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Mythbusting: Japanese Jumbo Pens And Writers With Arthritis


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Stubby oversize novelty pens were a popular pre-WW2 import item in the United States. Most are flat-top eyedropper-fillers, but one also will find lever-fillers, rounded ends, and combos. . .


For some time now, American collectors have been repeating a story that these pens were originally invented for the use of arthritis-stricken writers. I have always doubted this tale, inasmuch as these were clearly cheap and cheerful novelty items, and no mention of arthritic hands is to be found in any of the US importers' catalog listings. Just to make certain, however, I recently posed the question to one of the leading Japanese pen authorities -- who, it turned out, had never heard of this story, and did not hesitate to debunk it.


Read the rest of the story here, along with an explanation of the myth's origins.

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just so be cleared I also google-fuu'ed

万年筆 リウマチ性関節炎

comes out inconclusive either no one at this age writes while suffering from arthritis or no true evidence left

either whats left is indeed rumors and pretty much hear-say

we can probably dig up some evidence at the most latest would probably concern Tombow's Egg which also doesnt say anything about arthritis

Edited by Algester
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While never to the degree of doubt that you had about these pens being for arthritic writers, it seemed odd that one does not see fat writting brushes in traditional stationery stores in Japan.

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Tinjapan since I'm not in Japan have you checked out Pigment Tokyo? as personally I'm not sure everything on their website is available on their main store and since that's a classic brush pen "paradise" it should be of interest if you can find thick brush pens

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I have not been to that store but have been to many, many, many stores selling brush pens. There are very large brush pens but those are used to write very large letters. I have never seen brishes looking like the pens on this post.

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  • 4 months later...

Hello, I feel that those pens are not related to arthritic hand problems nor inspired from japanese brushes.

 

My grandmother suffers from that problem and she can only write with extra thin pens or some day not at all, so a big pen would be pointless.

I've been to Japan several times and lived there for a couple of months, pen brushes do not need to be fat. Big brushes means big kanji, like only 1 or 2 on an A4 sheet of paper. What would be the point of making a big pen to write thin lines ?

Brushes calligrapher/artists are perfectly fine using standard size pens, even better than most of us.

 

The only people I've seen using fat pens everyday and everywhere are Kids ! Fat Crayola, fat Blackboard pens, fat colored chalk sticks, fat pencils...

It would make sense, that those were made to learn hwo to write. Even a teacher would have to re-ink those pens only once a week.

(Someone talked about an alcohol flask, I find this idea very intersting... Why, not ?)

---

In any case, I'm treating one of them right now and it says "Jumbo Pen Japan" on the barrel and only "Japan" on its gold plated nib.

Nothing is written on the clip.

It's an eyedropper with a cigar shape.

It has a pistonscrew to restart it when it's dry.

It looks like the left one on top page post.
It has a black glossy lacquer finish over Ebonite.

 

What could be the Brand of that Jumbo Pen ?

 

Thank you for reading me.

Edited by bob35
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For what it's worth:

I found those pens for preschool kids (2016), sizes match with Jumbo Pens.

Most of the ar from "tradeKorea.com" and are still best sellers in Japan. (from their point of view)

 

http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/781831stockphotocolorfulwoodenalphabetlettersetwithcutepenandtextsmartlearningconceptoffunpreschool266338232.jpg

http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/389371cbe9caa51f07527408e44c5d874b760c17fc1679.jpg

http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/342121MagicPointReadingPenWithBooksAcceptOEMODM1.png

Edited by bob35
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DEBUNKING THE BUNK

 

Sorry David. There are good and bad big fat pens. You focused on a group of bad ones very often sold after the war. It is possible some were sold directly overseas. Would like to see advertisement or dealer catalogues.

 

Below are photographs of a pre-war Japanese fat pen.

Quality pen - Not export stuff.

Note very large 14K nib, Feed is flat type commonly associated with pre-war pens.

 

Inscription in pre-war Japanese (older kanji not used as much these days)

(character for Zo usually precedes)Tei Kawashima Sensei Todo

Zotei means gift to:

Kawashima Sensei is not likely a prewar gaijin, Californian, or New Yorker.

Todo. Name of presenter.

 

Pen was a gift to someones teacher. Hardly a junk pen.

 

Arthritis. This story appeared to be authored somewhere by one of two American pen sellers located in Japan. I had not heard this before noticing certain pen sales and/or online commentary. Selling pens one picks up on these stories to hustle pens. Good stories go hand in hand with sales.

 

I shall also be uploading a prewar Japanese pen catalogue that shows short stubby pens for sale. See subsequent post.

post-388-0-13553400-1481000573_thumb.jpg

post-388-0-76473900-1481000682_thumb.jpg

post-388-0-56962800-1481000776_thumb.jpg

post-388-0-84285900-1481001715_thumb.jpg

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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More.

 

See catalogue. Two models - one a flat top - show near the end of this section of the catalogue.

Nine Catalogue Pt.1 1-35.pdf

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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All fascinating stuff - thanks stan for posting. I have a couple of later models and always wondered why they were made that thick. I'd presumed that they were for either a disability or some kind (but not arthritis), or for a particular use.

"Truth can never be told, so as to be understood, and not be believ'd." (Wiiliam Blake)

 

Visit my review: Thirty Pens in Thirty Days

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No bunk involved, Stan.

 

I'm well aware of the "good" jumbos, but the OP is clearly discussing the cheapies made for export -- leading off, "Stubby oversize novelty pens were a popular pre-WW2 import item in the United States" -- and in particular, their misidentification as pens for the arthritic.

 

It's certainly worth pointing out that jumbos of good quality were also made, rare though they are in comparison to the cheap novelties, especially outside Japan.

 

If you want to see American catalogs with novelty jumbos, take a look at the various Spors catalogs available online.

 

DEBUNKING THE BUNK

 

Sorry David. There are good and bad big fat pens. You focused on a group of bad ones very often sold after the war. It is possible some were sold directly overseas. Would like to see advertisement or dealer catalogues.

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Thanks for the research and info!

PAKMAN

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A lot of great info in this thread, thank you. I'm quite fond of the short and stubby pens you can see here - aesthetics-wise. Never really bought into the story of prevents/cures arthritis, though. I find stubby pens great for a signature, but not for long term writing.

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  • 2 months later...

Thank you, this "Catalogue" is very intersting.

I tried to translate the lines from items 80 & 70.

80 (Cigar Shape Jumbo):
金輪入 特大 バーカ 同十

金輪入  きんわんにゅう kinwannyû "Gold Filled"
特大   とくだい tokudai "Extra Large"
バーカ  バーか baaka or barker "Dumb" or "Barker" (could have been a "Buzz" pen, or fun because it's dumb, or made for disabled people - I mean no harm writing disable and dumb together)
同十   どうじょう dôjô means "same as above" or "idem"

70 (Flat Cap Jumbo):
金輸入 特大 耐酸 金ペン附

金輸入   きんゆんゆう  kinyun yû "Imported Gold"
特大     とくだい tokudai "Extra Large"
耐酸金   たいさん    taisan    "Acid Resistant"
金ペン附  きんぺんふ kin pen fu "Gold Pen Attachment" should be the top ring chain

Maybe most of the information are written on the 2nd page, I'll try to translate it.
If I don't find some time, I'll try to make a Native Japanese do it, some of my Instagram followers might be happy to help.

 

Next time I'll try to take and upload some good pictures of my Jumbo pen.

Bye.

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I have a Jumbo pen with some kind of metal cladding and a Conway Stewart nib. My hand surgeon disapproved of my little pens, so I bought this, and discovered that the reason it doesn't work is that it's HEAVY. I've gone the silicone-pad route instead: I cut them in half lengthwise for quick removal.

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@David Nishimura

I totally agree about the meaning, you suggest.

 

I looked at the Wikipedia page, if they're correct, the word from the catalogue is not "baka" but "barker".

 

If indeed the Japanese people from that era used their katakana to write the english or foreign word "barker".

And if my understandiing or "barker" is correct, the pen was made to gather focus from customers on the company.

That could make sense.

---

 

I think I got it, Japanese language tends to make one word with difeerent foreign words, examples:

"combini" = "convenience store"

"pasokon" = "PC or personal computer"

"petboteru" = "PET bottle or Polyethylene bottle"

"famikon" = "family computer = old Nintendo NES" ...

 

So "barker" ou "baa ka" has to be "bark cover", which would make a real good sense in Fountain Pen or Woodwork World.

"Bark cover" should be about the black varnish that covers the pen.

Edited by bob35
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Arthritis is joint inflammation. Everybody's joints are different. Arthritis affect different people in different ways. Assuming the story is truthful, it is possible that the pen was created to aid users in writing Japanese. :rolleyes:

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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  • 1 month later...

I have a Jumbo pen with some kind of metal cladding and a Conway Stewart nib. My hand surgeon disapproved of my little pens, so I bought this, and discovered that the reason it doesn't work is that it's HEAVY. I've gone the silicone-pad route instead: I cut them in half lengthwise for quick removal.

 

Um, what is "the silicone-pad route?" My arthritis :angry: does affect which fountain pens I can use comfortably for any length of time. It also is making the use of wood cased pencils painful after a little while. My arthritis has gotten progressively worse over the years, and so I expect that it will continue to worsen. So if there's something to help with this please let me know. Thanks.

On a sacred quest for the perfect blue ink mixture!

ink stained wretch filling inkwell

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