Modest Expectations Seriously Violated

[dms525]

Okay, I.S. Ruth. You made me curious and cautious. This is usually a delicate balancing act, but, in this instance, both traits pushed me in the same direction: To try cleaning one of the pens I had loaded with Oku-yama. So, here is what I did ...

 

The pen is a Reform Calligraph, a piston filler with with a clear ink window and nibs that unscrew easily from the section, similar to a Pelikan.

 

1. Empty ink into sink and rinse nib under flowing water.

2. Suck up and expel tap water in a jar through the nib x15-20 with 4 changes of water.

3. Suck up and expel Goulet's pen flush x 5.

4. Repeat Step 2. x 7 with 2 changes of water.

5. Remove nib. Flush pen barrel and nib separately using a bulb syringe and water from the tap.

 

Dry with absorbent paper.

 

Result: Pen seems completely clean.

 

This would have taken about 4 minutes, except I had an urgent call from my wife. She was in the kitchen putting batter for flourless chocolate cupcakes into a tin and needed me to find another cupcake tin, because she made more batter than the one tin would hold. Obviously, this was a mission that could not wait and clearly trumped pen cleaning. See, the cupcakes are for Passover, so I figure finding the second cupcake tin was something of a religious obligation.

 

Anyway, the procedure described above is not much different from what I usually do to clean a piston filler. The difference is that the Oku-yama was only in the pen for a couple days, whereas most of the pens I put through this kind of cleaning have been inked for a month or more.

 

My results were sufficiently reassuring that I will continue to use Oku-yama in the Nakaya, at least for a while longer.

 

I would appreciate further comments, advice and shared experiences from others.

 

David

Edited March 31, 2015 by dms525

[dms525]

 

Whatever you do, DON'T open that thread on Sailor Pen&Message Cigar ink.

 

That way you won't be tempted by probably the most unique and calligraphy ready ink I've ever seen.

 

Oh, it's just like the briar patch, isn't it, B'rer Rabbit?

 

David

[tinkerteacher]

 

 

I would appreciate further comments, advice and shared experiences from others.

 

David

 

Apart from needing a little extra flushing with Shigure given its purple-blue-black colour, I've not really had much trouble removing Sailor inks. Not like Oxblood or Bilberry. Now those inks really don't like leaving the pen they are in.

 

Actually, Sailors have become my go to inks for pens with nib issues or starting problems. What ever hazaderous, banned in the EU stuff is in 'em (apart from the phenol which gives them their lovely smell) acts like a laxative in recalcitrant pens.

[tinkerteacher]

Much like you, I came late to Sailor inks given how little I'd liked their pens.

 

Then one day, as an extra I threw a bottle of Shigure into the (online) basket at the last minute. Mesmerised by how Shigure appeared as Black-Purple-Blue in my dry EF and at the same time as Purple-Blue-Black in my wet B, I grabbed a bottle of Yama-Dori. Wowed by a shady teal ink with red sheen, I added another, and another.

 

Luckily, I have now managed to stop myself and draw the line. I think.

[dms525]

Much like you, I came late to Sailor inks given how little I'd liked their pens.

 

Then one day, as an extra I threw a bottle of Shigure into the (online) basket at the last minute. Mesmerised by how Shigure appeared as Black-Purple-Blue in my dry EF and at the same time as Purple-Blue-Black in my wet B, I grabbed a bottle of Yama-Dori. Wowed by a shady teal ink with red sheen, I added another, and another.

 

Luckily, I have now managed to stop myself and draw the line. I think.

 

I believe this is what is called "A cautionary tale."

[SeeksAdvice]

I find that I like their "nano" inks more than their regular inks.

[jasonchickerson]

I have a sample of Oku-yama but haven't tried it yet. I have tried Shigure, though, and it is also something of a PITA to flush, because it is sooooo saturated. I had it in a Noodler's FPC, and kept refilling the pen with distilled water and still getting lots of legible color coming out. So I'm thinking that Shigure is (while a kinda pretty color) is not going to be a "keeper" ink for me. Especially since I had been hoping -- from some of the scans I'd seen in reviews -- that it was going to be a better behaved version of Noodler's Kung Te Cheng. But it isn't comparable in color at all, and while it flows better it's still really saturated and I think there was some nib creep (not what I was expecting from a Sailor ink at *all*...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Shigure is the worst behaved of the Sailor inks I've tried. It flows too readily, stains too readily. The color is middling for me. It's the first Sailor ink I tested and I'm so glad I gave them another chance.

[jasonchickerson]

Okay, I.S. Ruth. You made me curious and cautious. This is usually a delicate balancing act, but, in this instance, both traits pushed me in the same direction: To try cleaning one of the pens I had loaded with Oku-yama. So, here is what I did ...

 

...

 

My results were sufficiently reassuring that I will continue to use Oku-yama in the Nakaya, at least for a while longer.

 

Ruth was referring to Shigure as difficult to clean, which it is. Oku-yama is very easy to clean; I would say, one of my easiest. I use it almost exclusively in my Desiderata Flex pen, which clogs to some degree with most inks after a couple of days. (This is normal for the type of pen). Oku-yama, on the other hand just starts right up.

 

And anyway, the Nakaya is a converter, so I would worry less about staining, etc than a piston filler.

 

Edit: oops, I see now that it was SeeksAdvice. I did try to read closely. In that case, I respectfully disagree that Oku-yama is hard to clean.

Edited April 1, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[dms525]

 

Ruth was referring to Shigure as difficult to clean, which it is. Oku-yama is very easy to clean; I would say, one of my easiest. I use it almost exclusively in my Desiderata Flex pen, which clogs to some degree with most inks after a couple of days. (This is normal for the type of pen). Oku-yama, on the other hand just starts right up.

 

And anyway, the Nakaya is a converter, so I would worry less about staining, etc than a piston filler.

 

Edit: oops, I see now that it was SeeksAdvice. I did try to read closely. In that case, I respectfully disagree that Oku-yama is hard to clean.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am reassured. I am liking Oku-yama and would be sorry to have to limit its use.

 

How about Yama-dori? A bottle is "out for delivery" to me.

 

David

[jasonchickerson]

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am reassured. I am liking Oku-yama and would be sorry to have to limit its use.

 

How about Yama-dori? A bottle is "out for delivery" to me.

 

David

 

Teal is not a color in my purview. However, in terms of what I've seen with regards to color/shade/sheen. I would choose this over Ku-jaku.

[tinkerteacher]

Sailor inks are also quite water resistant, as evidenced in lgsoltek's very well done review.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/278127-sailor-four-seasons-8-inks-compared/

 

I guess I am the outlier in being a fan of Shigure. But then again, I mostly use it in an EF or F as a journaling ink these days. In an EF it is looks like a black tinged with purple and blue, and a reddish sheen. A formal without being formal colour.

[SeeksAdvice]

I don't find Yama-Dori or Oku-Yama to be water resistant. Both spread quite widely on the page when exposed to water.

[A144]

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am reassured. I am liking Oku-yama and would be sorry to have to limit its use.

 

How about Yama-dori? A bottle is "out for delivery" to me.

 

David

 

I know you've already gotten your bottle of Yama-dori, but I figured I'd share my experience cleaning anyways. I first inked it up in a TWSBI 580. After using it up, and flushing like I normally would a piston filler, Yama-dori left a bit of blue behind. I don't have pen flush (haven't found a need for it yet), so I took the 580 apart and wiped down the inside of the barrel with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Took the teal residue right off. And Yama-dori is totally worth the extra cleaning step.

[dms525]

 

I know you've already gotten your bottle of Yama-dori, but I figured I'd share my experience cleaning anyways. I first inked it up in a TWSBI 580. After using it up, and flushing like I normally would a piston filler, Yama-dori left a bit of blue behind. I don't have pen flush (haven't found a need for it yet), so I took the 580 apart and wiped down the inside of the barrel with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Took the teal residue right off. And Yama-dori is totally worth the extra cleaning step.

 

Thanks, A144. I liked Yama-dori enough to order another bottle.

David

[A144]

 

Thanks, A144. I liked Yama-dori enough to order another bottle.

David

 

I actually got sent a sample from a friend after the initial release when Yama-dori was sold out everywhere. I used about 2mL of the sample before I found it in stock. I immediately ordered 2 bottles. This was just after I first discovered Sailor inks and then they were discontinued like a week after I bought my first bottle of Grenade... So I was kind of on a Sailor ink buying frenzy that kind of carried over to the new releases.

[fireant]

I missed out on the apricot. I did manage to find some gernade. This taught me to buy several bottles if I really love a color.

[amberleadavis]

David, your penmanship is improving with every post.

[dms525]

David, your penmanship is improving with every post.

Why, thank you, ma'am!

 

David