I've always had silk and satin black belts. Here in Italy, satin is the standard and very few people wear real silk obi, but rather none wears Yohachi cotton ones. And now that I got mine, I really can't understand why. This belt is awesome. The Yohachi cotton has very thick threads that retain a very deep black color, deeper than real silk and, under certain circumstances (of light), deeper than satin too. Because of the big threads, this belt is a little larger and thicker than the B-602, but it is easier to tie and its knot won't loosen easily from the very first time you wear it. In my opinion, this is a wonderful black belt both in look and "touch and feel". I've quite driven Hamid crazy about both size and embroidery, but he's been able to manage my anxiety and uncountable doubts and questions. You won't find any better customer care and service than Kuroobiya out there.