First Urushi Pen - Danitrio Vs Nakaya Vs Namiki

[MYU]

Thanks for the correction, Soot. I'd misread somewhere about how the nib fits--good to know it's friction fit, which I prefer as it helps with nib alignment to the body pattern.

 

I wish I'd gotten a Danitrio Wakasa-nuri when I had the chance (when Dan Carmell sold his). There's something about the appearance that really grabs me. But alas, Danitrio made only a limited run of them and hasn't revisited it (yet)... plus, I'm sure if Danitrio makes them again, they'll be several hundred dollars more than they were a couple of years ago.

 

Anyway, there are so many choices out there now, which is a good thing.

[Siv]

Personally, I would not get a solid colour urushi pen as my first. Of course, solid colour urushi pens do have more depth that a regular plastic equivalent but they are subtle. There are so many beautiful urushi finishes that are practically the same price as a solid colour, that I would jump at those first. For example:

 

Tame-midori (Inside)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5261/5644357462_aa2a9c3ed2_z.jpg

(In the sun)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5225/5644356290_883208739e_z.jpg

 

Kinbotan-nuri

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3495/3949809156_3c5600b233_z.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3531/3949811606_ae8afbed89_z.jpg

 

Kuro-tamenuri

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8390302115_f623179f50_z.jpg

 

Danitrio Tamenuri

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4068/4461699474_e86b048944_z.jpg

Edited February 17, 2013 by Siv

[ArchiMark]

I think Rioro-migaki is a general term for the highly polished, relatively solid colour finishes. It refers to the techniques used to create that shiny gloss look. Others -please chime in if I'm wrong.

 

I own most of the pens on your list and I agree with the comments above. I don't have an Emperor and think it's probably too large for general use. I have a long Piccolo rather than the portable writer, but the key measurements are similar. I briefly reviewed the Yukari Royal urushi and compared it to a Danitrio Densho here. I think the Namiki is a fabulous pen and still own it, but overall I prefer ebonite pens.

 

I think the weak points (if you can say such a thing) of the Nakaya are the section and the clip. I really don't like having my thumb partly on the cap threads but the gripping area just isn't long enough (I don't have large hands). In this respect the Danitrios are much better as the sections are all exactly right. I think the Nakaya clip looks a bit cheap but it's functional and durable, so perhaps it's just a matter of taste.

 

If I'm honest I find the Danis a bit more shapely too. The Nakaya is basically a cylinder with curved ends and a little more utilitarian. However, as others have said, the Nakaya nibs, particularly those tuned by JM are simply great. All mine are fantastic writers. I don't have a problem with Dani nibs but find they have less star quality, except perhaps for the larger Mikado size. Mine is sublime and Nakaya has nothing comparable.

 

I'd also put in a vote for the faceted pens. They show the urushi off beautifully and they don't need a clip!

 

Thank you painterspal, for all of your helpful pen comparison comments, review link, and roiro-migaki info...

 

It's interesting that there's a lot of consistency between the various posters regarding the characteristics of the Danitrios vs Nakayas vs Namiki...although now that I think about it, makes sense that there would be....

 

 

I'd also put in a vote for the faceted pens. They show the urushi off beautifully and they don't need a clip!

 

+1

 

Great stuff in these posts. It is always difficult to ask "which" as we all chime in with our favs, yet folks have done a pretty good job detailing differences here.

 

I've 3 short octagon Danitrios, so of course I'm biased there. I've had one Nakaya Piccolo, beautifully done & with, of course, the magnificent nib. Yet I prefer the finish of the Danitrios for some reason. My short octagons have great depth in their deceptively simple finish. Plus I can ED them which I really like a lot.

 

For the nibs: I've 2 EEF flex which I don't exercise as flex pens. They give me the occasional flourish when I'm writing. I've one hard fine that I had Michael Masuyama grind down further to a .2mm fine. (He also fixed one of the EEFs that a well-meaning fountain pen aficionado sprung.) All those nibs are sublime. I've had a disappointment or two with "out of the box" Danitrio nibs, but they were easily rectified. If you are buying from Mottishaw not much to worry about in terms of the out of the box disappointment of a Danitrio nib.

 

Just yadda yadda being repetitious here, really. Appreciating this thread!

 

Agree, there's some great info in this thread...and really appreciate all the contributors doing so...and your input too...

 

And it's all the info that can help guide my decision-making....

[ArchiMark]

Personally, I would not get a solid colour urushi pen as my first. Of course, solid colour urushi pens do have more depth that a regular plastic equivalent but they are subtle. There are so many beautiful urushi finishes that are practically the same price as a solid colour, that I would jump at those first. For example:

 

Tame-midori (Inside)

 

(In the sun)

 

 

Kinbotan-nuri

 

 

Kuro-tamenuri

 

 

Danitrio Tamenuri

 

 

Thank you for your input, Siv....and those nice pics of some beautiful pens....

 

Understand your point about solid color....however, to my eyes, I consider the Tame-midori, Kuro-tamenuri, and Tamenuri in your pics to be 'solid color' with some 'accent coloration' at edges...

 

The more I look at this effect as shown in your pics as well as others, I wonder if these pens have a similar look to certain glazed ceramic work that one sees in pots, plates, cups, etc....at least that is what it makes me think of now....

[ArchiMark]

UPDATE....

 

Well, I took the plunge today...the Nakaya plunge that is....

 

Was a difficult decision to choose, but I ordered a Piccolo in Aka-tamenuri (from nibs.com)....with a few mods, hopefully, did the right thing....

 

Decided to go with the funny sounding 'fumigated clip' (looks kinda like pewter to my ol' eyes...) and a ruthenium colored extra broad nib that I'm having John M grind to a nice cursive italic.....

 

Can't wait to get it....and test drive it!

 

Thanks again to all of you that gave me such great input.....greatly appreciate it...

 

Now, I gotta sell a few more pens....

Edited February 21, 2013 by ArchiMark

[ethernautrix]

That sounds gorgeous! I hope it writes the way you like it.

 

Me, I love the Piccolo, and the aka tamenuri is so lovely. I hope you love it!

[ArchiMark]

Thanks for the good words!.....

 

Well, I sure hope I do love it.....no turning back now...

 

Really like the Piccolo shape...could be a tad bit longer barrel, but I checked my Hemi and it's about the same length....

 

Given the varied nature and patina of the tamenuri finish, I thought the rougher, patina'd pewter-like look of the fumigated clip might be a good match, which then lead to springing for the ruthenium nib to harmonize with it......

 

We shall see!........hopefully soon.....

 

Will post some pics after I get it, hopefully next week.....can't wait....

 

[geoduc]

Congratulations! Aka-tamenuri is a gorgeous, classic finish and the BB cursive italic that John did for me is superb. I hope the pen is everything you've dreamed of.

 

Yes, please post photos when your pen arrives - I'll be interested to see the fumigated clip and ruthenium nib with the aka-tamenuri finish.

[ArchiMark]

Congratulations! Aka-tamenuri is a gorgeous, classic finish and the BB cursive italic that John did for me is superb. I hope the pen is everything you've dreamed of.

 

Thank you, that finish sure looks beautiful in the photos I've seen....and based upon past experience with John's nibwork, it should be a great writer....

 

Yes, please post photos when your pen arrives - I'll be interested to see the fumigated clip and ruthenium nib with the aka-tamenuri finish.

 

Will do....and nice to know that with a fumigated clip I don't have to worry about termites, etc....

[ethernautrix]

My Naka-ai is aka tamenuri, and the kanji (kaze) is in silver, because silver on this aka tamenuri is a gorgeous match. I went with a standard gold nib, cos I was convinced I would exchange it for a ruthenium-plated nib... and then I still haven't done that, cos I like the nib as it is. So... okay, it's a little wonky, but that doesn't bother me.

 

As for the length of the Piccolo -- it truly does not bother me. It's a tad longer than my Pelikan Toledo M710 when capped and a tad shorter when uncapped. I do recall a brief adjustment period -- very brief, so brief I hardly remember it. Ever since, I can switch between using Piccolos and a Desk Pen and other pens of varying lengths without even noticing the difference in length. I find the Piccolo very comfortable.

 

I have a Long Piccolo, and I thought it would surpass the Piccolo for comfort, but... it hasn't. I really like the Long Piccolo, but mostly for its ruthenium-plated M nib, the only ru-M nib I have. I still am more enthralled with the Piccolo.

 

I think there is a lot of pressure to like the Nakaya upon arrival, because it's rare to hold one in person before buying it, and they're expensive. My unsolicited advice to you is to have whatever reaction you're going to have -- just really indulge it -- then get quiet, shut out the noise of expectation and everything that went into deciding to buy a Nakaya, and then begin your assessment of it. Do you like it? Or do you WANT to like it? And it's okay if you don't, because you can easily sell it on the secondary market if you decide that the Nakaya isn't for you.

 

And if you DO like it... watch out, for that way lies more temptation!

[ArchiMark]

My Naka-ai is aka tamenuri, and the kanji (kaze) is in silver, because silver on this aka tamenuri is a gorgeous match. I went with a standard gold nib, cos I was convinced I would exchange it for a ruthenium-plated nib... and then I still haven't done that, cos I like the nib as it is. So... okay, it's a little wonky, but that doesn't bother me.

 

Glad to hear that you think the silver trim looks good with the aka tamenuri...had a feeling this would be the case, but hard to gauge when all you see online is the gold trim with this color....

 

As for the length of the Piccolo -- it truly does not bother me. It's a tad longer than my Pelikan Toledo M710 when capped and a tad shorter when uncapped. I do recall a brief adjustment period -- very brief, so brief I hardly remember it. Ever since, I can switch between using Piccolos and a Desk Pen and other pens of varying lengths without even noticing the difference in length. I find the Piccolo very comfortable.

 

I have a Long Piccolo, and I thought it would surpass the Piccolo for comfort, but... it hasn't. I really like the Long Piccolo, but mostly for its ruthenium-plated M nib, the only ru-M nib I have. I still am more enthralled with the Piccolo.

 

And very glad to hear about the Piccolo feeling comfortable length-wise...was debating about going with the Long Piccolo, but then I'd need to wait for nibs.com to get one in stock and after holding my Hemi again, felt the length would be OK....plus visually, I like the chunkier look of the Piccolo vs the more slender look of the Long Piccolo...

 

I think there is a lot of pressure to like the Nakaya upon arrival, because it's rare to hold one in person before buying it, and they're expensive. My unsolicited advice to you is to have whatever reaction you're going to have -- just really indulge it -- then get quiet, shut out the noise of expectation and everything that went into deciding to buy a Nakaya, and then begin your assessment of it. Do you like it? Or do you WANT to like it? And it's okay if you don't, because you can easily sell it on the secondary market if you decide that the Nakaya isn't for you.

 

And if you DO like it... watch out, for that way lies more temptation!

 

Great points and understood....

 

I have a feeling that I will like the pen...and agree that if I were not to, it's probably easy to sell....my bigger worry is that I'll want more Nakayas and/or a Danitrio, etc.....so, bracing myself for this....

[ethernautrix]

Nibs.com had a very short time to offer the Long Piccolo. I believe there was a miscommunication, because Aesthetic Bay in Singapore has exclusivity with the Long Piccolo model. So a very few of us were able to acquire ours through nibs.com. If you wanted one now, you'd have to order it through AB.

 

I wanted a Long Piccolo ever since Ron brought his to Pen Posse a few years ago. At the most recent Pen Posse (nearly two weeks ago), he brought his, and I measured it against my Piccolo and Long Piccolo, and my Long Piccolo was bigger! It was like Goldilocks's three bears.

 

Anyway, there is something utterly charming about the Piccolo. I understand the shorter size isn't universally appealing, but I like it very much.

 

The "problem" if you like the Nakaya is you might start "needing" another color, like kuro tamenuri or heki tamenuri or.... They're just so beautiful!

 

Another thing to keep in mind... a handful of retired pen artisans comprise Nakaya. They don't have apprentices.... I'm afraid to say it more bluntly....

[ArchiMark]

Nibs.com had a very short time to offer the Long Piccolo. I believe there was a miscommunication, because Aesthetic Bay in Singapore has exclusivity with the Long Piccolo model. So a very few of us were able to acquire ours through nibs.com. If you wanted one now, you'd have to order it through AB.

 

Thanks for the history on the Long Piccolo....

 

I wanted a Long Piccolo ever since Ron brought his to Pen Posse a few years ago. At the most recent Pen Posse (nearly two weeks ago), he brought his, and I measured it against my Piccolo and Long Piccolo, and my Long Piccolo was bigger! It was like Goldilocks's three bears.

 

Hmmm.....interesting...guess that reinforces idea that these are handmade pens....

 

Anyway, there is something utterly charming about the Piccolo. I understand the shorter size isn't universally appealing, but I like it very much.

 

I agree that the proportions of the Piccolo are very compelling...

 

 

The "problem" if you like the Nakaya is you might start "needing" another color, like kuro tamenuri or heki tamenuri or.... They're just so beautiful!

 

Ummm....already have had that feeling....and I haven't even received my Piccolo yet.... although also find myself thinking about some Danitrios too....

 

Another thing to keep in mind... a handful of retired pen artisans comprise Nakaya. They don't have apprentices.... I'm afraid to say it more bluntly....

 

Hmmmm..........that's good to know, although not good...

 

Thanks!

[peterpen53]

Hi Mark,

 

I know I'm a bit late to this party (did not see your post before as this is not my most viewed forum, at least for now), but since those urushi pens seem to multiply in due course, I would still like to point you to our fellow FPN-er elderberry's blog. She likes big urushi pens with great nibs and she's good with a camera, and on her blog she has some wonderful pictures and samples of pens that might interest you, if only for the eye-candy. And she tells some good stories about them too.

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

[ArchiMark]

Hi Mark,

 

I know I'm a bit late to this party (did not see your post before as this is not my most viewed forum, at least for now), but since those urushi pens seem to multiply in due course, I would still like to point you to our fellow FPN-er elderberry's blog. She likes big urushi pens with great nibs and she's good with a camera, and on her blog she has some wonderful pictures and samples of pens that might interest you, if only for the eye-candy. And she tells some good stories about them too.

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Peter....

 

Yes, she has a great blog about these pens with very good photos....I found it very helpful when I was trying to gather info to help make up my mind....

 

Mark

[WOBentley]

Mark

Congratulations on your order. I had the privilege of seeing and trying out Geoduc's Nakayas before making my decisions and it was extremely helpful...that said I think you will love the aka-Tamenuri finish, it is rich and yet subtly beautiful finish. The nibs have slightly more feedback than I am used to but I didn't find it unpleasant at all.

I will be looking for your report when it arrives!

Dave (who hopes the Kandinsky [loving it!] purchase was in some way enabling as we ARE enablers at FPN )

[MYU]

They also seem to hold their resale value rather well, depending upon condition. I was eyeing a nice used Danitrio in a tamenuri urushi finish, anticipating from the bidding action that it wasn't going to go much above $500... and it closed at $900+ instead! So, even if you later decide to sell it I'm sure you'd take a very small loss if that. I imagine you won't want to let go of it, though. It seems like used Nakaya pens are fairly uncommon.

[peterpen53]

Hi Mark,

 

I know I'm a bit late to this party (did not see your post before as this is not my most viewed forum, at least for now), but since those urushi pens seem to multiply in due course, I would still like to point you to our fellow FPN-er elderberry's blog. She likes big urushi pens with great nibs and she's good with a camera, and on her blog she has some wonderful pictures and samples of pens that might interest you, if only for the eye-candy. And she tells some good stories about them too.

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Peter....

 

Yes, she has a great blog about these pens with very good photos....I found it very helpful when I was trying to gather info to help make up my mind....

 

Mark

 

Glad you found it.

[ArchiMark]

Mark

Congratulations on your order. I had the privilege of seeing and trying out Geoduc's Nakayas before making my decisions and it was extremely helpful...that said I think you will love the aka-Tamenuri finish, it is rich and yet subtly beautiful finish. The nibs have slightly more feedback than I am used to but I didn't find it unpleasant at all.

I will be looking for your report when it arrives!

Dave (who hopes the Kandinsky [loving it!] purchase was in some way enabling as we ARE enablers at FPN )

 

Thank you Dave! Can't wait to see it and I asked John M to make sure the nib had a bit of tooth to it after grinding nib to CI BB.....

 

Was hard to decide what color to go with, but think I'll like the aka-tamenuri.....I'll know soon!....should be here tomorrow or the day after...

 

And glad to hear you're pleased with Kandinsky...probably shoulda kept that one.......but have a few more good ones that I plan on parting with soon....

[ArchiMark]

They also seem to hold their resale value rather well, depending upon condition. I was eyeing a nice used Danitrio in a tamenuri urushi finish, anticipating from the bidding action that it wasn't going to go much above $500... and it closed at $900+ instead! So, even if you later decide to sell it I'm sure you'd take a very small loss if that. I imagine you won't want to let go of it, though. It seems like used Nakaya pens are fairly uncommon.

 

Yes, it seems that way....I saw that Danitrio too...but not too surprised that it went higher given the custom nibwork on it....

 

Thanks.