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Good day FPN friends! Its been some time since I’ve posted here but perhaps some of you may have read my reviews of Japanese pens in the past. My name is Nicholas and I write at www.inkypassion.com. I’m thankful that my site has given me the opportunity to meet many enthusiasts and enjoy unique pens. Many of you know that I have always had an interest in Japanese pens, and Maki-e was a natural progression – I trimmed my collection of over 40 pens to move to Maki-e because I really appreciate the fine artistry and craftsmanship. You can read some of my pen reviews on my site too! I have been photographing some pens from AP Limited Editions and I thought that I would share some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Anyway, AP was founded in 2006 by Andy and Smita Poddar. The brand produces Maki-e and Russian Lacquer art pens and has four collections which cater to different audiences – they include the Connoisseur (US$9000+), Writer (US$3600 – US$8500), Zodiac (US$2400) and Apprentice (US$800+). http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Zodiac%20R.jpg Recently launched was the Great American Bald Eagle Commemorative Edition, which commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the brand’s founding. The Maki-e version retailed at US$9500 (and it is sold out), but a Russian Lacquer version is available for US$4950. I am enamoured by one Connoisseur masterpiece - the Tree of Life, by artisan Kosetsu. The nine-piece Limited Edition shows how the brand has pushed boundaries (as compared to the traditional brands) and explored different cultural themes from across the globe. That said, not all pens from AP are like the Connoisseur – there are other collections at a more accessible price point. Pens I photographed in the Writer Series included the Chrysanthemum Crest, which features floral reliefs contrasted by gold flakes sprinkled onto lacquer, as well as the Hanakotoba, which is completely covered with delicate flowers. http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Writer%20Compilation.jpg The Writer Series will appeal to many people because of the abstract designs offered. My personal favourite is probably the Boy with the Ox - a depiction of Japanese Zen philosophy, it espouses control of one’s consciousness as the greatest form of mastery. It is fascinating that each pen is not merely aesthetically pleasing but also tells a story and pens like these inspire me each day to strive to high ideals. To cater to a wider audience, AP has launched the Apprentice Series, which the company says will soon be available online at wholesale pricing. These include Urushi models in plain solid colours and Tamenuri, which are perfect for those who wish to own a value-for-money daily writer. http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w143/nicholasyzh/Apprentice%20Urushi%20Compilation.jpg In case you’re wondering about writing performance, AP feeds are ebonite and their nibs are manufactured by bock. My personal experience is that the nibs are slightly springy, which makes for comfortable writing. The company says they will offer Soft nibs in future and I am excited at the prospect of a wider nib selection. The pens are filled by international converter. I hope that my post has been informative and you enjoyed looking at some of my photos of these pens - I'm not part of the company (I just do freelance photography occasionally), so if you are interested you can look them up on the web. If you have any tips on photographing maki-e pens, I would really appreciate it as well! Good day! Nicholas

Proudly owned my second Sailor, and this time the Professional Gear with 21k H-M nib. Thank you Japan.

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.

Hi I have query ... How can we buy Store exclusive inks from Japan... like Maruzen Are there any spotters or persons who can help???

Visited Parker's new version website for UK (USA site is same old one). On it, it seems that Parker is going to relaunch some more colors, both in bottle and cartridge, as earlier only washable blue, black and blue-black were mentioned (it is still same, there on USA-Shop Online site). Same has been changed for China and Japan as well.

In October 2015 I was in Matsue, Japan, and I visited Papylos21, which is a large pen and stationery store at the end of one of the shopping streets, near the river. They had a big selection of pens, inks and stationery, and the staff was very friendly. I only bought ink and stationery, and not pens, since that was not what I was looking for. I could see, however, that they had a wide variety of both foreign and Japanese pens. I met there with our member VirtuThe3rd, who has put up some videos about the shop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqF23K-pEoE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofujSJ2pXDQ

In October 2015 I was in Matsue, Japan, and I visited Nakaya Fountain Pen Shop, which is a small shop in a quiet area of Matsue. The shop has been run by the same family since 1918. Unfortunately I didn´t meet the current shop owner, since he was obviously busy in the workshop in the back (I could hear him working, through the open backdoor). I was serviced by a very kind lady, and we managed to understand each other, despite my broken Japanese. I only bought ink, and not pens, since that was not what I was looking for, but I could see they had a fine selection of both foreign and Japanese pens. Our member VirtuThe3rd has put up some videos of the shop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDlFkYhZPY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rD19uo_EPI

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

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.

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...

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.

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

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