(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
Tono & Lims is a South Korean ink company that ink enthusiasts in the west are getting to know, thanks to newfound availability at stores like Shigure Inks. Brad and Jeff have posted reviews on two other colors of Tono & Lims. Now it's my turn.
Sun is an ink that Tono & Lims produced to celebrate their first anniversary. It's a pink-orange color that fluoresces in ultraviolet light. It's not as subtle as the color I call coral because of its fluorescent properties. It's hard to capture the exact hue in photographs.
On my Col-o-dex card, the ink is pretty flat, exhibiting little shading and a tiny amount of sheen in the ink splats.
On Rhodia white paper, the fluorescent orange is bright, but there's little shading and no sheen. It is not waterproof and dries quickly.
Chromatography shows that pink is the primary color in this ink. If you look closely, you'll see a light band of fluorescent green.
I don't own a black light, so I can't show you what the ink looks like in the ultraviolet spectrum. However, you can see the fluorescence when the ink interacts with water.
My ruling pen brought out the best of the ink, demonstrating some shading and a bit of green sheen.
Fools Cap paper tamed the ink into a more standard coral color, absorbing the fluorescent properties. It makes a pretty mandala, though!
Tono & Lims "Sun" is an interesting ink. I appreciate ink companies that do something unusual with their inks, and fluorescent ink is a new concept for me. That said, I'm not crazy about this color, and I'm not sure what fluorescent ink has to offer. The last time I owned a black light was in Junior High, so it's hard for me to find a practical use for the ink without one. Nevertheless, I'm intrigued by Tono & Lims and plan to try other colors soon.
You can purchase a 30ml bottle of Sun from Shigure Inks for $22.00. That's a bit on the expensive side (though Sailor Ink Studio is $18 for 20ml), so you might want to order samples first before you commit to an entire bottle.
(The Pen Addict purchased this ink at full retail from Shigure Inks.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
