Ink Review #652: Usagiya #5 Setouchi Marine Blue

Usagiya has their own line of Sailor-manufactured inks, sold exclusively in their Japan store. A reader sent me a sample of #5 Setouchi Marine Blue to try out, so let’s take a look!

The color:

SMB is a medium blue with a slight green undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs you can see the pretty dark pink sheen.

Writing samples:

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

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was a bit of bleeding and feathering in the flex nib as well as some feathering in the other nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

SMB is similar to Robert Oster Blue Water Ice, but SMB has more sheen and has a bit more green in it. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M805 Vibrant Blue with a broad nib on Tomoe River paper. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, this is a beautiful, well-behaved ink, but it can be very hard to get in the US. Robert Oster Blue Water Ice is a good alternative.

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