thINKthursday
Kobe #35 Suwayama Leaf Green

Keep a vibrant summer in your pen with Kobe #35 Suwayama Leaf Green.

thINKthursday – Kobe #35

Kobe #35 is a beautiful emerald green that is sure to please all those looking for a ‘true’ green ink. Kobe inks are produced by Sailor and have recently become available to US retailers. The ink comes in the same 50ml glass bottle as Sailor inks, but without the plastic insert. This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear F, Lamy Studio B and on Rhodia blank No. 18 paper.

If you’re looking for a legitimate green ink, then Suwayama is the ink for you. The ink shades similarly in both a fine and broad nib, although with a fine nib the ink has a darker appearance. In either case, the ink shades from a rich emerald green to a mossy juniper. The color and shading are similar to the much adored Montblanc Irish Green. Suwayama Leaf Green can produce some red sheening in large amounts on nice paper, but you won’t get it with regular writing.

Kobe inks are produced by Sailor and as such have wonderful properties. Kobe #35 has excellent flow with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. It is a high to moderately saturated ink and therefore has higher dry times at around 25-30+ seconds. The ink has no water resistance, but clean up is easy.

It’s a shame green ink isn’t always work place appropriate because this ink is a joy to use around the office. I’ve already decided that I’ll be writing my Christmas cards with this ink, and most likely a lot of things in between.

As with any ink review, the pen, paper, and person doing the writing will influence the way the ink looks. If you’re not sure about a color, try a sample to see if it’s the one for you.

Ink it Up!
Chris

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