Taccia Hiroshige Utagawa Ainezu

[yazeh]

Taccia Hiroshige Utagawa Ainezu

This was part of 5 blind ink testing. Many thanks @Lithium466 for the sample 🙏🙏🙏

It is one of the most intriguing blue blacks, I’ve ever tested, bordering grey. The colour is refined and elegant. However, it’s not for those people who loved smooth, cushiony writing. There’s a hint of turquoise in the  chroma:

 

You can check @namrehsnoom's excellent, detailed ink review here: 

 

 

 

Writing Samples:

The ink is titled as A, as it was a blind test:

Photo:

Paper is Mnemosyne - Pen is Kanwrite with an Ahab nib.

 

Comparison:

Note: A is the Taccia Ink

Water test:

Left side 10 seconds under running water. No feline were hurt during the experiment 😸

 

Art Work:

It's me, not you! 

When a pen and ink are not compatible  Many thanks @Sailor Kenshin for the inspiration. 

Yellow ink is R&K Helianthus. 

 

·      Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy (EF/F/M/B, BB), Kanwrite with Ahab nib 

·      What I liked: Gorgeous colour

·      What I did not like: Price  , name I would never remember it  

·       What some might not like: It’s not for people who love smooth, well-lubricated inks. 

·      Shading: More prominent from M nibs above.

·      Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper. 

·      Bleed through: Yes, on cheap paper.

·      Flow Rate: Ok

·      Lubrication: below average

·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

·      Start-up:  Ok

·      Saturation:  Dark

·      Shading Potential: It has some potential. 

·      Sheen: No. 

·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. 

·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.

·      Staining (pen): No. 

·      Clogging: Did not notice.

·      Cleaning: The Kakuno was a breeze, the Lamy needed a cleaning solution. 

·      Water resistance: decent 

·      Availability: 40 ml bottles. 

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

 

 

 

[LizEF]

Oooo.  Me likey.    Interesting chroma.  More interesting writing samples (except Midori, that just looks grey).  Gorgeous shading!   Cool haloing from the flex. Cooler swatch kitty.   Pretty good water resistance.  Better water test sketch!    Hilarious artwork (kitty and mouse in the background watching the soap opera unfold...).

 

Thank you, @yazeh, for a thoroughly enjoyable review!

[Sailor Kenshin]

@yazeh, I loved this ink!  It's right up my color alley.  Had no idea it was a Taccia (I once wanted one of their pens, the buffalo horn model, and their Ebisu ink).  

 

The Taccia seem almost like Sailor inks to me.  I'm just calling it Taccia Utagawa.

 

Love the sketches and I am very pleased no Kittehs were harmed.  😉 And happy to supply inspiration.

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh Interesting color.  On my screen, some of the writing samples (particularly with broader nibs) it looks similar to some vintage Quink Permanent Blue Black (which I have in a vintage 51 Vac with a moderately -- IMO -- wet writing F nib at the moment.

Thanks as usual for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[AmandaW]

I love this ink and always have it in a Slate Grey Prera with a fine italic nib (transplanted from a Plumix). And shorten the name to Ainezu.

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

Oooo.  Me likey.   

Yep. I think you'd love this one  

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

Interesting chroma.  More interesting writing samples (except Midori, that just looks grey).  Gorgeous shading!   Cool haloing from the flex.

 

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Cooler swatch kitty.   Pretty good water resistance.  Better water test sketch!    Hilarious artwork (kitty and mouse in the background watching the soap opera unfold...).

 

Thank you, @yazeh, for a thoroughly enjoyable review!

Glad you liked it. It's fun to do something that lightens the heart

 

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

@yazeh, I loved this ink!  It's right up my color alley.

I thought it was orange  

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

 Had no idea it was a Taccia (I once wanted one of their pens, the buffalo horn model, and their Ebisu ink).  

 

The Taccia seem almost like Sailor inks to me.  I'm just calling it Taccia Utagawa.

 

2 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Love the sketches and I am very pleased no Kittehs were harmed.  😉 And happy to supply inspiration.

Thanks for the encouragement. And your wit is a limitless source of inspiration 🙏

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

@yazeh Interesting color.  On my screen, some of the writing samples (particularly with broader nibs) it looks similar to some vintage Quink Permanent Blue Black (which I have in a vintage 51 Vac with a moderately -- IMO -- wet writing F nib at the moment.

Good to know  

2 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks as usual for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

A pleasure 🙏

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, AmandaW said:

I love this ink and always have it in a Slate Grey Prera with a fine italic nib (transplanted from a Plumix). And shorten the name to Ainezu.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Nifty combination and clever way to remember the name

 

 

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for reviewing this Taccia ink! 

I have to admit, I like this ink and how it delivers slightly different results depending on paper type. I also like the print/painting of "Sudden Shower at Shin-Ohashi Bridge" which makes a nice reprint on the backside of a Taccia writing pad sheets (I bought not long ago).

 

As always, I enjoy your artwork (both, rain test and "soap opera")! I have a relaxed time knowing no feline was hurt - neither during the water test, nor during the ink drama. Thank you! 👍 

It surprised me a bit how much of the ink stood on the paper after water contact.

Looking forward to your next review. 

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for reviewing this Taccia ink! 

🙏

6 hours ago, InesF said:

I have to admit, I like this ink and how it delivers slightly different results depending on paper type. I also like the print/painting of "Sudden Shower at Shin-Ohashi Bridge" which makes a nice reprint on the backside of a Taccia writing pad sheets (I bought not long ago).

It is lovely  

6 hours ago, InesF said:

 

As always, I enjoy your artwork (both, rain test and "soap opera")! I have a relaxed time knowing no feline was hurt - neither during the water test, nor during the ink drama. Thank you! 👍 

 

6 hours ago, InesF said:

It surprised me a bit how much of the ink stood on the paper after water contact.

It was surprising to me too. Paradoxically, when I ran the water test sample under the runny water, it was good, but when I used the brush in my ink art the ink just dissolved

 

6 hours ago, InesF said:

Looking forward to your next review. 

🙏

 

[InesF]

42 minutes ago, yazeh said:

It was surprising to me too. Paradoxically, when I ran the water test sample under the runny water, it was good, but when I used the brush in my ink art the ink just dissolved

Oh!, that's interesting; the scientist is called to arms ...  🤫

No instant clue. I may come back to this (years later). 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, yazeh said:

It was surprising to me too. Paradoxically, when I ran the water test sample under the runny water, it was good, but when I used the brush in my ink art the ink just dissolved

That doesn't seem surprising to me - sometimes rinsing alone isn't enough; you have to scrub...

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, InesF said:

Oh!, that's interesting; the scientist is called to arms ...  🤫

👩‍🔬🔬

3 hours ago, InesF said:

No instant clue. I may come back to this (years later). 

Sure. It's the water brush effect. It also depends on the paper. If the paper is absorbent it might not happen. If the paper is mixed media then it's more probable

 

[yazeh]

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

That doesn't seem surprising to me - sometimes rinsing alone isn't enough; you have to scrub...

Well it's nothing like a toilet brush, at least I hope not  it's more like a slight graze

 

[LizEF]

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Well it's nothing like a toilet brush, at least I hope not  it's more like a slight graze

 

I think the principle still applies. 

[yazeh]

10 minutes ago, LizEF said:

I think the principle still applies. 

You have to have the last word   

[LizEF]

26 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You have to have the last word   

🫢

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

🫢

Sorry. I just wanted to be witty and use a different emoticon. I probably miss used it as usual 🙏

[LizEF]

36 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Sorry. I just wanted to be witty and use a different emoticon. I probably miss used it as usual 🙏

All is well, my friend.