fast forward to last summer, when i resumed my interest in fountain pens. i had been searching the web fruitlessly for the nightline, recalling the impression it had made on me. it had since been discontinued and consequently difficult to obtain. at the summer dc supershow, i became excited when i saw a nightline at bertram’s table for something like $1000 – alas it was the ballpoint model.
i then saw the fountain pen version at the airline international table and bought it without hesitation. score! 
the dream pen of my young adulthood was now mine, bwahahahaha! :ph34r:
this nightline hails from the yukari range – smaller in size than the yukari royale or the ginormous emperor lines. the yukari line consists of lacquer-coated, brass-barrelled pens decorated with maki-e. current yukari fountain pens typically sport traditional japanese motifs like indigenous flora and fauna - apricot trees and warblers, nikko hydrangeas, cherry blossoms, fireflies, etc. many are hand painted, with sprinkled gold dust and bits of raden (tiny pieces of pearlescent shells) providing embellishment, and then hand burnished to a glossy shine. the nightline is somewhat atypical in that it's subject matter is nonfigurative, consisting only of thin, staggered strips of raden and sprinkled gold powder, recalling the skyline of a city at night.
the wonderful raden casts myriad jewel-tone colors of blue, purple, green and yellow, which change as you turn the pen, like a kaleidoscope. the raden strips on the torpedo-shaped body and cap are carefully matched such that the colors always line up no matter how the cap is screwed on. sweet. the simple ball-clip is solid 18k yellow gold. a thin rim of black lacquer breaks up the raden between the cap and body. there’s no other trim to speak of, which lends the pen a clean appearance. the section is black resin and flared at the end. one finds the artist’s mei (signature) and kao (seal) painted in gold and red, respectively, on the back of the barrel.
the pen is packaged in a simple unfinished wooden box, which also contains a bottle of namiki blue ink. the ink is a nice medium blue which demonstrates pleasing subtle shading.
unposted, it’s well-balanced. posting is a no-no if one wishes to protect the lacquer finish. it has a comfortable and not unruly heft, given the brass underpinnings. the cap comes off in two turns. the yukaris are similar in size to the lamy 2000, the old omas paragon, and the pelikan m800, being just a few millimeters longer, but slightly skinnier than those comparison pens.
the nib is 18k yellow gold, with scrolls engraved around the periphery. in keeping with japanese simplicity, the color is monochromatic, which I favor over the current trend for two-tone nibs. the feed appears to be plastic. mine has a Japanese medium point, more similar to a western fine. this nib is the epitome of smooth, as silky as my montblanc franz kafka or omas arco paragon. it’s also one of my most reliable pens - never ever skipping or hesitating, even after more than a month of disuse. it makes the act of writing a sheer pleasure. it's about average flexy in my flock of modern pens. my only complaint is that the pen is skinnier than i prefer – i’d imagine the yukari royale size would be more ideal.
ink is contained either in a cartridge or button converter. ink capacity in the converter is satisfactory, and the push button mechanism actually performs well. no, not as good as a piston fill, but pretty nice for a converter.
test results
cap and body (19/20): the maki-e and raden are first rate, as is the fit and finish
section (8/10): flared black plastic resin
nib performance (19/20): extremely smooth nib a joy to write with
writing comfort (18/20): well-balanced and good heft, would gain higher mark if it were slightly fatter
design (9/10): timeless maki-e paired with sparse but perfect details
value (7/10): obtained for $1600, rare & out of production translates to lofty price, NOT a value pen, but in this case, you do get what you pay for
filling system (7/10): efficient cartridge/button converter
total: 87/100 (100 would be the perfect pen, which as you & i know, doesn't exist, unless of course you think otherwise, but then pray tell)
the yukari nightline is probably my favorite pen. no, it’s not perfect, but it comes quite close. perhaps the emperor size nightline may come even closer to pen nirvana, but that has an angina-inducing entry fee of $6000!
in the meantime, i’m satified and quite content to “put up” with my yukari. 
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, and ofcourse a decent watch.
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