Wancher Imari Blue-black

[dcwaites]

I saw these inks on 0588-tiger’s eBay website (Taizo’s of engeika other site) and was interested in both the colours and the price – $3.50 for 50ml. If you explore the links there is an interesting back story as well, unusual for any ink. I bought four bottles – two imari Blue-Black, one matcha Green and one ebine Violet. Total cost, including tracked EMS postage was about $8.40 per bottles, two dollars cheaper than I can get Lamy inks from eBay vendor officeigloo. It only took four days in the post to get from Japan to Australia.

 

The ink bottles are a copy of the old triangular Mont Blanc bottles. However, the inks aren’t supplied in these bottles. They come in refill bottles, and you have to decant the ink into the more robust triangular bottles. It’s not a great hassle, it only takes a minute in the sink with a small funnel.

 

A couple of notes on the review. The first draft was written with a TWSBI Diamond 530 with a Fine nib. However, that didn’t bring out the properties of the ink as I wanted, so the final was done with a Platinum Preppy Medium (0.5mm) nib. The three Q-tip swabs were one swipe each, of the named inks.

 

Other behaviour. On good, hard paper (Reflex Ultra-White paper, Rhodia paper, etc) this ink dries very slowly. It sinks into the paper fibres slowly, and the layer sitting on top takes a very long time to dry. However, on more porous paper, the ink sinks in and dries almost instantly. The trade-off is that you will get some bleeding through to the other side.

 

This ink is a bit rich for many dip pens, but with some, such as the Perry Iridinoid reservoir dip pens, like the 105, it works perfectly.

 

The ink is somewhat water resistant if you are able to blot it dry within several seconds. Once the paper fibres themselves get wet, the ink starts to migrate through them.

 

The lubrication of this ink is such that it removes the drag even from Platinum Preppy nibs, making writing with the Medium (0.5mm) nib a pleasure.

 

And now, for the review.

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_g_oFvX9K3R0/TKsHLl-dR9I/AAAAAAAAAjA/h6r9nRWas7M/s912/Imari_Blue-Black.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sandy1]

Hello,

 

Thank-you for your Review.

 

I found the smear/dry time to be so long, (>30 seconds), that one must take extra care when using this very nice ink.

 

I also concur with your findings regarding degraded line quality, and the bleed- show-through on absorbent papers.

 

I really have no idea why the on-line bumph refers to imari as being 'Blue Black'. As with most dark inks, I dilute them to get a better notion of the colour; and this one is very much a Dark Blue. Ah, but let's not get into the splitting of hairs. Sufficient unto the day that your scans on my monitor depict the colour of imari. And showing imari in proximity to other inks does reveal that imari is quite unique, or should I say 'rare'.

 

EDIT - to add: I found imari to be almost free of scent, but the wee plastic dispensing bottle has a significant smell of off-gassing.

 

Cheers!

Sandy1

Edited October 5, 2010 by Sandy1

[WillSW]

I think I read somewhere that these are made by Pilot? Maybe? Maybe Sailor? I don't know, probably not. The price goes down quickly the more bottles you buy...hmmmmmmmmm Looks good. Thanks.

[dcwaites]

I think I read somewhere that these are made by Pilot? Maybe? Maybe Sailor? I don't know, probably not. The price goes down quickly the more bottles you buy...hmmmmmmmmm Looks good. Thanks.

 

I don't know about that, but there is a line in the eBay item that says "These inks are similar to the iroshisuku Inks." Well, as far as the imari Blue is concerned, the only similarity might be the richness of the colour, but definitely not in the hue itself, or other properties such as feathering, bleeding or lubrication.

[Sandy1]

I think I read somewhere that these are made by Pilot? Maybe? Maybe Sailor? I don't know, probably not. The price goes down quickly the more bottles you buy...hmmmmmmmmm Looks good. Thanks.

 

I don't know about that, but there is a line in the eBay item that says "These inks are similar to the iroshisuku Inks." Well, as far as the imari Blue is concerned, the only similarity might be the richness of the colour, but definitely not in the hue itself, or other properties such as feathering, bleeding or lubrication.

Hi,

 

Not to derail the thread, but neither the brown (asuka) or the red-violet (ebine) have many properties in common with the iro inks. Perhaps there is some wishful thinking, or loss of nuance in translation.

 

So we have this Forum to review and discuss inks from our perspective and experience.

 

And yes, I do plan to 'put up', and substantiate my remarks in the spell-binding show & tell of a Review.

 

L8R,

S1

[dcwaites]

I think I read somewhere that these are made by Pilot? Maybe? Maybe Sailor? I don't know, probably not. The price goes down quickly the more bottles you buy...hmmmmmmmmm Looks good. Thanks.

 

I don't know about that, but there is a line in the eBay item that says "These inks are similar to the iroshisuku Inks." Well, as far as the imari Blue is concerned, the only similarity might be the richness of the colour, but definitely not in the hue itself, or other properties such as feathering, bleeding or lubrication.

Hi,

 

Not to derail the thread, but neither the brown (asuka) or the red-violet (ebine) have many properties in common with the iro inks. Perhaps there is some wishful thinking, or loss of nuance in translation.

 

So we have this Forum to review and discuss inks from our perspective and experience.

 

And yes, I do plan to 'put up', and substantiate my remarks in the spell-binding show & tell of a Review.

 

L8R,

S1

 

Sandy, I think we agree on that. I suspect that the writer was suggesting that the quality of the inks was similar to the iroshizuku inks.

 

What do you think of the idea of supplying the inks in a refill bottle and making you decant it yourself?

[Sandy1]

I think I read somewhere that these are made by Pilot? Maybe? Maybe Sailor? I don't know, probably not. The price goes down quickly the more bottles you buy...hmmmmmmmmm Looks good. Thanks.

 

I don't know about that, but there is a line in the eBay item that says "These inks are similar to the iroshisuku Inks." Well, as far as the imari Blue is concerned, the only similarity might be the richness of the colour, but definitely not in the hue itself, or other properties such as feathering, bleeding or lubrication.

Hi,

 

Not to derail the thread, but neither the brown (asuka) or the red-violet (ebine) have many properties in common with the iro inks. Perhaps there is some wishful thinking, or loss of nuance in translation.

 

So we have this Forum to review and discuss inks from our perspective and experience.

 

And yes, I do plan to 'put up', and substantiate my remarks in the spell-binding show & tell of a Review.

 

L8R,

S1

 

Sandy, I think we agree on that. I suspect that the writer was suggesting that the quality of the inks was similar to the iroshizuku inks.

 

What do you think of the idea of supplying the inks in a refill bottle and making you decant it yourself?

Hi,

 

In this specific instance, because I am concerned about the off-gassing, which may indicate an 'unsuitable' reactive plastic, I think that the small dispensing bottle is a grand idea - for the short term. And really, why not do a robust/durable glass bottle and be done with it?

If the dispensing bottle was a 'travel size', (15ml perhaps), then it would make more sense - to me at least - to have two bottles. But I'm fussy fussy fussy. I mean, oh my, its an ink bottle - not a moon shot.

 

(Someone needs to return to One Of The Ten.

I am soooo boring today.)

 

Bye,

S1

[WillSW]

I'd be very interested in a review of the underwhelming sounding brown, since that is the color I'm most likely to be drawn into getting.

[mori45]

Nice review--thanks!

[d.b]

I just noticed these on eBay in 100ml bottles for around $7

Now which should I try?

[Jeje3325]

If you go on Engeika they are 3.75 right now for members