Sos Sailor Ink - Kobe, Bung Box And Ishida Bungu Help

[bstnnyc]

I think I need 37 and 14 now. Sigh. It never ends does it?

I don't think it ever does! I was thinking of limiting myself to 2 this month and now it's going to be hard to get anything less than 4!

[saskia_madding]

If you're looking for low maintenance, solid, reliablues, I would go with BB sapphire and Kobe #14. Both are fine lubrication and easy to clean out. #37 is really special and lovely, but it is SO wet that it takes over one minute to dry. That doesn't seem practical for a workhorse blue.

 

I'm going to check my Kobe list tomorrow and I'll mention any other blue that comes to mind then.

 

Happy to help!

[SamCapote]

Saskia, do you still have some PPS left for comparisons? If not, let me know, and I'll send you some.

[bstnnyc]

If you're looking for low maintenance, solid, reliablues, I would go with BB sapphire and Kobe #14. Both are fine lubrication and easy to clean out. #37 is really special and lovely, but it is SO wet that it takes over one minute to dry. That doesn't seem practical for a workhorse blue.

 

I'm going to check my Kobe list tomorrow and I'll mention any other blue that comes to mind then.

 

Happy to help!

Thank you again very much!! I just contacted cool-japan and let him know that you sent me to him . I love doodling and playing with very wet inks in this same flexi pen, so I figured why not add the #37 to the Sapphire and #14 order; it looks too good to pass up in your comparison haha And thank you also for checking your Kobe list for other blues that you think would be a good fit! (I loved the #38 but I was worried about the hard starts.) There are many other color families I also really loved in your reviews (especially Kobe #31 and BB Dandyism), but I think I need to try to save them for Xmas treats. I may go broke very soon but I will be happy and broke - surrounded by all these sailors

 

I will let you know when the first three inks come in; I asked about the expedited shipping option, so hopefully it will not be too expensive!

[saskia_madding]

I looked at my Kobe list, and #14 is definitely your best bet. It's really pretty and very reliable. I had forgotten how pretty it actually is. #37 is very fun but not as practical for work. I think you made good choices!

 

When Christmas rolls around, let us know what you end up getting!

 

sam_capote - I do have PPS left, and if i recall correctly, it's wasn't a dead ringer for PPS. Still, BB Sapphire is gorgeous, and really well behaved. I love it so much.

 

All this talk of inks has reminded me to order some more.

[alarickc]

Saskia, do you still have some PPS left for comparisons? If not, let me know, and I'll send you some.

Sam, might you be willing to mail me writing sample with PPS the next time you have it loaded in a pen? I have BB Saphire and a few other supposed dupes, but I've never been able to compare them to a written sample in person to see how close I've come.

[bstnnyc]

I looked at my Kobe list, and #14 is definitely your best bet. It's really pretty and very reliable. I had forgotten how pretty it actually is. #37 is very fun but not as practical for work. I think you made good choices!

 

When Christmas rolls around, let us know what you end up getting!

 

sam_capote - I do have PPS left, and if i recall correctly, it's wasn't a dead ringer for PPS. Still, BB Sapphire is gorgeous, and really well behaved. I love it so much.

 

All this talk of inks has reminded me to order some more.

The 3 blue inks are ordered and express shipping was very reasonable so if all goes well they should arrive in a week!

 

Also, thank you for recommending Atsu of cool-japan to me; he was very quick to respond to all questions, and processed the order with shipping information almost instantly!

 

PS I will definitely ask for your advice again before placing the Xmas order

[saskia_madding]

Alarickc - pm me. I will send you two writing samples set up to compare two inks to the main ink on each page.

[amberleadavis]

Alarickc - pm me. I will send you two writing samples set up to compare two inks to the main ink on each page.

 

 

Are you CRVing? I'm so happy!!!

[bstnnyc]

Hi Everyone, the EMS shipping option was extremely fast and the inks arrived overnight to NY! Unfortunately, the customs people have been holding the package hostage for a week now, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be released soon. I'm thinking of putting in the November ink order from now if customs takes this long to bless them... How long have others had to wait for customs clearance?

[saskia_madding]

usually the shipping to canada, even with the ems, takes about five days all told. The longest customs kept a package was three days.

[bstnnyc]

Oh wow that’s much faster than I was expecting. Thank you for confirming! I guess either someone in customs is testing the inks before I do or they were backed up for the Columbus day weekend. Hopefully they will surface soon then.

[Ghost Plane]

37 is calling my name. Why did I open this thread?

[bstnnyc]

I just got home from class and the inks were here waiting for me! The customs people must have read the last post haha

 

Atsu packed everything perfectly - thank you again for recommending him saskia_madding! The entire experience of working with him has been wonderful, so I thought I would share the unboxing for anyone who might need a little push to order

 

 

I didn't have time to ink them up yet but I couldn't wait to try them so I did a quick dip test with my daily fountain pen and I'm in love!

 

 

I still need to ink them up to see which is my favorite for sure but so far I think it's between Bung Box Sapphire and Kobe #14 Maya Lapis. Sapphire is both bright and dark and glows on the page and Maya Lapis is the perfect (not so basic) everyday blue with an added touch of gorgeous sheen. You were right saskia_madding those two are exactly what I was looking for (and #37 was just an added bonus)! Thank you again for all of your recommendations and for the time you took to help me!

[saskia_madding]

I'm so glad you got them safe and sound, and that you liked them so much. I was happy to help, as I always am if it means dragging people down the black hole of loving semi-obscure to USA/Canada Sailor inks. Isn't there some saying about misery and company and something or other??? I need company in the poor house!

 

And on that note, I just ordered all the available Hougado inks ...

[bstnnyc]

haha thank you for helping me down the rabbit hole when it leads to a world of wondrous things

 

 

And now after playing with these blues all evening, I am definitely too far down to go back up , so can I ask you two final questions ?

 

I was thinking why not take the express train to join you in the poor house and put in a second ink order this week. I am thinking of getting the BB Dandyism, Starry Night and 4B and wanted to check if you found that any are especially difficult to clean or might potentially gum up a pen. (I read in your review that the 4B needed just a tad more soaking but it did not sound high maintenance.) And the last question is have you tried the Kobe #7 yet? I saw writing samples of it on flickr and it seems like another good daily blue, but I wanted to see what you thought about the performance before ordering. Thank you again!

 

PS Those Hougado inks look like they are going to be another terrible temptation especially the Green, the Blue and the Moss & Blue Blacks! I didn't notice them in the big Sailor post when I first looked through it, but I just added them to the list of inks to decide on for December.

[migo984]

I am thinking of getting the Starry Night.......

Starry Night is a seasonal ink and I think is currently only available in packs of 12 bottles. Singles may be available nearer Christmas...........

[saskia_madding]

He's right - the Starry Night is a seasonal ink that is only available in single bottles in December. Honestly, the colour didn't wow me. I much prefer the 4B. Dandyism is a total winner though, an absolutely gorgeous green. Until I tried ... man, I don't even remember which one is closer anymore, but there is only one other Sailor ink that is closer to MBRG. 4B does take a bit of extra babying, but not a lot. Don't let it sit in a pen unused for weeks at a time, don't leave it uncapped overnight unless you want to run the pen under water to get it going again ... you know, the basics of first level pampering. A bit of care required but not a lot.

 

#7 is a lot like #37 in terms of behaviour. It's super duper wet, lots of sheen, really pretty, but it's a much darker blue. Almost like a night blue. I actually quite love it, especially in B nibs.

 

Do you need me to do another comparison/writing sample? I'm doing another one in greens for a guy in another thread and I'm home sick this weekend, so I could do something if you want me to.

[Algester]

speaking of which Sasakia did you get some of the Sankodo inks? I'm havent checked out the site source if they are still available and can you say if the look the same to the samples also posted?

[saskia_madding]

I didn't buy them after finding out they were Private Reserve inks mixed together in house. Are those the ones, or am I mistaking them? I bought the Hougado inks instead, this time around. I can really only afford one round of inks every two weeks. So I'll plan my next batch two weeks from now. What should I get next???