The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen.
Specs
Name: Shikiori Tokiwa-matsu
Maker: Sailor
Color Family: Green
Properties: Sheening
Purchased at: Goulet Pens
What’s in a name?
Sailor’s Shikiori (“Four Seasons”) line of fountain pen inks features vibrant and unique colors inspired by the beauty of each season in Japan. Tokiwa-matsu, or Pine Green, is a color inspired by that deep evergreen foliage.
Swatches
A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it?
The above was written on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a TWSBI Eco-T fountain pen with a Stub nib.
Of course, for maximum effect you want to see it in light and in motion. The following video shows the ink swatched on Skylab Letterpress 160gsm cards.
Thoughts
I know this is pine green, but my eyes see it so much as a deep kelp green that I can almost smell the brine of the ocean when I write with this. That’s in part because the green has both yellow and grey tones in it, and in part because the high red sheen produces a brown effect over the green. In large swatches, you get that metallic edge to the sheen, but in writing it almost appears as a duochrome, green to brown. And yes, I know Sailor has a specific seaweed-inspired Shikiori ink, but the cool tones of that one make it look grey to me, which doesn’t shout “kelp”. Different continents, different oceans, different sea plants.
It’s a very wet ink- I put it in a stub nib to ensure that sheening effect was visible, but honestly, you can pick it up in a Broad nib, a Flex nib, and a Medium nib. And given how wet it is, I’ll likely only be using it in a Medium from now on (see how my e’s look like c’s? That’s what happens when I don’t consciously adjust my writing to a wetter ink). I’d use it at work, just because I’m a contrarian and think a de-saturated green ink should be considered as work appropriate as a blue ink. But that’s just me.
In letter writing and in art, it’s a champ. And it’s such a fun, unusual color that I encourage everyone to get it and try it- even (perhaps especially) people who dislike sheening in general. It’s amazing how different this ink comes across, as opposed to most other red-sheening inks on the market.
*All pics and vid were taken using a Samsung Galaxy S22 and color-adjusted to best reflect the hue of that ink.
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