Sailor Maruzen Nihombashi Akane

[white_lotus]

Sailor Maruzen Nihombashi Akane (2017 re-issue)

 

OK, let's start with some history. Long ago, perhaps around 2008, Sailor made some LE inks for the Maruzen Nihombashi store in Tokyo. Each ink was limited to 300 bottles. Fast forward to 2014. By then, the inks were long sold out but Akane had gone down in history as legendary, a grail ink, the best red Sailor had ever made. And there was never, EVAH, to be any more. So it became a mythical ink, perhaps on par with PPS, at least among fans of red inks.

 

Well, all I can say is that sometimes pigs do fly, on rare occasions Hell does freeze over, and Sailor makes inks again that they had said they would never make again. Within the last month or so Maruzen Nihombashi had re-issues of all of their limited edition inks, including Akane. I was fortunate to obtain a bottle from a friend in Japan before they sold out.

 

The ink comes in a Sailor vase bottle without a label. The box has a very nice label. Normally I don't like red inks, but with this one I'm in love. The flow and lubrication are excellent, the handling great, the color not too bright, the shading also great, and on the right paper there is golden sheen. Visvamitra referred to this ink as "FP nectar" and I'd have to agree.

 

The ink is not water resistant. It is Unobtanium.

 

Pen: Pelikan M201 (F-steel)

Papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet, Rhodia=Rhodia 90g ivory.

Camera: iPhone 7

 

The iPhone did not pick up on the shading very well. It's much better than shown here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

Hmmm. I don't normally like dark reds, but this one is a distinct possibility.

Thanks for the review. And not....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[lgsoltek]

This one is my grail ink.

[fountainpagan]

Why? Why did you review this ink?

 

I like it, enormously!

[white_lotus]

[BCGGSM]

I received a sample of this ink last year from Japan along with a bottle of Fukurou. It was (was - because sample is gone) perhaps the best red ink I had ever used. I used it on Tomoe River.

 

Both inks are nice and look good on the paper, at least in person. But here, and in the Fukurou review, despite zooming in and other things, both inks look flat.

[visvamitra]

This is a stunning ink.

[white_lotus]

I received a sample of this ink last year from Japan along with a bottle of Fukurou. It was (was - because sample is gone) perhaps the best red ink I had ever used. I used it on Tomoe River.

 

Both inks are nice and look good on the paper, at least in person. But here, and in the Fukurou review, despite zooming in and other things, both inks look flat.

 

Part of the problem is that I have to reduce the size of the images to load them. And then the FPN board software does additional processing on them. I often have observed that what gets posted to FPN isn't the same as my images. Some people put their images on 3rd party sites to preserve their quality. But too often I've gone back to old reviews and found all the image links broken. So if the image is hosted here on FPN it at least will remain available so long as FPN is around. Another problem is the iPhone7 itself, which would much rather take a nice picture of the beach or forest than accurately represent ink. And I'm not a professional photographer.

 

Here's a 2MB version of the MvL review.

 

[Barkingpig]

Thank you for your review; this is indeed a very beautiful ink & I am glad you were able to receive a bottle.

[cleosmama]

Oh, yes.

[hrant]

I'm not a fan of red ink, but this one looks very decent. Thank you very much for the thorough review.

[fireant]

Thank you for the review! Love the shading with this ink.

[Miaxina]

Thank you for the review! The ink looks lovely!

[domzals1]

Love it!! Very much reminds me of MB Winter Glow, which is also now unobtanium. Drat!

[amberleadavis]

I love this ink. I received a sample and then I drooled. I may or may not have a bottle in the ink safe.

[Carrau]

Tantalizing!

[Mulrich]

I'm not normally a red ink fan so the only red ink I own is MB Corn Poppy Red (for grading papers) but this color is definitely interesting. It's probably a good thing that I don't have connections in Japan or I'd end up spending a lot more on Sailor inks.

[BCGGSM]

 

Part of the problem is that I have to reduce the size of the images to load them. And then the FPN board software does additional processing on them. I often have observed that what gets posted to FPN isn't the same as my images. Some people put their images on 3rd party sites to preserve their quality. But too often I've gone back to old reviews and found all the image links broken. So if the image is hosted here on FPN it at least will remain available so long as FPN is around. Another problem is the iPhone7 itself, which would much rather take a nice picture of the beach or forest than accurately represent ink. And I'm not a professional photographer.

 

Here's a 2MB version of the MvL review.

 

Hi,

 

Sorry for the late revert. I was a bit busy.

The main purpose (for me) of an ink review is to show the colour of the ink, at least 90-95% accurate. If it fails to do that, then might as well have no review. It just serves no purpose and cannot be used as a reference.

Regarding old ink reviews which have their images still available because they were uploaded on FPN server, unless absolutely necessary, I do not want to refer to them. High quality images offer better and truer representation of the colour of the ink.

About iPhone, I agree. It takes a lot of effort to capture the real colour of an ink if you are using it. I had to send pictures of a few writing samples and it took me at least an hour to get the correct colour.

Regarding professional photographer, I don't think most ink reviewers on this board would be professional photographers.

 

Thanks for the image. That looks closer to the colour I had.

[white_lotus]

Well I'm sorry my images don't live up to your standards. Maybe you should look somewhere else. I don't have to do ink reviews. I'm one of the few people who takes the time for, in my imagination, a somewhat comprehensive review of inks that most people will never see. Maybe I should spend my time doing something else.

[Barkingpig]

I appreciate your reviews of the inks you share with us. I would have had no way to know what most inks I have purchased really were going to look like without the many reviews I have been fortunate to find here.

 

When I was offered the source of Cool Japan to purchase inks I had seen reviewed here, I found I could actually USE some of these wonders. Now that he offers many of them on his Ebay site for sale, the chance is even greater for many users. However much I appreciate his making them available for purchase, without the assistance of reviews here I would have no way to know what the inks resemble. The same can also be said for many retailers who either do not know their swatches are less than representative or some other reason exists for the different color I find after using the ink. I am well aware of difference between paper, pen, etc, but some are just not at all a good depiction of the product.

 

Since I discovered the ink reviews & other related posts, I have been able to expand my enjoyment of pens; yours are one of several I enjoy & consider it a privilege to experience. Thank you for your efforts.