Sailor Kobe Bottled Ink - Renga #39

Kobe #39 Renga is redder than Diamine 150th Anniversary Terracotta and Cult Pens Deep Dark Orange, and is similar to Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Benitsuchi and Diamine Ancient Copper (and thus, similar to P.W. Akkerman DM #09 Steenrood van Vermeer), but for some reason Ancient Copper pops off the page compared to the more subdued Renga. I haven’t observed sheen on any of the Japanese papers or Rhodia DotPad, not even in highly saturated areas where the ink pools; I have seen no outline either.

In drier pens or thinner nibs, the ink shows almost no shading; in wetter pens or broader nibs, it’s a different matter. It’s a richly saturated ink, and I effortlessly achieve a full, crisp, contained line; the ink is readable even in my thinnest nib, i.e. Sailor 1911L 21 kt H-EF.

The flow is in line with most Kobe inks; I’ve had no feathering, no bleedthrough, no hard starts, no skipping. I’m glad I bought a sample, or two. In my book, with my pen and paper combos, Ancient Copper is still hard to beat.