I love purple inks. Dark purple, light purple, purples that lean red and purples that lean blue. All purple inks find a home with me. I think I seek out purple inks because, as a child, there were NO purple inks. My rainbow of ink color was restricted to those in a Bic four color pen with black, blue, red, and green.
I first opened Sailor Studio 653 and thought of blueberry pie. It is a deep, juicy purple that hugs red but still remains it’s own unique color.
I always get ink on my hands while working with pens or on an ink review. When 653 got on my hands, however, it reminded me immediately of the color my hands turn when I’ve been baking with blueberries or picking blackberries. Public Service Announcement: Do Not Drink Ink. Instead, go find some blueberry pie to enjoy while writing with Sailor Studio 653.
The shading with 653 wasn’t as good as I was hoping. In swabs (on Col-o-Ring cards!), the shading properties looked promising, but in writing, this doesn’t happen.
However, a light sheen (not a slight sheen, a light one) does show on sheen-compatible paper such as Tomoe River paper. Here I’m using a notebook produced by Birmingham Pen Company and heavier letters did sheen – a sort of greenish gold sheen.
Unfortunately, Sailor Studio 653 ink is in no way water resistant. It is slower to dry (30-45 seconds), so take care when writing quickly. However, I found it was well worth the downsides to have such a beautifully rich color in my writing.
The closest colors in my collection were ColorVerse Einstein Ring and Pelikan Amethyst – two other beautiful purple inks.
If you enjoy purple inks as much as I do, Sailor studio 653 is absolutely one that you should try. It can be hard to get this ink, and I’ve found the best way to do so is through eBay – a seller who ships from Japan. The wait is well worth it, although the price is rather high ($21.49 for 20mL). Blueberry pie will never make a good ink, but this may be the best substitute!
Disclaimer: All items in this review were purchased by me. For more information, visit our About page.
