I think of it as “electric chartreuse” - not quite yellow, not quite green, almost fluoro….in my beloved collection of murky green- yellow inks there is nothing that comes close to this colour. Herbin Vert Olive would be the nearest, but it’s a few shades darker and much greener. Sui-gyoku is the only one of the three that shows much evidence of sheen, but then only on TR paper. It is a mid-range teal, not very dark or very light. It’s definitely greener than Ku-jaku but looks as though it might be closer to Syo-ro (I don’t have any of this one so can’t be certain.) While it’s a pretty enough colour there are a lot of inks out there in this colour area, and I’m not sure it’s different enough to its neighbours in the Iroshizuku range to really justify its existence. Iroshizuku inks are always high quality and reliable, and if you or someone you know is into drawing with fountain pens then this could be a neat little set to pick up. My thanks to Rene at Pen Classics for sending me this interesting set for review! For serious writers though I’d suggest buying Sui-gyoku on its own, and perhaps considering Hotaru-bi if you’re into very broad nibs and/or looking for a potential highlighter ink. As such I absolutely had to have one for my collection! I’m going to be nitpicking in my review because…well, that’s what Kiwis do to their fellow Kiwis? The Surrokko is, to the best of my knowledge, the first modern mass-produced fountain pen (and rollerball) to be designed and manufactured here in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first thing I want to mention is the name. If you go to the website ( ) the makers of this pen explain the name…but. The spelling makes me go ARGH (#proofreaderproblems). If they had spelt it Sirocco, after the famous native kakapo parrot who once attempted to mate with a zoologist’s head on camera - only in NZ, etc! - I would have forgiven them. ![]() But to name it for a wind that occurs on the other side of the world and then SPELL IT WRONG? No. However, moving on…Īs you can see in the photos below the Surrokko is thoroughly packaged. ![]() The outer black cardboard sleeve with the branding on it is removed to reveal a plain black cardboard box that has an open front, and within that is the main box. ![]() The black and grey checker pattern on the top of the box is accented with a red stripe down the side which immediately evokes racing cars, but the hard modern effect is softened slightly by the logo, which is of two native falcons in a tree. This main box is interesting in that it opens from the top, not the front, revealing the pen inside on a cream suede bed. I like the overall look of this, it’s very stylish and for some reason makes me think of coffins and vampires! I do think though that the luxurious presentation is let down somewhat by the 2 pieces of white polystyrene (or something similar) that hold the pen in place.
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