Nagasawa Kobe INK No. 56 Rokko Shichidanka — Ink Review #118

Kobe 56 — Rokko Shichidanka

 

Ink Review # 118

 

Originally posted on FPN: Mar 16, 2024

 

Ink: Rokko Shichidanka
Brand: Nagasawa Kobe INK
Country: Japan
Availability: 50 ml bottles
Pens Used: Pilot F3A EF, Lamy Safari (EF, F, M, B, 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib

Description

Many thanks to @Lithium466 for the sample 🙏

The Ink is named after a Japanese Hydrangea.

The chroma represents the complex tones of the flower.

I most enjoyed doing washes with this ink, rather than writing. The ink is too complex and gorgeous to write with. 😛

If I were to use it for writing it would be on a white Japanese paper with a B nib. The colour simply sings and evokes mid-summer. On Rhodia it was flat, and it bled through with a B nib.

Note that the pink dye in the chroma is stubborn and will take some time to clean your pen :) 

Chroma

Writing Samples

The texts are poems by Akiko Yosano ( 1878 – 1942) translated by Sam Hamill & Keiko Matsui Gibson. The darker colour on the Japanese EF nib is due to the fact that the ink had stayed for a week or two in the pen, before I did the writing sample.

Rhodia

Midori

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Hammermill 20 lb

Photo

Comparison

Water Test

Artwork

Purple dreams

This was inspired by the fountain pen ink Kobe #56 Rokko Shichidanka and a Meji era art by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. It's a gorgeous ink for washes, even on the crappy absorbent paper I used.

The other ink I used is Noodler's Pasternak.


Summertime

This is the final work. I finally emptied the pen onto the “cat’s” body and the mouse, then spread the ink with a water brush. 

Ink Characteristics

·      What I liked: Chroma, doing washes.
·      What I did not like: Writing on Rhodia/ cheap paper, cleaning
·      What some might not like: Price
·      Shading: With B nib.
·      Ghosting: On cheap paper, yes and a bit with B nib on Rhodia.
·      Bleed through: A few dots on cheap paper and a bit surprisingly with wide nibs on Rhodia
·      Flow Rate: Wet
·      Lubrication: Nice
·      Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
·      Start-up: Did not notice.
·      Saturation: Not saturated.
·      Shading Potential: With wet M/ B nibs and on Japanese paper.
·      Sheen: Did not notice.
·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: A bit with the flex nib on cheap paper.
·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.
·      Staining (pen): Did not notice, but the pink dye might stick.
·      Clogging: No.
·      Cleaning: The pink dye is persistent.
·      Water resistance: Not at all.

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊

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