Tono & Lims Hiiragi — Ink Review #41

Tono and Lims Hiiragi

Ink Review # 41

 

Originally posted on FPN: Jan 15, 2023

 

Ink: Hiiragi

Series: Fixation line

Type: Pigment ink.

Brand: Tono and Lims

Country: Japan / South Korea; ink made in Korea.

Availability: 30 ml bottles.

Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno M, Jinhao 450 medium, Kanwrite ultra-flex, TWSBI Go stub.

Description

This is my first pigment ink from this brand.

According to Shigure Inks, Tono & Lims is a Japanese brand whose inks are a collaboration with South Korean ink producer Lim's Lab. The inks are made in Korea.

This is a pigment ink belonging to the Tono & Lims Fixation Line for fountain pens. It comes in cute glass bottles, which is very appealing.

The name of the ink, 柊 Hiiragi, corresponds to Osmanthus heterophyllus, or false holly, a lovely shrub with dark holly-shaped leaves and fragrant flowers.

I am guessing the color corresponds to young shoots or to the yellowish-green of a certain cultivar.

At my first filling, I was ready to throw the ink down the drain. However, after forgetting it in my pens for a while, some feeds got happy (the Kanwrite and the Jinhao 450).

The ink is vaguely lubricated, and depending on the feed, it can be wet like a blob of spinach juice.

For someone who is quite tolerant of naughty inks, I have rarely cursed an ink. Well, this is one.  But then again, if you like a challenge, try this unsaturated, water-resistant pigment ink. You know who you are.

It could be used for sketching or writing passive-aggressive letters in an EF/F nib to someone you don't like.

In retrospect, I have used this ink successfully as a drawing ink, but personally I prefer diluting darker inks to achieve lighter colors. 

Note on pigment inks: Pigmented fountain pen inks are best used in well-sealed pens that are easy to dismantle. Regular cleaning is advisable, and pen flush may be needed if water alone is not enough.

Chroma



Writing Samples (scan)

I used a Pilot Kakuno M as a replacement for a European F nib and reverse wrote with a F Lamy Safari to create an EF line. 

Rhodia

Midori

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Maruman Mnemosyne


Cheap paper - front

It does like cheap paper very much from the front.

And not so much from behind.

Cheap paper - back

Comparison

I have no ink even close to it.

🎨 Artwork

 Scarf

Tono & Lims Hiiragi, Fritz Schimpf - Sundowner 

Vista of the realm of forgotten Gods....
Inktober year-long challenge 2025: Vista
From an Aztec temple and Yggdrasil, abandoned gods observe one another, forgotten.
Tono & Lims Hiiragi, Tintenlabor Aprilia Argente, Noodler's Polar Brown, De Atramentis Document Orange / Cyan
Inktober year-long challenge 2025: Axolotl 
Axolotl cursed his namesake, the Aztec god of transformation  for abandoning it in a world where humans have driven its species to the brink of extinction.
Tintenlabor April's Argente iron gall ink,  J Herbin  Bouquet d'antan, Tono and Lims Hiiragi

Ink Characteristics

Shading: I let you be the judge.

Ghosting: No.

Bleed Through: Depending on the paper.

Flow Rate: Dry. But with time and the right feed, it becomes better. Not recommended for EF/F nibs unless you use super absorbent paper.

Lubrication: Nonexistent.

Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.

Start-up: Regularly.

Saturation: Pale, almost illegible. But with time and evaporation it becomes better.

Shading Potential: See for yourself.

Sheen: None.

Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed.

Nib Creep / Crud: Yes.

Staining (Pen): I doubt it.

Clogging: No, but flow is iffy.

Water Resistance: Good. Some colour was removed when rubbed with a Q-tip.

Closing

This is a very pale ink with little to no lubrication. I can only recommend it for brushwork or fude nibs. Otherwise, I'll stay with a darker green. 😊 

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