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Nakaya jade green celluloid


jandrese

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This is the Nakaya celluloid fountain pen in jade green fitted with a flexible (not elastic) medium nib. This is a small pen, and is almost identical to a Platinum 3776. The jade color is darker than you may imagine. On Nibs.com the pen is a bright, vibrant, eye-popping jade green. On the Nakaya website the pen appears quite dark. In reality the color is in between these extremes. Below the pen is pictured next to an excellent Sheaffer’s jade green plastic balance pen for comparison. The nib is soft and springy but it does not really flex all that much. My Waterman #3 semi-flex nib displays greater line variation, but the Nakaya nib comes close. There are no markings on the pen body, but the cap band is stamped Nakaya Fountain Pen Japan. The packaging is typical Nakaya: a nice wooden box containing the pen slipped inside of a small bag resembling a katana (Japanese sword) bag as well as a box of Platinum ink cartridges. I purchased this pen from Nibs.com, thus, the nib was not customized by the masters at Nakaya. The wait, however, was about two months, which is similar to ordering directly from Japan since this is evidently a popular model. I was hoping for a (1) a somewhat bigger pen, (2) lighter/brighter jade color, and (3) a nib that is truly flexible.

My other Nakaya, a kuro-tamenuri cigar model, was love at first sight and the customized nib was perfect for me, which when you consider the distance to Japan, is really amazing. I asked that Nibs.com not modify the nib since I wanted to try the nib as Nakaya envisioned it. The nib was initially very good but not well suited to me. The iridium tip was unusually generous and nicely shaped. The nib, however, seemed tuned for right-handed writers who hold their pens at about 45 degrees. This is probably a reasonable choice since it would fit most people. The problem is that I am left-handed and hold my pen at a steep angle. For me, the nib did not write nicely. It would catch the paper, and was good only when writing slowly and at an unnaturally low (for me) angle. I could have sent the pen to Nakaya for adjustment as Nakaya offers this service on all their pens. Instead of returning the pen to Japan, however, I decided to modify the nib myself.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3090/3229794201_4208bc8654_b.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3303/3230647276_9486897219_b.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/3229795385_0c80820b9d_b.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3230649198_016d291a83_b.jpg

 

First, I compared my other, personalized Nakaya nib to the new one under a dissection microscope. Then I worked the nib using 8000-12,000 grit sandpapers to round the edges and taper the tip. It was slow going, but I was afraid of screwing it up. I frequently stopped to perform writing tests, and in the course of that I found that making lower case f’s was particularly diagnostic. At some point the writing tests began to feel pretty good so I quit before there was not going back. Inspecting the nib under high magnification revealed that my grinding and polishing job was quite similar to the work done by Nakaya on my cigar model pen. I am now happy with the way the pen writes. The snagging is gone, and I can write at my normal speed and pressure. The soft nib has a unique feel that I really like. Line variation is possible, but not really the point of the nib. Some nice shading is easily obtainable though.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3315/3229800875_82ac850c83_b.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3230652200_3e829e7438_b.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3229801487_f7532f9eba_b.jpg

 

At first, I was not crazy about the darkness of the jade color. Nevertheless, it really draws attention either in a shirt pocket or sitting next to other fine pens on a desk. Under a microscope, the depth and complexity of the celluloid material is beguiling. I still wish that the pen was bigger, but it sits nicely in the hand, and is balanced best when posted. It looks and writes like a luxury vintage pen, seeming so much older than it is. Made by experts with expertise probably totaling hundred of years (the lathe man alone has >60 years of experience!) this is a pen to treasure. The celluloid pens are the least expensive in the Nakaya lineup and are worth every penny. I love it and highly recommend it!

 

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To my eye the Nakaya jade is richer, deeper, and truer to the miner reproduced than the Schaeffer, which looks pale by comparison, and seems to have a watercolor effect.

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Thank you for this post -- I have the Platinum 3776 Jade and the nib needs a bit of attention. Your post gives me a bit of confidence towards doing the work myself -- Thank you.

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Is the celluloid fused or solid, please?

 

So, does it, like the Platinum, have a longitudinal line along which the celluloid has been fused, after being wrapped around a mandrel? Or is it seam-free, having been drilled from the solid?

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I don't think it is from a solid block. Based on the description provided by Nakaya I would expect to find a seam. None can be seen though.

 

Is the celluloid fused or solid, please?

 

So, does it, like the Platinum, have a longitudinal line along which the celluloid has been fused, after being wrapped around a mandrel? Or is it seam-free, having been drilled from the solid?

 

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Great review! If the pen is considered small, what are the dimensions?

"Life moves pretty fast, if you do not stop and look around once and a while you might just miss it."

Ferris Bueller

 

 

 

Bill Smith's Photography

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Please forgive me for pursuing* this. :) If the pen's not from solid stock, it must be either 'wrapped' or 'fused', so there must be a seam and this must be visible, mustn't it?

 

(*If this pen has seamless celluloid, unlike my Platinum, then I want one!)

 

I don't think it is from a solid block. Based on the description provided by Nakaya I would expect to find a seam. None can be seen though.

 

Is the celluloid fused or solid, please?

 

So, does it, like the Platinum, have a longitudinal line along which the celluloid has been fused, after being wrapped around a mandrel? Or is it seam-free, having been drilled from the solid?

 

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capped is 13.7 cm

 

uncapped is 11.8 cm (to tip of nib)

 

grip diameter is around 1.2 cm

 

Generally, I prefer larger pens such as the Pelikan 800.

 

Great review! If the pen is considered small, what are the dimensions?

 

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The Nakaya literature says it is formed by bending a sheet of celluloid. I have looked very carefully under magnification and I cannot find a seam. Nakaya is the best...

 

 

Please forgive me for pursuing* this. :) If the pen's not from solid stock, it must be either 'wrapped' or 'fused', so there must be a seam and this must be visible, mustn't it?

 

(*If this pen has seamless celluloid, unlike my Platinum, then I want one!)

 

I don't think it is from a solid block. Based on the description provided by Nakaya I would expect to find a seam. None can be seen though.

 

Is the celluloid fused or solid, please?

 

So, does it, like the Platinum, have a longitudinal line along which the celluloid has been fused, after being wrapped around a mandrel? Or is it seam-free, having been drilled from the solid?

 

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capped is 13.7 cm

 

uncapped is 11.8 cm (to tip of nib)

 

grip diameter is around 1.2 cm

 

Generally, I prefer larger pens such as the Pelikan 800.

 

Great review! If the pen is considered small, what are the dimensions?

 

 

So about the size of a M400. Good to know.

"Life moves pretty fast, if you do not stop and look around once and a while you might just miss it."

Ferris Bueller

 

 

 

Bill Smith's Photography

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  • 11 years later...

I don't think it is from a solid block. Based on the description provided by Nakaya I would expect to find a seam. None can be seen though.

 

 

QUOTE (Idiopathos @ Jan 27 2009, 04:46 PM)
Is the celluloid fused or solid, please?

 

So, does it, like the Platinum, have a longitudinal line along which the celluloid has been fused, after being wrapped around a mandrel? Or is it seam-free, having been drilled from the solid?

 

 

I have the same model nakaya. I believe they were made from solid block. There is no longitudinal line on the pen. I actually had seen a photo about manufacturing these celluloid pens from celluloid rods.

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