--- title: "Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi: A Black Ink That Flows" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi/" description: "Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi explained: a near-black dye ink in a 50 ml glass bottle, 30–42 s dry time, low water resistance, sizes, pens it suits and origin." category: "Accessories" type: "Fountain pen ink" published: 2026-10-21 updated: 2026-10-21 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle" brand: "Pilot" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America" model: "INK-50-TAK (Take-sumi, 50 ml); Pilot USA item 69224" mpn: "INK-50-TAK" sku: "69224 (Pilot USA; UPC 072838692245)" gtin: "4902505453601" url: "https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100002566" --- # Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi: A Black Ink That Flows > Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi (bamboo charcoal) is a black fountain pen ink from Pilot of Japan, sold in a heavy 50 ml (1.7 fl oz) glass bottle and a 15 ml mini. It's a water-based dye ink that writes wet and smooth and looks truly black, dries in about 30 to 42 seconds in reviewers' tests, and isn't reliably water resistant. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-21 - Updated: 2026-10-21 ![50 ml Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi bottle with black ink beside a black swab card, drawn in proportion](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi-16x9.png) *The 50 ml Take-sumi bottle, drawn in proportion, with a swab of the ink.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle | Pilot (by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America) | Japan | Japan | Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle | – | $$$: $20–75 per item | - Made in (Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle): Japan. Pilot's Japanese catalog page for INK-50-TAK (read in full on October 21, 2026) doesn't print a country of origin; its JAN, 4902505453601, carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix, which shows where the code was registered. Retailers describe Pilot as making its Iroshizuku inks in Japan (see our Kon-peki guide). Source: https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100002566 ## Key takeaways - Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the 50 ml bottle (INK-50-TAK) as a water-based dye ink in a bottle of 82 × 86 × 36 mm weighing 271 g. - It lists at ¥2,200 (about US$14) per 50 ml and ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) per 15 ml mini in Japan. - Goulet measured a dry time of about 30 seconds on Rhodia; Mountain of Ink measured 42 seconds. - On October 21, 2026 it was the 10th best-selling bottled ink on Amazon US and 15th at Goulet. - Goulet lists it as not water resistant; Mountain of Ink rates its water resistance medium. ## What is Iroshizuku Take-sumi? **It's the black ink in Pilot's Iroshizuku line, named for bamboo charcoal (竹炭).** Pilot's Japanese site says every Iroshizuku color is named for a Japanese scene or season; the line launched in 2007 and now has 24 colors. Goulet reviewed it in January 2013 as one of the three final colors that completed the line, and it has become one of the most-bought blacks in the US. On October 21, 2026 it was the 10th best-selling bottled ink on Amazon US and 15th among Goulet's bottled inks sorted by best selling. ## Take-sumi specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Pilot Corporation, Japan | | Code | INK-50-TAK (50 ml), JAN 4902505453601; Pilot USA item 69224 | | Bottle | 50 ml (1.7 fl oz) glass; 15 ml mini (INK-15N-TAK) | | Bottle size and weight | 82 × 86 × 36 mm, 271 g (Pilot Japan) | | Mini bottle | 67 × 28 × 28 mm (2.6 × 1.1 × 1.1 in), 77 g (Pilot Japan) | | Bottle opening | 19.3 mm (0.76 in), per Goulet | | Ink type | Water-based dye (Pilot Japan) | | Japan list price | ¥2,200 (about US$14) per 50 ml; ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) per 15 ml | | Dry time | About 30 s (Goulet); 42 s (Mountain of Ink) | | Water resistance | None (Goulet); medium (Mountain of Ink) | | Price band | $$$ ($20–75 per bottle) | Pilot gives three bottle dimensions without saying which is the height, so our cover draws the bottle in proportion, as on our [Kon-peki](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-iroshizuku-kon-peki/) guide for the same bottle. ![Take-sumi 50 ml and 15 ml bottles to scale, with converter fills per bottle](https://stationerytimes.com/images/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi-fills.svg) *How many converter fills each bottle holds (bottle ÷ capacity), with Take-sumi's sourced properties.* ## Is Take-sumi black or grey? **Black.** Goulet worried that "bamboo charcoal" meant grey, but found it a very black ink, darker than about two-thirds of the blacks it had compared, though not the very blackest. Mountain of Ink calls it a neutral black with no shading and a medium sheen in heavy swabs. It reports no feathering on the papers it tested. ## How fast does Take-sumi dry, and is it water resistant? **It dries in about 30 to 42 seconds, and you shouldn't count on it surviving water.** Goulet measured about 30 seconds on Rhodia, slower than the 10 to 15 seconds it usually sees from Iroshizuku; Mountain of Ink measured 42. Goulet lists it as not water resistant, while Mountain of Ink rates it medium. If the page must survive a spill, a pigment black such as [Platinum Carbon Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/platinum-carbon-black-ink/) or [Sailor Kiwa-guro](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-kiwa-guro/) is the safer pick. ## Which pens is Take-sumi safe for? **Any fountain pen that takes bottled ink.** It's a plain dye ink, so it suits converters, piston fillers and pens you don't want to worry about. Goulet praises its smooth flow and says it stays wet on the nib and cleans out easily. Fill the CON-40 in a [Pilot Metropolitan](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pilot-metropolitan/) about 125 times from one 50 ml bottle. In Japan, Pilot also sells Take-sumi Iroshizuku cartridges: six 0.9 ml cartridges for ¥990 (about US$6.30), which fit Pilot pens only. ## How does Take-sumi compare with other black inks? **It's the smooth, easy-cleaning choice; pigment and bulletproof blacks resist water better.** | Ink | Type | Water resistance | Bottle | |---|---|---|---| | Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi | Dye | None to medium | 50 ml glass | | [Noodler's Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-black-ink/) | Bulletproof dye | High | 3 oz glass | | Platinum Carbon Black | Carbon pigment | High | 60 ml glass | ## Where is Iroshizuku Take-sumi made? **In Japan, according to retailers.** Pilot's Japanese catalog page lists the bottle with a Japanese JAN (49 prefix) but doesn't print a country of manufacture. Pilot's Japanese site gives a list price of ¥2,200 (about US$14) including tax, or ¥2,000 (about US$12.70) before tax, for the 50 ml bottle. We didn't find a Pilot date for Take-sumi's launch; Goulet's January 2013 review is the earliest dated mention we read. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Take-sumi mean? Bamboo charcoal (竹炭). Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the color as タケスミ（竹炭）, and US retailers sell it as Bamboo Charcoal. ### Does Take-sumi shade or sheen? Mountain of Ink found no shading and a medium sheen that shows only in heavy swabs. In ordinary writing it reads as a neutral black. ### Is Iroshizuku Take-sumi waterproof? No. Goulet lists it as not water resistant, and Mountain of Ink rates its water resistance only medium. For a waterproof black, use a pigment ink. ### How long does Take-sumi take to dry? About 30 seconds on Rhodia in Goulet's test and 42 seconds in Mountain of Ink's. That's slower than many Iroshizuku colors, which Goulet usually finds dry in 10 to 15 seconds. ### Can I get Take-sumi in cartridges? Yes, in Japan. Pilot sells Take-sumi Iroshizuku cartridges (IRF-6S-TAK), six 0.9 ml cartridges for ¥990 (about US$6.30), which fit Pilot pens only. ### Is Take-sumi a pigment ink like Platinum Carbon Black? No. Pilot's Japanese catalog lists it as a water-based dye ink, which is why it flushes out easily but isn't as water resistant as a carbon pigment ink. ### Does Take-sumi come in a small bottle? Yes. Pilot sells a 15 ml mini, INK-15N-TAK, which measures 67 × 28 × 28 mm, weighs 77 g and lists at ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) in Japan. ## Sources - [パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫（いろしずく）」タケスミ（竹炭）INK-50-TAK (Pilot Japan catalog: JAN 4902505453601, ¥2,200, water-based dye, 50 ml, 82 × 86 × 36 mm, 271 g; read October 21, 2026)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100002566) - [パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫mini」INK-15N-TAK (Pilot Japan catalog: 15 ml mini, JAN 4902505678721, ¥1,100, 67 × 28 × 28 mm, 77 g)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100004134) - [パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫カートリッジ」IRF-6S-TAK (Pilot Japan catalog: 6 × 0.9 ml, ¥990)](https://webcatalog.pilot.co.jp/products/DispDetail.do?volumeName=00004&itemID=t000100003194) - [日本の美しい情景と季節の移ろいを映す色。万年筆カラーインキ「色彩雫（いろしずく）」。 (Pilot Japan story: Iroshizuku launched 2007, now 24 colors)](https://www.pilot.co.jp/media/story/005.html) - [Goulet Pens: Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi 50 ml bottled ink (PN69224, UPC 072838692245, opening 19.3 mm, not water resistant)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi-50ml-bottled-ink) - [Goulet Pens: Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi, ink review (January 2013: about 30 s dry time, very black)](https://www.gouletpens.com/blogs/fountain-pen-blog/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi-ink-review) - [Mountain of Ink: Ink Review No. 91, Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi (42 s, medium water resistance, medium sheen)](https://mountainofink.com/blog/pilot-iroshizuku-take-sumi) - [Amazon: Best Sellers in Bottled Pen Ink (Take-sumi 10th on October 21, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Office-Products-Bottled-Pen-Ink/zgbs/office-products/490677011) - [Goulet Pens: Bottled ink sorted by best selling (Take-sumi 15th on October 21, 2026)](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/bottled-ink?sort_by=best-selling)