Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo Ink is one of 4 new Sailor Shikiori ink colors released last year. The Shikori ink colors are a new addition to Sailors’s Four Season line of inks that originally have fallen under the Jentle ink series, with different packaging, size, and price. However, all of the Sailor Four Season ink colors are shifting to the new Shikiori bottle and price. We currently have a limited amount of original 50 ml. sized Sailor Four Season Jentle ink colors still in stock for sale.
Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink (Frosty Winter Night) is a dark blue-black ink, with medium saturation and many well-loved characteristics found in Sailor inks. Shimoyo shows very dark and can be used as an everyday home or office ink color. Continuing reading for a chance to win the bottle of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink we used for this review.
Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo Ink Review
During our review of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink we found the following characteristics that you may find helpful when choosing your next ink color to purchase:
Testing Factors
For our review of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink, we used a glass dip pen by J. Herbin on Rhodia dot pad paper. The glass dip pen has a tip that is similar to a medium-fine fountain pen nib.
Bottle Sizes
Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink comes in Sailor’s new smaller 20 ml. square heavy weighted glass bottle with an easy to open faceted lid. Although small, the glass bottle has a very nice presentation and does not reveal the English translation of the name. The outer box however contains a small colored sticker with the Shimoyo name.
Cost
Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink is more expensive per ml. than the original Sailor Jentle ink bottles. This puts Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink in the mid to high range for bottled fountain pen ink on the market today.
Dry Time
During our review of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink, we found a dry time of approximately 8-10 seconds, which is not unusual for a medium saturated ink. Being under 10 seconds makes the Shimoyo ink an available option for use as an everyday ink.
Bleed Through
We found absolutely zero bleeding during normal use while testing Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink. However, during our cotton swab, with a large amount of concentrated ink, we did notice some slight bleed through on Rhodia paper.
Feathering
During our review of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink, we found no feathering using the glass dip pen on Rhodia dot pad paper. Even during the water test, there was very little additional feathering produced.
Water Test
During our review of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink, we conducted a water test where we ran a wet cotton swab over a dried ink sample. The results were significant color smearing, but no additional bleeding and very little noticeable feathering. The lines remained clear and legible throughout the test.
Shading
Being a very dark color, Shimoyo ink may produce some shading under the right conditions with the right nib and penmanship. However, most hands will produce a pretty consistent dark color line without a lot of color variation.
Conclusions About Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink
Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink is a great blue-black option. It has many of Sailor inks wonderful characteristics including reasonable dry time, nice saturation, beautiful color, etc. The presentation and bottle of the new Sailor Shikiori line are fantastic. However, the price has increased compared to the original Jentle ink bottles, as will all of their Jentle inks in the very near future. Although the new Sailor ink bottle size and price is here to stay, the presentation, look, and ink continue to be top notch. Happy writing this Frosty Winter Night from Japan!
Enter to Win
Enter to win the actual bottle of Sailor Shikiori Shimoyo ink that we used in this ink review:
