Naki 928 Triumph Collection - Gola Black Dragon

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Benchmark: Waterman Phileas. I chose this because it is well known and satisfactory in every way.

 

Method: I used the Waterman for 3 days in my normal routine. I then switched to the Naki for 3 days. Finally, I went back to the Waterman for 1 more day.

 

Ink: Both were filled with Noodler’s Aircorps Blue.

 

Paper: A variety of cheap jotting paper mainly.

 

Writing Style: Left handed under the line. Shallow angle with index finger almost straight. Soft grip, low down on the barrel as I have a touch of arthritis in my fingers. Hand size slightly smaller than average for a man.

 

Size: The pens have the same length, but the Naki is a touch more slender. Both have medium nibs, but I found the Naki, to be noticeably finer.

 

Fit and Finish: The bottom most gold band on the Waterman doesn’t quite run all the way round the pen. Slight advantage to the Naki

 

Conclusions: The Waterman is lighter and more comfortable to use for longer periods, but the Naki is the smoother writer. However, the Naki feels top heavy when posted and I prefer to use it unposted. This could be a result of my smaller hand and someone with a ‘bear paw’ might well have no problem.

 

Looking at the Naki it has an attractive (to my eye) dragon on the barrel. The problem comes when you look at the cap and you get one of those “what were they thinking “ moments. It is as though someone put a hand in the parts bin and pulled out a cap at random. It has a gold design printed on it but I can’t decipher what it is supposed to be. I think it could be phoenix, but I wouldn’t argue with any other interpretation. The cap band is marked 928 14K SZ LEQI in block capitals followed by “Paris” in script. Presumably, this is to evoke France, but I can see nothing French about the design. The end of the cap is marked with a clef, the company’s logo and this motif is repeated on the clip. Both just seem incongruous.

 

The Waterman attracted no comments on the occasions that I took it out of the house, however, the Naki did receive a couple of positive comments. If you need an unobtrusive pen for business, the Waterman wins hands down; if you want a pen to write notes quickly, again the Waterman. Yet the Naki is the smoother writer.

 

Intangibles: After the test, I had both pens sitting on the desk. My hand always seemed to reach for the Naki. That must say something.

 

 

 

[lovemy51]

thanx for the review. i've seen the naki at isellpens.com, it looks pretty! enjoy your pens!