Sailor Manyo Ume - Ink Sample
2ml sample of Sailor Manyo Ume red fountain pen ink, in a labeled plastic vial.
About the Sailor Manyo collection:
Flowers have always been a popular poetic subject dating back to ancient Japanese history. This is the theme for Sailor's Manyo bottled ink series. Based on popular flowers frequently mentioned in Japanese “Manyoshu” – an anthology of compiled ancient poems – Sailor has chosen eight dye-based ink colors to best represent this vibrant palette range.
"Manyosyu" - Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves - is the oldest (c.759) and most revered anthology of Japan's poetic compilations. Over a period of four centuries, 4,516 poems were written by every class of person ranging from Emperors to merchants and farmers. "Manyo" is an abbreviation of "Manyosyu" and its meaning indicates people of all ranks.
"Manyosyu" is often regarded in Japan as a true expression of the Japanese spirit. The themes of the poems relate to love, elegies, nature, the seasons, and so on. Flowers are especially relevant in Japanese culture and about 1,500 of the poems in "Manyosyu" cover some 160 species of plants and 50 different flowers.
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- Sailor
- Type
- Ink Samples
- Color
- Red
- Fast Drying
- No
- Fluorescent
- No
- Shimmer
Whether or not the ink contains glittery particles.
- No
- Freeze Resistant
Whether or not an ink is specially formulated to better withstand freezing temperatures.
- No
- Volume
- 2ml
- Iron Gall
Ink made from iron salts and tannic acids. Though quite permanent and waterproof, these inks are typically known for causing chemical corrosion to metal pen parts (especially the nib) and should be used sparingly or with less-valuable pens.
- No
- Lubricated
Whether or not an ink is specially formulated to increase flow in your pen.
- No
- Pigmented
Whether or not the ink contains finely-ground solid particles in liquid suspension.
- No
- Scented
- No
- Water Resistant
Whether or not the ink, once dried on the paper, will resist being washed away with water.
- No
Customer Reviews
Just as I'd hoped! It is a perfect wetness, dries rather quick, and doesn't easily smear. Vibrant but not gaudy like the average red pen ink. It is a warm slightly orange crimson, like blood. Similar to Writer's Blood but without the mild purple that gives it a slightly wine look. Would reccomend!
This was a gorgeous, neutral, elegant middle red that was extremely readable. I liked that it wasn't too brown or too magenta, which is just what I was looking for. Really dark, lubricated, and concentrated ink. The Goulet color swatch is quite accurate.
To start, it's a very nice ink. However, my sample looks like a rusty orange rather than the pinkish red in the pictures. I used Clairefontaine paper. I may reorder this to see if my sample was just odd.
I love this ink. Not only is it a really beautiful color and high contrast for easy reading, but it seems to flow better through my pen. Not sure why, but when I am writing with this ink the flow and experience seems better to me. I will not run out of this ink for a while as I bought a 50ml bottle after trying the sample, but I will definitely be trying some additional Sailor inks in this line.
This is a nice ink that has good daily driver characteristics. I'm not into the color, but I'm not going to dock review stars for a subjective parameter. The color (to me, anyway, on cheap office copy paper with a Jinhao 51A ef nib) is more brown than what's shown in the product images. It looks darker, like a Burnt Umber, and is more brown than red. It does still have a strong red quality, but I would call this a brown ink if I were forced to choose. It's very well behaved on copy paper - dries in about 5-7 seconds with little bleed or feathering, good wet flow on an EF nib, and the color looks professional enough to use at work in the appropriate environment/context. It's partially waterproof - it runs but is still very legible and the original marks are darker and bolder than the bleed-off under a running faucet for ~20 seconds.Again, not really my jam, but if the color fits your style, it's worth getting a sample to try it. I'm for sure checking out other colors from this line on my next order.
FAQ about Ink Samples
How do I fill my fountain pen from an ink sample vial?
It depends on the fountain pen's filling mechanism.
Check out our blog post on How to Fill a Fountain Pen from an Ink Sample Vial.
How much writing can I do with 2ml of ink?
It really depends on how big or small you write, and the nib size you’re using. We find that usually you can get 2 good fills for a typical converter with our Ink samples, or one good fill with a piston-filling pen. How much writing depends on you more than anything else, so we recommend experimenting with different nib sizes to find what works best for you.
What is shading, sheening, or shimmering ink?
Shading - A common (and often desired) result of a fountain pen ink pooling in certain parts of a letter when writing, so that the color and saturation of the ink appears different within a single letter or word. This characteristic cannot be achieved with ballpoint or rollerball pens and is a very appealing aspect of fountain pen use for those particularly drawn to all the pretty ink colors.
Sheen - Characteristic of a fountain pen ink where when ink pools another color can be seen on top of the ink, especially when looked at in different light angles using certain paper types. There is no way to guarantee an ink will sheen, but using a larger nib on a pen will help obtain sheening results in your writing.
Shimmering - Fountain pen ink that has small particles of glitter mixed in.
Is shimmering ink safe to use in fountain pens?
Yes! Shimmering ink is a great way to add some flare to your writing. We have found that a larger nib will showcase more shimmering particles while writing, but you can use any nib size and shimmering ink. All the ink we sell is safe for use in fountain pens.
You can learn more in our blog: How to Write with Shimmering Ink.
What's your return policy for ink samples?
We do not accept returns for ink that has been used. Otherwise, we accept returns on unused ink products for up to 30 days from purchase. You can read all our Return Policies here.
To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.