(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)
Sailor Manyo Haha is an ink that whispers on the page. The dual-shading tone is incredibly lovely and a fine example of the ink wizardry that Sailor does so well. The faint tone won't be for everyone and it definitely works better in broader nibs that show off its character. But for all its lightness, it's an extremely expressive color.
The Manyo line celebrates the colors of plants and flowers of Japan. This ink is named for the Haha flower, and it suits the beautiful blooms very well. It's a pale blue-teal that dual shades to purple and green, and the chromatography shows its complexity. It goes from sky blue to violet to soft purple to emerald to a pale yellow. The purple tone is very visible in the ink's shading, even in plain writing, and the green can be seen where it pools. The effect is hypnotizing as you write. I'm kind of obsessed. The color is definitely a cousin of the Sailor Ink Studios 123, which is a pale purple with teal hints--the inverse of this one. I love them both.
This ink flows well and feels nicely lubricated, and also has a very reasonable dry time. There was barely any smudge at 15 seconds and it was totally dry by 20. It has no water resistance at all, and disappeared altogether at the slightest hint of a drop.
It does not have any shimmer or sheen, but either of those effects would interfere with the elegant shading already in play. Even where the other colors don't show, the blue itself shades nicely.
The ink comes in a cube-shaped blown glass bottle, which is much more convenient for filling than the squat Sailor ink pots. It feels substantial and looks great. It's a 50ml bottle also, which is a nice change from the itty bitty Sailor Studio bottles. Best of all, it's only $24 at JetPens, which is a surprisingly great price for a Sailor ink, especially a big bottle of one this snazzy.
I'm clearly a fan, though I know this color might be hard for some to see on the page. I don't think I could read it in low light, myself. But in good lighting it's visible enough to be a practical blue with a lot of fun character. It even makes writing a grocery list fun and interesting.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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