Sailor — Maruzen Akane

[jasonchickerson]

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Maruzen Akane (left) and its doppelgänger, Rouge Hematite (right)

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Rouge Hematite and Maruzen Akane, Zebra "G" nib on OMC Pure Cotton paper

 

THANKS TO CYBER6 FOR SENDING ME THIS SAMPLE!

 

Akane is a store exclusive for Maruzen pen store in Tokyo. It is a beautiful, super well-behaved red ink.

 

Akane is a dead ringer for the expensive but more available Rouge Hematite. If you avoid the gold glitter in RH (don't shake the bottle), they are practically identical. They sheen the same green-gold. They both smear. They are both hard to clean out of a pen. For my money, I'll take Rouge Hematite because the glitter doesn't show in my daily carry pen and I can use it to effect with calligraphy.

 

Care was taken to ensure color accuracy. This one is pretty much as you see it on a properly calibrated screen.

[Cyber6]

Dude... your calligraphy is AWESOME!!!! :puddle: :puddle:

 

I lLOOOOVE AKANE!!!!!! :wub: :wub:

 

Thanks so much for the gorgeous review!!!...

 

 

 

C.

[lgsoltek]

I love it. I NEED it!

[RayJ]

Amazing ink and a great review.

Unfortunately I came to the sailor inks scene later and by then, this ink was sold out.

Thanks for comparing it with Rouge Hematite. Now i know what to get.

[visvamitra]

Yes, this ink is simply stunning. I preferred to forget about it but you've reminded me, Eh, if only it was obtainable.

[haruka337]

Yuck. Don't like this color.

 

Otherwise, the review itself is quite nice.

[mehandiratta]

Ohhhh NIce inks... good review....

 

Is it not easily available...??

[Cyber6]

Ohhhh NIce inks... good review....

 

Is it not easily available...??

 

 

I think you have a better chance to find a bottle of MontBlanc Racing Green than a bottle of Maruzen Akane.

 

Akane was a limited run of 200 (300?) bottles. Is no longer made.

 

 

 

C.

[amberleadavis]

I was able to get a sample. It is stunning! I'm not a fan of the Sailor reds, but this one is one that I would love to have.

[RayJ]

Everyone has tried this apart from me.

 

Would it be possible for someone to attend an ink clinic and request this ink?

Edited October 28, 2015 by RayJ

[visvamitra]

Yes sadly it was limited run. Cyber6 has sent me a sample and every time I check my review notebook it's there - stunning, best red ever made. Unobtainable. Sometimes life is unfair

[RayJ]

When you bring sailor inks into your life, everything is unfair.

Hard to obtain. Each one of them.

Got a bottle of Cigar yesterday. I usually keep all my inks in a drawer or boxes, but this one is still on the table and I have been looking at it all day. Just don't want to put it out of my sight.

Love the diamond shaped bottles. Jentle ink bottles are horrible.

 

I'll see if I can get someone to go to an ink clinic and have some Akane made for himself. I know that it was a limited edition ink, but when the maker is sitting in front of you and you can specify your ink, it's worth a try to ask him to make a bottle of akane.

[amberleadavis]

Let us know how it goes!

[Cyber6]

I know that it was a limited edition ink, but when the maker is sitting in front of you and you can specify your ink, it's worth a try to ask him to make a bottle of akane.

 

 

I imagine it will be similar to go in front of Nathan and request a bottle of Coral Sea (Australian Exclusive). There is a reason why they are exclusive, they pay for the exclusivity.

 

I am sure you can ask the ink master for a red similar to Akane, but asking him to make a bottle of Akane is a completely different proposition.

 

 

 

C.

[amberleadavis]

Sometimes the reason for a limited number of bottles is a limited amount of a particular ingredient.

[Cyber6]

Sometimes the reason for a limited number of bottles is a limited amount of a particular ingredient.

 

 

True.... Although, Maruzen has been doing this for some time... Jade was exclusive, Kirin was exclusive.. Montblanc does it too, the LE series.

 

 

 

C.

[RayJ]

@Cyber6: yeah, maybe you are right. But if want a similar red, Jason showed that Rouge Hematite qualified as one. But I'm not sure whether it would have sailor like qualities/attributes. Similar red can be asked for.

Thank you.

 

@Amberlea: sure, I'll let you know. It was hard enough to make my enabler go and get Shousaikan inks. Ink clinic... Uhm, needs lots of convincing.

 

@Amberlea 2nd post: Plausible.

 

@Cyber6 2nd post: aren't all of them exclusive? Sepia, hatobanezu, eternal blue, renga etc.

I read somewhere about MB's LE policy. The equipment (for pen and ink) and formula (ink) they use to make the LE stuff (both pen and ink) are destroyed after the production run. So there is no way of replicating the ink once the production ends.

[Cyber6]

@Cyber6 2nd post: aren't all of them exclusive? Sepia, hatobanezu, eternal blue, renga etc.

I read somewhere about MB's LE policy. The equipment (for pen and ink) and formula (ink) they use to make the LE stuff (both pen and ink) are destroyed after the production run. So there is no way of replicating the ink once the production ends.

 

Yes, they are. That was my point all along. That I have serious doubts you can just walk into an ink clinic and request an exclusive ink. Akane, Jade, Kirin were not only exclusives but they were also a limited run.

 

 

 

C.

[jasonchickerson]

@Cyber6: yeah, maybe you are right. But if want a similar red, Jason showed that Rouge Hematite qualified as one. But I'm not sure whether it would have sailor like qualities/attributes. Similar red can be asked for.

Thank you.

 

Or you could just strain the Rouge Hematite through a coffee filter.

 

I'll see if I can do a chromatography of these two inks tonight to see just how close they are. Their behavior is VERY similar in my usage. Both are very, very good, wet, well-behaved reds.

Edited October 28, 2015 by jasonchickerson

[RayJ]

Means I just need to add a drop of Phenol to Herbin?

And not shake before using?