Ink Review #1739: Kobe 68 Maiko West Pearl Blue

Let’s take a look at Kobe 68 Maiko-West Pearl Blue. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Maiko-West Pearl Blue is a pale dusky pigeon blue.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and more grey.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF Pilot Vanishing Point

• F, M, B Pilot Ishime

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper there is some feathering in the larger nib sizes but not much bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Maiko-west is lighter than Kyo-no-oto Hisoku. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Ciy with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I find this color interesting, but it’s too light for me to use for everyday writing, and the flow is a little bit drier than I prefer. It’s rare for me not to love a Kobe ink, but this one is not for me.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.