Wancher Is Selling Restored Vintage Japanese Pens For An Insane Price!

[1nkulus]

$100 for a restored japanese eyedropper is, while everything is subjective, a pretty extreme good deal relative to what other vintage japanese pens cost.

 

Agreed, especially because of the use of vintage parts for the restoration.

 

OTOH, there are many who would consider $100 for a pen utter lunacy, hence the 'subjective' aspect.

 

Hopefully, the pen is restored to your satisfaction and you get to enjoy reams of happiness.

 

I might have considered getting one, if they had more heft.

My preference is for the likes of L2K Steel (unposted), Dialog 3, Diplomat Excellence etc.

 

Nonetheless, a great opportunity to procure restored/tested Japanese vintage pens.

[Theroc]

OTOH, there are many who would consider $100 for a pen utter lunacy, hence the 'subjective' aspect.

 

 

I have friends who wouldn't hesitate an instant before throwing hundreds of dollars at set of key caps, who have spent thousands on their mech keyboard collection, and they have the nerve to look at me like I lost my marbles when I tell them my latest pen was a steal at $185. But that's totally cool, I look at them the same way

[1nkulus]

I have friends who wouldn't hesitate an instant before throwing hundreds of dollars at set of key caps, who have spent thousands on their mech keyboard collection, and they have the nerve to look at me like I lost my marbles when I tell them my latest pen was a steal at $185. But that's totally cool, I look at them the same way

 

You mean PBT Double-shot keycaps to use on mech. KB's with Cherry keys.

 

KB's and pens, two tools for the same job albeit the former is more efficient and the latter more personal.

[Theroc]

 

You mean PBT Double-shot keycaps to use on mech. KB's with Cherry keys.

 

Yeah those, though Cherry is overrated .

 

 

 

KB's and pens, two tools for the same job albeit the former is more efficient and the latter more personal.

 

To be honest I had my share of "enthusiast" keyboards and they grab my interest more than I care to admit. But efficiency is subjective.

Sure you can type faster with a keyboard than you could ever write. But you don't need a computer attached to your pen to use it. You also don't need a power outlet or recharge it's batteries AND it won't be obsolete two years on.

Edited July 6, 2019 by Theroc

[Honeybadgers]

I've been happy with my MAXkeyboards X7 custom board for almost a decade.

 

MX browns on the numpad, Fkeys, esc, tilde, capslock and function keys, blacks on the windows, backspace page and enter keys to prevent accidental presses, and reds everywhere else.

 

And a custom LED setup with a white LED base, green esc and arrow keys, blue WASD, spacebar, red windows/FN, and blue X on the numpad (1,3,5,7,9)

 

I can lay down nearly 150wpm, it looks great without custom keycaps and has lasted nearly a decade and still going, so I'm happy with it.

 

I have just kind of settled into a set of peripherals that I enjoy. My mousepad is a nearly 20 year old Bansheepad, a slab of anodized aircraft aluminum. And I just replace my deathadder with a new one every 3-5 years.

[A Smug Dill]

You also don't need a power outlet or recharge it's batteries AND it won't be obsolete two years on.

Most computer keyboards with Cherry MX or other mechanical switches don't require a power outlet to operate either, because they're adequately powered by the USB port on the computer to the user may want to use such a keyboard as an input device. I've also not heard of such keyboards becoming obsolete since USB 2.0 became the de facto standard for connecting input devices; even if the keyboards didn't support USB 3.0 pass-through, etc. they still didn't become obsolete as human-interface devices.

[Theroc]

Most computer keyboards with Cherry MX or other mechanical switches don't require a power outlet to operate either, because they're adequately powered by the USB port on the computer to the user may want to use such a keyboard as an input device. I've also not heard of such keyboards becoming obsolete since USB 2.0 became the de facto standard for connecting input devices; even if the keyboards didn't support USB 3.0 pass-through, etc. they still didn't become obsolete as human-interface devices.

 

Of course not. I was referring to the computer they still need to be attached to, to be anything useful. Keyboards themselves, remain the most enduring input peripheral. The original IBM Model M keyboard is something of a holy grail among keyboard enthusiasts. Vintage keyboards are probably the only reason modern motherboards still have a PS/2 port.

 

Also, I wasn't entirely serious

Edited July 6, 2019 by Theroc

[Honeybadgers]

 

Of course not. I was referring to the computer they still need to be attached to, to be anything useful. Keyboards themselves, remain the most enduring input peripheral. The original IBM Model M keyboard is something of a holy grail among keyboard enthusiasts. Vintage keyboards are probably the only reason modern motherboards still have a PS/2 port.

 

Also, I wasn't entirely serious

 

The PS/2 technically has a lower latency than a USB port. That's why modern gaming mobo's still have them. They also have infinite N-key rollover, but modern USB keyboards cache them and have effectively infinite rollover too unless you're the type of person who literally headbutts the keyboard and expects every keypress to register.

 

But the reality is that the USB latency is lower than a monitor's display latency, so you're really just getting into elitism when you're talking about that kind of thing. Also, no gamer using a PS/2 keyboard is genuinely benefiting from it. The best starcraft player ever, Flash, has an APM north of 700 (more than 10 actions on the keyboard/mouse per second, for upwards of 40 straight minutes) gets by just fine on a USB driven keyboard.

 

The old buckling springs are nice to type on because of their firm feedback, but they're not great for gaming. The reason is the rebound following the bump makes double tapping keys quite hard. Also, they're firm as hell, north of 110 grams to press, versus the 45 grams of an MX red. I can get a hell of a lot more APM from 45 grams that requires only a 5% rebound than 110 that requires a 2/3 rebound before it can be pressed again. So they're more for nostalgia and vintage elitists than anything else, but they do make good boards for typists, though the high actuation force does slow down WPM noticeably.

 

The buckling spring has a similar curve (but with much higher force) to a cherry MX blue

 

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/media/guide/graph-mx-blue.jpg

 

versus the red.

 

http://www.wasdkeyboards.com/media/guide/graph-mx-red.jpg

 

There are some "technically" superior switches to cherry on the market, notably the Topre, but that switch really hasn't found its way into the mainstream.

 

Alps are kind of an inferior switch, but modestly popular.

 

 

Hall effect switches are similar to linear switches but rated in the billions of keypresses. they're also ludicrously expensive. but if you want a keyboard that will never, ever, ever stop working, that's your guy. I've got probably a few million keystrokes on this old custom X7 and it's just as crisp as when it was new, so I'm sticking with cherry.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[shalitha33]

Would you post a thread here about pens selling for what they're worth?

 

Sorry about replying to an older post. Best way for some one to judge if its worth it or not is to see the entire package that they are getting. This is basically what i got. I had the shipping delayed as i was overseas. just had to tell them to hold off shipping. Note that i have nothing to do with this company and this is the first pen i bought from them. Also in the survey i asked them to polish the pen (which was an option they provided)

 

 

 

As far as I can tell the box looks to be wood and is somewhat magnetic. I haven't unpacked the free bottle of ink. My pen also came with a note from Mr Nakamura who was its original owner. Would also like to thank him for taking care of this pen for so long Gold plating is all there. Pen clip is the only part that's not polished but that's ok as it does give a nice vintage look. Filling system is some what onoto looking so one can use that as a reference to judge the cost of restoring if one was to do that manually. cap rings and the end jewel (outer ring) has full plating without any scratches. i am assuming there have been re-plated to get in to that shape. I do not know what the ribbon thing is so i just left it there in the box

[Honeybadgers]

I got both of mine, the boxes are beautiful, solid wood with lovely inlays and a magnetic latch (possibly the nicest pen box I've gotten, including from visconti, MB, and cross,) the ink is lovely, the pens are absolutely magnificent, and a full year warranty makes these an outrageously good deal.

 

The long, slender, beautiful shiro nibs are on the firm side of semiflex, but they're absolutely perfect writers, wet and juicy but needlepoint lines, spreading to about a B with modest pressure.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Lloyd]

 

Sorry about replying to an older post. Best way for some one to judge if its worth it or not is to see the entire package that they are getting. This is basically what i got. I had the shipping delayed as i was overseas. just had to tell them to hold off shipping. Note that i have nothing to do with this company and this is the first pen i bought from them. Also in the survey i asked them to polish the pen (which was an option they provided)

 

 

 

As far as I can tell the box looks to be wood and is somewhat magnetic. I haven't unpacked the free bottle of ink. My pen also came with a note from Mr Nakamura who was its original owner. Would also like to thank him for taking care of this pen for so long Gold plating is all there. Pen clip is the only part that's not polished but that's ok as it does give a nice vintage look. Filling system is some what onoto looking so one can use that as a reference to judge the cost of restoring if one was to do that manually. cap rings and the end jewel (outer ring) has full plating without any scratches. i am assuming there have been re-plated to get in to that shape. I do not know what the ribbon thing is so i just left it there in the box

Looks great! How does it write?

[Lloyd]

I got both of mine, the boxes are beautiful, solid wood with lovely inlays and a magnetic latch (possibly the nicest pen box I've gotten, including from visconti, MB, and cross,) the ink is lovely, the pens are absolutely magnificent, and a full year warranty makes these an outrageously good deal.

 

The long, slender, beautiful shiro nibs are on the firm side of semiflex, but they're absolutely perfect writers, wet and juicy but needlepoint lines, spreading to about a B with modest pressure.

You know the millennia old saying, first attributed to a cave-mate of the earliest cave-painters, "Pics or it didn't happen".

[shalitha33]

Sorry about not posting a writing sample earlier. I am not planning on flexing the nib, I have pre 1905 american pens for that task. As a normal writer it works grate. Writes with a very fine line and is a smooth nib. Ink i am using here is Parker quink blue. not the one provided with the pen.

 

[Honeybadgers]

You know the millennia old saying, first attributed to a cave-mate of the earliest cave-painters, "Pics or it didn't happen".

 

Ain't got time for that.

 

I just blew my monthly allotment of free time making that video of the restored wahl doric. Go watch that.

[Freddy]

Good to know.......

Fred

[shalitha33]

Next round of this is happening currently and some models are sold out. Although i'm not sure about the pricing this time. I understand that Maki-e pens do carry a premium price tag but at $290 i would start to expect 14ct gold nibs and not stainless steel ones .

[Honeybadgers]

One of my two wancher pens' rod seals failed and the pen started leaking.

 

Emailed Wancher, and they're even paying for return shipping to fix it. They're standing by that warranty, for sure.

 

Chiaki does a great job at responding to emails within 24 hours.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[shalitha33]

Got my second pen from the second run of this today. still didn't ink it up.

 

 

[Honeybadgers]

Shipped the pen, got there in 4 days, turnaround in under a week. It's on its way back to me.

 

I'm amazed with the warranties. Y'all should seriously consider one of these shiro nibbed beauties. They are true semiflex nibs, the urushi coated and celluloid models are beautiful and lustrous (though they are just a budget urushi coating) and the one year warranty is completely unheard of for a vintage pen.

Edited September 17, 2019 by Honeybadgers