Nakaya Heki Tamenuri Piccolo w/ Flex Med Nib

[chibimie]

Much has been written about these Nakaya tamenuri pens, so I will try to limit my comments to the particular model I purchased a Piccolo Heki Tamenuri with a Medium Flexible nib. For dimensions and so many other essentials, Pthalo's now classic review is the place to check.

 

When I saw this pen at the Nakaya studio/office in June, I was struck by its very traditional Japanese brown-and-green color scheme. It is arguably the most understated of the tamenuri pens. The heki-tamenuri is rendered in Nakaya's website as blue green, which refers to the greenish undercoating that you can see at the edges, and especially the threads. The pen's over-coating is a slightly reddish deep brown which should eventually turn into the much lighter brown pen that I saw at Nakaya (an older pen, no doubt).

 

 

It's colors match the understatement of its shape and simplicity, but it is so lustrous that I just keep staring at it. I especially like the variation in color you get in the threads (where the green comes through) and just above it, where the brown is much lighter than on other parts of the pen.

 

 

As has been noted by others before, the most notable feature of these tamenuri pens is tactile. When I pick up and hold most other fountain pens and begin writing with them, my habit is to feel its balance, see how it looks in my hand, ˜feel" its weight, and then focus on the nib. With this one, there is so much pleasure in just touching the layered and polished urushi. Regular plastic (sorry, resin) has a shiny surface, but the odd combination of lightness (weight) and sheen with such depth makes this pen mesmerizing.

 

I quickly tried out an array of nibs at Nakaya, and they reminded me of Platinum pen nibs. The flexible nib was a new experience for me, though, and as someone who likes cursive italics, it was a treat to experience another way to get a similar effect. The pen that arrived is a very smooth writer, and I am glad that I chose the flexible nib. But, it is a bit too wet for my taste, and as my writing sample states (below), the copious ink flow tends to counteract the width variation I would be able to get by varying the pressure that I apply.

 

 

I tried to take photos of a writing sample using Frederic Chopin (a dark avocado green) ink by De Atramentis, but I could not come close to reproducing its color. It makes me wonder how far off these pen photos are, too!

 

This converter took a lot of work, first to find two goldfish small enough to fit into the tube, and then finding a way to keep them alive. Okay, sorry for the very bad joke.

 

 

I tend to like shorter pens, the Pelikan M400s being about perfect for me, and so I decided to purchase the Piccolo. Capped, they are almost identical in length, but when posted the Piccolo is over half an inch longer than the M425. And since the wondrous urushi finish does not invite posting, in retrospect, I might have been happier with the Piccolo Writer Model which is slightly longer.

 

I don't have an all-time favorite pen, since their uses can be so different. But I know that I will be getting immense pleasure growing older with this one.

Edited August 15, 2007 by chibimie

[Samovar]

Thanks for the nice review. One more reason to lust for a Nakaya. Nice converter!

I might get a full size writer model.

Growing old with a pen, what a nice image.

 

Samovar

[alvarez57]

Very nice pen. Yes, the Urushi is a new tactile experience for me: it is mirror-shiny, yet it is NOT slippery.

[Caboose]

Very nice. While I love my Kuro-Tamenuri piccolo, the Heki-Tamenuri is definitely on my list. The green appears almost like the patina that forms on aged copper... very interesting color. Your writing sample also has me wondering if I should venture into the world of "Flex". My writing is very small, and I prefer a Japanese "F" nib, so the flex may be less of a feature, but I sure love the character it adds.

 

Cheers and congratulations on a beauty of a pen.

 

Dean

[PelikanPenman]

Nice review, I like the Nakaya pens and one day will purchase one. Enjoy and I hope brings many years of fun.

[Taki]

Gorgeous pen!! I really like the finish and the size of the pen. Thanks for your review!

[chibimie]

Thanks so much for the nice comments. I almost wrote what Dean (Caboose) noted in his message--that the blue-green was the shade of aged copper, which I think really complements this shade of brown. (This very color combination is found in quite a few cultural artifacts, from traditional Japanese towels to crests and theater 'curtain' designs.)

 

While I complained a tad about the wet flow, I love the flexible nib. It's kind of springy, and perhaps not as flexible as some vintage nibs, but notably different from say the Pelikans, Sailors and many other modern pens I mostly use. And, I can really get stroke width-variation through variable pressure.

[Hennypenny]

I ordered this same pen yesterday !!!!!!!!!!!! Only mine will have a 2-tone medium nib, and the kanshitsu grip !!!

 

I couldn't decide between the red/black urishi and the red/red urishi (love them both), so I went back and forth and back again. One day I came across the heki-tamenuri finish on the Nakaya website and bingo!! I looked all through the reviews here on FPN to see if anyone else had pics -- I was kind of scared by the fact they called it blue/green, even though all the pics seemed brown/green. But there were no reviews to be found !!

 

I got up my courage and submitted my order yesterday -- paid for it today. Then a friend just mentioned this review. I'm so HAPPY !!!! I think this pen is beautiful !!! I think of it as my "third way" pen -- when I can't choose between A and B, it's best to look for C (the Third Way).

 

GREAT pen !! You have impeccable taste !! Oh wait -- that means I have ... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

HP

[alvarez57]

It is truly beautiful and you won't be sorry. I love mine.

[chibimie]

I ordered this same pen yesterday !!!!!!!!!!!! Only mine will have a 2-tone medium nib, and the kanshitsu grip !!!

 

I couldn't decide between the red/black urishi and the red/red urishi (love them both), so I went back and forth and back again. One day I came across the heki-tamenuri finish on the Nakaya website and bingo!! I looked all through the reviews here on FPN to see if anyone else had pics -- I was kind of scared by the fact they called it blue/green, even though all the pics seemed brown/green. But there were no reviews to be found !!

 

I got up my courage and submitted my order yesterday -- paid for it today. Then a friend just mentioned this review. I'm so HAPPY !!!! I think this pen is beautiful !!! I think of it as my "third way" pen -- when I can't choose between A and B, it's best to look for C (the Third Way).

 

GREAT pen !! You have impeccable taste !! Oh wait -- that means I have ... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

HP

 

What you went through is actually pretty close to my own indecisiveness! I went there thinking red/black or red/red too, and then he showed me the heki, and it just grabbed me (or I grabbed it).

 

By the way, the the photos don't make it clear, but the flex nib on my pen IS a two-tone. But your kanshitsu grip, that makes yours very much your own, I think (give or take a thousand aficionados in Japan). You're gonna love it.

 

 

[Phthalo]

Ah... that last shot is wonderful! Gorgeous pen!

 

The Piccolo I'm waiting for will have an Elastic nib, and I'm certainly curious about it. I doubt I'll benefit from it much as my writing pressure is so light, but I thought it would be interesting to have one nonetheless.

 

SO glad to hear how much you are enjoying your new lovely!

[Hennypenny]

I was able to see the 2-tone nib in your original pics and was glad to see how well it went with the pen. That was one of my other decisions, but the Nakaya people assured me the 2-tone nib went well with this pen -- your last pic shows this very well. What I meant to say in my original post is that I've got a regular medium nib -- not a flex.

 

I am so happy to see how nice this pen is!! And I look forward to seeing how it ages!! I'll post pics when I get mine (early to mid October), but yours is SO beautiful !! Thanks for the review!! You've erased all my concerns and I can just eagerly anticipate its arrival !

 

HP

[chibimie]

Ah... that last shot is wonderful! Gorgeous pen!

 

The Piccolo I'm waiting for will have an Elastic nib, and I'm certainly curious about it. I doubt I'll benefit from it much as my writing pressure is so light, but I thought it would be interesting to have one nonetheless.

 

SO glad to hear how much you are enjoying your new lovely!

 

 

Thanks so much--as you know, I could not have done this without your detailed guidance!

 

The elastic nib is a real interesting--at the very least, its 'cuts' make it visually arresting.

 

Many thanks, Laura!

[LouisA]

What is it about these pens that turns the reviews into prose worthy of a romance novel.

[Caboose]

What is it about these pens that turns the reviews into prose worthy of a romance novel.

 

I was wondering that as well, and the curiosity was strong enough to compel me to order one. Now that I have it, can gaze at it and use it, I understand. It's really hard to sum up, but it just is a perfect combination (for me) of looks, feel and writing ability. There are those, and I respect their opinions, who were not enamoured with the pen once they received it and wrote with it, but I cannot be counted among them. I eagerly devoured the web-site and every FPN thread I could read on all types of Nakayas, placed the order with great joy, awaited the arrival with great anticipation and am now using the pen with great satisfaction and not a hint of regret or dissapointment. The real proof is that I intend to be a repeat customer.

 

Cheers, Dean

Edited August 22, 2007 by Caboose

[Huffward]

Much has been written about these Nakaya tamenuri pens, so I will try to limit my comments to the particular model I purchased a Piccolo Heki Tamenuri with a Medium Flexible nib. For dimensions and so many other essentials, Pthalo's now classic review is the place to check.

 

When I saw this pen at the Nakaya studio/office in June, I was struck by its very traditional Japanese brown-and-green color scheme. It is arguably the most understated of the tamenuri pens. The heki-tamenuri is rendered in Nakaya's website as blue green, which refers to the greenish undercoating that you can see at the edges, and especially the threads. The pen's over-coating is a slightly reddish deep brown which should eventually turn into the much lighter brown pen that I saw at Nakaya (an older pen, no doubt).

 

 

It's colors match the understatement of its shape and simplicity, but it is so lustrous that I just keep staring at it. I especially like the variation in color you get in the threads (where the green comes through) and just above it, where the brown is much lighter than on other parts of the pen.

 

 

As has been noted by others before, the most notable feature of these tamenuri pens is tactile. When I pick up and hold most other fountain pens and begin writing with them, my habit is to feel its balance, see how it looks in my hand, ˜feel" its weight, and then focus on the nib. With this one, there is so much pleasure in just touching the layered and polished urushi. Regular plastic (sorry, resin) has a shiny surface, but the odd combination of lightness (weight) and sheen with such depth makes this pen mesmerizing.

 

I quickly tried out an array of nibs at Nakaya, and they reminded me of Platinum pen nibs. The flexible nib was a new experience for me, though, and as someone who likes cursive italics, it was a treat to experience another way to get a similar effect. The pen that arrived is a very smooth writer, and I am glad that I chose the flexible nib. But, it is a bit too wet for my taste, and as my writing sample states (below), the copious ink flow tends to counteract the width variation I would be able to get by varying the pressure that I apply.

 

 

I tried to take photos of a writing sample using Frederic Chopin (a dark avocado green) ink by De Atramentis, but I could not come close to reproducing its color. It makes me wonder how far off these pen photos are, too!

 

This converter took a lot of work, first to find two goldfish small enough to fit into the tube, and then finding a way to keep them alive. Okay, sorry for the very bad joke.

 

 

I tend to like shorter pens, the Pelikan M400s being about perfect for me, and so I decided to purchase the Piccolo. Capped, they are almost identical in length, but when posted the Piccolo is over half an inch longer than the M425. And since the wondrous urushi finish does not invite posting, in retrospect, I might have been happier with the Piccolo Writer Model which is slightly longer.

 

I don't have an all-time favorite pen, since their uses can be so different. But I know that I will be getting immense pleasure growing older with this one.

 

 

I share your love of simple elegance. How typical of a true craftsman to hide the most decorative feature on the inside! This pen may be a bit short for me but it is a lovely thing.

[spilled ink]

Gorgeous pen.Enjoy in good health.Does anyone know if a representative from Nakaya will be present at any of the US pen shows (in the near future)?

[jbn10161]

Much has been written about these Nakaya tamenuri pens, so I will try to limit my comments to the particular model I purchased a Piccolo Heki Tamenuri with a Medium Flexible nib.

Your review and photos made me realize what it is about this site I like so much. I can develop serious crushes without jeopardizing my existing relationship Beautiful pen. I'm lustful.

 

[Hennypenny]

My Nakaya Heki-tamenuri arrived yesterday !!! I'll include a photo -- mine is slightly different in that it has the kanshitsu grip.

 

I love this pen ! The color is very deep and rich, and the nib (a fine) is perfect -- a joy to use! I look forward to writing with it and watching the color age!

 

 

[Phthalo]

Just beautiful! What a gorgeous colour that grip is!

 

Congratulations!