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➤ Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Grey Scale below. As the patches are neutral Grey, that is what you should see. • Mac http://www.computer-darkroom.com/colorsync-display/colorsync_1.htm • Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/ http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/27ddb717.jpg ➤ As Photo*ucket has lost the functionality to display linked files as required and includes advertising with linked images, the HiRes images are embedded. I apologise should that choice slow your display times. -|=|- Fidelity I was not able to find a depiction of this ink on an 'official' Sailor site, so fidelity cannot be evaluated. Figure 1. Swabs & Swatch Paper: HPJ1124. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK181_zps45623fd1.jpg Figure 2. NIB-ism Paper: HPJ1124. Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness. Distance between feint vertical pencil lines is 25mm. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK180_zps4ae4e4ae.jpg L ➠ R: 45, M200, Symphony, 330, Somiko, NNPS. WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick Ruling: 8mm. Figure 3. Paper: HPJ1124. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK188_zpsfcbb9196.jpg Figure 4. Paper: Rhodia. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK187_zps6a772bab.jpg Figure 5. Paper: G Lalo. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK186_zps9fc0a794.jpg Figure 6. Paper: Royal. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK185_zps0dc6fb93.jpg Figure 7. Paper: Staples. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK183_zpsea355926.jpg OTHER STUFF Figure 8. Smear/Dry Times & Wet Tests. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK182_zpsb3f3a48a.jpg Figure 9. Bleed- Show-Through on Staples. (Reverse of Figure 7.) http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK184_zpsef275c8a.jpg HiRes Scans 45 on HPJ1124 http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK189_zpse3ba5cd1.jpg Symphony on Rhodia http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK190_zps53333831.jpg 330 on G Lalo http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK191_zpscb11aa83.jpg NNPS on Royal http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK192_zps2f696f69.jpg GENERAL DESCRIPTION Type: Dye-based fountain pen ink.Presentation: Bottle with filler widget.Availability: Available when Topic posted.Daily writer? No doubt.A go-to ink? When a solid Dark Blue is desired.USE Business: (From the office of Ms Blue-Black.) Suitable for the vast majority of business writing, with more than a modicum of gravitas.The writing experience was quite good, even with the very narrow Parker 45 nib on the copy/print papers.Readability is very high across the range of values (light - dark), so embraces a wide range of pen+paper combos. Can be a bit 'weighty', so for the long read I'd prefer to run it in a moderately dry pen. (Those who use Black ink are likely to feel otherwise.)Line quality was good, and will do for a bit of marginalia on smooth papers.Not enough snap for dedicated forms use, mark-up or annotation of material printed in Black.Not enough zap for error correction or grading.Illustrations / Graphics: Quite possible for most charts & graphs where a quite Dark Blue is desired for both line and area formats.Will retain its hue across a range of values.As a watercolour, the dye/s appear to act in harmony, so mono-colour washes should be do-able. Water resistance is quite impressive, as is the sharpness of the remnant line after being wet sponged or over worked with wet media.Students: Will do quite well indeed.May not be sparkly enough for those who enjoy sequins rhinestones & chromed accoutrements before 10PM.Has a very good chance to be run two-sided on 'lowest bidder' copy/print papers.Those who do a lot of start-stop note taking might find it worthwhile to modify the ink just a bit to avoid nib-tip dry-out.Admirable water resistance for a simple aniline dye ink.Another good pick for assignments.Personal: Of course.This one fits into a niche in my inky array: a Dark Blue that is not so low-chroma as to be mistaken for yet another of my Blue-Black inks, and leans away from Sapphire / Indigo.Will do the necessary for pro forma business writing, and brings firmness to a one-page despatch.For personal writing I prefer SJBl for the somewhat shorter letter of less than ten A4s.If I choose to enliven the line, use of nibs of various shape & flex are more than welcome.The Red Shimmer achieved by some practitioners eludes me. Alas, such is my experience with other inks said to have that property. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS Flow Rate: Middling.Nib Dry-Out: Nib tips dried-out in the open air about as fast as iron-gall inks.*Start-Up: Quite reliable from capped pens, even after several days at rest.I'd nudge the nib prior to writing something that needs a very clean start, such as a signature.Lubricity: Very nice.Smooth glide yet does not muffle feedback necessary to keep nibs running on their sweet spot.Nib Creep: Not seen.Staining (pen): Not seen after three days.Clogging: Not seen.Seems unlikely.Bleed- Show-Through: HPJ1124: Symphony. (I was using higher pressure and a lower rate of travel than usual to get a bit of flexi line variation.)Staples: A bit unusual to have freckles from the M200, yet the wide wet NNPS was OK. (?)All other pen+paper combos were fine for two-sided use.Feathering / Wooly Line: Not seen on papers used.Aroma: A bit sharp on the nose.Not noticed whilst writing.Hand oil sensitivity: Possibly: The NNPS flickered once on the HPJ1124, which might've been due to hand oil or some surface anomaly.Clean-Up (pen): Exceptionally fast & thorough with plain water.For recently charged pens, the use of a DIY pen cleaning solution of dilute ammonia+surfactant did not release any visible residue after my fussy water-only cleansing regimen.One to consider if one needs to change ink on-the-fly or in the field.Mixing: No stated prohibitions.Archival: Not claimed.___ ___ * Such misbehaviour was unexpected, is not typical of Sailor inks, nor was it mentioned in preceding Reviews, so may be a quirk. If encountered, very slight dilution or addition of a whisper of pure glycerol could be considered. THE LOOK Presence: Firm.Likely to have a Rockwell Number.Saturation: Typically high.Shading Potential: Quite low indeed.Line quality: Very good on smooth papers.A bit choppy on textured papers.Variability: Pen+nib combos used:Quite high for such a saturated ink.SJBl responds well to changes of pen characteristics, but doesn't go masquerading as some different Blue ink.Papers used:A bit higher than expected.The hard laid surface of the G Lalo was no more challenging than usual.Line-width variation was a bit high, and depended more on the absorbency of the paper than wetness of the pen. Malleability: Really quite high for such a simple-looking ink.The performance envelope is very generous, so a wide range of pen+paper combos can be used without returning an unacceptable result.PAPERS Lovely papers: Smooth crisp whites.Trip-wire Papers: ☠ Not seen.Copy/Printer Paper: Very good for a simple aniline dye ink.One may well not need to use a dry narrow nib to use both sides of such papers - a light hand should suffice.Tinted Papers: Certainly.Limited only by good taste.Is high-end paper 'worth it'? Not so much.As ever, coated writing papers are worthy of consideration if one chooses a flexi nib, wants to generate the narrowest of lines, or tries to wring some shading from SJBl.ETC. Majik: Not sufficiently malleable to overcome the inherent firmness.Billets Doux? Impossible from yours truly.Personal Pen & Paper Pick: The Eversharp Symphony on Rhodia.The nib has just enough flex to enliven the line, and the flow is lean enough to keep the colour from submerging.The base-tint of the Rhodia brings warm neutrality, and the coated surface gives great line definition and supports smooth travel of the nib as it flexes. Yickity Yackity: Certainly not a 'wow' ink or one that would cause one to drop everything then charter an aircraft to get a bottle, but once SJBl has been in a few pens, a second bottle may well find its way into your shopping cart before the first bottle reaches the half way mark.Now if I could just get some shading . . .Ah kushbaby, too sober to dance with Ghandi?= ==== = NUTS BOLTS & BOILERPLATE Pens - Written Samples: A. Parker 45 + 14K XF nib. B. Pelikan M200 + g-p steel EF nib. C. Eversharp Symphony + 14K F flex-ish nib. D. Sheaffer 330 + steel M nib. E. Sailor Somiko + TIGP B nib. F. Non-Nudist Pink Safari + goosed 1.1 steel nib. - Lines & labels: R&K Sepia from a Pilot Penmanship. Papers: HPJ1124: Hewlett-Packard laser copy/print, 24lb.Rhodia: satin finish vellum, 80gsm.G. Lalo Verge de France: natural white, laid, 100gsm.Royal: 25% cotton, laser/inkjet copy/print, 'letterhead', 90gsm.Staples: house brand multi-use copy/print, USD4/ream, bears FSC logo, 20lb.Imaging An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce low-loss jpg files.No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photobouquet, IP.Board s/w, and your viewing gear.Other Inks This Review uses the same Written Sample format, atrocious handwriting and some pen+paper combos common to most of my previous Reviews of Blue inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported. Should that functionality not meet your requirements, I welcome your PM requesting a specific comparison. Additional scans may be produced, but the likelihood of additional inky work is quite low. Fine Print ◊ The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used. ◊ Ink does not require labelling/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc. ◊ As always YMMV, due to differences in materials, manner of working, environment, etc. ◊ Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy. -30- Tags: Fountain Pen Ink Review Sandy1 2013 Sailor Jentle Blue Dark Blue

➤ Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Grey Scale below. As the patches are neutral Grey, that is what you should see. ▪ Mac http://www.computer-darkroom.com/colorsync-display/colorsync_1.htm ▪ Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/ http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/27ddb717.jpg ➤ As Photo*ucket has lost the functionality to display linked files as required and includes advertising with linked images, I've embedded the HiRes images. I apologise should that choice slow your display times. +||+ Fidelity One may compare the appearance of the ink I used to the depiction on the Rohrer & Klingner site: rohrer-klingner dot deWiki 'Sepia color' : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepia_%28color%29Figure 1. Swabs & Swatch Paper: HPJ1124. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK195_zpsb58959e8.jpg Figure 2. NIB-ism Paper: HPJ1124. Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK197_zps35c59070.jpg L → R: Somiko, P99, C74, 45, Phileas, Prelude. WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick Ruling: 8mm. Figure 3. Paper: HPJ1124. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK203_zps7b560d07.jpg Paper: Rhodia. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK202_zps05424258.jpg Figure 5. Paper: G Lalo. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK200_zps9c2c1ee9.jpg Figure 6. Paper: Royal. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK201_zps54172b9e.jpg Figure 7. Paper: Staples. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK198_zps7f0c8ebc.jpg OTHER STUFF Figure 8. Smear/Dry Times & Wet Tests.* http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK196_zps838349ce.jpg ___ ___ * The Review by Member Signum1 shows far less water resistance. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/133288-rohrer-klingner-sepia/?p=1319016 Figure 9. Bleed - Show-Though on Staples. http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK199_zps15d07d4a.jpg Hi-Res Scans: Somiko on HPJ1124 http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK204_zpsacbaea01.jpg C74 on Rhodia http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK205_zps8f2c66ce.jpg 45 on G Lalo http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK206_zpse9e18fa9.jpg Prelude on Royal http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20RK%20Sepia%202/INK207_zps93e4f604.jpg GENERAL DESCRIPTION Type: Dye-based fountain pen ink.Presentation: Bottle.Availability: Available when Topic posted.Daily writer? Possible.A go-to ink? When a high performance Grey-Brown is desired.USE Business: (From the office of Ms Blue-Black.) Not enough oomph for business correspondence: the low chroma Brown has neither gravitas nor animation, and might be considered indecisive.The strong performance profile of R&KS allows it to be paired with wet pens on copy/print papers to give a darker value, hence taking on the role of a soft alternative to Black.For personal work product, the modest degree of lubricity might not provide the most enjoyable writing experience for those who prefer narrow nibs and use toothy copy/print papers. Adopting a light hand, then choosing a pen with a smooth well-aligned nib and a slightly wet nib+feed should make the writing experience more than acceptable.Unlikely to be mimicked by BPs RBs or other writing implements. R&KS can whisper 'fountain pen' quite loudly, so one's work is unlikely to be mistaken for that of another author. As such, it may do quite nicely for initialing & signing [internal] documents, and in situations where colour-coding is used.As for readability, the ink definitely needs to be run dark enough to suppress the shading. Even then the uniqueness of the colour may be rather distracting. (?)As an alt/aux ink it will handle mark-up & annotation of material in hues other than Black; and line quality across a range of papers supports marginalia from hair's-breadth nibs.Illustrations / Graphics: For charts & graphs it would be a good pick as an alternate to neutral Grey or Black.Line quality is very high, so it is a fine choice when narrow taut lines are required. As a watercolour, there is considerable potential for blocking-out areas to be overworked with wet media, and for foundation lines. Some dye does come adrift when wet, but that could be easily removed with a wet sponge to leave a clear remnant line.Students: As for business use above, I'd have reservations about adopting this as a daily writer, yet the performance profile certainly supports oft-mentioned student requirements for water resistance and good performance on cheap & nasty papers.Not sufficiently dynamic for written assignments, and is outside the Blue and Black inks usually prescribed.Personal: Oh yes . . .As much as I have a penchant for pale translucent inks, R&KS is still very much an 'on purpose' ink. When I do choose this one, it takes a while to finalise my selection of pen & paper to generate the desired appearance. My choices are quite varied: from wet pens on absorbent papers that suppress the shading and give oodles of heft that anchors the words to the page, to an ephemeral flowing appearance to give what's written the appearance of shadows cast on the page.This ink itself is unlikely to hold the reader, so I either make the letter brief or have something exceptional which I choose to understate.I prefer paper formats less than A4 / Letter - likely due to their more personal non-business format, though a few lines on an A4 is fine too. A few times I've used oversize sheets tightly folded to ensconce the few words within. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS Flow Rate: Middling.Nib Dry-Out: Not seen.Start-Up: Immediate.With confidence.Lubricity: Just enough.Not dissimilar to iron-gall inks.Nib Creepies: Not seen.Staining (pen): Not seen.Clogging: Not seen.Seems unlikely.Bleed- Show-Through: A few freckles on the Staples.All other pen+paper combos were greenlighted for two-sided use.Feathering / Wooly Line: Not seen.Aroma: Industrial, but still inky.Not noticed whilst writing.Hand Oil Sensitivity: Not seen.Clean-Up (pen): Prompt & thorough with plain water.For recently charged pens, the use of a DIY pen cleaning solution of dilute ammonia+surfactant did not release any visible residue after my fussy water-only cleansing regimen.Blending: R&K suggests caution when/if blending with Sepia: "Zur Erzeugung neuer Farbtöne können die Tinten untereinander gemischt werden. Lediglich der Farbton Sepia sollte für Mischungen nur genommen werden, wenn diese sofort verarbeitet und der Füller (falls ein solcher eingesetzt worden ist) anschließend gereinigt wird. You can mix different [R&K] inks together to create new tones or shades. The color Sepia should be used exclusively for blending, if this is used immediately. Consequently, the fountain pen (provided one is used) must be cleaned right after use." I suggest the usual precautions when blending inks, then let the result rest for at least as long as it will remain in a pen. The manner which I test for 'safety' is described in detail in this Topic https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/234049-noodlers-lexington-gray-galileo-manuscript-brown/?p=2517090 I've blended R&KS with Scabiosa, which didn't invoke an event horizon, though coincidentally one of the neighbour's tots went missing for some minutes.Archival: Not claimed.THE LOOK Presence: Elusive.More in common with drawing than writing. Saturation: Low.A well-inked line is well within range.Shading Potential: High.Can be suppressed or encouraged.Even narrow nibs can give shading. Variability: Pen+nib combos used:Higher than expected.Papers used:Higher than expected.Malleability: High.The responsiveness of R&K Sepia can make achieving the desired appearance a bit tricky, yet the very generous performance envelope makes it unlikely that one will run aground during an inky adventure.The choice of paper should take into account the translucency of the ink, as it is quite certain that when the ink is at higher values the base-tint of the paper will be added to the perceived hue of the ink.PAPERS Lovely Papers: White.Those with a minimum of optical brightening agents.Trip-Wire Papers: Dirty whites.Those warmer than Natural White.Copy / Print Papers: More than just compatible.While the writing experience can be rather austere, for a simple dye-based ink the results are impressive.Tinted Papers: Iffy, and very dependent on the ink's value and % coverage.I tried a few warm tints to achieve a somewhat 'antique' appearance, but they were not for me, so I held at Natural White, foregoing even the Rhodia 'R' Ivory.The very pale Powder Blue of olde tyme airmail papers held no attraction.Slightly cool papers, such as G Lalo Velin de France or MT Exquisit, gave interesting results, but I think that had more to do with their characteristics other than base tint. Is high-end paper 'worth it'? Definitely.If one chooses to explore the full range of this ink, then high-end papers are not to be missed.ETC. Majik: More than just likely, and it will be subtle.Billet Doux? Rarely, but possible. (!)Personal Pen & Paper Pick: The P99 on HPJ1124.The narrow nib gives a generous amount of shading and a low amount of coverage, and is just wet enough to keep what's written settled on the paper.As ever, the HPJ1124 does what it does best - lets the ink+pen take the lead.Yickity Yackity: Certainly not one of the eye catching 'wow' inks, yet it may appeal to those with a desire for something quite different. After one finds the handle of R&KS, it may be hard to let go.Ah kushbaby, too subtle for you?== == == NUTS BOLTS & BOILERPLATE Pens: - Written Samples: A. Sailor Somiko + TIGP F nib. B. Pelikan P99 + steel F nib. C. Pilot Custom 74 + 14K SFM nib. D. Parker 45 + g-p steel M nib. E. Waterman Phileas + steel B nib. F. Sheaffer Prelude + factory stock steel B stub nib. - Lines & labels: Pilot kiri-same from Pilot 'Lady' + H882 g-p steel F nib. Papers: HPJ1124: Hewlett-Packard laser copy/print, 24lb.Rhodia: satin finish vellum, 80gsm.G. Lalo Verge de France: natural white, laid, 100gsm.Royal: 25% cotton, laser/inkjet copy/print, 'letterhead', 90gsm.Staples: house brand multi-use copy/print, USD4/ream, bears FSC logo, 20lb.Other Inks This Review uses the same Written Sample format, atrocious handwriting and some pen+paper combos common to most of my previous Reviews of Brown inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported. Should that functionality not meet your requirements, I welcome your PM requesting a specific comparison. Additional scans may be produced, but the likelihood of additional inky work is quite low. Imaging An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce low-loss jpg files.No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photobouquet, IP.Board s/w, and your viewing gear.Fine Print ◊ The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used. ◊ Ink does not require a label/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc. ◊ As always YMMV, due to differences in materials, manner of working, environment, meteor showers, etc. ◊ Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy. -30- Tags: Fountain Pen Ink Review Sandy1 Rohrer & Klingner Sepia R&K Brown 2013