Sailor Kobe Bottled Ink - Hatoba Blue #2

I was torn between #17 Shioya Blue and #2 Hatoba Pier Blue, but since Shioya is similar to Sky High of which I have two bottles, and to Souten, I decided to buy a bottle of Hatoba after sampling it. Also, Hatoba reminds me of Bungubox Omaezaki Ruri-Umi, which is a smidgen more turquoise and… more expensive.

Hatoba shows lovely red sheen where the ink pools in heavily saturated areas and in normal writing with a wet pen. It is not a dark ink, but is a highly saturated one with great flow.

Like most Sailor x Kobe inks I’ve tried, this ink worked flawlessly and is readable in all my Sailor 1911 L and S pens, with all nib sizes from H-EF to H-B, even in my 1911S 21kt H-M, which is a dry writer; the ink coats the nib well. I’ve experienced no feathering, no skipping, no hard starts, no bleed through, some to-be-expected ghosting on thinner papers.

I enjoy using it in my Sailor 1911L Stormy Sea 21kt H-MF nib: I get shading and sheen, and a richly saturated, crisp yet contained line. Plus, I find that the colours of pen and ink pair up nicely!