm missing!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/04-Fuyu-gaki-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Fuyu-gaki (Winter Persimmon) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-01 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for January 2015 is Fuyu-gaki ”Winter Persimmon”. It is a vibrant, saturated orange, closely resembling the flesh of the sweet fruit it is named for. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/04-Fuyu-gaki-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Please PM me with any questions. I look forward to seeing everyone's results!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/03-Shin-kai-header.jpg Shin-kai (Deep Sea) - CRV - Group Review - 2014-12 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for December 2014 is Shin-kai "Deep Sea". It is dark, dark blue, so dark that it might be a blue-black, with some shading and a hint of sheen. It is a very deep, serious color indeed, and to does remind one of the darkness of the deep ocean that it its namesake. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. This month will be a little hard for me to arrange review partners, as I will be traveling almost the entire month of December. If you mail me something, it will likely be seriously delayed! Instead of the mail - even though the mail is way more fun - if you want to CRV with someone, perhaps you can PM each other scans, or decide to trade addresses on your own. If you're not comfortable trading addresses, then please feel free to do a CRV on your own, and share that with everyone! Other reviews are welcome, too. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing. http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/03-Shin-kai-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who is always such an inky enabler. Please PM me with any questions. I look forward to seeing everyone's results!

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/01-Tsuki-yo-Moonlight-Header.png Iroshizuku - Tsuki-yo (Moonlight) - CRV - Group Review - 2014-10 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for October 2014 is Tsuki-yo ”Moonlight”. It is a dark blue, recalling the night sky when lit by the full moon. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/01-Tsuki-yo-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.Thanks to Amberlea again, who had the ink on hand in time to write the attractive banner. Let the reviews begin!