Illadel Kiwi Mops Are Now In Stock
The new Illadel Kiwi Mops are finally available and ready to ship. It took longer than expected due to shipping fuckery on FedEx’s part, but the finally delivered the labels and the mops are available on Illadel.Ink.
For the younger generation of writers and vandals who have never had the pleasure of using an actual legit official af Kiwi Mop, after your first tag you’ll fully understand everything you’ve been missing. Kiwi Mops are the things of legend.
But the mop itself, while a major part of the puzzle, is only half of the recipe for disaster. Without a good, solid ink you might as well use the thing for what it was made for & polish up those scuffed-up Nikes.
Kiwi Mops being my all-time favorite type of mop, I decided that if I was going to produce something worthy, it had to not only look the part, but the ink/paint had to be just as vicious.
Finding the all-black bottles with the matching black screw-on top/cap was the first mission. There were literally hundreds of manufacturers out there offering every imaginable shape & style in the black color needed, but none were the official Kiwi Brand style of bottle.
So fast forward 2 years & some change, after sending countless e-mails, messages, texts and calls, most of which I never got a response to, and finally I landed on a manufacturer’s website almost by accident. I e-mailed them, they responded with one image and the search was over. Honestly if I couldn’t find the all-black bottle/cap then these bad boys would have never happened. Sure there are tons of shoe polish bottles out there to use, but only the Kiwi style would work for me.
Once I found the manufacturer and sent the initial order, I made the labels and, luckily already had the perfect ink (and paint) to go with the vandalous, sexy-looking Kiwi bottle. The only issue left to deal with was preventing the mop from leaking while in transit to the customers. UPS, FedEx and USPS are notoriously reckless when handling & transporting packages, so I found a perfectly-sized cap-plug to plug the neck for shipping.
The Black Label bombing ink, one of my best-selling inks, would be perfect. It’s buffproof, it bleeds through buff paint & primer, it doesn’t fade and it flows perfectly through any type of mop or marker. That ink inside the black bottles is the perfect combo. But a vicious black ink needs a vicious chrome to go along with it, so the 24K Chrome Mirror Finish would be used as well. Both the Black Label and the 24K Chrome are my own recipe & not some cheap reddi-mix imported from China like so many other “graffiti inks” are from. If I won’t use it I won’t sell it.
The opaque black ink and the 1-inch round foam applicator/nib make some of the thickest, sloppiest, drippiest tags ever. The bigger spot you can smack with a tag from these things the better, especially if you squeeze the mop & make the letters drip…there’s nothing better looking than a legible, drippy, sloppy-ass tag covering the entire surface of a window, dumpster, bus stop, store front, etc.
The foam tip, maybe because its a dense, porous material leaves a certain look when the ink and/or paint dries that you can not reproduce with a regular squeeze mop. Its a one-of-a-kind finish you can only really achieve with a kiwi-style/shoe polish mop.
Below is a little history on the Kiwi Mop (and homemade shoe polish mops):
The Beginning
In the 1970s, graffiti writers in New York City were on a mission: to tag everything in sight. Markers were the go-to tools, but they had limitations. Enter the Kiwi shoe polish bottle.
These bottles were repurposed into makeshift mops by stuffing them with felt from blackboard erasers. Writers would then fill them with various inks or paints, creating a tool that was both durable and capable of producing bold, dripping tags.
This DIY approach was not only cost-effective but also allowed for a level of customization that store-bought markers couldn’t match.
The Craft
Crafting a Kiwi Mop was an art in itself. Writers would carefully select the right container, often a Kiwi shoe polish bottle, and modify it to suit their needs. The felt tip was crucial—it had to be just the right size and density to hold the ink and deliver a consistent flow. The ink or paint used was often homemade, with recipes passed down through the community. These concoctions were designed to be highly visible, long-lasting, and resistant to fading or buffing.
Influence & Evolution
While the Kiwi Mop originated in New York, its influence spread globally. Artists in Europe, Latin America, and Asia adopted the technique, each adding their unique twist. In the 1990s, as graffiti culture gained international recognition, companies began to take notice. This led to the creation of commercial mops from brands like Krink, Grog, On the Run, etc., which were inspired by the homemade versions but offered more consistency and reliability.
Legacy & Impact
The Kiwi Mop represents the essence of graffiti culture: innovation, resourcefulness, and a DIY spirit. It embodies the idea that art doesn’t require expensive tools—just creativity and determination. Even as commercial products have flooded the market, the legacy of the Kiwi Mop lives on in the techniques and ethos of graffiti writers worldwide.
While the above does mention blackboard eraser felt being used in the earlier version, using felt offered no flow control whatsoever. Today we have plastic spring-valves, known in the industry as “valve actuators” or “valve actuated markers” that control the ink/paint flow by pressing down on the nib. This pushes the plastic spring inward, allowing the ink/paint to flow freely to the surface.
Sure you can still pull the foam tip off & use a piece of felt, but it’ll leak everywhere and be nothing but a headache to route with.
Back to the Illadel Kiwi Mops….these are available on the website in five Black Label buffproof colors and 24K Chrome Mirror Finish. The mop body is high quality HDPE plastic and holds 100ml. The foam applicator is 1 inch in diameter but kind of fluffs up & expands once it becomes saturated with ink. Once saturated it can reach a width of 1.25″-1.50″, making for even fatter, drippier lines and tags.
The only downside to these types of mops are the foam tip, depending on the surfaces you use it on, can be ripped or torn off if your not careful. Hence the “for smooth surfaces” recommendation. However, every Illadel Kiwi Mop ships with a free spare nib.
Besides that, you can fit the mop body with a 24mm smooth or mohair nib if you prefer. The same type of nib on any 2oz cylinder style mop. They fit perfectly. For those who prefer to use their own ink, I have empty Kiwi-style shoe polish bottles also posted, only they’re white with a clear top, and yes, they also include a free spare nib.
With all that being said, enjoy the pics below or better yet, go grab one off the website & get busy. If you catch wreck in your town, city or suburb, make sure you tag me on Instagram at @illadel.ink. Peace.
