(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
After my reviews of the first two Sailor x Tinterías inks and the second set, I couldn’t wait to get the third batch of the Deliciosa inks. I practically pounced on Jeffrey Coleman at the Chicago show to snag a set. (Jeffrey produces Tinterías, a Spanish podcast about pens, ink and stationery. You can find him on Instagram as @drcoleman1102 and also through the podcast account @tinteriaspodcast.)
This third batch of inks continues the Deliciosa theme of food-based ink names - Cilantro and Refried Beans. Just a reminder that, despite their yummy sounding names, the inks aren’t meant for eating/drinking :-). These two inks were launched in September 2023 and come in 50ml square glass bottles like the Sailor Manyo series.
As in the past, all swatches were done on Col-O-Ring cards using a Kakimori steel dip nib, while writing samples were done with a TWSBI Go with a Medium nib and a Lamy Vista with a steel Medium nib. The TWSBI Go is a wetter writer and the Lamy is a drier writer, so these two give me a good idea of how an ink will look from different pens. The notebook used for writing samples is from Endless Recorder with 68 gsm Tomoe River paper. Dry times for the Vista is shown with “(V)” and the Go will be below that and might also be shown with “(T)”. Dry times may be a bit slower on 52gsm TR or faster on paper like Cosmo Air Light, Rhodia, copy paper, or with drier or finer nibs, etc.
Cilantro is a medium spring green, not too bright or yellow, but also not a kelly green either - more like a grassy green. Refried Beans is a little harder to describe - it’s a medium light brownish orange, or maybe it’s an orangey brown. Search for images of refried beans, especially ones that are more orange in tone, and you’ll have an idea of what inspired this ink color.
Writing sample of Cilantro on 68 gsm Tomoe River Endless Notebook. You get a bit more shading from the Vista compared to the Go, which leaves a slightly more saturated line. Note that I had two “swipes” for the Go’s 30 second test because I accidentally let the timer go too far the first time, oops.
I was surprised at (1) how much yellow was present and (2) how “bunched up” the remaining pink, green and turquoise colors were. Thinking that maybe the colors would separate out more if I gave it more room, I repeated the test on a 4” strip of chromatography paper with the same results (so no picture.)
Inks similar to Sailor Cilantro: Robert Oster Forest Green (a bit too yellow/olive), Ferris Wheel Press Moonlit Jade (similar color in writing sample, but also has shimmer), Akkerman Dutch Masters 10 Van Huysum’s Sapgroen (too bright and too yellow), and Robert Oster Green Lime (a bit too “regular green.”)
Writing sample of Refried Beans on 68 gsm Tomoe River Endless Notebook. As with Cilantro, there is more shading from the Vista than the Go. Note that I had two “swipes” for the Go’s 45 second test because I accidentally swiped 15 seconds too early, oops, I did it again 🙂.
What was really neat to see is the bit of chromashading effect of Refried Beans from the Vista which is difficult to capture in photos.
Even though the swatches make the ink look slightly brownish, it’s actually a pink undertone that makes this different from many orange inks. I was also surprised to see the hint of green and turquoise at the very top.
Inks similar to Sailor Refried Beans: Robert Oster Brisbane (too yellow), Robert Oster Antelope Canyon (good color match but a bit darker), Montblanc James Purdey & Sons Single Malt (a touch too red), Robert Oster Campfire (similar to Antelope Canyon but a touch too brown.)
Both inks had average flow, although Refried Beans felt a wee bit drier than Cilantro. What was even more surprising was that Refried Beans took longer to dry, even though it felt drier when writing. I was surprised at how quickly Cilantro had dried, even in the TWSBI Go, since it is a darker ink. I think that Sailor Cilantro would work well in most pens and nib sizes, while Refried Beans might not be as readable in very fine or dry nibs. The Medium nib from the Lamy Vista is probably about as fine as I would go, unless I was using a gusher of a pen like a Pelikan, which is what I will probably use next time. Also, the Refried Beans ink really needs paper like Tomoe River or Cosmo Air Light to show off the subtle chromashading.
The Deliciosa line of inks on 68 gsm TR.
These inks, as well as the last two, are currently still available for purchase on the Tinterías website. They sell for $30 each (shipping is not included). I don’t know if there will be more inks coming up but if they are, I’m going to get my inky lil hands on them!
(Disclaimer: Inks were purchased directly from Jeffrey Coleman at the 2024 Chicago Pen Show at regular price. All other inks and notebooks are my own.)
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