Matador - Sailor Bung Box Ink

[visvamitra]

Sailor is my favourite ink maker (ex-aeque with J. Herbin). Sadly their most interesting inks are available only in Japan or from internet retailers. There are few japanese shops famous for their wide and interesting range of Sailor inks. One of most well-known is Bung Box. A lot of people were taken by interesting bottles and intriguing colors. It seems however that recently many ink enthusiasts started to shy away from this line since Bung Box inks became much more bitterly expensive than other Sailor inks.

The line consists of quite a few colors. My list is incomplete and most of the names aren't translated well. If you have full list of BB inks and/or could help me with correcting english names, help me sort this out

1. 4B Blue/Black
   
2. BB Espresso
   
3. Dandyism
   
4. Ebisu Gold
   
5. Emerald
   
6. Enshu Black
   
7. First Love Sapphire
   
8. Fresh Oranges of Lake Hamana
   
9. Fuyiyama Blue
   
10. Hamanako Eel
    
11. Imperial Purple
    
12. Ink of the Witch
    
13. L’Amant
    
14. Luminous Green
    
15. Melancholic Gray
    
16. Mocha
    
17. Music Black
    
18. Nostalgia
    
19. Oamezaki Sunset
    
20. Omaezaki Ocean
    
21. Omaezaki Blue
    
22. Orange
    
23. Pink
    
24. Ruby
    
25. Sapphire
    
26. Silent Night
    
27. Soleil
    
28. Tears of Clown
    

Before I write few words about the ink allow me to start by saying thank you mmg122 for sending me samples of different inks.

It seems Matador doesn't get much love around here - it could if only it would be cheaper and easily available.

It's nice red ink that behaves well on most papers although it's not problem-free. It tends to dry out in the pen when it's left uncapped for 15-20 seconds. Yellow card,

Apart from that, the ink is well behaved (no feathering, no bleedthrough, reasonable dry time, nice lubrication, smooth flow) .

Personally I wouldn't buy this ink. The color is nice but, quite frankly, you'll easily find cheaper alternatives (not doppelgangers, mind you, but dark reds with shading are abundant on the market).

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Software ID

Color range

Maruman, Lamy AL-Star, broad nib

Leuchtturm1917, Lamy AL-Star, broad nib

No-name notebook, Lamy AL-Star, broad nib

Maruman, Hero 5028, stub 1,9

Maruman, Lamy Al-Star, medium nib

Water resistance

[cleosmama]

It's gorgeous, and I love the shading. But there are a lot of gorgeous red inks out there.

 

I forgot to say thank you for your review (I love your reviews!).

Edited April 9, 2017 by cleosmama

[Chrissy]

Thanks for your review.

 

Bungbox inks used to be more sought after when they were sold in vase shaped bottles. Now that they come in regular Sailor squat bottles, they don't attract such premium high prices for buyers outside of Japan. There are plenty of Sailor inks that come in Sailor squat bottles that are cheaper than Bungbox inks. So maybe inkophiles outside of Japan just buy others now.

[ca49reber]

I still buy Bung Box. I've purchased abt 30 in the last year including this one. I enjoy giving them as presents. And Vanness seems to keep selling them as many are sold out at different times.

[Miaxina]

The shading is beautiful, it reminds me of fire for some reason and be able to stare at it for a long time.

 

And thank you so much for your reviews, I love reading them! <3

[visvamitra]

You're welcome

[white_lotus]

Thanks for the review. Reds are not my favorite inks, but of course this one looks nice.

 

I'd acquired my Bungbox inks mostly before the series of price increases. I would have gotten others except for the price. Now I can get other, rare even, Sailor inks from Japan often for less, sometimes for much less, than the current Bungbox price. Well, each person has to decide what inks they want, and how much they're willing to pay. Whatever makes them happy.

[mmg122]

Thanks so much for the review, Vis. I love the shading on this ink. You picked the perfect nib to highlight it.

 

Mary

[tealeaf_egg]

I love the shading on this, reminds me of rubies. The only reds I have are flat bright reds like sailor irori or real dark ones like diamine oxblood. Vis, you mentioned there are many cheaper shading reds like this out there. Could you (or anyone) name a few? I'd be vey grateful (though my wallet protests).

 

Tea

Edited April 10, 2017 by tealeaf_egg

[Chrissy]

Vis I know you have a favourite red, but which one is it? I've forgotten.

[lgsoltek]

Vis I know you have a favourite red, but which one is it? I've forgotten.

 

 

I remember it's something from MB... Winter Glow I think? or Sailor Maruzen Akane.

[visvamitra]

It changes, but I would say that few of my favs are: Maruzen Akane, Nagasawa-kobe Ijinkan Red, Montblanc Corn Poppy Red, Sheaffer Red, Diamine Crimson, Maruzen renga (although it's not really pure red). Good question though.

[Midx]

That is a gorgeous red! Sadly Sailor inks aren't easy to get in the UK...

[chromantic]

I love the shading on this, reminds me of rubies. The only reds I have are flat bright reds like sailor irori or real dark ones like diamine oxblood. Vis, you mentioned there are many cheaper shading reds like this out there. Could you (or anyone) name a few? I'd be vey grateful (though my wallet protests).

 

Tea

 

Diamine Ruby shades nicely. It's not quite as deep red as this one and the light shading leans to a pink-ish red.

[Chrissy]

It changes, but I would say that few of my favs are: Maruzen Akane, Nagasawa-kobe Ijinkan Red, Montblanc Corn Poppy Red, Sheaffer Red, Diamine Crimson, Maruzen renga (although it's not really pure red). Good question though.

 

I think that the one I was trying to think of was Maruzan Akane. I knew it was one I couldn't get.

[amberleadavis]

Thank you, Vis. I'm glad about the warning that it dries out in the nib. For me, that's a killer feature.

[Midx]

 

I really love this colour! Are there any other inks that looks the same? Sailor seems pretty impossible to get in the UK, especially in sample form, so I'd love to find a similar colour from someone else...

[jmccarty3]

Montblanc Shakespeare Velvet Red shades very nicely. I'm using it in a 146R right now.

[ManofKent]

Great review - thank you

[Midx]

Montblanc Shakespeare Velvet Red shades very nicely. I'm using it in a 146R right now.

 

I do like the look of Velvet Red, but in pictures it looks browner and doesn't have the same pink/magenta-y tinge in the dryer areas...