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Hello, I have a question: I just purchased a Namiki emperor and I am having a devil of a time finding a case for it. Any suggestions? Thank you, Maya

placed this order in June last year, took over 8 months to ship. And then, got stuck in Australian customs for a whole month....! a whole month... 30 days I'm not kidding. It's finally delivered. Can't stop smiling looking at this pen.

I have a little lunch time left and wanted to share a few photos of my new Nakaya with the goldfish roll stopper. The stopper is polished sterling silver and I love the look on the aka-temenuri finish. I was, however, surprised to see the treads were lacquered and not black metal as I'd seen on almost all other Neo Standards - a welcome surprise! The nib is a BB ground to left oblique cursive italic by John Mottishaw's team. Hope you have a great day!

Dear all, Hope your good. To any of you who have pens by Nakaya, I was wondering if you could help explain why these pens are held in such high esteem. In the UK, I have never seen anyone with one of these so have never had a chance to try one. Are they simply beautiful to look at or do their nibs in terms of writing experience justify their price, even over manufacturers like pilot and sailor? I saw a video about the painstaking methods employed in their manufacture, so I can appreciate the costs but I would me more inclined if along with this, their nibs were a particular pleasure to use. Is this in your opinion so? Thank you.

I just purschased this pen at the Ohio Pen Show and was wondering if anyone knew why there would be writing down the side or what it says. All of the other neo standards I have seen dont have any writing.

I have a Nakaya Long Cigar Aka-tamenuri. Do you know why there are white stains between the metal and ebonite in the grip section please? Is this supposed to look like this? It does not affect functionality but the way Nakaya is hyped up I was expecting perfection.

This week I picked up two urushi pens, a Danitrio Junikaku tame-nuri kama-nuri and this Nakaya Portable Writer araishu. I’m posting separately but there is overlap in the photos. The Nakaya Portable writer is a full-sized pen, very similar albeit a little longer and a lot lighter than a Pelikan M800. Pictured below (left to right) is a Danitrio Mikado, a Danitrio Densho, and the Nakaya. I’ve been eyeing this urushi finish for a long time. I finally pulled the trigger and when it arrived I must admit to being a bit underwhelmed. That said, the color is unique in my collection and is growing on me. It looks orange until it sits next to an orange pen. The name means laundry (arai) or washed red (shu). The idea of wabi-sabi applies I believe. Use a red urushi item long enough perhaps it turns to this color. I posed it next to a Danitrio with roiro shu urushi to show what a vermillion finish looks like compared to this color. Also, posed next to a Danitrio with roiro kuro (black) finish to help the white balance as well as a Danitrio with tame-nuri finish that has some darker reds than the vermillion pen. Anyway, the color is appealing but a bit mercurial. The perception really depends on the surrounding environment. There are clip and nib choices on this pen. I chose a gold plated clip and gold color extra broad nib. The clip is standard platinum/nakaya, good enough looking and functional. The Densho below has a #6 18k fine flexible nib, and the Mikado has a medium #8 18k nib. The 14k nib is similar to a Western #6 in size and has a great deal of tipping material. In this way it is very much like a Sailor Zoom nib or a Pilot Cosu nib. I’m not sure why there is so much tipping material backwards from the business end but it does offer several different writing surfaces. There is a degree of tuning just for me but it really writes best, and scrumptiously so, at a relatively low angle. In one of the photos you can see why; notice a bright reflection of light from a large flat surface at the base of the tipping material. The large, flat, smooth surface is a good recipe for ink flow but does not facilitate my normal grip. Despite my expectations based on my request for tuning I find this pen writes best when I underwrite versus overwrite (yeah, I’m a lefty). Having multiple options for writing angle makes this pen less than intuitive as there is no one specific spot that is ideal. The feed is plastic versus ebonite on the Danitrio. Packaging is the standard Nakaya paulownia wood box, pen sleeve (bukuro not kimono folks), and box of Platnium blue-black in cartridges (really?). All nice enough but the focus is on the pen. Compared to Danitrio, which uses very similar packaging the Nakaya is nicer what with little touches like the fancy paper box sleeve I have two other Nakaya urushi pens, a Long Cigar in tame-nuri, and a Cigar in kuro ishime or stone finish. Both are clipless. Both are freaking perfect in finish and nib tuning. Both were direct from Japan. By perfect I mean perfect, straight up flawless and incredible. This pen has some issues, let me detail them. I’ve already been over the nib. The nib tuning could have been a better match for me, but it’s a good nib. The ink flow, however, was another thing. I inked it up, wrote a few lines, and boom nothing. Had to shake it hard to start flow again. Vapor lock. Has not repeated but not a great start combined with less than intuitive nib. The finial is offset. See the pictures. The finial appears to screw on as I can look down the cap and see what appears to be a slotted screw. It either does not fit perfectly or was offset when swapping out the clip for the one I wanted. Mostly, it looks like the finial does not fit perfectly. The offset exposes a sharp edge that I reckon predisposes the urushi to chip. Also, it does not look that great for what is an expensive pen, and it does to feel that great. It's not a fatal flaw but I did expect better. Then there is a blemish in the urushi on the section nearest the threads. Can be seen to various degrees in the attached pictures. To the naked eye, or at least my prebyopic eyes, the blemish is almost invisible. Almost. Again, this does not meet expectations. I’ve gone back and forth between keeping it and sending the pen back. Right now I’m at keep. Next few days should tell.

My older Nakaya & Platinum pens have friction-fit nibs and feeds that make it very easy to clean the pens, and to exchange nibs between pens. This year I picked up a new Nakaya Piccolo and a Platinum 3776 "Shungyo". Both of the nibs are very securely fitted, and seem difficult to remove. Can anyone advise, please, if it's possible to remove the newer nib and feed assemblies without using excessive force? Any help or advice will be appreciated

Whilst browsing for my Nakaya Dorsal Fin Version 1 earlier this year at nibs.com, I happened to spot a Naka-ai in Ama-iro finish, which also happened to be “in stock”. *Incidentally, I love the new "in stock" page at nibs.com, and the ability to check out there and then. After all, I am not the type who is able to put in an order with Hakase, and then patiently wait 16 months for my creation to be painstakingly built from scratch. Though I fear it wont be long before I pull the trigger on one of those beauties....I think I could just about stretch my pennies to a Jade, though the one I'm REALLY after is the Water Buffalo with solid gold hammered belly roll-stopper and teardrop clip... Anyway back to Nakaya. I have always thought the sky blue of the Nakaya Ama-iro looks so cheerful and optimistic. The Ama-iro was offered in the Naka-ai shape. I had not seen the Naka-ai in person before, but had read it was quite a substantial size, with a comfortable section and an attractive tapered shape. I quickly decided I would go for a Double Broad Stub nib and with Rhodium-plate this time. With hindsight, I would have had the nibs the other way around- the BB nib in the Dorsal Fin 1 and the Broad CI/Stub hybrid nib in the Naka-ai. Here is the Naka-Ai with its fellow Nakaya's. Left to Right: Naka-ai Ama-iro, Dorsal Fin 1 Ao-tamenuri, Portable "Thick" Ao-tamenuri... Here is the Naka-ai with some of its urushi brethren from Danitrio...I wish I had lined up the pens from the bottom to give an accurate indication of height, oh well... View from the rear… Is it me or does the Naka-ai nib look ruthinium instead of rhodium? I’m sure I asked for rhodium, and it says Rhodium on the box- see here… However, I see they described my Dorsal Fin 1 as the Version 2. I can’t tell if the nib is rhodium or not as I do not have another nib in this finish. Either way I think it looks good. Here is a close up of the nib… Yup, looks ruthinium to me. Verdict: I really like the shape of the Naka-ai. The tapering is very attractive and it is also a very good length- same as the Dorsal Fin 1 but shorter than my 17mm Portable. The section as you can see from the pictures, is shorter and narrower, but I find it very comfortable to use. The Nakaya nib also looks more in proportion on the Naka-ai because of this. Some people have said the nib on the 17mm looks too tiny in proportion to the section and barrel. I don’t agree, but definitely the Naka-ai looks more harmonious. The colour of the Ama-iro is exactly as I would like it. It’s not really a bright sky blue like some I have seen, but more of a natural colour, quite sober, austere and to my liking. Not an in your face blue. I have read somewhere that Nakaya take their urushi colours from nature, and if you want a custom colour, you have to pick one from their massive list of “colours of nature” pdf. I like this idea. Quite in keeping with the Nakaya brand. The nib? Oh. My. Days. I asked for a Double Broad Stub with a “heavy” ink flow. It does not disappoint. The smoothness of this stub is like no other stub nib I owned. I currently have it filled Ishida Bungu, Hakodate Twilight, which only accentuates the smoothness even further. Here is a blurry writing sample... Needless to say I am happy with it. I am very pleased with the Nakaya's I purchased this year. My pen budget is now well and truly spent. Next year? Who knows, Blue Dragon…

Here is a quick review of my new Nakaya Dorsal Fin 1, Ao-tamenuri. Having managed to escape both 2016 and 2017 without a single Nakaya purchase, I was not so lucky in 2018. I bought two Nakaya’s in a frenzy in early February. I was idly browsing the nibs.com website one day when I stumbled upon my grail pen…the Nakaya Dorsal Fin Version 1...and in the discontinued Ao-tamenuri finish! I have been drooling over this pen since 2014. I knew I had to pounce and didn’t have much time to consider nib options. I quickly opted for a ruthenium- plated Broad Stub. I clicked the buy button and waited. After a few back and forths with Classic Fountain Pens about the approximate colour of the Ao on the Dorsal Fin (I was worried it might be green vs teal blue), both pens were shipped within a few days. My Nakaya arrived about a week later. Here is the Dorsal Fin Version 1 in Ao-tamenuri… Very stealthy looking and shark-like. I’m glad I departed from the gold- colour nib and went Ruthinium this time. The shape of the Dorsal Fin 1 is actually much less pronounced in person than in pictures I have seen. It actually looks very similar to my Ao-tamenuri 17mm Portable. *I noticed Nakaya have started calling the 17mm Portable as the Portable “Thick”. I’m not sure thats really selling the design Here is a picture of the pen capped. The Ao-tamenuri colour is perfect, that cool teal that makes you think of deep Japanese waters. The fin allows for a nice sliver of Ao finish to come through. Here it is capped, lounging on another sea creature… In addition to the sharks fin, the other differentiator between the 17mm and the Dorsal Fin 1 is the tapered barrel and pointy end. If it wasn’t for the Fin in the cap, it could actually pass for a beefed up Naka-Ai. Now there’s an idea… Here it is from the rear… Nib: I asked for a hybrid cursive italic/ stub for my Dorsal Fin 1. I had selected the cursive italic, and then elaborated in the “additional comments” section that I wanted it as smooth as a stub. Basically a stub but with a thinner cross stroke. I opted for a “Medium to Heavy” ink flow, then specified 8/10. I’m not sure if that is “Medium- Heavy” or “Heavy”. All I know is I did not want “dry”. Here is a close up of the Ruthinium- plated Broad nib… Here is a moody picture… Verdict: I am extremely happy with this Dorsal Fin Version 1. The Ao-tamenuri finish is exactly as I like it and the barrel is nice and fat and comfortable to write with. Do I wish I got the Dorsal Fin Version 2 instead? Well aside from it not being available and (ahem) more expensive, I quite like the shape of the Dorsal Fin 1 in the Ao-finish, as it more closely resembles a shark. A very expensive Japanese shark. Which is cool. The Version 1 model’s single fin curves outwards like a fat shark fin, whereas the version 2’s double fin model curves inwards to more resemble a Katana, or Japanese sword. The benefit of the 2-fin model however, is you get an extra slice of Ao on the barrel. I may well be tempted by one of these in the future, if it magically appeared at nibs.com, Aesthetic Bay…but hopefully not this year as my pen budget is well and truly spent. The only slightly negative thing I would say about this pen is the cap is much lighter than I expected. It’s much lighter than the 17mm and its shorter too. That seems strange as the Fin is created by adding multiple layers of urushi. I believe this process takes about 6 months to achieve. I would have thought all that urushi would add some weight. To me it seems like it has less urushi on the cap than on the barrel. But I could be imagining things. I will try to get some weight measurements. The nib is perfect with a good flow and the requested additional smoothness to the cursive italic Broad. The ruthenium-plating looks great. All in all, a grail achieved. I will not be parting with this pen I think, ever

Hi: I am a new member of the forum, need help from you to identify the Nakaya Pen that I owned, the length of the Pen is 128 mm, like their older model , it stated Nakata in the nib , please help, thank you

Does anyone have one? Ive been kicking around the idea of picking up a Nakaya for years but in ebonite/urushi. That seems more fitting to the Japanese art of pen making. I would absolutely love to pick up that titanium Piccolo as well but the price completely mystifies me. They are going for roughly $1k without options! Hundreds more than a urushi Naka-ai! There are a few titanium pens in my collection that are in the Japanese style but those have been no more than $200. I understand you get a great gold nib with the Nakaya and a clip but am I missing something here? I dont believe Nakaya does any special finishing to the pen. It looks to be left in a machined finish. Im just trying to understand what I would be paying so much for in the titanium pen. I also get Im paying for the name as well but my impression is that the titanium pen doesnt follow any traditional Japanese Pen making skills that most people are willing to pay extra for. Im completely mystified here. Couple snaps of the Nakaya followed by my Namisu. Please help me understand!

Just curious about this. Who would win the battle of the HOLY GRAIL or FLAGSHIP Pens? .) Visconti Homosapiens/Divina .) Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 .) Pelikan M1000 .) Sailor King of Pen .) Anything from Nakaya Give me your take on these pens and if you have other suggestions, please chime in. Who knows, maybe one day I would have on of these (At least I hope so).

My new Nakaya 17mm Portable Cigar String Rolled Aka-tamenuri with an EF nib. This is my favorite Urushi finish/color. It is also the first Aka tamenuri finish I've owned with Urushi on the threads. My previous pens had exposed Ebonite. http://www.zanerian.com/Nakaya17mmPortableCigarStringRolledAka-tamenuri01.jpg http://www.zanerian.com/Nakaya17mmPortableCigarStringRolledAka-tamenuri02.jpg

My new Nakaya Piccolo Housoge Kuro tamenuri with an Extra Extra Fine Nib arrived today! http://www.zanerian.com/NakayaPiccoloHousoge1.jpg http://www.zanerian.com/NakayaPiccoloHousoge2.jpg

Has anyone purchased OR tried a Nakaya with Metal Threads? I am curious about the added weight. Thanks, Joe http://www.zanerian.com/NakayaMetalThread.jpg

I am at a fork in the road. The sign on the left reads "Decapod;" the sign on the right reads "Decapod Twist." I have been using measurements from Nakaya's site to gauge the fit of the Twist. According to the chart, the Decapod seems to be one of the lighter models at 17g, while the larger Twist weighs in at 20g, the same as a Portable or Piccolo. Based on photos, it seems ever so slightly longer yet substantially thicker than the Decapod. I enjoy a slim, lightweight pen. For reference, I would say the Portable is ideal. I also have a Naka-ai, which I find a bit on the heavy side. For those who have owned the Twist, how would you compare its weight and girth to other Nakaya models? If you could have a fresh start, would you purchase a Decapod or a Twist?

Hello Everyone, I received my Nakaya Decapod Writer with the EF Nib. I tend to write small and thought the EF Nib would be a perfect fit. Unfortunately it felt dry and very scratchy. I am going for a Nib change and wanted some suggestions if medium stub would be fine enough or should I specify the size while asking for the customization? What is the minimum size I can get in a medium stub such that it does not feel scratchy Please give me your suggestions on the nib.

I still can't control them properly but every day I'm getting more comfortable writing with them: flexible nibs - or whatever you want to call them. Not so many years ago, when one came in my possession, I just played a bit with it and then sold it on as soon as possible, trying to avoid the disappointments of my hamfistedness. All of them were on vintage pens; my first modern pen with a flexy nib was a Pilot Falcon - a lovely pen but using it I realized what other, more knowledgeable people meant when they remarked that modern nibs are just elastic. More recently, my first Nakaya was a Long Cigar with an elastic medium nib. I loved the pen and on a good day writing with it was like caressing paper with a brush but on a bad day I had difficulty controlling the nib. Still, I persisted and I think that it was thanks to this pen that I became more interested in vintage flexible nibs, to the extent that I not only have quite a few of them but also that quite often they're the ones I want to write with. A month or so ago, on an impulse I also got a Marlen Aleph, with a similar nib to the Nakaya but in steel. Naturally, I compared them to each other and to a couple of vintage pens that happend to be inked at the time. The conclusions: firstly, I'm faviourably impressed by the Aleph. Initially I found the nib rather too hard (probably because I was used to the quite soft Nakaya) but after some time it grew on me. Secondly, the Nakaya is a great pen but not one I should keep (in fact, as I'm writing this, it's on its way to another FPN member). I simply can't get enough line variation with it. Thirdly, when it comes to flex, vintage seems impossible to beat - and it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I've just put a Waterman nib in a Jinhao pen, using the Jinhao's feed, and despite the improvised manner I did it, it works amazingly well and is moreover an excellent starter.

In Japan's oldest prose narrative the tale is told of a poor old childless woodcutter who spies an unusually luminous bamboo stalk one day. Cutting it open he finds a small baby girl inside about the size of his thumb. He takes her home and cares for her with his wife tending to her every need also. Each day as he goes out to cut wood and bamboo, every cut he makes reveals a small nugget of gold. Before long the poor old woodcutter is a very wealthy man, but as the tiny baby grows into a full sized beautiful adult he tries to hide her from the world. Over time though, people passing through catch a glimpse of this rare beauty and her fame spreads to the point that the woodcutter and his wife can no longer keep this beautiful woman hidden from the world outside....and so the tale begins. Nakaya surely needs no introduction here. It is often considered to be the gold among a sea of worthless bamboo - at least, that is the impression I had. Rarely are Nakaya's sold on the second hand market. You see a lot of Montegrappa's, Omas', Montblanc's and all those other 'high end' pens for sale in what seems like a steady flow. Nakaya's - not so much. I took this as an indicator that people who bought them tended to hold on to them; a good sign perhaps. I mulled over it for a long time before committing to buy. In fact, I mulled over it for so long that the double dorsal fin version I was looking at went out of production only to appear in production again about a month or so before I got my pen. Grrrr. Let's get down to specifics. All dimensions for this pen including prices and other specifics can be found on Nakaya's website or on nibs.com, so I won't repeat them all here. This is the Long Cigar (large version) with a soft fine nib (the call is flexible). It is in the Heki-Tanemuri finish; a kind of slightly opaque chestnut brown with a lime green underlay. The size is beautiful, the girth is perfect, the urushi lacquer is a work of art. It is a beautiful thing to look at with the seam of the cap meeting in the middle of the pen. There was a concern expressed a little while ago (perhaps a year ago) that the lime green of the HT finish was a little more faded and dull than when it first appeared. I can assure you that this is not the case here. The lime green is vivid and pleasing and works surprisingly well with the brown. The urushi over ebonite makes the pen warm to the touch and has a pleasant silky feeling. I thought the pen would be very light, but it isn't, and the balance isn't perfect either. I think this is down to the metal insert at the feed and grip which houses the converter. The converter is a standard type; nothing special at all. The pen does post securely, although many will tell you that this will damage the finish over time. I'd like to see evidence of this because I thought that once urushi cured it was an incredibly robust finish. The finish will wear over time though, loosing much of it's sheen and revealing some more of the green underneath, so perhaps posting may create a distinct green ring. When posted the pen is ridiculously long, but owing to the lightness of the cap, doesn't pose any concerns about balance. I love the look of this pen. The urushi in this colour has a natural appearance that just sums up that Japanese aesthetic regarding nature. It matches my expectation of Japanese craftsmanship of finding intense beauty in small things; although this isn't exactly a small pen! It has a simplicity and depth at the same time, which to me is very appealing. The threads are satisfyingly stable and secure and like the step they are not sharp or irritating. It's not a perfect finish and does have blemishes and slightly more opaque spots and bits where there seem to be more green. I like that aspect of it, but if you are the sort of person that likes a pristine and uniform design and finish to your pen, this will likely do strange things to your sanity. Did you hear the massive 'but' coming? But....... Many reviews will tell you that the nib is smooth. Many will tell you the flexible nib is a semi-flex and there are even youtube videos that demonstrate this. Many will tell you that Nakaya's run finer that Western nibs. I'm afraid I am about to dispute all of that. Initially my purchase was of a fine flexible nib. The term 'flexible' seems to be used in the most creative sense. Frankly I cannot get this nib to show any significant (or otherwise) expression at all. I've seen the youtube video and I honestly don't know how they get the nib to do that. I knew the nib wasn't a flexible nib and I read enough to know it might get close to a semi-flex, but in reality, my experience (with two nibs as I will explain later) was that it had no expressiveness at all - at least, not to the human eye. The nib has a sensation of a little bounce and does feel pleasant in this regard when writing. It doesn't feel like it's a firm nib and certainly not a nail. But as far as flexibility and expressiveness go; there is nothing, nothing at all. Nakaya nibs can be tailored to fit your needs. I have a tendency to prefer gushers because I write with a very light hand. The request went in for a fine nib (in the hope of an extra fine) with a very heavy flow. When I got the pen I was shocked to find that I didn't have an extra-fine (as was my expectation) but I received what appeared to be a very, very fine needlepoint. I instantly hated it the moment it touched paper. Out of a collection of just under a hundred pens (many of them truly junk) the Nakaya nib soared effortlessly to the top of the most unpleasant. It made a lot of noise on the paper. Even on Clairfontaine and Rhodia, the nib caught, staggered and juddered over the page. It felt unusually scratchy and I thought there must be something wrong with this because I literally could not write with it, yet this was a specially tailored nib. I persisted. And persisted. Eventually I had to admit defeat; I just didn't like it. Thankfully, Nakaya offer a nib exchange. Off it went again to be swapped out for a medium nib. I managed to do this with only a few days left before the opportunity ran out. The pen came back with medium flexible nib fitted, tailored to be extra smooth and with a heavy flow. It must be noted the pen is not a gusher and it disappointed me in this department. But the real disappointment was in discovering that the even the medium nib has this hugely unpleasant feedback. The size up eliminated some of the scratchiness, staggering and juddering on the page but it is still very noisy on the page and it isn't particularly easy to write with it with a light hand. It still wants to grip the paper in a very peculiar way to the extent that it can have quite a negative effect on your handwriting. The medium nib also turned out to be a medium - as in a western medium. The step up from the fine nib to the medium seemed to my eye to be huge! It still has no flexibility or expressiveness to speak of and in all honesty, what I thought would turn out to be one of my best nibs has turned out to easily be one of the worst. It's a slightly painful lesson. I have a pen with a medium nib that I can use a little easier than when it had a fine nib, but it's hard to shake the enormous sense of disappointment about it. I used to question people who said, it is all about the nib. Now I completely understand. The mis-match between its beauty and its nib is simply too great for me to be able to bridge. My advice; if you are thinking of buying a Nakaya do everything in your power to test drive at least two before you buy. My geographical location meant I couldn't do that and I paid for it.

Well, it took me about two and a half months to go from weighing the merits of the Metropolitan vs. the Safari, to relishing the performance of my Pilot Custom 823, to thinking, "Hmmm, ya know, these Nakayas are *really* nice."

Hello FPers! A friend of mine will be heading to Japan sometime in April; and I was wondering if the Nakaya pens may come a bit cheaper for me without having to pay for customs and shipping. Are their retail stores in Tokyo that sell Nakaya pens? I was looking at the briarwood pens- any idea what's the retail price in Yen? Thanks, T.

It's been a long time since I've published a review, perhaps because I waited at least 2 years to purchase this pen. Let's face it, $850 is a bit to spend on a writing utensil. Was it worth it? Yeah, it makes me want to sit and write stuff. Pen: Nakaya Portable Cigar String-rolled Shiro-tamenuri, soft-medium nib Date Reviewed: Feb 27, 2016 LOVE * The balance and feel (uncapped, I wouldn't cap this pen) * The rather flexible nib & responsive inkflow * The sheer handmade beauty of the construction and finish. COULD BE BETTER * Feed can be a bit finicky, I had to ship the pen back to Nibs.com to have them readjust due to skipping. It seems much better now, but we'll have to watch and see. * Very expensive. OVERALL It's difficult to write about this pen. I admired it for several years before purchasing from Nibs.com in December. I prefer a bit of flex when I write and I know Japanese nibs run fine, so I selected the soft medium nib. A perfect choice; it can write very fine or with broad strokes. And the Diamine Terracotta ink shows the nib off perfectly! Using this pen is a creative and spiritual experience. Ink flows as my thoughts flow, both heavy and light--it makes me want to sit and write. The packaging is pure Japan. An elegant wood box with a felt liner and the famed pen "kimono." The shiro-tamenuri finish is chocolate brown, which is fitting, since I'm a chocolatier. It's also glossy and smooth to the point of near frictionlessness. Nonetheless, the pen is light, well-balanced, and easy in the hand. The string rolling is finer than I expected, but sets off the subtle color variations that shine through the lacquer. The nib looks beautiful on the pen. The handpainted "Goldfish" converter is hidden, but I love knowing it's there! When I first received the pen, it wrote beautifully, but once a day the ink would quit flowing. This seems to be an issue with the feed. I returned it to Nibs.com for free re-adjustment, and the nib now writes even more responsively than before. The problem seems to be fixed, but I'll have to wait and see. No question that it's an amazing writer, though. I'm a left-handed underwriter, by the way. With light to moderate pressure, the Diamine ink dries quickly, so I don't worry about smudging. I suppose this isn't really an in-depth review. There are plenty of sources to learn about how Nakaya's are handmade by a small team of Japanese craftsmen, about how the urushi lacquer is applied to achieve the silken glossy finish, and about the history of the company. This is about writing, though. I write a lot. I can empty my eyedropper-converted Kaweco in just about a week. And I write with some pretty decent pens. My current collection includes a Visconti Opera, Namiki-Pilot Fermo, and a few others. The Nakaya makes me want to write more.~Rich

I've been lusting for Nakaya Decapod Heki-temenuri for years. As it's well beyond my price range, I'll probably crave for it for the next few years. You can't always get what you want but sometimes nice things come your way. This Nakaya was sent to me to try by a fellow FPN-er. I had a chance to write with some Nakayas before - during polish fountain pen afficionados meetings and enjoyed the experience. I can understand that some people may consider Nakaya to be overhyped brand (and they're probably right) but for me their designs are perfect. I find these pens elegant and eye-catching. The pen I received is Long Cigar Kuro-tamenuri. "Tame" means "pool" and "nuri" refers to the lacquer coating process. It's really possible to see through the layers of clear urushi lacquer and that is supposed to make you feel as if you were looking into a pool. Wajima artists use "shu urushi" (red color) for the base urushi on the barrel, and "shu-ai-urushi" (semi-transparent brown color ) for the finish coats. The black color is mixed in shu-ai-urushi for Kurotame-nuri. When the process is finished, you can still see the base surface of red urushi. This pen looks stunning - shape, size and the feel in the hand are perfect. It's big pen and that's perfect - I prefer big fountain pens to small ones. The Cigar has a round body, tapers slightly to the smoothly rounded ends. Also there's no clip and I think that most Nakaya designs work better without a clip - nothing spoils elegant and minimalistic lines. Cigar is made from some good quality ebonite - the barrel and cap feel thick and beefy. The cap is round and smooth, ending in a fairly thin lip. Slightly indented section that ends in a ridge just before the nib looks very nice and sits comfortably in the hand. The step from the body to cap threads to grip is gradual, and doesn’t really get in the way. A variety of grips can be used without discomfort. Nib I expected to be amazed by this nib. Surprisingly I'm disappointed. I simply don't like the springy feel this nib give. Usually I enjoy springiness but that's not the case here. I think others might enjoy it but this nib wasn't made for me. I believe Nakaya is the only modern pen brand that offers a wide range of elastic nibs. Most of them are made elastic by some nib shoulder cutouts. The feed does its work well and is able to keep up with the ink flow needed for a semi-flex nib. Filling system This pen is a cartridge/converter pen. It uses Platinum cartridges and converters. The pen comes with a single converter. Dimensions Weight: 25.0g Length: 166 mm Max diameter 15 mm Summary Contrary to common belief this pen isn't a museum piece made to be kept in cabinet. In a way it's a piece of art, I agree, but it writes well and feels too good in the hand not to be used. This pen -as any other Nakaya - will make you undestand why Nakaya's are so revered. The warmth of the barrel, elegant shape, perfect balance would make of it a great every-day pen. Sure, it would be every day pen you wouldn't want to roll off the desk and the one you may have tendency to obsessively keep an eye on. As I dislike this particular nib my overall impression isn't extatic but it still is positive. But then there's the price. Well, I do realise coating ebonite with urushi lacquer takes some time and the effect is really nice BUT price / what you get ratio is a little bit offf-balance. Let's say it out loud - this pen is overpriced. I appreciate the craftsmanship but still I think that price close to 900 $ (with all modifications + taxes) is very high.