I couldn’t kick my contributions to Inkmas off without a green? I actually bought a bottle of Sailor Manyo Ukikusa (50mL for $24) a few months ago, but then decided to hold onto it for a little Inkmas fun.
The Sailor Manyo line is a collection of inks inspired by the leaves and flowers of Japan. Manyo sort of translates into “Ten Thousand Leaves.”
And Ukikusa is the perfect green leaf color. Bright, springy, with lots of beautiful shading.
I thought I had some similar options in my ink stash, but I really don’t. I always think of Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku Rin (bamboo) but it’s definitely yellower. Robert Oster Sublime is a great green, but not as blue as Ukikusa. And even Pennonia Almazold (Apple Green) isn’t quite right.
(Side note – how crazy is it that the Chiku Rin card has faded like that? I’m not sure if it’s sun exposure or what. I need to reswatch!)
Sailor inks are lovely to work with. Sort of a Goldilocks ink – not too wet, not too dry, dries on the page fairly quickly. This one’s a keeper!
DISCLAIMER: Special thanks to Jet Pens who sent us the ink sample for the purposes of review. Other items may have been received for review, or purchased with our own funds. Please see the About page for more details.
- Paper: Crossfield Journal ($24.00) and Maruman Mnemosyne N182A Inspiration Notebook A5 ($10.50)
- Pens: Pilot Iro-Utushi Dip Pen (F, M, $11 each), Komamono Lab Fonte Glass Body Pen ($7.50)
- Swatches: Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Ink: Sailor Manyo Ukikusa (50mL for $24)