Are Naka-Ai & Portable Sections The Same Size?

[Earthdawn]

Im looking to compare the sections of a Naka-ai & Portable.

 

So anyone able to upload a pic of them side by side?

 

Are they the same or is the Portables longer?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Keyless Works]

I would be curious to know too. The Naka-ai has a short section for my taste, though it's comfortable enough.

[Multiechelon]

The section for the naka-ai and the portable are the same size. I cycled through a fair number of Nakayas to settle on my writing rotation. In the end, I found I did not like the shorter section of these Nakayas but of course that is a personal preference.

 

I am surprised I don't have a picture comparing a naka-ai to a portable. But through the following pictures you can see the section is the same size.

 

In the following picture, the second pen from the top is a portable akebono and the middle pen is a heki-tamenuri twist decapod. They have the same section length.

 

 

In the following picture, that same heki-tamenuri twist decapod is pictured with a ao-tamenuri naka-ai. They are the same section length.

 

 

And in the following picture the akebono portable is pictured with a kuro portable (just to show the akebono portable has the same section length as a more standard portable):

 

 

Sean

 

[Earthdawn]

The section for the naka-ai and the portable are the same size. I cycled through a fair number of Nakayas to settle on my writing rotation. In the end, I found I did not like the shorter section of these Nakayas but of course that is a personal preference.

 

I am surprised I don't have a picture comparing a naka-ai to a portable. But through the following pictures you can see the section is the same size.

 

In the following picture, the second pen from the top is a portable akebono and the middle pen is a heki-tamenuri twist decapod. They have the same section length.

 

IMG_4967.jpeg

 

In the following picture, that same heki-tamenuri twist decapod is pictured with a ao-tamenuri naka-ai. They are the same section length.

 

IMG_5278.jpeg

 

And in the following picture the akebono portable is pictured with a kuro portable (just to show the akebono portable has the same section length as a more standard portable):

 

IMG_5110.jpeg

 

Sean

 

 

That is exactly what I needed to see and know !!!

 

Thank you very very much.

 

Excellent pictures by the way of your beautiful Nakaya's

[sarahfar]

I assume the 4th in the original is either decapod or twist of Shiro Tamenuri.....and the two portable along with all very cool Shiro decapod SEXXXY !

[Multiechelon]

Earthdawn: Excellent. I am glad I could help. At the risk of highjacking the thread, I actually don't own any of those Nakayas anymore. It is on my to-do list to write about my Nakaya journey but the short story is that I cycled through 20 or so Nakayas to settle on my writing rotation. Here is a quick picture:

They are: heki-tamenuri neo standard, ao-tamenuri neo standard, heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1, aka-tamenuri 17mm portable, heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable. I like Nakayas with the longer section.

sarahfar: I agree that pen looks like it is shiro but it is an older heki-tamenuri. Heki-tamenuri is my favorite color so in the processing of determining my writing rotation I sampled every model of heki-tamenuri stocked by Classic Fountain Pens. I really enjoyr the variation in the tamenuri finishes, even when restricted to heki-tamenuri. That decapod in particular was the oldest heki-tamenuri pen I had bought so it had really ascended.

Sean

[sarahfar]

Yeah, your pens are incredible. I love the show through on Decapods and Twists. I find the most perfect thing is how different each pen is within the same finish. They are an utter work of art. Love your current collection.

 

all the best,

Mike

[Earthdawn]

 

Earthdawn: Excellent. I am glad I could help. At the risk of highjacking the thread, I actually don't own any of those Nakayas anymore. It is on my to-do list to write about my Nakaya journey but the short story is that I cycled through 20 or so Nakayas to settle on my writing rotation. Here is a quick picture:

IMG_2897.jpeg

They are: heki-tamenuri neo standard, ao-tamenuri neo standard, heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1, aka-tamenuri 17mm portable, heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable. I like Nakayas with the longer section.

sarahfar: I agree that pen looks like it is shiro but it is an older heki-tamenuri. Heki-tamenuri is my favorite color so in the processing of determining my writing rotation I sampled every model of heki-tamenuri stocked by Classic Fountain Pens. I really enjoyr the variation in the tamenuri finishes, even when restricted to heki-tamenuri. That decapod in particular was the oldest heki-tamenuri pen I had bought so it had really ascended.

Sean

 

 

Not highjacking at all... and pics are AWESOME !!! beautiful!

 

Now you bring up a new question.....

 

Tell me about the section on the Dorsal fin ?

 

How does that compare to the Neo as I know it is suppose to be bigger than the Naka-ai & Portable

 

Thank you very much for your help

[Multiechelon]

Mike, I completely agree. The Nakayas that have facets are amazing because the show through in the finish is amazing. Speaking for myself, from a visual perspective my favorites are the twist decapod and the dorsal fin 2. The twist decapod is simply a marvel. It stays put on the table. It looks stunning. And it is very portable. The Dorsal Fin 2 is more subtle but in heki-tamenuri the single ridge is beautiful. All that said, I like smooth barrels when I write so I ended up eliminating these from my rotation. But they were fun to own.

 

Earthdawn, here are some pictures. I grabbed my son's ao-tamenuri naka-ai to help with the comparison. These are pens we write with everyday so I did not bother trying to remove lint, clean nibs, etc.

 

From top to bottom: aka-tamenuri 17mm portable, heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable, heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1, heki-tamenuri neo standard, ao-tamenuri naka-ai

 

The first picture is more of an overhead shot:

 

 

The second picture is a side shot:

 

 

For both of the above shots, I have lined up the pens at the step down behind the threads. For the third shot, I have removed the aka-tamenuri 17mm portable and the ao-tamenuri naka-ai.

 

From top to bottom: heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable, heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1, heki-tamenuri neo standard

 

 

The neo standard is a significantly thinner pen. I really enjoy writing with the neo standard. Now the fact that it takes four turns to unscrew the cap would drive me mad but since I keep them in pen stands that is a non-issue for me. While the pen is quite thin, I find it very comfortable for writing. Here is more of an overhead shot:

 

 

From the step down (where the pens are aligned) to the back of the pen the distance is pretty much equal between the dorsal fin 1 and neo standard. So the dorsal fin 1 is longer overall due to the length of the section and the thickness of the pen.

 

The 17mm portable and dorsal fin 1 are interesting to compare. I like both pens a lot. I like a smooth barrel so I prefer the dorsal fin 1 to the dorsal fin 2. But I prefer the 17mm portable over the dorsal fin 1. They are very similar. They are both very substantial but there are minor differences that make me prefer the 17mm portable over the dorsal fin 1.

 

Here is a picture comparing the heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1 and the heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable with the dorsal fin 1 in front.

 

 

It is subtle but the 17mm portable peeks out towards the back of the pen. And here is a picture with the 17mm portable in front and the dorsal fin 1 in back.

 

 

Here you can see the barrel of the dorsal fin 1 near the step down is still visible. The differences are really minor but in my hand they are important. The Dorsal Fin 1 starts out slightly thicker at the step down and tapers down at the back of the pen. The 17mm portable does not taper down and as such is thicker near the back end of the barrel. For my writing style, the 17mm is more enjoyable for long writing stretches.

 

And here is a top-down view of both:

 

 

Now for the second major difference. Here is the heki-tamenuri ascending dragon 17mm portable in a stock heki-tamenuri pen stand:

 

 

And here is the heki-tamenuri dorsal fin 1 in the same pen stand:

 

 

The 17mm portable fits. Not as perfectly as smaller-diameter pens like the naka-ai and neo-standard. I would not leave the 17mm portable in the stand overnight but I have no problem leaving it in the stand for an entire day of work. It is secure and it keeps the ink wet. The Dorsal Fin 1 is just a hair wider and it does not fit. No part of the Dorsal Fin 1 fits in the pen stand so I have to keep putting it in the cap when not in use.

 

I am a huge fan of pen stands. I think they make writing so much more enjoyable. So I prefer the 17mm portable to the dorsal fin 1, but if you just like to uncap your pen and write then deciding between them is going to be more difficult.

 

Sean

 

 

[geoduc]

That's a really nice comparison Sean, thanks. I have a couple of 17mm Portables and have been considering a Dorsal Fin so that comparison is especially useful.

[Earthdawn]

WOW...

 

Thank you again for the fantastic comparison and pictures to show it.

 

That helps more than you know and this thread is going to help a LOT of people due to yours posts in it.

[sarahfar]

Wow is right. I love the heki ascending dragon. And honestly find the dorsal fin 1 shape very appealing, possibly even more so than the 2. The finishes on your pens and show through is spectacular you have captured the mystique and aesthetic of Nakaya so very well. It is that so many sit at mesmerized by our pens......

 

 

Thanks so much, I must now lust for the dorsal fin the color the color.....

Mike

[Finalist]

Wow wow wow!!! How have I just now found this thread!?!? I just took delivery of my first Nakaya Naka-ai Ao Tamenuri. The feel of the urushi and all the subtle little handcrafted features that I keep finding are awesome.

 

I most curious about the Tamenuri aging effect I believe it's called wabi sabi. How long before the top urushi layers starts to fade? Days, weeks, years, decades? Given the various Hekis posted above I wonder what their age differences are and how they show wabi sabi.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Finalist