review

Taccia Sabimidori – an artist’s perspective

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New Discoveries 

What does New Year mean to you? For me, it’s a time for discovery and to seek out new products. This is precisely what I did last year. Taccia was a brand that until recently I had never come across, and it was with thanks to David Parker, aka Figboot on Pens, that I came across Taccia. Imparticular Figboot’s Winters Breath Fountain Pen Review was what prompted me to further investigate the brand. Upon doing so I had discovered that Taccia also produced a wonderful Ukiyo-e inspired line of inks.
Taccia Introduction

Taccia was conceived in California and has since grown from strength to strength, offering a whole slew of pen related products. For many people, they’ll know Taccia as a brand that produces urushi pens, but they also make entry-level pens, inks and stationery. In recent years they have worked closely with Sailor and ITOYA and are now owned by Nakabayashi.

Lineup

This lineup is split into two, with the first being based on the woodblock prints of Hokusai (Great Wave Fame) and the second set being inspired by the woodcuts and paintings of Kabuki actors.

Today we will be focusing on one of the 36 scenes of Mount Fuji, that being The Village of Sekiya.

 

If we take a look at the artwork on the box you’ll notice the waters and mount fuji are where Taccia have taken their inspiration for this ink. A very apt choice and perfectly conjoins them together. 
These ink boxes have a lot of charm and for myself, I love displaying them as miniature pieces of art. In fact, you could even cut out the boxes and have tiny little prints to mount on your wall! Also, because These prints are wrapped on 2 sides of the container, if you buy two inks you can get a panorama effect!

Is it any good?

Okay, so in the interest of being fair, I do my best to represent the colours as accurately as possible. However, there are many variables that can impact slight colour shifts, for example, depending on your device you may experience different colours. Some warmer and some cooler. Ink always needs to be seen in person and as a point of caution, I’d always recommend ink samples, if you can access them.

As an Ink, this Rust Green is very unique and whilst there are alternatives on the market, Sabi Midori stands out with its beautiful sheening qualities. The reds really are wonderful in contrast to the teals!
The flow of the ink is good and works well in a plethora of pen nib widths. But to get the most out of this ink you really need to load it into a broader nib. Still, you can get some beautiful sheen even in finer grade nibs.

Artwork Samples
 
For those that know me, you’ll know that my prime use for inks is for art and as such, I have great fun experimenting with a variety of inks, especially if the inks have cultural links or interesting shading properties. Below is a sample of Artwork that I have produced using this ink.

When painting,  this ink has so much depth, the red sheen is stunning and really brings a wonderful quality to one’s art.

Written examples

Below is a sample of writing written on Midori. I have tried this on a variety of papers and there are subtle differences on all. But to be honest, everyone has their own opinions on paper and I can’t really afford to write on every brand out there! And for myself, Midori offers the best of both worlds when it comes to producing art and writing. The writing sample was written with a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Blue Green Nebula with a zoom nib. I felt this was a logical choice to show off the quality of ink in both broader and finer nibs.

Pen and Ink Paring

For those that like to get matchy-matchy with their inks, may I suggest pairing with a Nakaya in Midori Tamenuri? The beautifully accented edges of the pen would certainly blend harmoniously with this ink. Or if you’re on a budget, a Lamy Safari in Savannah, or maybe a Sailor Professional Gear Shikiori Manyou (A Thousand Leaves). All these would be great pairings! However, I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favourite green or blue inks, so please consider leaving some feedback down below in the comments!

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Andrew Chorley by day works in the education sector helping to mould minds and to help those with learning difficulties. At the weekends and nearly other waking moments, Andrew can be found exploring the wonderful world of fine writing and creating art pieces with Japanese themes. In recent months Andrew’s collection of pens has taken on a very precise journey into the realms of Japanese culture. That being Urushi and Maki-e, with that said Andrew keeps an open mind to all things inky and pen related.

2 Comments

  1. Avatar photo
    Andrew Chorley
    3 February 2022 at 10:50 AM  ·  Reply

    Greetings Ian, thank you very much for taking your time to read my ramblings! Do let me know which pen you chose.

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    Iain Davidson
    3 February 2022 at 10:23 AM  ·  Reply

    I recently got a bottle of this and can’t wait to try it after reading this. Thanks very much for the review. My only dilemma now is which pen to pair it with…

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