Kobe Nagasawa #27(By Sailor) – Kounan Maroon

[crahptacular]

Kobe Nagasawa (by Sailor) #27 – Kounan Maroon

 

Irrelevant anecdote: I have a maroon Franklin-Christoph model 27 Collegia, and saw that #27 in the Kobe line was a maroon named after the color of Kounan University (I think), so I bought the ink to pair with the pen to celebrate the coincidence. Somehow in my mind this was ample justification for the purchase… In any case, the ink comes in the standard squat Sailor bottle. I like these bottles for their appearance (they’re cute!) and storability (the short form factor fits into a lot of smaller shelves/drawers), but not so much for usability. I don’t hate them the way some others do, though ^^

 

The color is a pink/purple-leaning maroon. It is a rich, well-saturated color that has a prominent green sheen that can be seen during regular writing (assuming you are using a wettish nib and none too absorptive paper). The color is VERY close to Sailor Oku-Yama from their Four Seasons line, which for most people should be much more accessible and affordable, although the colors are not identical. From my observations, Kounan Maroon is a bit darker and purple-er than Oku-Yama, which leans more towards red, but I would be hard-pressed to tell the two apart without a swatch or sample for reference.

 

Lubrication: High

Shading: Moderate

Sheen: A lot

Water Resistance: Moderate-Low

Other notes: I have had this inked in a pen for several months without use in the past. The cap seal was not airtight, and so the ink evaporated and dried in the feed and converter. One night of soaking in plain water cleaned out the nib unit and converter just fine, with no staining or anything left afterwards.

 

The following sample was done with a Franklin-Christoph 27 (Steel Broad Stub) on Tomoe River (52gsm, white, loose-leaf) and a water brush for the doodle.

 

Bad Scanner Disclaimer: The scanner does an awful job with reds, so I made significant adjustments. The image I ended up with doesn’t show the “darks” very well and is a bit too red. The doodle is fairly accurate, but the rest is off. The writing, splatter, and smears are all too light and fail to show the contrast/shading properly. Photo included is a better representation of actual color, but I only have a phone camera, so the quality is what it is.

 

Scan:

 

Photo:

 

Comparison inks from left to right (big smear is the featured ink):

Sailor Oku-Yama, Diamine Oxblood, Franklin-Christoph Urushi Red, Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses, Rohrer & Klingner Morinda

 

[lapis]

Thanks for the nice review. The story about the name (Kounan) and the comparisons sure show/unfold a lot here. I especially like your inclusion of a scan plus the photo!

 

Mike

[visvamitra]

Stunning review Thanks.

[Barkingpig]

Thank you for a wonderful review of an ink I was unfamiliar with & now want to remember, when I order again!

[white_lotus]

Thanks for the review. I've often considered getting this ink, and perhaps someday I will. But this color range isn't as much a favorite of mine as some others, so it always gets passed by. Glad to know that Oku-yama is similar, since I have that ink. Thanks again.