I like the overall look of this, it’s very stylish and for some reason makes me think of coffins and vampires! I do think though that the luxurious presentation is let down somewhat by the 2 pieces of white polystyrene (or something similar) that hold the pen in place. This main box is interesting in that it opens from the top, not the front, revealing the pen inside on a cream suede bed. The black and grey checker pattern on the top of the box is accented with a red stripe down the side which immediately evokes racing cars, but the hard modern effect is softened slightly by the logo, which is of two native falcons in a tree. The outer black cardboard sleeve with the branding on it is removed to reveal a plain black cardboard box that has an open front, and within that is the main box. However, moving on…Īs you can see in the photos below the Surrokko is thoroughly packaged. But to name it for a wind that occurs on the other side of the world and then SPELL IT WRONG? No. If they had spelt it Sirocco, after the famous native kakapo parrot who once attempted to mate with a zoologist’s head on camera - only in NZ, etc! - I would have forgiven them. The spelling makes me go ARGH (#proofreaderproblems). If you go to the website ( ) the makers of this pen explain the name…but. The first thing I want to mention is the name. As such I absolutely had to have one for my collection! I’m going to be nitpicking in my review because…well, that’s what Kiwis do to their fellow Kiwis? The Surrokko is, to the best of my knowledge, the first modern mass-produced fountain pen (and rollerball) to be designed and manufactured here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
My thanks to Rene at Pen Classics for sending me this interesting set for review! For serious writers though I’d suggest buying Sui-gyoku on its own, and perhaps considering Hotaru-bi if you’re into very broad nibs and/or looking for a potential highlighter ink. Iroshizuku inks are always high quality and reliable, and if you or someone you know is into drawing with fountain pens then this could be a neat little set to pick up.
It’s definitely greener than Ku-jaku but looks as though it might be closer to Syo-ro (I don’t have any of this one so can’t be certain.) While it’s a pretty enough colour there are a lot of inks out there in this colour area, and I’m not sure it’s different enough to its neighbours in the Iroshizuku range to really justify its existence. It is a mid-range teal, not very dark or very light. Sui-gyoku is the only one of the three that shows much evidence of sheen, but then only on TR paper. Herbin Vert Olive would be the nearest, but it’s a few shades darker and much greener. I think of it as “electric chartreuse” - not quite yellow, not quite green, almost fluoro….in my beloved collection of murky green- yellow inks there is nothing that comes close to this colour. Hotaru-bi is definitely my favourite of the three- having tried it in a medium nib I think I need to see how legible it is in a very wet, broad nib. It makes me think of cherry blossoms and all things kawaii. It’s a little too bright for me to class it as a pastel pink, but it’s not a full-on, in-your-face pop pink either. In a heavy deposit on TR paper it shows a bit of an orange halo, but this is not apparent in normal writing.
My sample book indicates that Hana-ikada is a shade lighter than Akkerman Gourmet Pens Pink, the closest match I have. Light inks do seem to be a bit of a trend lately, and are great for introducing subtle shades to doodles and artwork, but not so useful for normal writing. Having tried both the pink and the chartreuse in my everyday pens I can report that they are both very light colours that really need a broad or stub nib to be legible. I have to admit to being a bit puzzled by them. The new shades are Hana-ikada (a pretty light pink), Hotaru-bi (an unusual chartreuse), and Sui-gyoku, which is teal.
The inks are in the smaller 15ml glass bottles with the usual labels - not as eye catching as the bigger bottles that Pilot also does, but a more practical size for those of us who have extensive ink collections! The set of new Pilot Iroshizuku ink colours arrived in an understated but elegant little box with a navy blue cover with silver lettering.
(This set of Iroshizuku inks was provided to me free of charge by ( ) for review purposes.)