This review covers Sailor Studio 130 ($18 for 20mL at Dromgoole’s). In the Sailor Studio lineup, the first number indicates the saturation level of the ink. Even though this ink is the lowest saturation level of the group, I had no problem at all reading anything written with it.
At first glance, Sailor Studio 130 looks pure pink and light pink as well.
I was a bit concerned that 130 would be difficult to read since it was such a light pink (visions of Montblanc Ladie’s Pink), but opening the bottle, I found quite a bit of orange in the ink as well. The overall color here seemed to be closer to coral than to pink. A bit of yellow seems to be present as well.
In the swatch, Sailor Studio 130 is absolutely legible and on the bright side! The shading is subtle but definitely present and an orangish-yellow halo on the edges of the heavier ink pools.
I was surprised to find how red Studio 130 is as I compared it to other inks. 130 is close to being a lighter version of Papier Plume Cherry Red (also a delightful ink!). The sheen in Bungubox Lycoris is reminiscent of the yellow halo in Sailor Studio 130.
I decided to skip the usual testing paper of Tomoe River. Instead, I used William Hannah paper for the writing sample. There’s plenty of shading here and the ink is bright enough to be easy to read.
More shading in ordinary writing – print is always better for shading since it allows variations of ink to show in each letter.
And, of course, a big swatch of ink – look at the beautiful shading here! The yellow didn’t show up as much as I had hoped.
So of course, I actually did have to include a swatch on Tomoe River paper. The orange and yellow did not disappoint me here. My ink here seemed to be staring back at me as well… I love the shading here as well. If you are a fan of shading over sheen, you need to check out some of the lower numbered (100, 200, 300 range) Sailor Studio inks.
If you have ever tried to purchase Sailor Studio inks, you know how tough it can be to find a store selling it, pay for the shipping and wait for the slow boat to make its way overseas (unless you are lucky enough to live in Japan). Good news! Sailor has recently started allowing sales of these small bottles of sunshine by select retailers in the US. However, Sailor did put a restriction on these sales – orders for Sailor Studio inks can only be taken over the phone. Dromgoole’s was kind enough to provide this bottle of 130 for review and you can find ordering instructions here. The entire staff is great to talk to when ordering and if you order before the Dallas Pen Show, you can pick up your ink at their table – no shipping cost! The Colorado Pen Show is also quickly approaching and Droomgoole’s will be joining the crew this year. Order your Sailor Studio inks now over the phone and have them waiting for you in Denver!
Tools:
- Paper: Nanami Seven Seas Writer ($26), William Hannah A5 lined paper (7 pounds or about $8.65 for 50 pages)
- Pen: Franklin-Christoph 03 Prototype with a fine italic steel nib ($175)
- Ink: Sailor Studio 130 ($18 for 20ml bottle)
DISCLAIMER: The ink included in this review was provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
