Sailor Manyo Yomogi Fountain Pen Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Based solely on my collection of inks and what I normally have inked up in my pens, you could assume that I lean very unfairly toward the blue realm of ink colors. While it's true that I have way more blue inks than any other combined, I didn't try to amass this many on purpose. I'm just fascinated by the different shades of blue and how they play with green, purple, black, and red, and there just seems to be so many interesting inks that I need to try. The latest ink in my blue collection is Sailor's Manyo Yomogi.

The Sailor Manyo ink series is a collection of eight dye-based inks that represent popular flowers that are frequently mentioned in the Japanese Man'yōshū — an ancient collection of poems. Yomogi is a dark blue with a lot of green in the mix, as well as a gorgeous red/purple sheen in some areas. It's been a pleasure using this ink for the past couple of weeks, and it's still surprising me with the amount of character it can expose through shading and sheen alone.

Comparing it directly to other inks in Sailor's lineup, this is like a darker version of Yama-dori — one of my favorite dark teal inks to date. While this is an obviously blue ink, there's also a fair amount of dark green that transforms this from blue to teal depending on the width and heaviness of the stroke. it's fascinating to write with this ink and see how the colors change across the page. The shading is subtle, but it does just enough to vacillate between these colors sporadically and create something magical.

While shading is always a favorite characteristic of mine, Yomogi has another trick up its sleeve — some amazing red and purple sheen. You can only see the sheen in certain light and particularly where the ink pools up. When it happens, it's spectacular. I really enjoy seeing these red/purple hues pop off the page in certain light.

One thing this ink does not excel at, however, is dry time. It normally takes between 20 and 30 seconds for strokes to dry with this ink, which is a little on the long side for my preferences. I definitely have to remember to keep notebooks open a little longer than normal before closing them, and I can't imagine how problematic this ink would be for left-handed writers. While it's gorgeous, it certainly takes its time when drying. This is something worth considering before purchasing this ink.

And that's another thing — this ink isn't exactly cheap. For a 50ml bottle, you'll spend $24. Is this too much? I don't think so. The delight I derive from using this ink is well worth the price of admission, but you can find many other high-quality inks for a lower price if that's a major concern. In terms of Japanese fountain pen inks, this price is right on target, especially with recent price increases to keep up with inflation. 50ml will last quite a while, so it's a good investment in your own joy if this is an ink color that makes you happy. I've really enjoyed using it over the past couple of weeks, especially with all the cold weather that's hit the states over the last week.

You can find Yomogi at JetPens, along with many other Sailor Manyo inks.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Bungubox Sanctuary Blue Sailor Professional Gear Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

When Bungubox announced their limited edition Sanctuary Blue Sailor Professional Gear fountain pen, I was immediately smitten: blue and green, sparkles, unusual white finials, and a wee, little raden turtle on the cap finial. I sent an email right away and bought the pen.

It arrived from Japan in a Sailor clamshell box, the outer cardboard sleeve decorated with the turtle theme.

Inside was a card explaining the origins of the pen. It is based on a green-blue ink called Sanctuary Blue. Off the coast of Enshunada, Japan, the sea is a deep blue color. That color, and the beach's white sand and sea turtles, became the inspiration for the pen.

The pen is Sailor's Professional Gear model. It is 128mm/5.04 inches capped, 115mm/4.5 inches uncapped, and 150mm/5.9 inches posted. It weighs 25 grams (capped and inked).

I absolutely love the colors of this pen. The cap is translucent blue with gold sparkles and gold trims.

The white finial provides a striking background for the little raden turtle twinkling in the sun. This detail makes me happy every time I look at it.

The cap ring is engraved with "Bungubox Sanctuary Blue" and tiny turtles.

The body of the pen is translucent green with gold sparkles, and twin gold rings adorn the barrel where it meets the grip and above the bottom finial.

A cartridge/converter filler, this pen is supplied with a unique converter that has a white knob to match the white finials on the pen.

The nib is a 21k hard medium-fine. It is engraved with an ink bottle because the pen is based on an ink color. I wish the nib had a turtle engraving instead.

I usually don't order anything smaller than a medium-fine with Sailor nibs because they can be scratchy (or, as some say, "They have feedback.") This nib is super smooth and writes like a Western extra fine.

Because the pen is small and light, it is a joy to write with. I can write for long periods of time without any fatigue. I inked the pen with Taccia Sabimidori (reviewed here) and wrote the alphabet and a section from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

I love doing doodle patterns, so I attempted one I saw on Instagram (mine didn't turn out nearly as cool as the original, but oh well). Sailor nibs are wonderful for drawing because they are so fine, and I love how juicy this particular nib is.

Unfortunately, the Sanctuary Blue pen is sold out. However, the good news is that Bungubox now has an English-based online store so you no longer have to email them to place an order. The store currently has a few special Sailor models in stock: the Mangata, the Omotesando, and the Hello San Francisco. You'll also find the gorgeous Bungubox inks in special bottles on the site.

For a person who typically likes larger pens, I've grown quite a collection of Sailor Pro Gears. They are a bit like candy--colorful, shiny, and sweet. It's hard to resist these jewels, and the nibs are impeccable.

(I purchased the Bungubox Sanctuary Blue fountain pen with my own funds.)

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Sailor Compass 1911 Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The sub-$100 price range can be difficult for a lot of pen manufacturers to succeed in. For some, this is where they excel at offering great value and excellent writing instruments for the price (ever heard of TWSBI?). On the other hand, being able to deliver high-end luxury writing instruments doesn't also make you an expert at delivering lower cost, affordable items that compete well with brands that operate exclusively in that space. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, though! And that's exactly what Sailor is doing with the Compass 1911 fountain pen line.

The Compass 1911 borrows a familiar shape from the high-end 1911 fountain pen line, but uses more affordable materials in order to hit a much lower price bracket: $50 MSRP. On top of that, the Compass 1911 even comes with two black ink cartridges and (wait for it) a cartridge converter. I've definitely criticized Sailor in the past for not including a cheap converter with their $200+ fountain pens. At that price range, it seems petty to discount it from the hinged box that contains the pen. In the $50 price range, it's a fantastic bonus that I would never expect.

But the value gets better from there since no one really sells goods for the MSRP. As of now, you can find the Sailor Compass 1911 for just under $40 at Goldspot. For that price, is an excellent value for a beginning fountain pen kit. But, how does it perform as a pen? Can Sailor scale down their excellent writing to an ultra affordable, entry-level pen?

Across the lineup, the Compass 1911 feature semi-transparent materials in a variety of fun colors. The trim is silver in every case, and there also aren't any nib choices to make. Every pen comes with a stainless steel medium fine nib. While this is a bold decision, I certainly agree with this being a default option for a nib size. Others won't appreciate it and will look for larger or smaller alternatives, but for most people that don't really know what nib size to use yet, it's a pretty good starting point.

The pen is fairly lightweight, but doesn't feel brittle or delicate. It can definitely withstand some abuse from being thrown in bags and pockets. The screw-on cap posts securely to the back of the pen, and I find it extremely comfortable to write with the cap posted or non-posted. Both lengths are great for writing. In all, the materials used in the body and cap feel great for such an affordable pen. Even the converter seems well-made.

Moving on to the more important part of the pen, the nib is incredibly plain compared to Sailor's more expensive options. Even though it's plain and looks a little cheap, this nib is a solid performer. The MF nib is stiff as a nail and writes smoothly and reliably. It's always such a joy to ink up a pen straight out of the box and find that it writes beautifully without any fuss. The Sailor Compass 1911 is one of these pens, and an excellent first option for those that are curious about the world of fountain pens. I also enjoy that the material used for the feed is transparent as well, which shows off the ink color you've chosen. For my Olive version of the pen, I went with Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-rin to compliment the light green transparent color of the body. The green feed just makes it even better.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this box. I've been disappointed in the past by some of Sailor's sub-$100 offerings, and I thought this might be another lackluster attempt to break into that price range. The Compass 1911 won't disrupt what TWSBI, Pilot, Lamy, Kaweco, or other brands that offer pens in the same price range are already doing, but it is a fantastic offering from the brand that directly translates what kind of quality and dependable writing experience you can expect from their more luxurious offerings. Here's to hoping they continue experimenting in this fun category.

The review unit featured here is the Olive color option, but you can also pick from Clear, Brown, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, Pink, and Red. At $40, they're a fantastic deal for a gift or a personal treat.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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