Oh, Ray, JR, so many thoughts & questions. I don't know where to begin. There are a bunch of essays in your thoughts.
DickB has had me thinking particularly of skin quality, now both of you raise it. Dick analogized to skim milk.... Compared to whole milk, skim milk is translucent in a watery sort of way. Fine skin has that translucent quality. In tosai, such skin on the head allows a slight pinkish tone of the underlying flesh to show through. On the body, it is wet silk with a sheen [not shine]. I've seen few koi of that high caliber. (Need to get to Japan!
) But, one can find koi that are not too many steps removed. I get questions about how the different types of Hi show on such fine, thin skin. And, is such skin also best for exhibiting Sumi? Is such skin linked to orange-based Hi? It seems to me that such skin results in a pale, almost anemic appearance in very young fish... none of the brightness that grabs the eye. The layering of color comes slowly. The white is subdued in the young fish, but does come in time.
Enough questions and topics for now. Guidance, please.