i tend to buy kona mainly because it is a couple dollars less than some of the others around here- also i've never had it bleed or fade
i like a couple of the other blacks but generally if i'm using alot of it the kona is a more cost effective way to go. if i need a small amount for a certain project i may go ahead & spend more on one of the other (designer) blacks but the ones i have tried have bled & faded with time.