Sailor Manyo Kakitsubata review

[A Smug Dill]

 

Colour: A somewhat under-saturated blue, which I suppose makes it closer to a blue-black. Not dissimilar to Rohrer & Klingner (2021 Limited Edition) Isatis, but Kakitsubata is darker at the same wetness. Not apparent from the colour-corrected scan, but my eyes keep telling me the colour leans slightly purple when I look at the physical page.

 

Feathering: Not observed on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper.

Show-through: Almost nil observed on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper. Very faint show-through for the two heavily filled-in squares on the right-hand edge of the stippling / hatching / crosshatching panel near the top.

Bleed-through: Not observed on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper.

 

Drying time: Relatively quickly, at ≤12 seconds writing with a moderately wet (Japanese) Fine nib on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper. In another test not shown here, ≤8 seconds when writing with a drier-writing pen (i.e. the Sailor Fude de Mannen pen).

 

Water resistance: Very good. 

 

Shading: Somewhat choppy shading along drier ink tracks. Subtle, blended shading along wetter ink tracks that are barely (but nevertheless) discernable when inspecting each line of writing closely, but glancing at a page of writing of moderate wetness you probably won't notice it.

 

Sheen: Not observed on Rhodia Dotpad 80g/m² paper.

 

My verdict: I think this beats R&K Isatis in every meaningful way for everyday writing applications; but then being a Sailor Manyo ink it is easily more than twice as expensive on a per-millilitre basis.

 

[A Smug Dill]

I'm a little surprised that, after I reviewed three out of eight of the Sailor's second-release ink colours in the Manyo line, no-one else has added another in the months since. Does that range of colours attract so little interest from hobbyists (as in with money to spend on the hobby, as opposed to just being interested in reading reviews of those inks)?

 

Anyway, this is the last of the Sailor Manyo inks I have. I wasn't intending on reviewing this also, except that it looks so similar to the far more recently released R&K 2021 LE Isatis now that I finally got around to opening the bottle, I thought I may as well review it too.

 

There. I'm done with the Manyo line of inks, at least for the colours that have already been released; and frankly I can feel my interest in doing ink reviews waning again, even when I've just acquired eight other inks that haven't been reviewed on FPN. Not much point in trying to start the ball rolling on entire brands or lines of ink that are available in the market but have scarcely been reviewed anywhere, if no-one else is going to play.

 

(Maybe it's time for me to look at something that has already been reviewed to death.)

[sgphototn]

3 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

(Maybe it's time for me to look at something that has already been reviewed to death.)

While I use a very limited pallet of inks (KWZ IG) I do appreciate your reviews even though I'll never use them. What I like is your thoroughness and reliability. 

 

I also find your other posts to be insightful, to the point, and backed by  experience few here can match.

 

Thanks.

[mizgeorge]

Fab review (please don't stop doing them, they're some of the best) of an ink I find I rather like. 

 

I think perhaps this line is slightly neglected as it's not especially easy to find, and might seem expensive to many (though IMO less so than some of the other Sailor offerings, especially given the comparative bottle sizes). I have three or four bottles, and will certainly get more. 

[yazeh]

A fabulous review dill. I'm not sure if this ink really speaks to me though

 

[LizEF]

Thanks for the review, Dill!  This looks close to my kind of color, but it's hard to be sure...

 

As to reviews, 0bviously I can't speak for others, but the primary reasons I'm behind the times on ink reviews are because of (a) my massive, but ancient stash of samples, and (b) my lack of disposable money.

 

It seems like there's been quite a flood of new inks the past couple of years, and if not new ink companies, at least some ink companies have gotten new exposure.  Perhaps that is diluting the ink review business - though it seems like there are fewer reviewers here (is that my imagination) and a few good ones haven't been doing reviews of late.

[A Smug Dill]

Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement. It's a terribly soggy week here, and I was having a feathering bad night, so I was even grumpier than I usually am.

 

That said, the vibe of this forum is sometimes akin to a swingers' club where, notwithstanding having a sizeable group of regulars and a massive influx of newcomers and casual visitors, the vast majority (say, >97%) who turn up just want to watch for entertainment or titillation. Rather than getting down and dirty, and sharing experiences openly with the understanding that not every encounter will turn out as well as one hoped for the ‘investment’ of whatever, they set out primarily to be voyeurs instead of participants. It's a particular type of pen/ink pr0n at that, too; they want to see other ‘real people’ do it, and not just lap up what is prepackaged and dished out by manufacturers' and retailers' marketing teams to peddle and/or feed the fantasy that a jolly good time is in store for the price of admittance.

 

I don't feel that what it cost me to acquire this ink is necessarily money well spent (but still better than Sailor Manyo Chigaya from the same order); so, I'll admit, to myself and openly, I'm not as astute as I imagined I was at picking them. But I still feel/felt it is worthwhile to share the experience and observations of what isn't stellar, with fellow hobbyists in the same club who each have their own share of wins and fails; that's part and parcel of the doing aspect of any hobby.

 

If what almost everyone else is doing is putting their consumer hat on first, and approaching ink reviews as a library for their own benefit of making informed purchasing decisions, built entirely at others' costs upfront — and perhaps even demanding that reviewers don't potentially stand to profit from the ‘smarter’ consumer spending as a result, and bias their reviews towards monetisation — then maybe I should join them, and play the game of competitive consumerism instead of simply enjoying and encouraging spending and doing.

 

11 hours ago, LizEF said:

Perhaps that is diluting the ink review business - though it seems like there are fewer reviewers here (is that my imagination) and a few good ones haven't been doing reviews of late.

 

You're still one of the most prolific and consistent ink reviewers in the current climate. Kudos to you! 

 

I can't keep track of which inks (as samples or in retail bottles) you have, but I'll update my spreadsheet of inks in the cloud shortly, and if you can pick 40 inks from the list you'd be interested in reviewing, I can send you samples in spite of Australia Post having permanently discontinued the option of sending non-documents in letters cheaply to overseas destinations. I used to be able to send six 2ml ink samples as a letter, and would have been happy to do so several times a year as giveaways (I hate the term PIF) for fellow hobbyists, or in support of other ink reviewers. Having to pay 6.5x that price means I have to send at least 39 equivalent ink samples at once to make the exercise worthwhile; but it isn't the sort of thing to reasonably do as a luck-of-the-draw community games type random giveaway just for the heck of it.

 

You are one of very few active information producers I can trust to do something meaningful with all that, though; and if lack of disposable money is an obstacle to your endeavours, then let me help out.

[peroride]

12 hours ago, sgphototn said:

What I like is your thoroughness and reliability. 

 

Indeed ! I echo @sgphototn Thank you again @A Smug Dill for these consistent ink reviews.🙂 While I have yet to consider these reviewed inks, between you, @LizEF and many others, FPN is certainly enriched by your efforts and the FP community at large 👋 

[inkstainedruth]

Ironically, I had just been looking at swabs on a couple of websites for various Sailor inks earlier today.  Apparently using a non-Sailor ink will void the one-year warranty on the 1911S Wicked Witch and Loch Ness Monster pens because of the "ion-coated" nib.  But I haven't found a lot of Sailor inks so far that I really liked, other than Souboku (and I'm not sure I want to put a pigmented ink in pen with that special coating on the nib), and (original formula) Sky High; I wasn't completely sold on the two Sailor Studio samples (#650 and #943) I tried when I bought the pens, either -- they were okay but didn't wow me.

And Kakitsubata had been one that caught my eye today -- but the swabs made it look more purple than your review (a lot of the other Manyo inks seemed pretty but too light to be legible).  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

53 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

You're still one of the most prolific and consistent ink reviewers in the current climate. Kudos to you! 

 

I can't keep track of which inks (as samples or in retail bottles) you have, but I'll update my spreadsheet of inks in the cloud shortly, and if you can pick 40 inks from the list you'd be interested in reviewing, I can send you samples in spite of Australia Post having permanently discontinued the option of sending non-documents in letters cheaply to overseas destinations. I used to be able to send six 2ml ink samples as a letter, and would have been happy to do so several times a year as giveaways (I hate the term PIF) for fellow hobbyists, or in support of other ink reviewers. Having to pay 6.5x that price means I have to send at least 39 equivalent ink samples at once to make the exercise worthwhile; but it isn't the sort of thing to reasonably do as a luck-of-the-draw community games type random giveaway just for the heck of it.

 

You are one of very few active information producers I can trust to do something meaningful with all that, though; and if lack of disposable money is an obstacle to your endeavours, then let me help out.

Wow.  Thank you, so much!  I'm humbled - truly - at this generosity.  I'll reply further to your PM.

 

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

But I still feel/felt it is worthwhile to share the experience and observations of what isn't stellar, with fellow hobbyists in the same club who each have their own share of wins and fails; that's part and parcel of the doing aspect of any hobby.

I think this describes my view.  Sure, I could just use my pens and be content, but a lot of people helped me out when I was starting back into fountain pens, and I remember what it was like trying to figure out what an ink would look like from my preferred fine nibs - and finding little to nothing to help me.  I want to return the favor, and add to the resources that keep the community alive, and yes, that benefits me in return as I enjoy the interaction (more meaningful than simply consuming what others post) and the satisfaction of knowing I've provided a resource for EF-users.  So, I'm doing what I can with what I have.

 

I wonder if updating the guidelines wouldn't help - I delayed in the very beginning because of the guidelines, thinking "I'm not gonna cover all that", but then decided - well, the worst they can do is tell me to post in Inky Thoughts instead, or not index my reviews, and so I went forward.  I tend to think any review is better than no review, but the guidelines were kinda intimidating when I first started considering whether to do ink reviews.

 

Anywho, I appreciate your reviews, and whether you keep doing them and to what extent, I'm glad for what you've done.

[LizEF]

28 minutes ago, peroride said:

Indeed ! I echo @sgphototn Thank you again @A Smug Dill for these consistent ink reviews.🙂 While I have yet to consider these reviewed inks, between you, @LizEF and many others, FPN is certainly enriched by your efforts and the FP community at large 👋 

  Thank you!

[A Smug Dill]

7 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

But I haven't found a lot of Sailor inks so far that I really liked, other than Souboku (and I'm not sure I want to put a pigmented ink in pen with that special coating on the nib),

 

It's prudent and wise of you to use caution there. I don't think it's a matter of Souboku being a pigment ink per se, but Sailor Kiwaguro caused permanent discolouration of the black ion-plating on my Pilot Capless nib, and Sailor Souboku stripped some of the coating from the underside from a black Lamy Z52 nib. I don't think Kiwaguro has done anything to the ruthenium-plated nib on my Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black edition, but then I only used that ink with that pen for a short while and many years ago.

 

No way am I going to let those inks anywhere near my Aurora black nibs (which have a matt finish instead of a glossy one at that).

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the heads up, ASD. 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TheDutchGuy]

Time constraints prevent me from contributing more to FPN at the moment.  Aside from that, I gravitate more towards pens and nibs than to doing thorough ink reviews. Which is why I’m all the more grateful to folks like Dill and LizEF who, together with several others, create absolutely fantastic ink reviews. Once a week or so I sit down and catch up with what’s been happening here and I read most of those reviews. Keep it up!

 

About Sailor, I’ve used kiwaguro in many different pens without ill effects, but never with a black nib. A PGS is continuously inked with kiwaguro, has been for years without even flushing it, no problems thus far. Souboku is used only in another PGS and although the ink doesn’t really tick my boxes it seems to be very well-behaved.

[PithyProlix]

Thanks for this nice review, as well as your others. (I like the color but there are too many other blues on my want list at much lower per unit prices.)

[aimi]

Thank you for the review! I love to read the different reviews on inks here and live vicariously, as I have a hard time getting through the samples I already have.

 

I've thought several times of different reviews I could do, but I feel constrained by what I have (e.g. I only really own TR and MD paper when Rhodia is very popular too!), and I'm nervous the colours will come out all wrong and lead some poor buyer astray! Anyways these are definitely "me" problems, but I enjoyed reading your review here

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, aimi said:

I feel constrained by what I have (e.g. I only really own TR and MD paper when Rhodia is very popular too!), and I'm nervous the colours will come out all wrong and lead some poor buyer astray!

FWIW, I think you should do the reviews!  Here's why:

1. Some people do every paper under the sun! @namrehsnoom is my hero - talk about all-inclusive, extensive reviews!  I would have to make reviewing my life's calling to make such reviews (and they'd probably still fall short).  But then there's folk who use whatever paper they have - and often just one paper, like me.  As long as you tell us what paper(s) it is you're using, no one (gracious) is going to complain.  Anyone who does complain should do a review themselves to fill the gap!
2. My colors aren't always so hot.  I don't know if it's all digital cameras or just mine, but some don't capture color well.  I'm considering scanning all my review pages to add an additional "view" (but that's a long-term effort, so we'll see).  Regardless, as long as you include comments about how well or poorly the photos represent the ink, and if you can, the way in which the photos are off, we'll all understand!  (Those who don't should buy thousands of dollars in studio equipment and do a better job - or at least quit complaining - but honestly, I don't recall such complaints - this is such a generous, supportive, and gracious community!)
3. You'll learn and benefit from the process - I certainly have.

Of course, you should do what you feel like you can and have time for, don't let me pressure you into something that would make you miserable!  But if you want to do it, you should definitely do it and not worry about the rest.  We'll all be happy for the additional viewpoint.

[aimi]

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

FWIW, I think you should do the reviews!  Here's why:

1. Some people do every paper under the sun! @namrehsnoom is my hero - talk about all-inclusive, extensive reviews!  I would have to make reviewing my life's calling to make such reviews (and they'd probably still fall short).  But then there's folk who use whatever paper they have - and often just one paper, like me.  As long as you tell us what paper(s) it is you're using, no one (gracious) is going to complain.  Anyone who does complain should do a review themselves to fill the gap!
2. My colors aren't always so hot.  I don't know if it's all digital cameras or just mine, but some don't capture color well.  I'm considering scanning all my review pages to add an additional "view" (but that's a long-term effort, so we'll see).  Regardless, as long as you include comments about how well or poorly the photos represent the ink, and if you can, the way in which the photos are off, we'll all understand!  (Those who don't should buy thousands of dollars in studio equipment and do a better job - or at least quit complaining - but honestly, I don't recall such complaints - this is such a generous, supportive, and gracious community!)
3. You'll learn and benefit from the process - I certainly have.

Of course, you should do what you feel like you can and have time for, don't let me pressure you into something that would make you miserable!  But if you want to do it, you should definitely do it and not worry about the rest.  We'll all be happy for the additional viewpoint.

Thank you, Liz! That does make me feel reassured. I will try to find some time this weekend or so on perhaps! I'd like to review Sailor 143 and Troublemaker Milky Ocean together as I personally sought out this comparison on Reddit because I'm obsessed with this colour range

[LizEF]

55 minutes ago, aimi said:

Thank you, Liz! That does make me feel reassured. I will try to find some time this weekend or so on perhaps! I'd like to review Sailor 143 and Troublemaker Milky Ocean together as I personally sought out this comparison on Reddit because I'm obsessed with this colour range

  Nice.  I think technically you'll need to post that in Inky Comparisons - which is just fine!  Or you could review one and present the other as a comparison color - whichever floats your boat.  Either way, it's always nice to see color comparisons.  And people writing about things they're passionate about is always interesting.

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, aimi said:

I've thought several times of different reviews I could do, but I feel constrained by what I have (e.g. I only really own TR and MD paper when Rhodia is very popular too!), and I'm nervous the colours will come out all wrong and lead some poor buyer astray! Anyways these are definitely "me" problems, but I enjoyed reading your review here

Just to add to what Liz said. Her's and Dill's review have simplicity imbued in them. It's easy on the eyes. You see in one page what happens. Others take a more complex way to give a more complete picture. I go the second way, but I personally prefer the first method. Ironic isn't it.

Funny enough, I've switched to Japanese papers, too