Third in the series of Izumi Pens ink reviews is Sailor Manyo Haha, a lovely shade of pale blue.
My go-to pen for ink reviews is a TWSBI Eco, so I filled one from the vial of ink and tested it in my blogging notebook, a Montblanc one with nice smooth paper.
From the first word I wrote with it, I could see that the ink had a wet flow. I have used numerous inks in this notebook, and none of them have feathered at all, but this one does. Not catastrophically, the writing is still easy to read, just not quite as sharp.
The rather amusing irony is that the ink behaves perfectly in a cheap A4 Asda notebook. However, on a new page of the Montblanc one, it doesn't seem to be feathering any more. Okaaay.
Since I'm completely stumped as to the reason for this, we'll move swiftly on.
Every ink shines on Tools to Liveby paper, so to get a glimpse into the true nature of Haha, I did a bit of calligraphy practice. As you can see, while there is no shimmer or sheen, there is lots of beautiful shading and different hues within the writing and the swatch.
The colour varies between a pale sky blue and a delicate lavender. It is one of the palest inks I own, but one of the best for shading.
Those who prefer fine nibs will like this ink as the wetness allows the nib to glide easily across the page. If you only use broad nibs, it probably isn't for you as the page will become saturated, but a good medium nib handles the ink well. It seems to work best with smooth paper.
For a wet ink, drying time isn't bad. I own dryer inks that are prone to smudging, but haven't smudged this one yet so it is probably perfect for accident-prone individuals!
I sometimes comment on the smell of the ink if it is particularly strong and this is one of those times, because it inexplicably smells of modelling clay. As I filled the pen, I was puzzled as to where the scent was coming from. I haven't touched clay in years. Eventually I realised it was the ink! I wonder what makes it smell like that? Odd.
My personal preference leans towards more vibrant inks, so I probably wouldn't buy a whole bottle of Haha. This isn't because it is a bad product or because it is a horrible colour. I enjoy writing with it - I simply prefer other shades. If you love paler, subtler colours, you should not hesitate to add this to your collection, as I can almost guarantee you'll adore it!
Disclaimer: The ink in this article was provided for the purposes of review by Izumi Pens. All opinions expressed are my own.
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