thINKthursday
Kobe #8 Arima Amber

Warm up this fall with the earthy orange of Arima Amber.

thINKthursday – Kobe #8 Arima Amber

Arima Amber is a cozy brown orange that is the perfect color for welcoming in the autumn season. The ink is named for the Arima Onsen district in Kobe Japan. Arima Onsen is Japan’s oldest hot spring resort. Kobe inks come in the same bottle as Sailor – the glass bottle is short and stout with a wide opening for filling. This review was done with a Sailor Pro Gear MF, Lamy Safari B and on Rhodia blank no.18 paper.

Sticking with the fall theme, one could call Arima Amber a pumpkin spice color. The ink shades well, although in a finer nib the color is more concentrated. The lightest colors are carrot oranges that shade into a darker gingerbread. The darkest hues are a rusty cinnamon that isn’t quite brown. At first glance one might think the ink is a light brown, but closer inspection reveals that it is all shades of orange.

Kobe inks are produced by Sailor and behave wonderfully. Arima Amber has good flow with no feathering or bleedthrough on Rhodia paper. It is moderately saturated, with dry times around 20-30 seconds. Water resistance was moderate, the ink did wash away but it was possible to make out what was written.

I think this is a really great color and one of my favorites from the Kobe line that I’ve tried so far. The ink is easily legible on both white and cream paper, and the range of colors makes me excited to write with it day after day. Get yourself a pumpkin spice anything and ink it up with Arima Amber.

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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