Hachimonjiya x Tobimatsu Shoichiro Antique Teddy Bear - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample

Hue: A warm caramel brown. Hachimonjiya describes it as a calm, antique-toned shade with a subtle warmth. In my swatches the written line runs lighter and more golden-orange than “calm antique” suggests, closer to toffee or light tan. It only reaches a deep chocolate brown where the ink pools heavily.

Shading: Strong. Lines move from pale golden tan to mid-brown, with dark brown at the start and end of strokes.

Sheen: None visible in my swatches.

Shimmer: None.

Flow: Medium

The interesting bit: A collaboration between Hachimonjiya, a long-established bookshop and stationer in Yamagata, and Nagoya-based illustrator Shoichiro Tobimatsu, whose illustrations are known for their gentle humour. The colour is meant to capture the soft, worn texture of an old teddy bear resting at a flea market. Tobimatsu’s illustrated bear appears on the bottle label. Heavy pools show a nice touch of chromatic separation, with a dark brown core and a soft amber-orange halo at the edges.

This is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.
Photos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.
I’m a collector and I’m always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.