daiso Sumi Calligraphy Liquid Ink in a 180ml Bottle

I have used this ink for quite some time and I would make the following comments: 1. It is a decent sumi type ink and benefits from slight dilution 2. It is not remotely waterproof, but sumi ink never is 3. The nozzle dispenser is a good idea which prevents spills 4. It produces good ink washes if required in drawings 5. It is very black when undiluted 6. It should never be used in a fountain pen - it will clog the feed 7. It is excellent value for money, especially when compared to Kuretake 8. On water colour paper it can show interesting textured granulation

I don’t have much experience but I love this product. The ink is nice and smooth and the bottle lid is really well designed to reduce mess and pour unused ink back in. I have only used it with a small brush for writing in cards so far, but I’ve done loads of practice with it.

As a relative beginner, I found this ink a little hard to handle. It was very thick and rather blobby. However, after adding a few drops of water it became more manageable.

Pure dark black, perfect viscosity for continuous writing in Persian or Arabic calligraphy. Very easy to handle with no mess, thanks to the genius bottle cap design.

You only need a few drops of this ink from this well designed tap release bottle - this bottle should last for years !

I like it! You can remove and clean it if it's spill into hands.

As far as I know, it's the best black ink you can find in the market.. as a calligrapher I have tried many different inks for traditional calligraphy and this one is definitely the best considering different aspects.. Obviously you must learn how to work with it.. on which paper, how much distilled water mix with it if needed, etc.

Produces a nice deep black, may need to have some water added as it is quite thick and can dry out. Good value for 180ml.

Richly dark yet watery enough to be easily grey if need be. It’s perfect for testing new brushes and paper! The size is big, you really don’t need as much as you’d think because of how high quality the ink is. Perfect for bordering and calligraphy, and possibly dip pens but I have yet to try them.

Perfect. High quality sumi without smell.

i know this might only cost 1 dollar in japan (100 Yen at Daiso) but this is worth the money you pay here. super good sumi to learn shodou!

Parfait. Le colis est arrivé deux jours avant la date prévue. L'encre est parfaite comme je voulais, ni trop liquide ni trop épaisse, parfait pour la calligraphie Nib. Merci beaucoup. S.Lé

Ink has good color, it is a bit thicker than most inks (contains soot and resin). I tried this in a regular fountain pen and it took a while for the ink to flow to the tip, although it is usable once the ink starts flowing, in the long run it might clog mechanisms which are designed for thinner ink. This is best for dip pens and calligraphy-specific pens. I will keep using it on my cheaper pen to see how it holds. Also this works very well for staining wood.