I seem to have two modes of ink buying: Weird, or Blue. Shopping for those non-traditional shades is one of my favorite things to do, and my counterbalance is popping a basic Blue ink cartridge into a pen and going to town.
While I keep a good stock of basic inks at hand, the weird inks are the ones that get me going. Kobe Ginza Gold Sepia fits the bill perfectly.
One of my favorite questions to ask when shopping for weird inks is “what color is it?” You would think that would be a straightforward question to answer, but with modern inks it can be more difficult than you think. So, what color do I think Ginza Gold Sepia is? Sepia, with a hint of Gold. Sorry to disappoint you, but the name is accurate!
I keep trying to see other colors in this ink that would allow me to describe it differently, but I don’t see them. Sepia Brown is the primary shade, with Gold being more of an undertone in the lighter areas of the lines and swatches. And in all honesty, I would like to see more funkiness to it, more shading, maybe a hint of Green?
I tried this ink on a variety of papers to see if I could get something to pop. Between Graphilo, Crena, PLOTTER, and two types of Midori, Ginza Gold Sepia remained Ginza Gold Sepia. I’m acting like this is a negative, but it’s not. Not even remotely. In fact, the consistency is to be commended.
This is also why I chose an Extra Fine nib for this review. Seeing ink characteristics in a swatch is one thing, but seeing an ink in its natural writing form (my writing form, to be specific,) is valuable. I want to know if this is an all day, every day writing ink more than if it will be good for Ink Pony Club.
Ginza Gold Sepia is an all day writer, but I’m left wondering how often I will choose it over more pure Brown or Sepia shades, or over something ultra funky like Rohrer and Klingner Alt-Goldgrün? I don’t think that often, but we will see how it goes.
I bought my bottle directly from Nagasawa at the 2025 California Pen Show, and you can pick yours up for $30 from Vanness Pens, or try a 4 ml sample. Kobe Nagasawa inks are made by Sailor, and meet the high performance expectations I have from the brand. It’s perfect from any nib, and on any page. Now to see how frequently Ginza Gold Sepia will be the perfect shade for me to use.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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