Compiled from 9 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
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.
On this page10 sections
The 50 ml Take-sumi bottle, drawn in proportion, with a swab of the ink.
Product facts
Product
Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle
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Notes on these facts
Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
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 guide for the same bottle.
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 or 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 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.
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.
