Ink Review: Sailor Shikiori Yozakura

Next up in the new Sailor Shikiori line is Yozakura (20ml for $15). I was going to save this one for last because I thought it was going to be my favorite of the four but it ended up taking second place. So, there. I ruined the finale. You can skip ahead if you want. Or keep reading, if you want the full story.

When I saw Yozakura, it pushed all the right buttons for me initially — that slightly off kilter smoky purple/pink hue plus awesome Sailor ink in a nice bottle and, for me, the bonus of not being in a giant bottle. I thought it would be a win all around.

However, my penchant for fine and extra fine nibs would be the downfall here as the ink is lighter and more translucent than other inks in a similar vein. While Yozakuza was able to get some okay color (when dry! It dries darker than when its wet.) in wider nibs, in extra fine pens, its really quite light for regular usability. It does dry to a readable color but in actual writing, I found it a bit challenging to use.

I think with dip nibs, fude, calligraphy nibs and other specialty nibs it would be okay.

If Yozakura is the sort of smoky purply color appeals to you, I’d recommend Robert Oster Viola or Australian Opal Mauve instead. I love those colors for the range of shade and sheen and they are legible even in fine nib pens.

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