Susutake Bamboo Pens

[mchenart]

Why make fountain pens out of bamboo? According to the official Sailor PR blurb, susutake (smoked) bamboo is a 'special type of bamboo obtained from the roof timbers from old traditional thatched-roof style houses most of which are in excess of 150 years old. The surface of the bamboo is naturally coloured to a deep red brown from continuous exposure to the smoke of the irori (a traditional Japanese sunken fire/hearth).' From that, we gather that the material is rare and expensive to source. In addition, because of the organic nature of the bamboo, it comes in vastly different widths and lengths, thus making it quite difficult to shape into pens. In essence, Sailor Co. only touch on the 'what' and not the 'why' of the susutake line. Isn't it strange that Sailor would resort to using a material that is rare and difficult to work, to craft it into fountain pens that are sometimes awkward to hold in one's hand, while there are so many other more malleable materials available at their disposal?

Well, I would argue that bamboo in general is more than just a material; it carries a strong cultural aspect that separates it from any other wood or metal in the Orient. True, bamboo has been used to manufacture all kinds of utensils, furniture and constructions in China as well as Japan, yet in the minds of the literati class, it is a symbol of a learnt gentleman's modesty, chastity and resilience to devastating circumstances. Even though it may be an inexpensive and readily available material, the utter simplicity of the humble weed elevates it to the realm of chán (zen), fine taste and wabi sabi. On an Oriental scholar's desk, one would always find accoutrements made of various kinds of bamboo, and most importantly, bamboo calligraphy brushes that one would write and paint with. Since bamboo is synonymous with writing instruments in the East, why not fashion fountain pens out of bamboo as well? Of course, this is purely my own projecture (and there will likely be many other points of view on this), but let's us face it, bamboo is special.

 

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6671_zpssudfq55n.jpg

Now, let's get to susutake bamboo. One thing about susutake bamboo that becomes immidiately apparent is that, after long years of sitting above a slowly burning stove in rural Japan, the bamboo has darkened into a beautiful honey brown colour- dark underneath, and a lighter brown facing upward. It has a patinated, aged and almost antiquish appearance that is very attractive. And because of the long 'curing' process, the bamboo has become very tough and stable. The legendary nib-meister Nobuyoshi Nagahara was instrumental in the creation and development of the Sailor susutake line, having personally worked on and tuned the nib of each pen before his reitrement. The pen in the bottom of the photo was made by him, an 18k gold plate on which the meister's name is inscribed is attached to the barrel. Judging from the old style Sailor nib, I would put its date of manufacture at around 2000 or earlier. You will notice a deep dark gash on the barrel that looks almost like a deliberate chisel mark. Knowing the intrinsic nature of susutake bamboo, this 'birth mark' should not be regarded as a flaw as such, but rather a unique virtue. One thing I have also noticed from older susutake pens is that Nagahara-san often used whole sections of the bamboo material (with nodes on both ends) to form his pens. Sometimes he would even leave the crown and tail ends unfinished, as in this example. The nib is an MF grade Naginata-Togi (long sword). Here is a brief introduction of the nib on nibs.com: http://www.nibs.com/SailorSpecialtyNibs.htm

 

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6674_zpsk3e58mca.jpg

After the revered master's retirement and passing, his son, Yukio Nagahara, has taken over charge of making susutake pens at Sailor. While many pen lovers still prefer to buy susutakes by his father (if they can find them), yet Yukio's offerings are nothing to sneeze at. The attention to details, the respect of the old bamboo material and the beautifully worked dark wood ends are still there- no doubt, the result of long years of apprenticeship under his father. Since the cross section of a bamboo stick is seldom a perfect circle with the same circumference, one can imagine the difficulties of fitting the metal rings onto the cap and barrel of each pen. The dark wood ends have to be individually hand carved and polished as well to make them fit perfectly. All these require painstaking care and patience. Having other duties such as supervising the production of Naginata-Togi nibs, Yukio Nagahara could only allocate so much time on the susutake pens. So the production is obviously rather limited.

 

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6953_zpsc2ulqptj.jpg

Around 18 months ago, Fine Writing International received a small number of susutake rods sourced from Japan, and Rudy proceeded to make a fountain pen with the material for a pen lover in Taiwan. It was quite beautiful, so I asked him to make another one for myself. Different from Sailor's original examples, FWI's susutake is a screw-cap design rather than a snap cap, and the cap needs to be slightly larger than the barrel, making it essential to use two different lengths of bamboo. While Rudy's design permits a less steep drop from the barrel to the section, it sacrifices the continuation of the grain and pattern of the bamboo from head to tail. If I may compare that condition to life itself, we just cannot expect everything to work out perfectly every time, right? Still, I had to wait almost 9 months to get the pen because the artisan needed to carve and sand four pieces of dark wood trims by hand, but I have to say the end result more than justifies the long wait. There are several aspects of the pen that are unique: the section is a hand turned mottled ebonite that echoes the colour of the bamboo, the nib is a new ruthenium plated 18k Italic, and the colour tones of the cap and barrel are closely matched so that they do not seem misplaced.

 

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6669_zpsjlibndnq.jpg

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6668_zpsky6mof8e.jpg

The susutake pen is not for everyone. They have individual charateristics (and dare I say temperaments) that one needs to accommodate, and they may not be the best overall writer. I think you really need to hold one in your hand and do the road test before taking the plunge. When you are lucky, you get a pen that is both decently comfortable to use and is infused with a mesmerising slice of oriental culture at the same time.

[hari317]

Thanks for this wonderful introduction and treatment of the subject. Much appreciated.

 

Best

Hari

[da vinci]

Very interesting post

 

Thanks mchenart

[JLS1]

Wow - thanks for providing this information. I always thought these pens were fascinating to look at but didn't realize the difficulties involved with their manufacture...your post gives me a whole new appreciation of them.

[frogbaby]

Such beautiful work.

Where do all these beautiful pens come from ?

Will they be doing such beautiful work in 50 years ?

For my young folks, I sure hope so.

 

Is there anywhere on the web anything like a directory of pen manufacturers or some kind of attempt to point to all these small handmade pen makers ?

[mchenart]

Thank you folks for your very kind words.

 

Wow - thanks for providing this information. I always thought these pens were fascinating to look at but didn't realize the difficulties involved with their manufacture...your post gives me a whole new appreciation of them.

 

Yes JLS1, pens using real bamboo do involve a lot of hand work during the manufacturing process. At the end, each has its own character and charm. One thing I forgot to mention above was that my susutake pen by the 1st generation nibmeister has an unusual oblong cross section. When I hold it, it feels very secure and comfortable, almost like an Omas 360. So the gold cap and barrel rings have to follow the oblong shape too. Amazing!

 

Such beautiful work.

Where do all these beautiful pens come from ?

Will they be doing such beautiful work in 50 years ?

For my young folks, I sure hope so.

 

Is there anywhere on the web anything like a directory of pen manufacturers or some kind of attempt to point to all these small handmade pen makers ?

 

Hi frogbaby, there are many artisan workshops making custom fountain pens all over the world, and I am not sure if there is one comprehensive list or directory on that. However, if you are just interested in Japanese pen makers, our fellow FPNer VirtuThe3rd has put together a very long list in his Masters Of The Fountain Pen entry (some with videos) right here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/252498-masters-of-the-fountain-pen/

Pentrace has a few articles on Japanese craftsmen on their website, but they are all dated early 2000 or so:

http://www.newpentrace.net/east/index.html

Maybe someone else could help me on this?

[Dr. Saleem Ali]

Very interesting discussion ,thanks .

[nibbling]

Wonderfully informative post - if only there were more of these!

 

Also, your susutake pens are beautiful.

[Algester]

since I do not have the complete magazine compilation of Shuumi Bungu no Hako each volume has a section dedicated to 1 FP master in Japan each unique to the arts concerning

FP making, Maki-e, Urushi, nib work and Pen accessory making (such as cases)

[mchenart]

Thanks everyone.

 

since I do not have the complete magazine compilation of Shuumi Bungu no Hako each volume has a section dedicated to 1 FP master in Japan each unique to the arts concerning
FP making, Maki-e, Urushi, nib work and Pen accessory making (such as cases)

 

Algester, you are right about this, but the information is in Japanese only. Too bad, a lot of this literature has not been translated into English. In the Lambrou/Sunami book 'Fountain Pens of Japan', there are chapters on Ban-ei, Ohasido, Hakase, Yotsubishi and other smaller Japanese brands. I use it as reference materials a lot.

 

I think bamboo could be a wonderful theme in a pen collection. Here is my small collection of bamboo related pens. Aside from the susutake pens I have covered, you will also see an elborate Hotei bamboo pen (with pronounced nodes) made by Nobuyoshi Nagahara some 20 years ago, his 'farewell' pen which is a faux bamboo pen with urushi, a red Ban-ei bamboo pen and an Eboya ebonite bamboo. Enjoy!

 

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/mchenart/DSCF6728_zpsl8hw6sez.jpg

[hooper]

Marvelous collection. The Nagahara retirement pen is one of those pens which I regret not getting when it came around, and what can one say about the Eboya.

 

Thanks so much for putting these pics online.

[daintydimsum]

A feast for the eyes and mind. Thank you.

[quetzalcoatl]

Thanks for the great post,

I would add as "bamboo related pens" also the excellent job that Ernest Shin did some time ago. I regret haven't be able to get one of them.

Q.

[nibbling]

I have to say that there is something about knowledge that makes the pens more appealing! I've never been sure about susutake pens but this thread has imbued them with meaning.

[flummoxed]

Beautiful pens and the story makes it even more lovely.

[Algester]

not exactly related but I think it can also shed light just how much fascinating the entire susutake pen was engineered

http://i.imgur.com/TtpqgbQ.jpg

if I think it is what it is Japanese style eye dropper pens with a wood binde and probably ebonite cores

[mchenart]

Again, thank you all for your kind words. The pleasure is mine in sharing this info with you.

 

Thanks for the great post,

I would add as "bamboo related pens" also the excellent job that Ernest Shin did some time ago. I regret haven't be able to get one of them.

Q.

 

I first came across Ernest Shin's bamboo pens through one of FPGeeks' Podcasts three years ago, and the pens sure look imposing. His 'Shiro' (white) bamboo pen is quite unusual and is probably made from newly harvested plant.

Algester, the lineup of pens show the Japanese eyedropper filling mechanism used by E. Sakai in most of the Ban-ei pens. While most of my bamboo pens are C/C fillers, the red Ban-ei bamboo pen in my photo is one of those eyedropper pens. Kamakura Pens published a concise explanation of the Japanese eyedropper system on eBay which may be helpful:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Understanding-Japanese-eyedropper-fountain-pens-/10000000004757924/g.html

[frogbaby]

Thank you folks for your very kind words.

 

 

Yes JLS1, pens using real bamboo do involve a lot of hand work during the manufacturing process. At the end, each has its own character and charm. One thing I forgot to mention above was that my susutake pen by the 1st generation nibmeister has an unusual oblong cross section. When I hold it, it feels very secure and comfortable, almost like an Omas 360. So the gold cap and barrel rings have to follow the oblong shape too. Amazing!

 

 

Hi frogbaby, there are many artisan workshops making custom fountain pens all over the world, and I am not sure if there is one comprehensive list or directory on that. However, if you are just interested in Japanese pen makers, our fellow FPNer VirtuThe3rd has put together a very long list in his Masters Of The Fountain Pen entry (some with videos) right here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/252498-masters-of-the-fountain-pen/

Pentrace has a few articles on Japanese craftsmen on their website, but they are all dated early 2000 or so:

http://www.newpentrace.net/east/index.html

Maybe someone else could help me on this?

Yes. Thanks for those links.

I subscribe to Virtu's youtube channel and have watched several of his videos.

It's a great pleasure to watch these masters work at their craft.

I sense that there are many young (ish) people around the world that want to also become masters of the pen.

Someone will hopefully come along and give is a way to keep track of all the small shops around the world.

[rudyhou]

very nice. i like all bamboo materials.

[daoud62]

Thank you, Michael, for another one of your extremely well-researched and eloquent descriptions of a line of Japanese pens that receives infrequent attention.

 

The Hotel is a masterpiece. Where did you come across it, if I may be so bold as to ask?

 

I am blessed to have an original Nobuyoshi-san susutake pen in my collection, and I agree that it is mesmerising. The bamboo is cool to the touch, and even though it looks uncomfortable to use, it really is not, as soon as one gets used to writing with the Naginata-Togi nib, which is more appropriate, I must say, to writing in kanji.

 

Thanks again for the lovely pictures and the enticing commentary.