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Posts in the Nagasawa category

Sailor Kobe Nagasawa Old Foreigner Ward Sepia No. 3

Sailor Kobe Old Foreigner Ward Sepia No. 3Sailor Kobe Old Foreigner Ward Sepia bottle

Sailor Kobe inks are exclusive to the Nagasawa shops and pay tribute to the many faces of Kobe, Japan. Old Foreigner Ward Sepia (旧居留地セピア) pays homage to the area of Kobe that is filled with a diverse variety of traditional buildings that take architecture cues from around the world.

Much like the Old Foreigner Ward itself, this ink is calm and evokes an “antiqued” feel. To be perfectly honest, the color was a lot darker than I thought it would be based on the existing photos online. This ink is a cooler brown color that can become almost black when it is used in a flex pen. The shading is very minimal and hardly noticeable in most practical applications. One element that I found pleasantly surprising is the fact that this ink flows wonderfully from every pen I tried it in. I had zero skipping or railroading and the ink was never too dry or too wet which helps to keep the dry times respectably fast. On top of that, when rinsed out with water, the ink cleared out of the pens very easily and left no visible residue. Exposure to water rinses away some of the color, but the ink remains legible in most cases so I would say the water resistance level is moderate.

Personally, while I do not think this is a color that would find its way into my pens on a regular basis, the properties and behavior of this ink make it a delight to use. If you are looking for a cool, dark brown ink, look no further.

Sailor_Kobe_Old_Foreigner_Ward_Sepia_review

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Sailor Kobe Nagasawa Sannomiya Panse No. 18

SWAB_sailor_kobe_18Sailor_Kobe_Sannomiya_Panse_bottle

 

Sailor Kobe inks are exclusive to the Nagasawa shops and pay tribute to the many faces of Kobe, Japan. Sannomiya Panse shows off the beautiful color of the blooming grasses and flowers along the main street of Sannomiya and hails the arrival of spring.

This is a very bold and vibrant purple ink that has the usual characteristics of Sailor inks. That is to say, it is a deliciously viscous ink with great flow and decent dry times. I found no bleeding or feathering on Rhodia paper unless it is pushed really hard with flex or if the ink is allowed to pool in some cases. The shading is moderate to excellent, depending on the pen. It goes from a very very dark purple to a light, soft purple with a tinge of pink to it. My favorite thing about this ink is how it looks great in broader nibs and finer nibs. It’s really a beautiful ink and the subtleties of the color are a bit lost on a digital screen. I’ll let the pictures do the talking!  Another amazing ink from Sailor, and I highly recommend it!

 

Sailor Kobe Sannomiya Panse

 

 

Sailor Kobe Nagasawa Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44Sailor Kobe Suma Pu Seaside Blue No. 44

 

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44 is a beautiful ink that is made by Sailor exclusively for the Nagasawa Pen Shops in Japan. The inks are made to celebrate the different areas of the city of Kobe, Japan with colors that carry meaning for each part of the city. They are constantly adding new colors to the line, and this is one of the newer colors as of early 2014. It is a very lovely blue-green with all of the usual spectacular behavior of a Sailor ink. I was actually kind of surprised at how easily the ink cleaned out of my pens. The color evokes an almost pensive, melancholy feel. I really do feel like it is reminiscent of standing next to the ocean at the edge of Kobe.

Sailor Kobe inks may be difficult to acquire if you aren’t in Japan, but it is possible to purchase them from Rakuten (official) and eBay.  If you have the chance, I highly recommend trying this ink!

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44 ReviewSailor Kobe Suma Pu Seaside Blue No. 44

I would not consider this ink to be waterproof, but it does retain a decent amount of legibility after being exposed to water. Dry time is medium since this is a somewhat wet ink. I definitely recommend this ink!

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