Kobe Kounan Maroon Ink is one of the 20 Kobe ink colors that we currently have in stock. Nagasawa Kobe inks, which used to be exclusive to Japan have been made available to a select few American retailers and we are excited to offer them. Kobe ink was originally created by Sailor for the Nagasawa Stationary store in the city of Kobe, the 6th largest city in Japan. The city of Kobe is known for its religious shrines and distinctive architecture, which is reflected on the Kobe ink box.
Kobe Kounan Maroon Ink Bottle
Kobe #27 Kounan Maroon ink is a beautiful dark burgundy or plumb color. It is very similar to Sailor Oku-Yama ink, but is slightly darker with less purple. Whether you prefer the more common Sailor Oku-Yama, or the more exclusive Kobe Kounan Maroon ink, you cant go wrong.
Continuing reading for a chance to win the bottle of Kobe Kounan Maroon Ink we used for this review.
Kobe Kiunan Maroon Ink
During our review we found the following characteristics that you may find helpful:
Testing Factors
For our review we used French made J. Herbin glass dip pen on French made Rhodia dot pad paper. The dip pen has a tip that is similar to a fine nib.
Bottle Sizes
Kobe Kounan Maroon ink comes in one size, a standard 50 ml. glass bottle similar to Sailor Jentle inks. The bottle has a large mouth opening and is actually able to be tipped on its side to gather those last few drops of ink. Kobe ink comes in a standard cardboard black box with a very interesting Kobe skyline covering three sides of the box.
Cost
Kobe Kounan Maroon ink costs slightly more than normal Sailor inks and retails for $30.00. This makes Kobe inks on the higher end of the price spectrum although definitely not the most expensive on the market.
Dry Time
During our review of Kobe #27 Kounan Maroon ink we found a quick dry time of approximately 5 seconds using the dip pen on Rhodia Paper. Obviously with a larger tip or nib, you may experience a longer dry time.
Bleed Through
There was no bleeding while using Kobe Kounan Maroon ink on Rhodia paper, even during the cotton swab test.
Feathering
We did not experience any feathering using the dip pen on Rhodia paper. However, during the water test, at the wettest line only, we did see some feathering.
Water Test
Kobe Kounan ink is not waterproof, however, it stood up ok during the water test. The lines remained pretty clear and distinct (except at the wettest points). There was lots of color smearing and some slight feathering. These are not a-typical results from non-waterproof ink.
Shading
Like its similar counter part Sailor Oku-Yama, Kobe Kounan Maroon ink will produce some nice shading with the deep dark lines, to a lighter plumb color. We also saw a slight bit of green sheen come through during the cotton swab test at its wettest point. Other paper, such as Tome River paper, may bring out the sheen more than Rhodia paper did.
Conclusion about the Kobe Kounan Maroon Ink
Kobe Kounan Maroon ink is one of the 20 Kobe inks brought into America. We hope to get more of the 50+ inks that are available in Japan. We have Kobe inks in stock today and they are ready to ship.
Kobe #27 Kounan Maroon ink is a nice standard maroon color, similar to many other burgundy or maroon colors on the market. However, the Kobe box, name and some of its characteristics such as the shading, sheen and dry time may tip the scale a bit in favor of Kobe Kounan Maroon. We are pleased to be an authorized American retailer of Kobe inks and hope you will pick up a couple of these exceptional Japanese ink colors today.
Enter to Win
Enter to win the actual bottle of Kobe Kounan Maroon ink that we used in this ink review:
