It’s amusing to think that the price point of Iroshizuku created a mini-controversy when it was released nearly ten years ago ($28 for 50ml of ink!?!?), and while it’s certainly not cheap, at today’s retail price of $22.50 it’s more than reasonable given the quality and the fact that you get a full 50ml bottle. You can purchase Iroshizuku inks from most authorized Pilot retailers, including our friends at Vanness Pens, who stock nearly every fountain pen ink on the planet. One goal of this longer-term project is to evaluate Iroshizuku as a solution for those looking for perhaps not “one ink,” but a single ink brand from which they can select any color and expect consistent performance across the line. Prior to this year, I had never given much thought to Murasaki-Shikibu or Ajisai, and both ended up as inks that I could easily introduce into the regular rotation. The deeper I go into the ink line, the more I love Pilot Iroshizuku. (Fun fact: Hydrangea blooms are either pink or blue, depending on the pH of your soil, so you can change the look of your garden with additives!) I also have several massive hydrangea bushes in my yard, and can confirm that Pilot absolutely nailed the color match with a blue-purple hydrangea bloom. On more absorbent paper, the color is quite legible, to the point where I can see myself using this one regularly. Online reviews and ink swatches unfortunately tend to show Ajisai as much more washed out than the ink actually is. (I’m looking at you, Waterman Violet - sorry, “Tender Purple.”) Ajisai (“Hydrangea”)Ījisai was a pleasant surprise! Like Murasaki-Shikibu, Ajisai is a softer color that shades nicely. Murasaki-Shikibu, the “core purple” of the Iroshizuku lineup, offers a less-saturated purple option for those who love purple inks but perhaps don’t love using them in clear demonstrators, where they can be difficult to clean and even have a tendency to stain. The next two inks, Murasaki Shikibu and Ajisai, fall into the category of inks that I’m probably less likely to use on a regular basis, but are still excellent choices if you like the colors and appreciate shading. Murasaki-Shikibu (“Japanese Beautyberry”)