I love the name of this ink. They went really simple just calling it 'really/ultra black', but chou is also a homophone with both the word used for a head of a section and the word for a government office which of course goes nicely with the archival status of this ink.
Quite tempting, no question. Looks like an invincible true black ink. The price, though, breaks my heart. I reckon I’ll just have to content myself with the pigmented and solidly water-resistant supeb black of Sailor’s Kiwa-Guro ; US$24-28 for a 50 ml bottle. For regular black, I have Aurora Black and Cross Black. Thanks for the excellent review, Mick!
I absolutely need to get a bottle of Kiwa-Guro! I have had samples, and it’s so nice. Would probably rival Platinum Carbon black in my mind. Right now, I don’t have any. This needs fixing!
@@theoffstageme Oh, yes, I will avidly recommend Kiwa-Guro to you and anybody else looking for a top-drawer true black that behaves well, and is excellently water-resistant/proof. Also surprisingly low-maintenance than you’d expect for a pigmented ink. Sailor advertises the ink as nano-pigmented indicating the particles in the ink are even tinier than in most pigmented, permanent ink. In my experience, Platinum’s CB always smudges to the touch when it has dried on the page; Kiwa-Guro does not. And KG is a really a breeze to clean out of pens. It didn’t even stain the clear demo pen I once used it in for weeks on end. You really ought to get a bottle. The other two in the trio, Seiboku and Souboku are also brilliant inks.
@@typewriter-monkeyHa, cool to see somebody else second my sentiments about Kiwa-Guro. That weird, but not unpleasant smell emanating from the ink is actually quite common in many Sailor inks (I have a dozen different ones). 🙂
@@typewriter-monkey We’re on the same page and totally in sync with our opinions on Kiwa-Guro. I also really love the almost satin-y shine in the look of the ink as I write along on the page. A true winner from Sailor.
@@typewriter-monkey Oh yea, I had already cited and recommended both Seiboku and Souboku to Mick as worthy of his consideration. Edit: I’ve been meaning to get Platinum’s blue pigmented ink. But I forgot about it after getting a pair of bottles each of Sailor’s Seiboku and Souboku. 🙂
They’re quite different inks. Chou Kuro is a pigmented Water-resistant ink, where as Aurora is a standard dye ink with low water-resistance. Aurora is a great black, dark and smooth on the page, and while it is probably wetter than Chou Kuro it is absolutely no where near as black.
I’ll stick to Noodler’s Heart of Darkness. I can’t think of a use I’d have for an expensive bottle of ink like that. Bragging rights on your desk? Montblanc.
@@theoffstageme Not for what I use a pen and ink for. Maybe sheet music with a 3776 with a music nib? Did Platinum make the ink for anyone in particular?
I love the name of this ink. They went really simple just calling it 'really/ultra black', but chou is also a homophone with both the word used for a head of a section and the word for a government office which of course goes nicely with the archival status of this ink.
Thank you for the review! Looks like very nice ink. The price is prohibitive for me. I enjoy Pilot's take-sumi that sells for $17/50ml.
Nothing wrong with Take-sumi for an every day writing black. Not as permanent or as black as this, but very fine indeed.
Quite tempting, no question. Looks like an invincible true black ink. The price, though, breaks my heart. I reckon I’ll just have to content myself with the pigmented and solidly water-resistant supeb black of Sailor’s Kiwa-Guro ; US$24-28 for a 50 ml bottle. For regular black, I have Aurora Black and Cross Black.
Thanks for the excellent review, Mick!
I absolutely need to get a bottle of Kiwa-Guro! I have had samples, and it’s so nice. Would probably rival Platinum Carbon black in my mind. Right now, I don’t have any. This needs fixing!
@@theoffstageme Oh, yes, I will avidly recommend Kiwa-Guro to you and anybody else looking for a top-drawer true black that behaves well, and is excellently water-resistant/proof. Also surprisingly low-maintenance than you’d expect for a pigmented ink. Sailor advertises the ink as nano-pigmented indicating the particles in the ink are even tinier than in most pigmented, permanent ink. In my experience, Platinum’s CB always smudges to the touch when it has dried on the page; Kiwa-Guro does not. And KG is a really a breeze to clean out of pens. It didn’t even stain the clear demo pen I once used it in for weeks on end. You really ought to get a bottle. The other two in the trio, Seiboku and Souboku are also brilliant inks.
@@typewriter-monkeyHa, cool to see somebody else second my sentiments about Kiwa-Guro. That weird, but not unpleasant smell emanating from the ink is actually quite common in many Sailor inks (I have a dozen different ones). 🙂
@@typewriter-monkey We’re on the same page and totally in sync with our opinions on Kiwa-Guro. I also really love the almost satin-y shine in the look of the ink as I write along on the page. A true winner from Sailor.
@@typewriter-monkey Oh yea, I had already cited and recommended both Seiboku and Souboku to Mick as worthy of his consideration.
Edit: I’ve been meaning to get Platinum’s blue pigmented ink. But I forgot about it after getting a pair of bottles each of Sailor’s Seiboku and Souboku. 🙂
Do you have a preference between chou kuro and aurora black? Is one wetter than the other?
They’re quite different inks. Chou Kuro is a pigmented Water-resistant ink, where as Aurora is a standard dye ink with low water-resistance. Aurora is a great black, dark and smooth on the page, and while it is probably wetter than Chou Kuro it is absolutely no where near as black.
I’ll stick to Noodler’s Heart of Darkness. I can’t think of a use I’d have for an expensive bottle of ink like that. Bragging rights on your desk? Montblanc.
It is expensive that’s for sure. It also out performs the Noodlers.
@@theoffstageme Not for what I use a pen and ink for. Maybe sheet music with a 3776 with a music nib?
Did Platinum make the ink for anyone in particular?
ATISTS! Deep black indelible fountain pen ink? Worth its weight in gold if its truly waterproof, which it looks to be.