Danitrio Mikado Tamenuri

[greencobra]

It’s been two weeks since I received my Danitrio Mikado Tamenuri from Kevin Cheng of Internet Pens. A lot of you may know this was my “Grail” pen, the one I wanted over all others. Kevin worked with me on this, helped me choose the nib and answered my questions with patience. I liken the experience to buying a car.

 

I chose my Mikado Tamenuri with a flex nib in fine and I got the clip. Some people say the clip ruins the aesthetics of the pen, and that may be true, but I’m looking at cheap insurance here. Its sole purpose for me is to keep it from rolling if I need to lay it down on my desk and the box isn’t handy.

 

My first impression of this bad boy is probably the same as anyone who has just opened the black lacquer box for the first time. I was stunned by the size. I knew it was big, but it’s big. It’s a stunning pen with nib and clip in proportion to its size. The Urushi is applied over the black ebonite pen and it gives a dark, rich, reddish black color. It looks deep when you look into it. I think looking “into” it is a better expression than looking “at” it. Being an eyedropper fill, the back end has the knob to open the cut off stopper for the ink chamber. The quality is so amazing that on my pen the seam of this knob is undetectable! And that means you can’t feel it either. On the section is the signature of the maker in Kenji script and as Kevin explained to me in an e-mail: “The "Kanji" is the signature of the maki-e artist, Mr. Koichiro Okazaki. He signs his name "Kogaku" which literally means, "Sun" and "Mountain", but in more poetic form. So, the first character closest to the nib is Sun and the one bellow is the Mountain. The red character is the "red seal" of the artist.”

 

As I said, the pen is an eyedropper filler and of course it comes with a supplied ED. To fill, you unscrew the nib section to expose the cavernous ink reservoir. This guy holds a lot of ink like any ED filler, but because of the size of the pen, it holds a whole lot more. It takes 3 ½ ED fills to fully load this pen to the desired level so you defiantly see the ink go down in your bottle. After filling, screw the nib back on and you’re good to go. To start writing, unscrew the stopper knob on the rear of the pen to release ink, hold with the nib downward to fill the ink chamber in the nib section, and your good to go. It takes a bit of use to detect the perfect amount to open the stopper so you don’t flood the nib. In the supplied instructions, it says if too much ink gets in, it could ooze out the sides of the nib. I’ve done that once, nothing to concern yourself over, it doesn’t gush out but I could see where it would get messy if the condition were left to continue. When the ink hits the chamber, you’re good to write, and write, and write…you get the idea.

 

The nib is 18k and as I said it’s the soft, flex nib. And it’s a fine. This is a big nib and in proportion to the pen so it doesn’t look out of place. There is plenty of flex in the nib too. I don’t see any line variation when writing so honestly, I don’t know what the purpose is of having so much flex. Although I like the way the pen writes as is, if I were to choose another, it would come with the stiffer nib. This being an ED fill, it has a tendency to write a wet line. This being the case, the line it puts down is wider than a fine. The size of the pen and the width of the section make it an easy pen to control for someone with big hands, like me. It is a handful, no doubt. I’ve used this pen to write literally hundreds of pages since I’ve had it and no sign of fatigue. The combination of the thick section and lightness of the pen make it a comfortable writing tool. And if I didn’t mention it, for it’s gigantic size, it’s a very light pen.

 

I love writing with this pen. But, there is one thing I hate about it. The surface of the pen picks up every bit of lint, pet hair, and dust speck when the air is dry and warm and filled with static, like the house is now in the winter with the heat on. Man it’s annoying. Good thing the cloth came with the pen. I use one of those eye glass cleaning cloths to wipe it down too. One of those silky ones.

 

I touched on it a bit before but the Mikado comes in a black lacquer presentation box with a magnetic latch. The Danitrio logo is printed on the front. This is what I use to keep the pen in on the desk because frankly, it doesn’t fit in anything. Want to throw this in a pen pouch to go traveling, forget it. Just clip it in your pocket if you got a clip.

 

To sum this up, I like the pen very much. It’s everything I hoped for and I have no regrets. Well worth the wait and the expense. I did have to sell off a bunch of lesser pens to make this become a reality, sad in one way, but I did make a lot of new friends along the way so it made up for the loss. It sounded like the pens I sold went to good homes and people.

 

[fatehbajwa]

Beautiful...!

[bdngrd]

Very Nice! I am green with envy, greencobra! That is one stunning pen.

[Aslan]

Bee-yoo-tee-ful! A work of art that writes well. Thanks for the review and for sharing the picture. Maybe, one of these days...

[AndyHayes]

Excellent review and a lovely picture.

 

I keep getting really close to a Tamenuri pen, but in the end I wander off in another direction. I must make it the next pen, I just wish that I could try a stub before committing myself.

[Hennypenny]

But is it BIG ?!!

 

Seriously, what a nice pen!! So glad you're happy with it!!

 

And yes, your humble little Lamy Studios are enjoying their new lives here on the farm ... HP

[Abhik]

Thanks for sharing! It's lovely!!!! I have to get one.

Abhik

[J-san]

Very nice! I like the clip. I think it adds a little more character on the pen. The gold on red/black is a nice contrast and provides a handy way to tote your pen around. So you have to open the stopper every time you write? I thought the feed was able to control the back flow of air into the pen to equalize pressure. Then again, I've never owned an ED pen.

[alvarez57]

I'm glad you got it and liked it. I tried a Mikado that Kevin had sent me, but it looked as big as a wine bottle in my hands... I went for the Takumi. I think I have the flex nib and I LOVE it; I DO see a line variation with this one and mind you, I learned not to put too much pressure on the nib. It has become a daily writer but I had to put it aside for a little while to give way to other pens (but not for long!)

It is a beautiful pen, I have the Nakata Long Cigar version of the Tamenuri and it is very beautiful.

Congratulations!

[playpen]

Congratulations on the new pen. It's a beauty. I'm so happy you are enjoying it!

[RyanL27]

Excellent review of a truly amazing pen!

 

I had a raw Mikado once, and I miss it dearly. There are few pens that I really, really wish I still owned, and the Mikado is definitely at the top of that list. It's remarkable how comfortably those massive barrels rest in your hand. Enjoy!

[Keng]

Thank you for the informative review. The picture of the pen speaks for itself.

 

Mike

[I am not a number]

Great review, great pen, thanks!

[Ernest]

Nice review and congratulations. Thanks to Kevin, both of us are able to enjoy Urushi Pens.

I particularly like the tamenuri finish. it gives the pen a nice glow and warmth.

The Danitrio Bat Maki-e is my favourite as the base is finished in tamenuri. The Bat was done by Mr. Koichiro's son.

 

Congratulations and looking forward to your next review of yet another urushi or better a maki-e pen.... Which I am sure won't be long.

I can tell you have been "bitten".

Welcome into the world of Japanese Urushi and Maki-e.

 

Use the pen in good health.

 

Ernest

[girlieg33k]

Excellent review and a truly beautiful pen.

 

I received a Danitrio Tamenuri Hanryo last week from Kevin. I ordered it only after first acquiring a Danitrio Tamenuri Octagon. After several weeks of use, I realized it's too big to use as a daily writer. Your Mikado is even bigger than the Octagon -- so, wow... These are stunning and wonderful writers. Even with the size, they are still remarkably light.

 

Regarding the annoyance of the pen surface picking up lint, pet hair, and dust this time of year -- the cloth really is quite handy and does the job. When the pen is in use though, it's not much of a bother for me. Even with whatever the surface picks up, the finish on the pen is something to behold.

 

Congratulations on your new pen... It looks like it's going to be a love affair that will last a lifetime...

[greencobra]

Thank you all for reading my humble little review. And for the kind words and well wishes.

 

.......looking forward to your next review of yet another urushi or better a maki-e pen.... Which I am sure won't be long.

You don't know how close you are to nailing it, Ernest. This is not a good thing for the continuance of my well being. Hello, Kevin........

[greencobra]

Excellent review and a truly beautiful pen.

 

I received a Danitrio Tamenuri Hanryo last week from Kevin. I ordered it only after first acquiring a Danitrio Tamenuri Octagon. After several weeks of use, I realized it's too big to use as a daily writer. Your Mikado is even bigger than the Octagon -- so, wow... These are stunning and wonderful writers. Even with the size, they are still remarkably light.

 

Regarding the annoyance of the pen surface picking up lint, pet hair, and dust this time of year -- the cloth really is quite handy and does the job. When the pen is in use though, it's not much of a bother for me. Even with whatever the surface picks up, the finish on the pen is something to behold.

 

Congratulations on your new pen... It looks like it's going to be a love affair that will last a lifetime...

I remember your post saying the Hanryo was coming or maybe it was here and you were at work. Did you post a photo yet I might have missed? And I saw a photo you posted with your Tamenuri Octagon included in with some of your pens, I'm pretty sure it was yours. I think that pic pushed me over the edge on this purchase. There are a few out and about in the world. Good stuff!

[girlieg33k]

Yep, I photographed the Octagon for a size comparison of another pen I think. I haven't posted a photo of the Tamenuri Hanryo yet. It only arrived last week from Kevin. I inked it Friday morning with Cartier Bordeaux and used it all day Friday at the office. I've also been using it on/off today to catch up in my snail mail correspondences. It is pure writing bliss... I finally found the perfect Danitrio pen size that suits me best. The Octagon is in a class all by itself of course -- as is the Mikado and all the other Danitrios. The Hanryo is a mighty midget among the Danitrios and is much better suited as a daily knock-around pen. I'm sure it can out-write any Mikado or Densho that Kevin throws my way (hint, hint)...

 

[greencobra]

I'm so glad you're enjoying your Tamenuri Hanryo.

[Belan]

I've been looking at this pen (clipless, though) for a while now, trying to psyche myself up to getting one. I just have a problem spending that much money for a pen that I haven't tested. Reviews like yours ease the pain a bit. Glad to hear you're loving your pen! Best of luck to you both!