Shin-Kai (Deep Sea) - Crv - Group Review - 2014-12

[Lou Erickson]

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.jpg

Thanks 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!

[Betweenthelines]

Hi Lou,

 

I'll jump in if that's OK -

 

Shin Kai is one of my very favorite inks, and in opinion a very underrated one. Probably because at the Iroshizuku price point, it isn't as flashy as others. It is a very subtle ink, and yes I would agree with you, it is a blue-black. It is a deep blue, that happily is a true blue-black, no greens or purples. It does, however, have an ashiness to it that distinguishes it from other blue-blacks, and makes it less saturated than, say, Diamine Midnight, but I really like that about it. This aspect of it results in a soothing color that is very nuanced, especially as you use it in different pens with different amounts of wetness. I also agree with you in that it's a "serious" color - in fact besides black, this is the most "professional" looking ink I have come across. Thus it is very work friendly. Some might find Shin Kai boring, especially if they're comparing it to the more explosively vibrant inks on the market, but again, Shin Kai's vibrancy is subtle, just like..well.. the deep blue color of deep sea!

 

Below is a picture of writing samples I made with Shin Kai when I first started my fountain pen use (so apologies for the handwriting!), using two different VP nibs. As you can see, the color is very different depending on the wetness of your nib. I actually prefer the shade in drier nibs, as that subtle ashy quality really comes out. The ink is quite beautiful, and my favorite blue-black.

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/sIiTpEN.jpg

 

[Barnaby Bumble]

I like blue-black inks, and it so happens I just got a sample of this one from Goulet, so I'll be reading along with interest.

 

Your sample is interesting, Betweenthelines. It could almost be 3 different nibs: the top blue bit, the middle bit that looks almost black, and then a 3rd bit, startiing with "Super wet..." that looks like a different blue from the top bit.

 

It reminds me of Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris. That ink can look quite black on a paper that doesn't spread ink much, or dark blue-green on one that does (or from a less wet-writing pen).

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/2014-Ink_2073.jpg

[amberleadavis]

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/2014-Ink_2072.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

Pen loaded. Anyone wanna do a CRV with me? I'll be adding my Singular Review here soon.

[amberleadavis]

I dutifully mailed mine to Lou, bit I'm still inked so you can mail me.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Woohoo...will do.

 

Oddly enough, your avvy-du-jour was on my mind....

[Bhavna]

Stunning colour, do I need another blue-black???!

[amberleadavis]

Stunning colour, do I need another blue-black???!

 

 

Don't let NEED interfere with your ink purchases.

[mtnbiker62]

Pen loaded. Anyone wanna do a CRV with me? I'll be adding my Singular Review here soon.

 

Send it to me...I'll play along. Shin-kai was my first bottled ink, and is still one of my favorites.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Now I must choose! Torn between two Co-Razys, film at eleven.

[arcadeflow]

Do any of you own Pilot Blue-Black? How do they compare?

[mtnbiker62]

Do any of you own Pilot Blue-Black? How do they compare?

I think I do have a bottle of Pilot Blue-Black...I'll do a side by side of those two also.

[R. N. Dominick]

I'd love to do a CRV for shin-kai -- and that might even out the ink triangle y'all have got going here. Someone send me a PM with an address or asking for mine to get the ball rolling.

[R. N. Dominick]

Couldn't resist; here's a solo review of shin-kai.

 

[Barnaby Bumble]

Interesting that you find it "deepening and darkening" as it dries. In my limited use so far, I find it graying and fading as it dries. It stays pretty true to its wet color on Rhodia for me, but on Leuchtturm, Tomoe River, Quo Vadis, or Midori, it grays out. I had the same experience with Diamine Registrar's Blue-Black.

 

Private Reserve Midnight Blues is staying dark and lovely on every paper so far, though. (I'm trying out several blue-black inks at the moment.)

[gwyneddd]

Nice samples and reviews, guys. I'm convinced that Iroshizuku makes the most beautiful blues there are. You made that ink sing.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Both my CRVs (using different papers and different comparison inks) went in the mail today.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Interesting that you find it "deepening and darkening" as it dries. In my limited use so far, I find it graying and fading as it dries. It stays pretty true to its wet color on Rhodia for me, but on Leuchtturm, Tomoe River, Quo Vadis, or Midori, it grays out. I had the same experience with Diamine Registrar's Blue-Black.

 

Private Reserve Midnight Blues is staying dark and lovely on every paper so far, though. (I'm trying out several blue-black inks at the moment.)

 

Yeah...in its graying-out, Shin-kai reminds me of classic Pelikan Blue-Black, which used to gray down as it dried into a faded denim. (My bottle has turned, though, and now is mostly gray.)

 

Shin-kai goes down brighter and bluer than the Pel.