Sailor Jentle Blue

[Sandy1]

➤ 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.
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http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/27ddb717.jpg
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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

Edited November 1, 2013 by Sandy1

[dunhamsa]

I too have found it dries out easily in the start-stop note taking scenario. Nevertheless, it is a solid ink, that I enjoy using. Thanks for your review.

[carlos.q]

Impressive water resistance!

[wastelanded]

I was given a bottle of this recently: I really like the colour. Not much shading, true. It does, however, have that reddish sheen that keeps Diamine Midnight close to my heart but with a bit more air to it.

 

I'm not sure how practical the bottle is, but it sure is purty. I almost hesitate to call it a bottle, it seems more like a jar.

 

I do think the experience will lead me to try some other Sailor inks. Epinard looks verrry interresting.

 

Thanks for the as usual top-shelf review, Ms. S!

 

ETA: Oh, and I do love the smell. It reminds of the inks of old.

Edited November 1, 2013 by wastelanded

[ttakacs]

S1,

 

Your bottle must be a recent reformulation. Mine -- purchased two to three years ago -- exhibits a reddish sheen. Furthermore, the ink is hard-starting in all of the pens I've tried it in (including a MB 146 with a wet medium nib) and it is almost impossible to clean from a pen without resorting to other measures (soap and that sort of thing).

[kpyeoman]

Yep, that does it -- I need to buy this and Ultramarine.

 

I have -- and love -- Sky High and Apricot. Sailor really seems to make some top flight inks for a good price.

[N2theBreach]

Ink? You were reviewing an ink? I mostly read your reviews for the subtle humour you sneak in! Well, okay, that's not entirely true.

 

Would I be wrong if I said it seems similar in many respects to Namiki Blue?

[Sandy1]

I too have found it dries out easily in the start-stop note taking scenario. Nevertheless, it is a solid ink, that I enjoy using. Thanks for your review.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone in experiencing dry nib tips. This sort of thing has so many variables associated with it, that it may occur but rarely.

 

Once again, some of my cautions may seem a bit loud, so I rely greatly on the experience of others to give a more well-rounded view of an ink.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Impressive water resistance!

 

Hi,

 

Yes indeed! There's not so many simple low-maintenance inks that demonstrate such high water resistance, and it is most welcome in a Dark Blue which suits many purposes.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

I was given a bottle of this recently: I really like the colour. Not much shading, true. It does, however, have that reddish sheen that keeps Diamine Midnight close to my heart but with a bit more air to it.

 

I'm not sure how practical the bottle is, but it sure is purty. I almost hesitate to call it a bottle, it seems more like a jar.

 

I do think the experience will lead me to try some other Sailor inks. Epinard looks verrry interresting.

 

Thanks for the as usual top-shelf review, Ms. S!

 

ETA: Oh, and I do love the smell. It reminds of the inks of old.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

You're right about the bottle - the squat form is akin to a jar. Much better than tall bottles when stacking six high.

Sailor does have some very impressive inks, though I think their 'identity' is/was somewhat obscured when they released a flurry of LE inks, and having other line-ups such as the Kobe and Bung Box series.

 

Ah yes, the aroma is reminiscent of ye olde pre-REACH inks. If I ever run out of Parker Quink BlBk with SOLV-X, the blend to replicate it may well have a dash of SJBl in the recipe.

 

Bye,

S1

[The Good Captain]

One of my favourite blues. Meddler's 'Muddy Water' is one of the earliest ones in my collection.

[kpyeoman]

I also think the colour appears to be similar to JH Bleu Nuit, one of my favorites.

[dunhamsa]

S1,

 

Your bottle must be a recent reformulation. Mine -- purchased two to three years ago -- exhibits a reddish sheen. Furthermore, the ink is hard-starting in all of the pens I've tried it in (including a MB 146 with a wet medium nib) and it is almost impossible to clean from a pen without resorting to other measures (soap and that sort of thing).

 

This is the appropriate time to ask how much water would be enough to improve the problem of hard starting and nib drying during note taking. Is it a drop per filling? per 5ml sampler?

[Sandy1]

S1,

 

Your bottle must be a recent reformulation. Mine -- purchased two to three years ago -- exhibits a reddish sheen. Furthermore, the ink is hard-starting in all of the pens I've tried it in (including a MB 146 with a wet medium nib) and it is almost impossible to clean from a pen without resorting to other measures (soap and that sort of thing).

 

Hi,

 

I am unaware of reformulation, but I'm not on the Sailor speed-dial list.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

It is by sharing information experience & opinion that consumers can learn about a product and any changes to it over time.

 

I used what I take to be current production ink for this Review.

 

In my case, using 'glitter & glow' as a criteria is unreliable - it seems to elude me most times, or requires pen+paper combos I do not care for.

 

Ease of clean-up can be a big factor in selecting an ink / pairing with pens that are tedious to cleanse. Some inks are deceptive, flushing clear quite quickly with water, but leaving a residue that only treatment with stronger chemicals can remove. I am quite fussy about maintaining my pens, so with a new ink I first do a water-only clean-up, then a 0.3 - 0.8% ammonia treatment, then a Rapido-Eze treatment, and even a whirl in the ultrasonic. Then I dial back the clean-up to 'effectiveness+1'. Also, I do not let ink linger in an idle pen, so my standard for clean-up is after a mere three days.

 

I encourage those who have current production SJBl to contribute their experience with clean-up, especially after the ink has lingered in an idle pen.

 

Bye,

S1

 

Edited November 1, 2013 by Sandy1

[wastelanded]

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

You're right about the bottle - the squat form is akin to a jar. Much better than tall bottles when stacking six high.

Sailor does have some very impressive inks, though I think their 'identity' is/was somewhat obscured when they released a flurry of LE inks, and having other line-ups such as the Kobe and Bung Box series.

 

Ah yes, the aroma is reminiscent of ye olde pre-REACH inks. If I ever run out of Parker Quink BlBk with SOLV-X, the blend to replicate it may well have a dash of SJBl in the recipe.

 

Bye,

S1

 

There are so many of those LE inks I can't even be bothered to keep track of what's what. It's all a bit much.

 

Inky aromas...coincidentally, this arrived today. After I got the bottlejar open with a pipe wrench and a sheet of foam rubber, the aroma filled my nostrils and I was instantly 8 years old again. I was taken aback with the force of the memories.

 

http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb410/rochemunro/100_0729.jpg

[LagNut]

Sandy1,

 

Another fantastic review, and one of my more favorite inks.

 

I've only used this in two pens, one a Cross with a fine nib, and currently (for the better part of a year) in a TWSBI 700 with an EF nib. I don't recall this giving me issues with nib dryout, (not in the TWSBI, and not as I recall in the Cross). The TWSBI could be a function of the cap, and that once I start writing with this ink, I tend not to stop. I love the way it creates a beautifully thin dark line.

 

I do have issues with the bottles though. I have a TWSBI inkwell filled with this ink so I don't have to deal with the bottle. As a matter of fact, I don't believe I can fill the TWSBI from the Sailor bottle directly.

 

Cheers,

Mike

Edited November 2, 2013 by LagNut

[tinta]

Thanks Sandy1 for your usual very thorough & thoughtful review. After I rediscovered fountain pens this was my very first "new" ink.

I continue to like this Sailor ink (though lately I have been mostly using it in cart form), but after reading your fine review, I now know why.

Cheers:

Istvan

Edited November 3, 2013 by tinta

[dcwaites]

I have always felt that it should be called Blue-Black, rather than Blue. Like you, I have had trouble getting excited about this ink, but is one of those reliable inks that I keep to judge the behaviour of others by.

 

If only it came in Penman Sapphire shade of blue ...

[Sandy1]

Yep, that does it -- I need to buy this and Ultramarine.

 

I have -- and love -- Sky High and Apricot. Sailor really seems to make some top flight inks for a good price.

 

Hi,

 

I'm glad to have enabled inky enjoyment!

 

Sky Blue is quite a different ink, yet very attractive; one of my favourite 'bright-eyed' Blues.

 

Ultramarine needs a closer look, as it seems a tad too Purple - not quite as much Indigo is seen from the ink-on-paper samples as I was expecting after viewing the various online depictions. (?)

 

Bye,

S1

 

[Sandy1]

Ink? You were reviewing an ink? I mostly read your reviews for the subtle humour you sneak in! Well, okay, that's not entirely true.

 

Would I be wrong if I said it seems similar in many respects to Namiki Blue?

 

Hi,

 

Yes, I was indeed reviewing an ink, and enjoyed doing so.

 

Ah, I've only used Pilot Blue, which I'm lead to believe is the same ink found in the Namiki Blue bottles. If that be true, then I reckon the appearance of SJBl is quite different, yet their performance profiles make them strong candidates for daily writer inks.

 

Samples on Staples 20lb, from the M200, 330 & NNPS:

 

- Pilot Blue:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20Blue%20Bottle%202/INK058_zpsd16543a6.jpg

 

- Sailor Blue:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Sailor%20Jentle%20Blue/INK183_zpsea355926.jpg

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

My IR of Pilot Blue : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/241042-pilot-blue-bottle/page__view__findpost__p__2615328