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"A" has sooty sumi, it is an average sumi.
The sumi of "A" is almost 100% finished but it does not have good kiwa, the color of the center of the scales a lot lighter than the rim of the scales and there are still many unclear kiwa.
"B" has unacceptable quality
It has poor kiwa and sashi and the developed sumi has uneven thin texture, sooty black sumi.
The sumi of this fish will get darker but the kiwa will not improve as much.
"C" has an All Japan level quality sumi.
The sumi on the head and on the shoulder are not quite finished as yet.
I think we can not judging the quality of unfinished sumi we have to judge the quality of the sumi itself.

Please down load the the picture and enlarge the picture as large as you can see and compare with other fish.
 1. Red arrow........back kiwa, look more define, look like it raise from the skin, look thick.
 2. Yellow arrow......front kiwa, look more define, look like it raise from the skin, look thick.
 3.White arrow........even sumi texture all the way to the center of the scales, dark blue black color.

• The blue skin Kumonyru. Many hobbyist think they will develop sumi and turn all black in the future but instead it will turn lighter and lighter as it grow. The pattern develop from under the blue skin and no one can tell how the pattern is going to be. The pattern will be more stable when the fish mature but it can continue changing.
• The white/light blue skin kumonyru. This type it is easier to see when it is a tosai because you can see sinking sumi cut across white or light blue skin. It is similar to doitsu shiro utsuri. The sinking sumi will develop sumi in the future but it can disappear and reappear year to year until the fish mature and then it will be more stable but it still can change all its life. The white skin part of the fish will never develop sumi.

Understanding bone structure of the fish.

These two fish are just about same length but they have different body.

You can see the different from the top view and from the side view of the fish

There are showa that have good body and tail height like kohaku. I think the hobbyist can see the different of body line, proportion of the body and body height easier

Koi “ B “ has better sumi. Good sumi has to be blue black and shiny but how it get there ( finished) .

There are many sumis, they are different and one better than other.

Omasako knows his blood line and sumi development. He said if you know my fish you can see and tell the different.

It is easy too see and understand sumi when it fully develop but it is hard to understand sumi that still developing.

The owner bought the fish when it was a tosai. The fish is a 2yrs old male. He won Kokugyo in 30bu class. He raised the fish in 300 gallons pond, all the fish in the pond are male fish. He feed color enhancing diet but less food. It is " slow grow and control water" technique.