Sailor’s Shikiori series (Four Seasons) contains some of my favorite Sailor inks. They’re priced nicely, too. I’ve tried around half of the series, and all have been lovely writing inks with something exceptional in their appearance. Today’s ink is Shigure (late autumn shower), and it has definitely lived up to my high expectations!

I rarely choose black inks, and opt for interesting greys, dark chocolates, blue-blacks, or deep purples or violets instead. Shikiori Shigure fits this category perfectly. In finer nibs, it comes across as a black, but broader nibs reveal it to be a rich, luxurious midnight violet. It reminds me of the intense black violet outer skins of certain grapes. There’s a touch of blueberry in shading on some papers, and a moderate to vigorous stroke edge sheen. The splatter shows the dark and light colorations, and the orange-bronze sheen very nicely.

Shigure has a beautiful consistency. It’s a wet ink that glides across the page. On five test papers, I didn’t find any feathering, and only a slight bleed-through on two, and there was mild to strong edge sheen on all. Drying ranged from fast to average. This is a very, very nice writing ink.

I’m really impressed with Shikiori Shigure. It’s very much a writer’s ink, and the rich colorations feel almost decadent. Sailor’s Shikiori series is under appreciated, in my opinion. Yamadori and Yodaki are two of my all-time favorite Sailor inks, and Shigure is the kind of ink that should please almost anyone. It’s a real joy, but check out some of the other Shikiori inks, if they’re new to you. Enjoy!