Taccia Ukiyo-e Fountain Pen Ink sabimidori - Rust Green

Taccia Ukiyo-e fountain pen ink Sabimidori is a water-based ink in 40 ml, bottled in a wide-neck glass with illustrated Hokusai packaging. Sabimidori – Japanese for 'rust green' – showcases a colour character that transforms completely as it dries: when freshly applied, a deep, dark blue sits on the paper, but once dry, it reveals a muted blue-green with warm, copper-coloured rust reflections. This ink is not archival.

Features

• Colour shift on drying: When first applied, Sabimidori appears as a rich, dark blue. As it dries, the colour shifts to a muted petrol-green tone with blue undertones in thinner line areas – the colour gradient varies noticeably depending on paper type and nib width.
• Pronounced copper sheen: On smooth, ink-resistant paper, Sabimidori displays an intense copper to brass shimmer, particularly visible in broad lines and ink pooling areas. The 'rust green' character of the name reveals itself especially through this reflective quality.
• Medium shading: The ink shows distinctly pronounced shading between light and dark line areas, which is especially striking when used with a stub nib or flex nib.
• Colour supervisor from Japan: All colours in the Ukiyo-e series were approved by Japanese colour consultant Hanae Matsumoto and conceived by stationery sommelier Hiroshi Ishizu – with the aim of making the nuanced colours of historical woodblock prints experienceable through fountain pen ink.
• Illustrated packaging: The folding box features Ukiyo-e motifs from Hokusai's landscape series and is itself a small collector's item.
• Wide-neck glass: The square heavy-glass bottle is easy to fill right to the last drop using a converter or piston filler mechanism.

Use & Tips

• Nib width and ink quantity: The copper sheen develops most strongly with broad nibs (M, B, stub nib), which deposit more ink onto the paper. Very fine nibs (EF, F) tend to show more of the blue base tone – the colour character remains more restrained.
• Paper selection: On smooth, calendered paper, the ink appears bluer and the copper reflections stand out more plastically. On Tomoe River paper, the green tone is stronger and the sheen is particularly pronounced. On cream-coloured papers, the green appears warmer and more saturated.
• Illustration and drawing: Thanks to its colour gradient, Sabimidori is ideal for ink drawings, watercolour sketches and calligraphic works – different dilution levels with water produce various blue and green tones from a single ink.
• Drying time: Depending on paper and nib width, drying time ranges from approximately 12 to 30 seconds. On heavily saturated, smooth papers, it's advisable to wait a moment before touching the written page.
• Fountain pen care: As a water-based ink without iron gall content, Sabimidori rinses out completely with lukewarm water and is gentle on piston mechanisms and nibs.

For Ink Enthusiasts

Sabimidori shows a blue-heavy composition with yellow colour components in chromatographic analysis – the interplay of these pigments creates the characteristic petrol-green tone on paper. Upon contact with water, the yellow colour components dissolve first whilst the blue script remains legible: the ink thus withstands brief water contact better than many purely dye-based inks. The pronounced copper sheen is created by the optical interference of the colour layering on smooth paper surfaces – an effect that becomes particularly striking on Tomoe River paper when the page is viewed under raking light.

Technical Specifications