Sailor's Full Ink Lines Including Shop Exclusives Compiled In A Post?

[Algester]

From my correspondence with Sailor, Japan. (email addresses are on their .jp website)

Earlier this month, when I was trying to find out when the next new batch of Pen&Message Cigar would be ready, they told me that it was pretty much ready to go, but that they couldn't release it until the 'Ink Master' had given it his stamp of approval.

Then this week, when I emailed Sailor, Japan to ask why there was such a long wait for Onago-Iro Days ink, they responded with, well the 'Ink Master' is very busy and feeling tired.

That's when I realised that there was only one 'Ink Master' at Sailor in charge of it all. A quick Google search turned up his name and face. He also apparently single handily runs Sailor's ink mixing clincs as well.

Which is going to be a painful run for all we know he hasnt acquired an apprentice that will take over the reigns when he finally retires

This man is like looking through more than 300 ink recipes plus minus the inks made during ink clinics thats probably countless more inks out there that were blended by him for individuals that I dare not post

[tinkerteacher]

Osamu Ishimaru has created over 15,000 inks in his long career at Sailor, with 9,000 special custom blends in the last nine years alone.

"Many other [manufacturers] focus on color only, forgetting that what makes an ink truly great is not how it looks, but how it 'feels'. Both in your hand as it comes out of your pen and the feeling in your mind as your eyes see the ink putting your thoughts onto paper." - Osamu Ishimaru

[white_lotus]

That's 1000 a year, almost 3/day! Insane.

 

I'm sure there is one or more apprentices, but since Osamu Ishimaru is the Master, the ink is made by him. This is the same tradition as in 15th-18th century era European painting where the master signed the work. Even if he didn't paint a single brushstroke, it met the standard of a painting coming from the workshop Rembrandt, Rubens, etc.

 

I'm sure when he retires (may he live long and prosper!) there will be a new Master.

[bstnnyc]

"Many other [manufacturers] focus on color only, forgetting that what makes an ink truly great is not how it looks, but how it 'feels'. Both in your hand as it comes out of your pen and the feeling in your mind as your eyes see the ink putting your thoughts onto paper." - Osamu Ishimaru

 

 

This quote summarizes perfectly why I've become a Sailor convert Thank you for sharing it!

[mongrelnomad]

This quote summarizes perfectly why I've become a Sailor convert Thank you for sharing it!

 

Absolutely. I recently moved country for just under a year and instead of bringing all my ink, I decided to choose around ten favourites and order them to the new location.

 

All of them were sailor, and that quote sums up why.

[Algester]

http://pencilmania.ocnk.net/product/178

people I spotted something... these are Usagiya store inks... why does this shop have them? unless this is the "international shop" of Usagiya I will understand...

[white_lotus]

If you check the rest of the site you'll find as the owner:

 

 

HAL

9-107nyu-toraruhaitsu205
Tatsumi, Kita-ku Okayama-shi,
Okayama, 700-0976
Japan

Phone: +81 86 259 0975

on the page:

http://pencilmania.ocnk.net/info

which says they order from the store and then ship to you. Order arrives within two weeks after they receive it. So an online gateway to a forwarding service, perhaps.

[Algester]

though Usagiya is found in Okuyama prefecture so... hmmm still I can afford paypal beyond the 100USD range I would opt to wire transfer funds though... <_<

[white_lotus]

Does Usagiya not have these in stock? Though this web site they only accept paypal. I thought someone recently (within last few months) ordered all the Usagiya inks?

[Algester]

there's no report from Saskia... well I'll just wait

but the 4 inks listed should be available from usagiya or so I think it's still up with the supply chain from Sailor

[white_lotus]

That's kind of what I thought. The Usagiya inks are the next on my list to acquire, so hopefully saskia will have time to post a review. They look interesting so we'll see.

[Betweenthelines]

Osamu Ishimaru is a bonafide badass. This is why I just love Japanese inks/pens/paper/culture. They operate on a whole different level.

[saskia_madding]

Well, I'm not sure I'll do reviews of all of them because some are suuuuuuuuuuuuper boring. But I'll try to do some reviews today and I'll get at least pictures of all of them (except the black, I already flushed it from my pen) soon.

 

So far, I've only tried 4:

Pione - a dark purple with so much sheen you actually can't tell it's purple. It looks like this strange murky reddy dark blue colour. It's really strange. I didn't think I'd ever say an ink has too much sheen, but I think this one might.

 

Ushimado ege kai - an amazing blue-green colour. Nice colour shifting but oddly not a lot of shading. Sheen and shading are more outlining than anything else. It's nice, but I'm not sure I'd pay $40 for it, since Ku-jaku can give you a fairly similar experience.

 

Ujyo black - this ink leaked into the box and the colour was this really neat purple colour. I was shocked that when I inked it up, it was a boring black that was slightly grey, with only slight purple undertones. SO BORING.

 

Bisei no Yozora - a blue grey, to add to the tons of blue greys Sailor already has. I like it though - the shading is pretty dramatic, and there's something appealing about it. This one I think you have to see pictures of to understand my fondness for it. Would I pay $40 for it again? I don't think so. But I am glad I have it.

 

This morning I inked up another bunch, and I think I now only have two or three left to try out - a green and blue from the older line, not the newer six that just came out.

[amberleadavis]

So, I tried Mother Pink. I can't find a review. I like it.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2015-Inklings/2015-Ink_0314.jpg

[saskia_madding]

My bottle looks a bit more murky than that scan, but I'll admit there is something appealing about the ink.

[amberleadavis]

My bottle looks a bit more murky than that scan, but I'll admit there is something appealing about the ink.

 

Yeah, I was looking for your scan, because I thought it looked sort of muddy and it didn't motivate me, but in the pen, it's pretty darn cool.

[gylyf]

Here's the beautiful blue that comes packaged with Shumi No Bungu Hako's limited edition Sailors (http://www.sideriver.com/ec/products/list.php?category_id=5415):

 

 

 

 

On Tomoe River:

 

 

The bottle is completely unlabeled, and it's the usual Sailor bottle, not the taller bespoke bottle. I don't think this ink is available for sale separately from the pens, which is kind of heartbreaking, because it's my favorite blue ink at the moment. Also, I have no idea what it's called; the best Google can do is 'stationery box blue hobby.'

Edited May 11, 2015 by gylyf

[saskia_madding]

WOW. That is lovely!!! LEt us know if you find it for sale separately, because I'd love a bottle. It's such a great colour.

[Uncial]

Please Ms Saskia, can we see a Pione review?

[jmccarty3]

Here's the beautiful blue that comes packaged with Shumi No Bungu Hako's limited edition Sailors (http://www.sideriver.com/ec/products/list.php?category_id=5415):

 

The bottle is completely unlabeled, and it's the usual Sailor bottle, not the taller bespoke bottle. I don't think this ink is available for sale separately from the pens, which is kind of heartbreaking, because it's my favorite blue ink at the moment. Also, I have no idea what it's called; the best Google can do is 'stationery box blue hobby.'

 

The ink is elegant, but the dark blue Realo pen with MF Naginata nib that comes with it is something to drool over. Naturally, like most things I want, it is out-of stock. I'd love to get my hands on one of these, along with the ink.

 

http://www.sideriver.com/ec/products/detail.php?product_id=14883