New Pen Day: Jinhao Centennial

One of my favorite activities after receiving a new fountain pen is to choose which ink to put in it. I prefer for the pen and ink colors to match, or at least to be adjacent in some way. Because of this, I'll usually already have an ink in mind before I even buy a new pen.

That was the case with my new Jinhao Centennial. I got koi red because I wanted to pair it with Noodler's Tokyo Gift. The lighter colors in this Duofold-inspired pen reminded me of cherry blossom petals. And while Tokyo Gift isn't pink, that's actually a plus for me. I'm very picky when it comes to pink, preferring darker shades adjacent to red or purple. So Tokyo Gift, to me, would be a perfect match to this pen.

But here's the rub: I can't get Tokyo Gift in a sample from pretty much anywhere. Many places don't even have the bottles in stock. Those who have the bottles and who do samples don't offer them for this particular ink. So I started looking for alternatives I could sample first, and decided to lean into cherry blossom petal colors, just out of curiosity. That's how I came across Faber-Castell's Yozakura.

Faber-Castell Yozakura

Yozakura by Faber-Castell is a gorgeous light pink color consistent with the color of cherry blossoms. It's well-behaved on cheaper paper from what I've seen, including in notebooks.

The shading is lovely, and probably my favorite characteristic about this ink. I've noticed no ghosting or bleedthrough on any of the papers I've tried so far. While I wouldn't describe it as bulletproof, it's definitely highly water resistant.

My only complaint with Yozakura is one of price. The 75 ml bottle is $32, which is one of the most expensive inks I've ever sampled. Call me utilitarian, but I just don't care that much about the luxury aesthetic they're trying to create. I can understand if a certain amount of the expense comes from the pigments and qualities in the ink itself. But a good portion of the cost here seems to be coming from the branding and packaging. That's not something I'm willing to pay extra for, so this one likely won't make it into my permanent rotation.

I'll likely end up doing the blind buy on Tokyo Gift. I think I'll personally end up liking the color much better. But if you're looking for a waterproof, pale pink ink, this is an excellent choice.