Ink Review #1020: Sailor Nano Souboku

Today we are testing out Sailor Nano Souboku. A sample of this ink was provided by a reader, and while reviewing it I fell in love with it so much I ordered a bottle from Pen Chalet.

The color:

Souboku is an unsaturated blue black.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink turns black where pooled, almost sheen but not quite.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes but just a tiny bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Souboku is darker than Lamy Benitoite and Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai. Click here to see the Sailor inks together, and click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy 2000 Black Amber with a fine nib on a Yoseka A5 notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink-I’m pretty sure it’s my new favorite blue black. I love the color, it’s very water resistant (due to its pigment base) and a great neutral for when you need a professional ink.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by a reader for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links, but this post is not sponsored in any way.