Hello all. I have been drooling over these:



Are these based on the Custom 74? They seem to be similar. They also seem to represent excellent value for money for a Maki-e pen... are these machine made or something?

Well I just got one of these:


To tell you the truth, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm not sure what I was expecting but the pen is really just a Custom 74 with some nice hand painted cranes on it. The painting is beautiful and the nib is very smooth and lovely to write with but it seems not to feel substantial especially given the cost. I guess I expected something heavier... I was also surprised when I felt the painting to be raised above the surface. I thought it was painted and then covered in sufficient lacquer such that the outer layer of the pen remained smooth?

Its a beautiful pen though and it writes beautifully but I can't see myself using it on a daily basis as I'd be scared to scratch it in transportation. I think it's going to live on my desk at home.

I'm going to have to check out the higher end maki-e pens in person before I buy another...

It's a nice motif there, Siv. But I do know what you mean by "feel substantial." The Maki-e pens by nature tend to be rather light. Thus picking up a $600 Nakaya, your first impression is to say "THIS is a $600 pen?". It's a hard line to get over, IMHO. But ultimately, the rule is akin to "good things come in small packages"--meaning, a pen doesn't need to feel heavy to be of high worth. A standard Tamenuri urushi pen might go for $500, but with hand painted adornments it could shoot up into the several thousands. Same pen, same weight. Anyway, I hope yours grows on you. It's at least good to know the nib is satisfactory.