Search the Community

This is a first of four reviews of different Rakuten stores. Like they say: Weak Yen; Strong Dollar means shopping is entertainment! I placed an order for several Pilot Somes Cases (pictured below) at pricing that was almost 40% less than eBay sellers. I love these pen cases. The leather is exquisite and the finishing is professional. Even the zip around case can hold three King of Pens and a Midori Passport sized notebook The order was confirmed by email and then I reconfirmed the shipping charges, which were reasonable considering the package got to the US in a couple of days! Here are the items I purchased and the store links: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/komamono-honpo/sls3-01-b/ http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/komamono-honpo/cabinet/34/slpc-01-bn.jpg http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/komamono-honpo/cabinet/38/sls3-01-b.jpg http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/komamono-honpo/cabinet/38/sls3-01-b-02.jpg http://www.pen-house.net/contents/html/images/pilot/somes/sls3_01_bn/top.jpg

Is the Sapporo mini discontinued? Changed name? Is it JApanese? What is been sold in (i think) nibs.com qualify as mini? I am in the lookout for a mini pen that looks good and has a Japanese nib.

I've not long been a member of FPN and not posted a lot but I have been busy in one respect: I've been buying things... In the last few months I started buying pens again; I bought my Pilot Capless and then shortly afterwards a Platinum #3776 Century SF on the strength of reviews and having a strong appreciation of my old pocket size Platinum. I then bought another #3776 as a present for my Mum and most recently a Pilot Custom 823 for myself as a sort of Birthday present (do I need to use these excuses here?) Along the way I was reminded about VAT and import duty. Mainly because I had not fallen foul of this with the earlier purchases, including several during the last few years unrelated to fountain pens including some from the USA, I was disappointed but not surprised when the Pilot was stopped and a demand for VAT appeared on my door step instead. Since this happened I have had two more packages stopped for VAT payments too, the only others delivered to date. Then today, another one. This time I thought it had gone too far and was going to challenge it but having read up on the HMRC website, it is correct. About 3 weeks ago I found that Iroshizuku ink was much cheaper on Amazon from Japanese retailers than if bought locally. I decided to buy some and made a mistake. On thinking it was such good value that I could afford to buy two bottles (at £13 each including delivery from the same seller), I put myself over the VAT free threshold of £15. So I now have a bill for £12 to pay the post office... Word of advice; only buy one bottle of Ink from Japan at a time if you can get it for under £15. Does anyone know if HMRC marks specific addresses as worthy of special attention ? I've never tried to evade VAT and rarely buy high value items but though I have bought from outside the EU a few times/ year for years it's only been since getting several pens from Japan in the last 3 months that suddenly every package to me at the same address has been intercepted. On another note, I am really enjoying using the current line up of pens, having banished ballpoints to emergency use only.

Hello everyone, I am a new FPN member so please excuse me for any FPN faux pas I may commit . I stumbled across the site yamadapen.com today while looking for a Visconti Wall Street. I have been looking for a decently priced Wall Street for ages now and I came across this site but their prices seem much too good to be true ( ex. on the Wall Street it's around $160 USD). I was wondering if anyone had used or even heard of the site before or if you believe these pens are Chinese fakes. The site is in Japanese however if you put the link into Google Translate and select Japanese to English that will do the trick. Any information would help! Thanks everyone. PS I'm not sure if this is the right area to post this so please excuse me again.

Hello everyone, I am a new FPN member so please excuse me for any FPN faux pas I may commit . I stumbled across the site yamadapen.com today while looking for a Visconti Wall Street. I have been looking for a decently priced Wall Street for ages now and I came across this site but their prices seem much too good to be true ( ex. on the Wall Street it's around $160 USD). I was wondering if anyone had used or even heard of the site before or if you believe these pens are Chinese fakes. The site is in Japanese however if you put the link into Google Translate and select Japanese to English that will do the trick. Any information would help! The reason I am partially inclined to believe that this is legit is that I have seen Pelikan pens sell on Rakuten for a fraction of street price so I was just curious. Thanks everyone. PS I'm not sure if this is the right area to post this so please excuse me again.

Hello everyone, I am a new FPN member so please excuse me for any FPN faux pas I may commit . I stumbled across the site yamadapen.com today while looking for a Visconti Wall Street. I have been looking for a decently priced Wall Street for ages now and I came across this site but their prices seem much too good to be true ( ex. on the Wall Street it's around $160 USD). I was wondering if anyone had used or even heard of the site before or if you believe these pens are Chinese fakes. The site is in Japanese however if you put the link into Google Translate and select Japanese to English that will do the trick. Any information would help! Thanks everyone. PS I'm not sure if this is the right area to post this so please excuse me again. Sorry just realized this is definitely not the right area to post this

Are fountain pens now considered "contraband" in India? Does one need an import licence to order FPs for personal use? I recently had a very singular experience. I ordered a Pilot 823 and a couple of bottles of Iroshizuku ink from a Japanese online retailer, paid through PayPal and the package was shipped. As the package seemed stuck at the Japanese end beyond a reasonable time, I contacted the retailer again and was shocked with this response: "I confirm your parcel and found that the parcel is on hold in Japan. The reason is that a fountain pen is a contraband in India. However, a fountain pen is conditional contraband. I heard that if you can get the import permit from "Chief Controller of Imports and Exports New Delhi", you can import it. We are sorry we did not know that a fountain pen is a contraband in India. Would it be possible to get the import permit?" I replied as below: "I was not aware that a fountain pen is "conditional contraband" in India. I have ordered online from several retailers including one other retailer in Japan; but I have never had this issue before. As far as I understand, an import permit is required only when items are being imported for commercial use and sale - and not required when ordered for personal use. So, I request you to please check if the pen can be shipped without the licence." And the response was as below: "I confirmed details to the post office, but it is not allowed without distinction of the commercial or personal use. So the license is needed in both cases. They told me that they are obeying with the contraband list of customs of India. And Regarding the past case that you purchased the fountain pen from Japan, the clerk of the post office is guessing it was by chance. In addition, even if the parcel can pass through the departure process in Japan like in that way, it has a risk of confiscation at Indian customs. We really regret to say that we cannot help you. We are sorry." Thereafter, on my request, the retailer canceled the transaction and issued an immediate refund through PayPal. So I have to clarify that the entire transaction was very smooth and the interaction with the retailer was very pleasant, with frequent mail updates about the order. My question is to FPNers from India and even other countries: I have heard of parcels being held up in customs - even experienced it myself. But never has the office of origin held back a package. Has anyone had a similar experience while ordering from Japan - or any other country - for that matter? Would love to hear your thoughts/comments/opinions as this will have a big impact on me ordering from other countries. Thanks and appreciate your patience in reading this somewhat long post. Cheers Sudhir

I know that the pilot 823 and the 74 are not very diffrent in terms of the shape of the tipping but the 823 is larger and the refilling system is more complexe. Do you guys find that to be the case with the 1911s? I'm considering buying a M nib japanese fountain pen for math and physics exams. And I'm curious about this...... I'm hesitating between buying a vanishing point fine nib replacement and a 1911 standard. Thanks.

I have two Sailor pens, Sailor Sapporo and Sailor 1911 Large NT nib. They are both in my top 10 pens but I use them less and less because of the limited ink capacity. I write a lot and just don't feel the confidence in these pens that will last me a day of writing. I think converter holds 0.6 ml of ink and I have difficulty filling them fully so its more like 0.5ml. Looks like pens are designed for Japanese writing system in which you use less ink to write down the same message (what you will need four pages of writing in English will only take three pages in Japanese.) I was thinking of converting them to an eyedropper but I am no great fan of them. Cartridge holds more ink but I would rather use rollerball then put that plastic thing in a pen. Are there any larger converters that would fit in these two pens?

Hi, I will visit Tokyo during April 2nd until 11th. Do you have recommendation for "fountain pens attractions"? - Visiting Japanese nib masters workshops? - Visiting fountain pens factories - Special fountain pens shops? - Anything else? Thank you...

Is there a reference anywhere on this site that explains what the codes on Pilot nibs mean?

As indicated in the recent POA topic, Montblanc is releasing donation pen in wood made from the only tree left standing in a forest in Tohoku after the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. Price is going to be about $4400 (520K Yen) with 20% going to support the relief efforts. You can find more details here. Here's a shot of the pen that's circulating with the various news stories, this one taken from Japan Today: There's no indication as to whether the pen is a 149 or 146 size, but I generally like the design that (at least to me) takes a lot from the Aubrac, which is not surprising since it's the only other recent MB pen that I know is made of wood. (and yes, I remembered the Humbolt) I'm not sure if the star is a regular resin star or an MOP star. One interesting quote from the article is: This seems pretty weird, since i) I never heard about production issues with the wood used in the Aubrac and ii) Japanese pen makers have been making fountain pens for years in wood. (Pilot makes wonderful pens out of Japanese maple). You'd think that MB might have asked Pilot or Sailor for a few tips... PS: Mods - I wasn't sure if this should be posted in the MB forum or the Japan forum; feel free to move if necessary...

Has any of the following members bought anything from Rakuten. How much time do they generally take to ship order and how much time does it take shipment to arrive. Do we have to pay any custom...??? Also how reliable is this Ecommerce platform for international buyers....

Hi all, I've been wanting to pick up a nakaya portable writer, but I am not sure which finish i should pick. I use and carry all the pens that i own around; even in my shirt pocket sometimes. I usually prefer a matt finish on my pen (lamy 2k, visconti HS), so any micro scratches would be hidden. Don't get me wrong, I do take good care of my pens, but glossy finishes seem to pick up scratches even if you just leave them in the air.. (OCD guy wants a user pen ) However, i am smitten by the aka-tamenuri finish on the nakaya. How does this finish hold up to micro scratches given the high gloss? Shu-nurippanashi seems to be a matt finish and it might require less maintenance. I do love both of them, but aka-tamenuri really makes me want to go for a glossy pen this time. Thanks!

Hello, I bought a brand new Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black FP with medium nib. But I have a problem with it. The Ink flow is very poor.When I write with very very lower angle and press hard, it is ok. Using Normal angle, higher angle and light pressure caused problem. I checked the nib tines, I didn't see a misalignment. It writes scratchy and dry. What do you offer about this problem? I ask your help, please. Best regards. Cengiz PS. I attached a writing sample.

Hey guys, I need help with identifying this Sailor pen that I found stored somewhere at home. It says 'Sailor Since 1911' on the cap band and 'TIGP Sailor' engraved on the nib with an M on the wings. Thank you in advance!

Some of you may have seen the Iroshizuku Co-Razy Group Review. To keep on top of this, I knew I needed all the inks. The whole monthly format was, in fact, to make buying all the inks possible, as I can afford one a month... Well... I figured out they'd cost half if I bought them all at once. They arrived today: Engeika had packed them really well, and shipped them along. Each box was wrapped in bubble wrap, and had been opened to tuck some bubble wrap in to keep the bottles from sliding around. More bubble and some packing peanuts in the box to keep everything solid. Today, eighteen inks arrived. With the six I already had, that makes the whole set. Yay! Now I'm ready for the next two years! (Half-price Iroshizuku: Order from http://www.engeika.com/ and order over $200 to get free shipping. It's about 15 bottles. They're $13.50 a bottle instead of $25-28. It'll take just under a month to arrive.) ... I might have enough ink now.

Hey everyone. I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've been looking at the Pilot Custom 74 demonstrator in blue, fine nib, for quite some time. I know it has been mentioned multiple times by Brian Goulet (I'm not affiliated with any supplier/retail company) as being one of his favorite pens. I like how they bundle it with the blue Noodler's ink, which after sampling I really want. So here's the deal. I can buy the pen on Amazon/ebay for about half the price. Money is an extremely important factor in my decision or I wouldn't even hesitate. Am I better off going through a trusted and known store or is spending almost half worthwhile? I need to add that the Japanese imports either don't have a converter or only come with the con-50, and I would buy a con-70 to add to the pen. The con-70 is $11.00 on Amazon. Please help me.

This is my first FPN review. I hope it’s helpful and that you enjoy reading what I have to say! Prior to purchasing this Pilot Custom 823 from Goulet Pens, I’ve bought a Pilot Custom Heritage 91 BB, Pilot Falcon SEF, as well as a Pilot Metropolitan M and a Pilot Kaküno F. At one point I owned a Pilot VP Binderized M, but sold it to a friend because I didn’t like the way it wrote. Pilot Custom 823 - Appearance & Design (8/10) – This pen has a classic cigar-style design. I bought the Amber version. The finial and blind cap are both solid amber, accented by gold (plated?) furniture. The center bands on the screw cap are thin and thick respectively. The thicker band reads: *** PILOT MADE IN JAPAN *** CUSTOM 823. The tapered clip reads PILOT vertically and ends in a ball, complementing the classic look of the pen. Pilot Custom 823 - Construction & Quality (10/10) – This is the first Japanese pen I have used that even holds a candle to the iconic and timeless design of the Lamy 2000, which remains in my opinion The Pen. Everything feels solid, from the threading on the cap and barrel, to the piston mechanism, to the clip and how it posts. Pilot Custom 823 - Weight & Dimensions (10/10) – The pen feels solid in the hand. I would not describe it as a lightweight pen. It is noticeably heavier in the hand than a Sailor 1911 Realo or a Platinum #3776. The clip is springy without being too firm or too flimsy. It easily fits (and stays put!) in a shirt or jacket pocket. Although on the heavier side, it clipped easily and firmly to the placket of my Gap polo today while at the grocery store. The barrel and cap material is smooth and translucent. When I take notes while reading, I have the habit of sitting the cap upright on my desk. The Pilot Custom 823 cap is taller than that of the Lamy 2000, Sailor 1911 Realo, as well as the TWSBI 580 RB. Pilot Custom 823 From left to right: Pilot Custom 823 Amber, Sailor 1911 Realo Black, Lamy 2000, Lamy Matte Black AL-Star, Lamy Matte Black Dialog3, Platinum #3776 Century Sai, Sailor Imperial Black Pro Gear. The grip/section is a bit wider than that of a Lamy 2000 or a Platinum #3776. Out of the pens in my collection, it most closely resembles the width of the grip/section of the Sailor 1911 Realo. That is to say, it strikes a perfect balance between width and the overall weight of the pen. Pilot Custom 823, Pilot Custom Heritage 91, Pilot Falcon - Nib & Performance (8/10) – I chose a Fine nib, which is a monotone 14k #15 on the Pilot Custom 823. Prior to this, I had only used the #5 on the Custom Heritage 91 BB and the Pilot Falcon SEF. The nib is a good size and balances well with the overall unposted length and appearance of the barrel. It is slightly springy; exactly what you’d expect from a 14k Japanese fine nib. I write primarily in English and French/German (for teaching/translation work) and it is a perfect size to suit my somewhat casual cursive style. (See writing samples below). Pilot Custom 823 It works well on Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Baron Fig, 24lb and 32lb copy paper, as well as on Tomoe River and Midori paper. It is hit or miss on Field Notes, it depends entirely upon the edition. - Filling System & Maintenance (9/10) - This is my first vacuum-filler, although I have tried (and didn’t care for), the TWSBI Vac 700. The Pilot Custom 823 filling mechanism is outstanding. Pilot advises using 70 ml ink bottles, but I had no problem filling it from Lamy and De Atramentis bottles as well. It is extremely easy to use and requires no additional clean up or blotting that a C/C or piston-filler wouldn’t necessitate. Simply put, I love it. Cleaning is a breeze, too. A half-dozen or so flushes and you’re ready to fill it again with whatever ink you have in mind. Pilot Custom 823 View of the Pilot Custom 823 with the plunger in the “open” position for constant writing. One unique element of this pen is that you have to turn the blind cap until about a 2 mm gap appears in order to write for long(er) periods of time. This is a function of the plunger mechanism that, when fully closed, prevents ink from entering the section, which is ideal for travel or perhaps shirt-pocket carry. In my experience, for writing small notes, signing things, or even writing about a page on A5 paper, you don't even have to do open it the 2 mm. Pilot Custom 823 View of the Pilot Custom 823 with the blind cap opened 2 mm for constant writing. - Cost & Value (10/10) – I bought mine for $288 plus shipping from Goulet Pens. I ordered it on a Tuesday and had it by Friday (shipped from VA via Priority Mail to Cleveland, OH). I prefer to buy from American vendors wherever possible for warranty and customer service reasons, so I didn’t do too much research into buying this pen from Japan. Given the filling mechanism, I wanted to be sure I could have repairs and service done easily in case something happens to it. The pen comes in a large gift-style box along with a 70 ml bottle of Pilot Blue ink, so its presentation and unboxing could be described as luxury for sure. - Conclusion (Final score, 9.2/10) - The pen is worth every penny I paid for it. I’ve used a Montblanc 146 and 149 and it feels just as significant and superb as both. It is a peer of the Lamy 2000 and I am as satisfied with this pen as I am with my Sailor 1911 Realo. It has a place in my daily carry next to my Lamy 2000 and Sailor 1911 Realo. I try to find a few good inks to pair with a pen, and after trying several, including Iroshizuku Yama-guri, which I thought would be a slam-dunk, I settled on J. Herbin Lie de thé and Pilot Blue. Thanks for reading and I hope you found this review helpful! Below are some writing samples on various types of paper. They were scanned at 600dpi for clarity. I hope they convey it well. Rhodia Writing Sample The top ink is De Atramentis Aubergine. The phrase is from the letters of the German-speaking Romanian poet Paul Celan. HP 24lb Writing Sample The top ink is De Atramentis Aubergine. The phrase is from the letters of the German-speaking Romanian poet Paul Celan. The middle ink is Lamy Blue and the bottom ink is Iroshizuku Ina-ho. HP 32lb Writing Sample The top ink is De Atramentis Aubergine. The phrase is from the letters of the German-speaking Romanian poet Paul Celan. The middle ink is Lamy Blue and the bottom ink is Iroshizuku Ina-ho. All photos were taken with my Canon T3i using the stock lens and edited for clarity and exposure using Adobe Lightroom 5.

Thanks to all for the recommendation of visiting Maido in San Francisco - it is a wonderful store. Located in the Westfield Mall on one of the top floors, it has a breathtaking and entertaining array of pens, pencils, ink, cases, stationary, writing accessories, journals and greeting cards. They even have sushi shaped pencil erasers! They are wonderful, courteous people, and a joy to visit. Here are a few pictures of this week's purchase, including: -Minerva Box handmade leather pen/pencil rool in teal -Sailor inks in blue and orange -Pilot VP fountain pen and cartridges -Leather-bound mini journal (gift wrapped) -Ohto micro pen -Mini panda note pads -A4 1mm grid paper pad -Sushi erasers in Uni, Salmon Nigiri and Tekka Maki

This was the kind of pen that they ignored, having been placed at the far end of the display shelf at Cosmos Bazaar in Binondo, Manila. The Pilot 55C2 is a rare fountain pen from the 1980s. But they didn't know that, and neither did I. But there it joined the rest of my fp acquisition because the nib said, "Baby, come to meee..." Later, a quick browse through Google revealed a brief description of this pen. Unlike most Pilots that run on their patent cartridge or converter, the Pilot 55C2 accepts international standard cartridges. This is a wonderful thing! Postable and with a snap-cap, this light pen does not disappoint. It is about the same length as the Pilot 78G, only slimmer. The ink flow is steady, the pen feels balanced. Just smooth. Why did Pilot discontinue this good pen? We may never know.

Hi All, Living in New Zealand there is no where to buy Delta pens and with crazy high customs and duties buying online makes them very expensive. I'm heading to Japan in September and one of my grail pens is the Dolce Vita...so I will try and pick one up when I am there (along with a few other goodies as well). Does anyone have any experience buying a Delta in Japan and any recommendations around where to purchase?. I will be in Kyoto and Tokyo and perhaps go to Osaka & Kobe, so those are my options...and before anyone asks I will also be picking up some Japanese beauties as well....The price I have too pay for living on a island in the middle of the pacific with NO access to quality pen shops. Thanks Craig

Hi All, Living in New Zealand there is no where to buy Delta pens and with crazy high customs and duties buying online makes them very expensive. I'm heading to Japan in September and one of my grail pens is the Dolce Vita...so I will try and pick one up when I am there (along with a few other goodies as well). Does anyone have any experience buying a Delta in Japan and any recommendations around where to purchase?. I will be in Kyoto and Tokyo and perhaps go to Osaka & Kobe, so those are my options... Thanks Craig

Hi, I am heading to Japan via a 4 hour stop over in Hong Kong in early September, I'm thinking of getting a new 149, I live in New Zealand and the prices in our one MB store are VERY high, so I always try and pick up a MB on my travels ( 4 x 146's - Roller Ball, Ball Point, 2 x FP). My question is this...does any know what I would expect to pay for a 149 in Hong Kong airport or in Japan (whether that be a MB store or duty free at the airport?). I know that they can be purchased cheaper else where, but I like buying new and with customs and duties in NZ, not worth buying online as they end up being as expense as buying new here. Thanks for your help Craig