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  1. nick2253

    Sailor Model History

    I have acquired a small collection of Sailor pens, and I'm looking for some information on the history of Sailor pens in order to identify them. I know that a lot of their pre-40's information was lost during the war, but I'm amazed at how little information I can turn up about their models from the 60's to the present. I've been able to find historic catalog pages and blogs about Pilot and Platinum, but I'm struggling with Sailor (apart from the 1911 model). Does anyone have any catalogues of vintage Sailor pens (particularly from the 60's, 70's or 80's)? Or suggestions for a blog/website with more info?
  2. AnnaZed

    Mystery Japanese Pocket Pen

    Hi all. I developed something of an excited passion for Japanese Pocket pens last year. A sometimes dizzy-headed buyer, I bought this: https://imgur.com/fpngallery/5bTXrSz It's a cute little pocket pen; so very nice, but who or what is 'Pioneer'?
  3. essayfaire

    Misbehaving Kakuno

    I have a happy smiley-face Kakuno that was brought to me from Japan; I am quite unhappy with it at the moment. I thought it was a cute little pen but it is now giving me difficulty; the nib starts writing and then after a few lines stops unless I shake the pen. Here's what I've done so far: Clean the pen Change the ink Flush the pen Floss the tines None of these interventions has been able to get the pen writing properly again. I do not have a high tolerance for hard-starting pens and if I can't get this issue resolved will let it sit unused in a drawer. Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, were you able to fix it?
  4. Guest

    Kato Seisakusho Pen?

    Kato Seisakusho Pen? I was given this today by the friend I refurbished a couple pens for. No brand name or anything but the words "Special Irium Pen" on the nib which seems to be gold plated but the plating has worn off of most of the nib. No nipple for a sac and does not seem to be a cartridge pen......I'm lost.Kato Seisakusho evidently passed in 2010.I guess I need to now find out the filling system so I know what to do.
  5. In one of the world's largest cities, there always seems to be a place to take a break. At the Hakusan Shinto shrine in Tokyo. A week in Japan makes me think stationery stores are the retail urban planning equivalent of zen gardens. They provide an analog break in days filled with digital noise. We have only a few stores left in the United States, in Appleton, Wis., and Little Rock, Ark., of all places, and Houston, and Nashville, and another north of Pittsburgh. A couple in New York and New Jersey. Two in Maryland and one in Washington, DC, and that’s about it. I’m probably leaving out a couple, but my point is that in a really big country, there are fewer than a dozen bricks-and-mortar stationery stores. Unless you count Staples and OfficeMax, which are great for laserjet paper, printer cartridges, and office chairs. Japan, on the other hand, is stationery mecca. I was in meetings in Osaka where team leaders handed out agendas and summaries in elegant transparent folders, and erasable gel ink pens, and we realized that every one of us around the table was a geek who, in elementary school, undoubtedly loved the fragrance of promise and hope in a new box of yellow No. 2 pencils. Kyoto In Kyoto, the spiritual heart of Japan, there are more than 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. TAG’s headquarters stationery store is in Kyoto, and there are five other TAG shops around the city, filled with paper for calligraphy and art projects and school assignments, and racks of washi tape and fountain pens. Kyoto specialists in natural dyes, who got their training in textiles, created the TAG line of inks. Remember indigo? Around 900 AD, people in the imperial court of Keian in Heian-kyō, the former name for Kyoto, fermented leaves to produce indigo. I digress, but here’s my point: if you really like writing, it’s entirely possible that, like Matsuo Basho, your heart is in Kyoto. On a walk through the Arashiyama bamboo grove, I’m talking with a friend about how Japan offers up so many details that would make great visual pauses in films. Breathing space. They’re like the short musical interludes, sometimes called buttons, in radio news broadcasts. She asks why I like calligraphy. It’s an analog break from digital chores, I tell her, and she responds, “Oh, like a button.” A few meters away, we walk by a home where the poet Matsuo Basho hung out with one of his students. Even in Kyoto -- Hearing the cuckoo’s cry -- I long for Kyoto. -- Matsuo Basho Tokyo One of the great things about Tokyo is that even though it’s one of the 10 largest cities in the world, with almost 14 million people, there always seems to be a green place to take a break -- a playground or a garden, a bench on a shady patch of street, or a shrine with a fountain for prayer. Stationery shops are air-conditioned and filled with students and bookish people, and they are wonderful quiet spaces. I found myself in two of them, the Maruzen bookstore, located a hundred meters from Tokyo’s central station, and the TAG store on Tennouzu Isle. Maruzen is a Japanese chain, and half a floor in the main Tokyo store is devoted to stationery, pens, and inks. Lovely display cases show pens from global brands as though they are objects in a museum, all, it seems, at retail list price. But a section of ink is tucked away on one side of the pens, a closet full of colors from Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Montblanc, Faber-Castell, and Pelikan. Hiding away in one corner are inks made for Maruzen by Sailor -- Athena sepia, and renga, an urushi red. They’re considered unobtainable everywhere else. I buy them both, again at retail price, which in the case of Japanese inks is 30 percent less than everywhere else. The notebook section offers funky composition notebooks by a brand called nanuk. I’m not sure if the paper works well with fountain pens, but they have a sample copy for testing. At the pen counter, a salesperson helpfully pulls out a Platinum Preppy pen, and as it turns out, nanuk paper is terrific. On the late afternoon of another unbelievably hot July day, I stumble upon the TAG stationery store on Tennouzu Isle, just off the monorail to Tokyo’s Haneda airport. The store offers envelopes and paper in pastel patterns of coral and indigo, designed for writing letters, lined or unlined. The store manager is playing an entire Beatles album -- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band -- and for 20 minutes, I’m lost in a bliss of washi paper and “I’ve got to admit, it’s getting better.” Then, it gets better. Next to the cashier there’s a display of every TAG Kyoto ink, from Moonlight of Higashiyama, a brick red, to Aonibi, a blue-black. The manager gives me a pen with a glass nib for testing ink. (Let me repeat that -- they keep a glass-nibbed pen for testing inks.) I realize that one ink, Nurebairo, is a black that shades blue, with a subtle golden halo sheen. When I’m confused about whether Nurebairo actually shades blue, she explains that it depends on whether the paper is cream or stark white. Then she wraps it up, adds it to my other purchases, and agrees with me about The Beatles. I walk out onto a boardwalk and as the sun sets on Tokyo Bay, I eat a wagyu hamburger with an old friend.
  6. I have a Pilot EF that I think needs a bit of smoothing, but I am scared to death of ruining it. I bought a micro-mesh pad and decided to have a go at a Platinum Preppy that is in a color I don't use. Then I decided since I was already messing around with the pen that I might as well try to eyedropper it, something I have never done before. I used silicone grease and all seemed to be well except later on I noticed some ink spots on my hands, so I think it is leaking somewhere. I do hold my pens fairly close to the nibs. I can't find an o-ring in an appropriate size so I have temporarily added some plumber's tape but that is unsightly and makes it harder to cap the pen. Below is a photo, minus the plumber's tape. I think the smoothing went well but was not excessive, but I still need to come up with a better seal for the eyedropper; I'm trying to work up the courage to smooth out the Pilot EF a bit. The ink is Diamine Oxblood, which I'm testing out and seems quite nice. Do people add a ball to their eyedroppered pens to help keep the ink from drying up?
  7. Background: Went to Itoya to pick up a grail before we left Japan then saw this during the wait: They had the Lamy Anniversary Bauhaus Blue edition but we went for Japan Blue instead. That terrible refrain, "I don't need another pen" follow by the follow-up analysis and sleep over/can't sleep over decision making oscillation worked its way to purchase this fine souvenir. Wanted a remembrance of our 1st time in Japan and this fit the bill: Made in JapanLove of local/regional companies, handcraftedTraditional craft of indigo and hammering metal techniqueIt's a metal Sailor to Oita Made specUniqueI wanted a Medium but the last one was only a Fine and the missus loved it too. I have to share It's more of a family pen Color: Midnight blue purple indigo. Indigenous textiles was another hobby in a past life and the tie in of anodized indigo was a great pull. Visually, it's an eyecatcher and smartphone down-res photography does not do it justice. This is an accurate observation: "...a unique beauty that cannot be explained by photography" My color range is pretty conservative so for Japan Blue to make an impression spoke volumes. The pen was paired with Sailor Shikiori Nioi-Sumire to match the indigo body. My wife has the color instinct as the ink sticker bore no shade resemblance to the actual color swatch which is much darker. Though to my old eyes and the ton of blue ink variants we have, I cannot see the specialness of Nioi-Sumire other than it's the best Sailor match we could see. Material/handling: Hammered aluminum body, light unposted, slightly backweighted posted. Black plastic section is comfortable. I've only handled Classic Pens silver Sailor so if there are other metal Sailors let me know. Thankfully it's not heavy I'm a serial poster but am a little concerned about the design choice of 2 pins to hold the cap in place which posts with a click. I understand the choice over friction fit posting but it is an area for potential flaw should the pins loosen over time. I'll probably be dead before it fails though and luckily it is a great writer unposted. Nib: As stated, it is a Sailor Fine though I am fond of Sailor M at least the KOP version. Japan Blue completes my range: EF, F, MF, M Overall impression: Japan Blue is a great souvenir of our time in Japan whose craft, people and culture is much to be remembered and thankful for. Manufacture is backed by an established company, Sailor and their quality is consistent and reliable. Here are some relevant links: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/345076-wancher-sailor-limited-edition-hammered-metal-finish/https://oitamade.jp/topics/news/292Arigato!
  8. Hi all! One of my partners is going to be visiting Kyoto in late December/early January, and offered to check out some pen shops while they're visiting to pick up any pens/ink I might want. I know there are some neat Japan-only exclusives, and buying Japanese pens/ink in Japan is probably less expensive than buying it where we're from (the US). The only problem is, I don't know what stores are in Kyoto, and I don't know what the going rate for pens out that way is. Does anyone here know of any fountain pen stores in Kyoto, or what the prices for pens/ink usually are out there? I'll have a budget of around $150 USD, and would love it if I could pick up a Sailor Pro Gear or similar pen- especially if it's exclusive to Japan. Same for ink! Any help or recommendations would be appreciated~ thanks so much!
  9. Platinum #3776 Century in Laurel Green (with gold trim) and 14K gold Fine nib now ¥8,824 (inclusive of 8% domestic consumption tax) sold and shipped by Amazon.co.jp. That's the first time I've seen any of the Laurel Green pens, which debuted at an MSRP of ¥13,000+tax, offered by a major retailer for less than ¥9,000 (but maybe I haven't been watching too closely, since I already have so many other #3776 pens with 14K gold Fine nibs).
  10. penzel_washinkton

    Experience From This Japanese Seller?

    Hi all, First of all allow me to introduce myself as a recent new member to the forum and hope at least I can be a little of use to this forum. But first, I want to ask if any of the members here has had an experience buying from pensachi (through their website). I have just lately placed an order and paid but have never heard people buying stright from their website and now I am anxious whether my order will go through. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks! (NB : f this is in the wrong sub-forum please help in moving it).
  11. (Disclaimer: This will be a long review of my favorite pen in my current collection. If you want to read just the review, skip to Packaging. Plus, this review is going to be picture heavy.) Introduction: India is a land of great intellectuals and the longevity of the race to reach the top is pretty staggering. May it be an exam that can decide your future or a Periodic Test in Grade 10, exams play a vital role in a student’s life in India. This holds for Indians living in abroad as well. So, it started with me studying hard for my Periodic Tests 2 and I was really hoping to top and get a pen with my own money as until now, my parents bought me all my pens and I didn’t want them to spend 343 AED (around 90 USD) for a pen. I did top my class and as promised, my parents agreed to buy me the Platinum 3776 Century after much negotiation. They expected me to go for something less expensive. But I had topped so there was no backing off. We ordered the pen late at night and my parents gave me the biggest surprise-they didn’t take a single Dirham from me. I ordered from J-subculture along with a converter and chose EMS shipping. J-Subculture took around 3 days to ship it and the pen reached me within 12 days. I was overjoyed when I returned from school and found a package from Japan on the table. Packaging: The pen was well packaged by J-Subculture. As for the pen, it came in a blue faux leather Platinum clamshell case with a white sleeve that my mom threw in the garbage. It contained a user manual, warranty card, and the pen inside a plastic sleeve. The converter came in a simple box. Right of the bat, the converter was a bit rough and I had to grease it with TWSBI silicone grease. Pen and Nib Design (9/10): The pen is named 3776 referring to the height in metres of Mt. Fuji in Japan. It sports a classic rounded top cigar shaped design. I wouldn’t go to the extent of calling it Montblanc inspired as I am pretty sure Montblanc hasn’t patented that design. Talking about patents, this pen’s cap houses the patented Slip and Seal mechanism that Platinum advertises can keep your nib from drying for upto 2 years. The threads are all smooth and you can feel the tension of the cap mechanism after about one and a quarter of a turn. The nib is quite plain with some simple engravings. It is pretty flat in design. The pen is also accentuated with some gold-plated rings and a center band that also has some engravings on it. The engraving on it could be better. I love this design unlike many others. Construction and Quality (7/10): This is a place where this pen kind of lacks behind. The pen feels pretty solidly made with some desirable heft to it. The resin also feels pretty durable, but it lacks in finishing. The pen had some scratches and two of them are noticeable when viewed right. Also, it has two seams on the section which isn’t quite troublesome but can be smoothed out. The engraving could also be better. Looks and Comfort (9/10): The Platinum 3776 Century Chartres Blue is made to look like the stained glass windows of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Most of the 3776 Century fountain pens are French themed with the exceptions of some LE’s that are themed after various locations and lakes around Mt. Fuji. The pen looks stunningly beautiful in blue with some transparency. But, there is a but. The pen looks as it is meant to look only in bright indoor light or in sunlight. Otherwise it looks like a very very deep blue, almost black, with almost no transparency. Comfort wise, the pen could be made a bit more thicker and longer. Only then would it be perfect for me. After posting, this doesn’t matter. Filling System (9/10): It is one of my favorite filling systems. A cartridge-converter is one of my favorites because it is easy to clean, disassemble and also to fill. The only disadvantage of Platinum’s proprietary converter is its small ink capacity. Also, as I mentioned, my converter was poorly greased. Writing Experience (10/10): It is hard to find faults here. The writing experience is stellar. This nib is a champ. The Medium 14 carat gold nib is pretty fine by western standards and writes very smooth with some nice feedback. The ink flow is perfect. This is my kind of nib. I prefer this to overly wet, fat and super smooth nibs. Now I need all the Platinum 3776 century pens with almost all nibs except the Course and the Music. I am not fan of ultra-wide nibs. This nib can be used for various purposes like note taking, daily writing and most importantly long writing sessions with ease. Comparisons: On comparing this pen with the TWSBI Eco and ASA Nauka, the Platinum feels a bit small in the hand and is the second most comfortable out of the three with the ASA bragging the first place. The Platinum easily has the largest nib of the bunch. Conclusion: While this pen is a favorite of mine, it is not without faults. Its construction and finishing could be better, and some minor changes could be done here and there. But these faults won’t stop me from buying the other 3776 Century pens. I need a Bourgogne next as my Chartres Blue needs a companion. Man, I need so many more pens! All the photos were taken with a Nikkon D5300 (I'm still learning to take photos this thing) on a windowsill (my favorite place for pen photography) of my 18th floor apartment with abundant sunlight. They have not been edited. Thank you for reading my review. Please leave your suggestions and comments below.
  12. Hi All! Here comes a new "ruthless review". My ruthless reviews have a few peculiar features: Concise;Very strict. If a pen costs hundred of euros, no faults are allowed. A good pen gets a 60/100, a great pen an 80/100, an almost perfect one a 90/100. Only a divine pen can have above 90. Add a few peculiar criteria: "Nib appearance", "Usability in shirt pockets", and "Out-of-the-boxness", meaning to what extent a nib was perfect right after leaving the seller. Also, don't care about the box.NOTE: I've introduced a change in this review. Previously I used to rank each of the ten factors on a 0-10 scale, adding up to 100. However, I've decided that some aspects should be made more important. Here they are, ranked by importance and by number of points they get as a result ("Construction" and "Quality of materials" have been merged into one). There's also a bit of logic as to why some factors are more important than others: Criteria 1. "Nib performance" gets a max. of 30 points - Why? Is there anything more important than the nib? A pen is a worthless piece of plastic if the nib does not write well.2. "Appearance and design" gets a max. of 20 points - Why? What good is a FP if it's not beautiful? Note: I hate flashy pens, so a LE Montegrappa would probably get a zero3. "Nib appearance" gets a max. of 10 points - Why? A nib is what you'll most likely see when writing with a FP. It has to be beautiful, otherwise you're going to hate your pen.4. "Cost and value" gets a max. of 10 points - Why? Not among the top-three points because after all, we don't collect FPs because of their cost-value ratio, I guess. 5. "Construction and materials" gets a max. of 10 points - Why? This is quite important but not as much as, say, in a car rating, for we almost all use pen cases anyway.6. "Out-of-the-boxness" gets a max of 5 points - Why? Since most of us know how to do nib-fixing (and a nib meister is never too far), I've reduced the importance of this factor.7. "Filling system and maintenance" gets a max. of 5 points - Why? Hard to rate as it's subject to individual preferences. I'll keep it among the lower-importance factors.8. "Weight and dimensions" gets a max. of 5 points - Why? For me it's almost ininfluential: I like both small and big pens. So it will be a low-importance factor.9. "Clip and usability with shirts" gets a max. of 5 points - Why? Can be very important for some, but irrelenvant for others. So, here's the review! Pilot Custom 74 - Blue with 14k n.5 M nib (pictures here: http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/atn/item/fkk-1000r/) · Nib performance: 30 out of 30 This pen has a magnificently good nib! It's soft, springy, with a bit of feedback but not too much, with a bit of line variation but not so much that you lose control, it's basically the perfect everyday nib. I'm going to keep this inked forever, always ready on my desk. I'm absolutely amazed. · Appearance and design: 15 out of 20 Conservative, not very creative, but with a nice combination between the blue of the body and the gold trims. It makes it classy without being banal. Note: this is not the demonstrator version, but the plain blue one you can get from Rakuten. · Nib appearance: 8 out of 10 This is a small, pretty nib, with some nice scrollwork. The only thing is that it would be nice if it had a rhodium masking in some places to make it bicolor. · Cost and value: 10 out of 10 Ok here comes the awesome part (well, the other awesome part, after the nib): I paid USD 72 for a 14k gold nibbed pen with a fantastic nib, from a world-class manufacturer. Compare it with the USD 150 you pay for a Lamy 2000 with its dull nib, and you get the idea. This Pilot is awesome value for money! · Construction and materials: 6 out of 10 Good, although not the best: the plastic has a slightly cheap feeling, but nowhere close to the cheapness of a Platinum pen. · Out-of-the-boxness: 5 out of 5 This nib's absolute perfection was achieved with no tuning or fixing at all: it was perfect straight OOTB. I didn't even need to flush it! · Filling system and maintenance: 4 out of 5 It's a cartridge/converter pen, which is not great, but 1. hey, it's a USD 72 pen! And 2. the converter is Pilot's famous con-70, which is by far the best converter in the market. So we definitely cannot complain here · Weight and dimensions: 3 out of 5 This pen is a little bit too long for many people, but being super-light-weight, this is not likely to be a major issue. The only complain is that the section is perhaps a bit too thin for some people. · Clip and usability with shirts: 2 out of 5 Pretty bad: the pen is so long that it probably won't fit in many shirt pockets. It's great for jacket inner pockets, though. Final score: 83 out of 100. This, for a ruthless review like these, is a really high score. Trust me, if you've never tried a Pilot n.5 14k gold nib, you must get one. I've never had such a great experience on a daily writer. This is pure pleasure to write with, a perfect nib in an elegant design, with good quality and very convenient price.
  13. Watched this wonderful show on NHK World last evening. The topic was Japanese stationery and what a great insight as to why many think Japan has some of the best stationery, office supplies and pens in the world. It will air online until March 7th, 2019. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2046063/
  14. What is this pen? What is the brand / producer / origin? What model is this? This is a pen given to me by my father in early 80-ties. I used it for a couple of years as my every day pen. I cannot identify the producer nor the model. Must be produced somewhere in 1970-ties ot late 1960-ties? Much likely to be from China ? Maybe Japan? Maybe someone is able to read the signature on the nib?
  15. Lucky me, Rakuten Global Express (RGX) – the Japanese reshipping service associated with Rakuten Global Market and Rakuten Ichiba – has activated another 30%-off international shipping charges promotion campaign in the last couple of hours. It's something RGX does from time to time throughout the year. I bought some items on Amazon.co.jp yesterday, and unfortunately these days the only way to get the goods here to Australia is to use a reshipping service, at my additional expense as the consumer; that often kills good deals on Amazon.co.jp and Rakuten for products that are difficult and/or expensive (due to profiteering by commercial importers) get here. It will still be costly, but that 30% discount could well amount to A$15 or more, and make a significant difference if one is just buying $150 worth of stuff. I think the terms and conditions of RGX's service is that it will hold goods it received on behalf of registered customers for up to a month, and I was hoping that something like this would come up soon. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait that long! Now, to see what else I might want to add to this shipment; there's essentially a 'flagfall' charge of ¥2,000 – about A$25.56 – for reshipping goods to Australia by EMS service, on top of weight-based charges. However, I've been very impressed with the speed of delivery on the occasions I've used RGX's service; both times the parcels were ready to collect in my Australia Post Parcel Locker within the week.
  16. Concise, minimalistic presentation, useful for comparison. Text is laconic somehow poetic never ever negative. Tactful. I've been following his ink presentations for a year. One ink every day. 654 inks till now. Many Sailor LEs. Does have a search engine. You can use google translation. http://happyinkdays.hatenablog.com This one from Taiwan. On tweeter. Totally mute. https://twitter.com/yveslee_TW Thanks to both of them, if they read me. I really enjoy their work. David.
  17. Hello all, I am going to spend a couple of weeks in Japan (mostly Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) and I plan to look at some pens over there. Does anyone know how do prices compare with Japanese pens sold at discounted prices by online US stores? E.g., the Platinum 3776 Century has, I believe, a price list of $220, yet it can be bought at Amazon for $76. Itoya has it on their website at Y 16,200 ($148). What are the chances of finding really good deals in the land where the sun does actually shine?
  18. I made a short blog post about vintage Japanese long short pens and some observations about them. The post has been reproduced below. Photos are from Bruno Taut. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, it should be are. In the Philippines, we're helped by the phenomenon known as "Japan Surplus". These are thrift shops focused on Japan-sourced (used/vintage) goods which now and then will include fountain pens from the venerable trio of Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor. If you are open to buying used goods, these are great buys because for not much money (you can get a good one for $20-30) you get a lot of pen. The ergonomics are great since the entire "section" of the pen is round, smooth, and sloping nicely toward the nib. It's also a pocket or a "long-short" pen which means it is meant to be manageable in your pocket, compact and light. These write quite well and, in terms of thickness, I find that an F (fine) nib on these will are a close approximation of needle-type gel pens like the Pilot G-Tec 0.4, while the M (medium) nibs are like 0.5 ballpoints. I caution against getting the EF/XF (extra fine) nibs because these are often too rough to be enjoyable unless you get one that is "like new". Regardless of the nib width, the ink flow on these are a very good fit with what the regular user encounters day-to-day. Outside of some glossy or coated papers like credit card receipts, these can and will replace you regular pen (and will write better than whatever pen is offered to you if you don't carry a pen). You can go to a bank and fill out a deposit slip without any of the fears commonly brought about by using fountain pens. You don't need to get a special notebook that costs more than ink. You also get a gold nib. A gold nib really isn't that important. You write with the tip of the nib which is of the same material in both gold and steel nibs, and gold nib flexibility only makes sense with flex writing, which isn't a useful feature for many people. What a gold nib does give is theoretical quality because people believe that gold nibs will last longer than stainless steel nibs, but what's more important is that if you look at the brand new market, gold nibs come at a premium (because of the appreciation of gold) and is also paired with the non-beginner pen. This means that gold nibbed pens, disregarding the nib, are of much higher quality than the bodies of steel nibbed pens. While the divide wasn't as apparent in the heyday of fountain pens, I find this distinction applicable as well to vintage pens. The plastic feels thicker, the caps close more snugly, and things generally feel made to higher standards. A good example is the Pilot Elite (of old) and the current Pilot Elite E95S. One is $30, the other is more than $130. Since fountain pen technology development is almost non-existent, outside of a newer coat of paint, heavier components, and a negligible increase in gold (14k vs 18k), it's the same pen. Both pens can use the Con-40 ink cartridge converter too, to make filling-up from ink bottles easier. Lastly, another consideration is exclusivity. There are certain circles that go gaga over new pen barrel colours and decorations (priced many times more than the base model of already expensive pens) and they justify this weakness for capitalism's snares as getting something very few people have. Yet, often, for these pens, these people will organise a group order (to save on shipping) which means a bunch of them get the same pen. With these Japanese pens, it's very unlikely you'll come across someone with the same pen, even if you mingle with local users. A pitfall though for these pens is that the dealers associated with these pens are frequently not fountain pen users, sometimes unscupulous, and this may lead to problems when trying to purchase a pen. I, personally, have never been able to find these pens in the wild, and only get to them through online buy and sell groups. Here, the dealer problems are magnified because photos are frequently very bad and requests for more photos only get you more out of focus photos. This is a big deal because one of the things you have to look at when getting old pens is the tipping. Because the tipping is what actually hits the paper and what you write with, its quality spells the difference between a good pen and a near useless one. Half of the time, these are worn down, mangled, or worse, gone! Bad photos, vague answers, and a "what you see is what you get"/"as is, where is" store model really gives you doubts about the product and doesn't really make for an enjoyable buying experience sometimes. A smaller consideration is that these pens almost always have a fingernail nib. These are very hard to dismantle (I would profusely caution against it) and so sacrifices some modularity for people who like tinkering with their pens. The design also makes cleaning take a bit more time than open nibs so it's not a good choice if you like changing inks quickly or testing inks. Of course, one workaround is to just buy more pens of this kind.
  19. oriolsierra

    Top Store In Tokio For Sailor Peb

    Hello, I am in Tokyo now and I am looking for a Sailor quality pen. Do you know where is the best store in Tokyo to buy a Sailor pen? Thanks!
  20. penny_lane

    Where To Buy Ink In Tokyo

    Dear fountain pen friends, a friend of a friend of mine is currently staying in Tokyo. Do you know good places where to buy inks in Tokyo for a good price? I'm thinking about Sailor and Iroshizuku inks. Any other advice what to get in Tokyo stationery-wise? Thank you!
  21. nhw

    Nibmeister In Tokyo

    Hi all, I wonder if you have any nibmeister recommendation in Tokyo? I found one (Fullhalter) but he doesn't speak English.. Thanks in advance!
  22. essayfaire

    Fan Of Pilot Petit

    So I just received a Pilot Petit from Japan and I think it's a wonderful little inexpensive pen. it writes much finer than the Varsity that I tend to use on the go (because I once lost a good pen...). Even though it is short, it fits well in my hand and I think is a great pen to live with a checkbook, wallet, or small purse. No, it doesn't write like my Sailor, but if I lose it I won't be tearing myself up.
  23. Hi, I was hoping some of you will be able to help me. My father had a collection of fountain pens which are now in my possession. His collection includes a few very prestige pens (from what I gather), including a Danitrio. I know nothing about fountain pens, so I need some help identifying the model of this pen (pics attached). I'd like to sell this pen, however knowing nothing about it, this is pretty difficult! I'm looking for the specific name & model, and perhaps even an estimate of how much this pen was purchased for so I can gauge the price I should sell at. Saying that, should anyone be interested in purchasing, do let me know. Many thanks in advance! J
  24. essayfaire

    Japan Exclusives

    My daughter will be in Japan, outside of Tokyo, for some time and I would like to give her specific instructions on bringing me back pens. The yen is strengthening so I am more interested in pens that are exclusive to the Japanese market than in ones that might be cheaper over there. Is my best bet to give her a budget and tell her to get pens that are exclusive to the store she is in? She'll be there long enough to search out bungbox. I wouldn't mind a Decimo in a color we can't get stateside, either. Thanks everyone!
  25. mikhasan

    Nikko Ebonite

    Does anyone know if Nikko (=Eboya) sells their marble (?) ebonite rods to other makers? I'm wondering if there are any makers -- other than Eboya -- either in Japan or overseas, which have access to this style of pen blank: https://www.nibs.com/pens/eboya/eboya-natsume-small-kumpuu-green-cc I've never seen any non-Eboya pens made of this stuff or its color variants. As nice as the Eboya pens are, it would be cool to see some designs by other makers in this material too, which is why I'm asking. Thanks!





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