Ostrich Sycamore Tree — Ink Review #250
Ostrich - Sycamore Tree
Ink Review # 250
Originally posted on FPN: Jun 12, 2026
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🧾 Description
Ink: Sycamore Tree 梧桐 / wútóng
Brand: Ostrich
Country: China
Bottle size: 10 ml, 30 ml.
Pens Used: Pilot Elite EF, Kaweco Black Sport (EF/F/M/B/BB/ stub 1.1, 1.9), Lanbitou 286 fude nib, Ahab with FPR Ultra flex nib.
The 24 inks in the series are inspired by the 24 Solar Terms, Chinese seasonal markers that divide the year according to changes in sunlight, weather, and agricultural life. Sycamore Tree ink, more precisely wutong, the Chinese parasol tree, evokes the fall colors of this tree. In Chinese culture, wutong leaves are closely associated with the shift from summer to fall. Liu Han’s poem “Beginning of Autumn,” printed on the ink bottle, reflects this association:
Young crows cry and scatter; the jade screen stands empty.
A fresh coolness reaches the pillow; a fan stirs the air.
Waking, I search for the sound of autumn, but cannot find it —
the steps are full of wutong leaves in the moonlight.
It is a wet ink with below average lubrication. Unpleasant and illegible with Japanese EF gold and EF Kaweco nibs. It is still illegible too pale for my taste with wider nibs. The colour shines with BB, Stub 1.9, fude and flex nib but don’t expect a suave writing experience.
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🧪 Chroma
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✍️ Writing Samples (photos LED only)
Liu Han’s poem “Beginning of Autumn
Translations from language are provided for reference only and may differ from published versions.
Rhodia dotpad
“Young crows cry and scatter; the pale screen stands empty.”
Iroful
“A fresh coolness reaches the pillow; a hand fan stirs the air.”
Midori MD Codex
“I search for the sound of autumn.”
Tomoe River 68gsm (Taroko Design Notebook)
Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.
“Wutong leaves in moonlight.”
Hammermill 20lb copy paper
“The steps are full of wutong leaves in the moonlight.”
Closeup
🔍 Comparison
Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.
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💧 Water Test
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🎨 Artwork
Cat -scape
Inks and paper
Under the Little Red Umbrella
A quick fountain pen sketch.
Parasols at Fall
Inspired by Chinese paintings of the wutong tree, or Chinese parasol tree, in fall.
Ostrich Sycamore Tree, Platinum Carbon Black, Mica Ripe Xuan Paper.
At first, I tried a monochromatic version, but the ink was too pale.
I switched to Platinum Carbon Black and applied a generous amount of Ostrich Sycamore Tree ink to give the drawing more depth.
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- Writing Experience: Unpleasant to be put it mildly.
- What I Liked: Applying it without fountain pen on paper. :D
- What I Did Not Like: Invisible when writing, unless using a fude or flex nib.
🧷 Ink Characteristics
- Shading: Subtle and I’m being kind.
- Ghosting: Faint. It becomes worse with wider nibs.
- Bleed Through: Same as above.
- Flow Rate: Wet
- Lubrication: Non-existent.
- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
- Start-up: No problems.
- Saturation: Pale.
- Sheen: Chromo-shading with fude and flex nibs.
- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.
- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
- Staining (Pen): No.
- Clogging: No.
- Cleaning: Easy
- Water Resistance: Survives a few drops.
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💬 Closing
A specialty ink, too pale for normal writing. It can be used for calligraphy with fude, flex nibs, or a brush, but only when applied heavily enough to show the chromo-shading effect. Not worth it. Better options are available.
No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. ;)
Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments — the more the merrier. :)
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