The first time these came around, there were some issues with them drying out after if the cap was not super well shut. Looks like Ironlak went back to the drawing board and came back with something a lot more comprehensive and solid. First of all, they addressed the cap issue and now, the caps lock tight and the markers stay nice and fresh for a very long time. They also introduced Japanese manufactured nibs and alcohol based ink to make it official. There is a difference in quality and you can tell when you start manipulating it on some paper.
This is a twin marker with both an 8mm chisel and a 1mm bullet point for outlining and detail work. The ink does not bleed out and the flow of it is pretty consistent. The 8mm nib makes filling in large areas quite easily. They have what they call a Poly Propelene Tri-Grip barrel. I honestly don’t know what that means but I do know that the marker works well. This marker can definitely get the job done and will make your sketching experience very enjoyable. It’s nothing revolutionary, this is not some miracle marker that will give you better outline structure but what it will do is give you a quality tool to work on your craft. With 160 colors to chose from, you are guaranteed to find your fare share of different color combos.
The sets do not include the black marker which is sold separately. Note that the black marker has a 6mm chisel tip rather than the 8mm on the regular ones. I think this is better because it is more suited for outlining and it’s easier to work with a slightly smaller nib. The carrying case is also a cool touch, making the set portable and easy to bring to sessions outside the crib. It’s a very complete kit at an affordable price.
If you’re in to heavy duty sketching and love spending hours in a blackbook with twin markers, the Ironlak 0.4mm Fineliners are a must have in the roster. They have them available in two different sets but once you get one, you will want the other one so skip the BS and just get both at the same time. The shape of the markers makes them comfortable when holding for long periods of time. The super thin metal clad tip is strong and durable. Most importantly, it allows extra fine details to be added in to your sketches like never before. With 32 colors, you can really go in on some super detailed work in your fill ins or background to give your work that extra pop. I mean, you can really do the thinnest lines with these things which give the work a whole new dimension. If you’re a big on black books and you don’t have these on your desk, you’re missing out.
Review by Stan
