Sailor Nanoparticle Colorant Ink Extreme Black 超微粒子顏料インク 極黑

[Renzhe]

This is a review of Sailor's carbon black ink, which they call 極黑(kiwaguro, "extreme black"). It seems to be similar to India ink, except the particles might be smaller, and it shouldn't have any shellac.

 

Extreme Black writes rather wet. I don't feel any anything special other than it being well behaved. See the scan below.

http://i44.tinypic.com/1zn308x.jpg

It's about as dark as Pelikan Brilliant Black while not as dark as the pre-solvated India ink, 能藝吳竹墨汁. Its color is neutral. As expected, the particles are too big to flow through paper fibers, and so there is no bleedthrough or feathering.

 

After about a minute under the tap:

http://i44.tinypic.com/9bizvd.jpg

As there should be little or no binders like shellac, the particles are just sitting there. In places of higher concentrations, the extra carbon is pushed elsewhere so that it may settle on clean paper. The text remains legible, but water might smear it more if written with a wetter pen. The India ink, which contains a binder, didn't budge.

[Goodwhiskers]

Nice work! Thanks for posting that. Sailor Kiwaguro is extremely amazing stuff. When my budget allows, I'll think about getting some.

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

I definitely need to try this. Thank you for your post.

[Ondina]

Other one for the wish list...Thanks for the review.

[Bob Cratchet]

I have a bottle of this on order from Japan, which is stuck in UK customs & has been for the past 3 days now, don't they know it is just ink, not some new way to smuggle drugs.

[Leigh R]

Thanks for this, Renzhe!

[Lloyd]

I've tried this ink in both my Namiki Falcon and Pilot Custom 743 with FA nib. I couldn't get this ink to work during flexing. Even though the flow seemed good, I almost always produced railroad tracks.

[Renzhe]

Oh hey. I've an update. Pens with engravings on the nibs can get this ink in the lines. This ink isn't supposed to have a binder, but for some reason some dried ink just stays there, and it's difficult to wash off without an ultrasonic cleaner or something.

[Bob Cratchet]

I have a bottle of this on order from Japan, which is stuck in UK customs & has been for the past 3 days now, don't they know it is just ink, not some new way to smuggle drugs.

 

I recieved my bottle of Kiwaguro ink and a new Sailor Professional Gear, after paying £37.27 in charges,

and I have been using it for the past week, this is a strange ink, if you wish to write on both sides of the paper, which I do usually, it leaves a slight deposit of a powdery substance, this rubs onto the surface of the next sheet of paper then prevents you from being able to write properly on that sheet, or so I have found,

It is a nice Black, but I do think that you could find another ink as black if not Blacker my quest goes on...

I am however using thisd in my PG exclusively at present, and it is a good ink with that lovely india ink smell of coal, without the binder problems.

I will go on using this ink as my "Black" untill I fond a blacker example, any sugestions.

 

Bob Cratchet

[Renzhe]

It probably isn't difficult to find a blacker black. Seeing as Heart of Darkness beats Brilliant Black, and that Kiwaguro is as dark as Brilliant Black, Heart of Darkness will be darker than Kiwaguro.

[Bob Cratchet]

It probably isn't difficult to find a blacker black. Seeing as Heart of Darkness beats Brilliant Black, and that Kiwaguro is as dark as Brilliant Black, Heart of Darkness will be darker than Kiwaguro.

 

thanks bud

[Joe in Seattle]

a great review. I appreciate the comparison to a known quantity - the Pelikan. Looking at your review and the difference between the reviewed ink and the Pelikan - I can see I'm fine with the Pelikan and Noodler's HOD I have in stock; I don't need anything more.

[ethernautrix]

Oo! That's a nice black! I have the regular Sailor Jentle black in my C. Mark Twain, and it is a blackety-black black! And no particles I'm aware of.

 

I think Sailor might have a reputation for being utterly harmless to pens...? Perhaps? And the Jentle ink is waterproof...? I think I read that somewhere.

[biffybeans]

Jentle Black isn't Blackity Black. WHich kind of bummed me out since I love the way the Jentle ink flows. Noodler's BP black is much blacker.

 

Oo! That's a nice black! I have the regular Sailor Jentle black in my C. Mark Twain, and it is a blackety-black black! And no particles I'm aware of.

 

I think Sailor might have a reputation for being utterly harmless to pens...? Perhaps? And the Jentle ink is waterproof...? I think I read that somewhere.

 

[Chris H]

Sailor Kiwaguro is absolutely fantastic, in my opinion. The flow is silky smooth in an Esterbrook 1554 nib, which isn't overly smooth using conventional dye ink.

 

The color is shiny black and, in my opinion, darker than Pelikan, Noodler's Bulletproof, and PR Velvet Black. But darkness, like beauty, might just be in the eye of the beholder.

 

In addition, when my pen ran dry I just added some water and it keeps on writing with a color almost as black as the ink straight out of the bottle and still maintains its silkiness. The only thing lost is the shine it otherwise has.

 

If it wasn't so doggone expensive, I'd use it everyday.

 

Chris

 

 

 

[Lloyd]

I wish it worked in my flexy nibs. Has anyone had success using it in flex nibs?

[Chris H]

I wish it worked in my flexy nibs. Has anyone had success using it in flex nibs?

 

I think it is too black to show any color variation if that is what you mean by success in a flexy nib. There is no variation in the color of this ink. It is just black.

 

Chris

 

 

[Aslan]

Suggestions on the best place to buy this ink?

[Lloyd]

I wish it worked in my flexy nibs. Has anyone had success using it in flex nibs?

 

I think it is too black to show any color variation if that is what you mean by success in a flexy nib. There is no variation in the color of this ink. It is just black.

 

Chris

No. I find that it quickly forms "railroad tracks" while other inks don't.

[Chris H]

I wish it worked in my flexy nibs. Has anyone had success using it in flex nibs?

 

I think it is too black to show any color variation if that is what you mean by success in a flexy nib. There is no variation in the color of this ink. It is just black.

 

Chris

No. I find that it quickly forms "railroad tracks" while other inks don't.

 

 

Interesting. I'll have to put it in a flexy nib and see what happens.

 

Chris