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Kawakubo


Sblakers

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Has anyone ordered a pen from Mr. Kawakubo recently? If so, how has the communication been? I ordered a pen from him 5 months ago and the communication has been rare and cryptic. I was told the pen would be completed in 4 months but this has not happened. Paypal only covers you for 6 months. My time limit is fast approaching. Anyone have any advice or are able to alleviate my worries with a positive story?

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Not much luck on my end either. My pen was supposed to be completed by the end of June. Communication has been real slow. All I've been told that he is rather busy with orders, but he has not given me any updated deadline.

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Well that’s disheartening. Not sure what to do. I don’t know if I feel like losing my PayPal safety net on such an expensive pen. If communication was better then I’d be more inclined. But man. What a tough choice I’m gonna have to make in about a month if things don’t change.

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I still have about a month and a half on a possible claim. I am currently leaning towards getting a refund. My last message was asking about a deadline which he has seen but not responded to.

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I’m kind of surprised by this lack of customer service. I know there has been a heatwave in Japan. Maybe his shop does not have air conditioning and therefore dangerous to work in ? I want to give him benefit of the doubt, but this lack of communication makes it very hard.

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I've talked to him about a pen quite a few times. He keeps promising me info on available nibs and models etc, then disappears.

 

Plan to pay him a visit one day as apparently this is the best course of action...

Too many pens; too little writing.

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I don't know if visiting him will do you any good. He still has to eventually complete the pen and ship it to you. This is coming from my own experience of going to his shop in person.

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The thought of pursuing a refund is so hard. The pen he is supposed to make me is unique amongst the Japanese craftsman. He is doing a pilot #30 nib eyedropper with a shut off valve. Literally my dream pen. I know I can get this setup elsewhere— but I want that hand made Japanese craftsmaship that is unlike anything else.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to share my two cents.

 

By way of background, I have purchased several pens and had more repaired by Mr. Kawakubo over the years and have visited his shop several times. I also have several repairs with him now and a new pen on order, it's been well over a year and maybe close to two.

 

I can't deny that most people would react similarly in the situation you're describing: frustration, concern, and even doubts that might lead one to file a claim with PayPal. I might even feel the same way if I was dealing with a different pen maker or company (even outside of the pen context itself).

 

However, with Mr. Kawakubo, I am happy to wait patiently as I don't doubt that eventually I'll receive my items. There is a certain amount of trust I've built up in him that makes me content to just check in every couple of months as a friendly reminder. Again, I don't expect most people would be comfortable with this and can't blame them, but for me - who in almost always takes a very hard line when people are not responsive or miss deadlines - I just don't have any anxiety about it because I trust him.

 

Again, just my two cents.

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I too hav a pen on order but it is I who have “gone missing” on the deal. Despite living just outside Tokyo and working in that city, a change in employers has made it difficult to stop in. Planned to do so in the summer but was unable to. I do need to stop in however and will do so in the not so distant future. Will report in what I learn at that time.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks sblakers for starting this thread, and to everyone else for their replies. I, too, have a pen on order and haven’t heard anything within the self imposed deadline that was given (for more information as opposed to delivery).

 

Tinjapan, if you are able to stop by the store any information you can provide would be most welcome :)

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Sorry, have not been able to visit yet. Will add that I do seem to recall that his shop is without air conditioning, or that if he has it, uses it in such a way as to render it ineffective.

 

The Japanese abhore air conditioning. Earlier in the year, 90 some of the people who died of heat stroke died indoors. 55 of these had airconditioning. 50 did not use it. The 5 who did most likely used it as all of my employers who use air conditioning do, set at 27 or 28 degrees C with the fan so low as to not be able to feel any air movement more than 6 inches from the vent.

 

Such conditions greatly reduce productivity, among causing other problems.

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