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  1. Hello Fellow Members! Attached are photos of custom pens created by master pen maker, Bill Scharinger, of BJ's Crafts. They have a 6 mm, JoWo nib/feeder. The woods incorporated are of premium quality, and for this project we selected Quilted Sapele and Bethlehem Olive Wood. The beauty and depth of the wood cannot be appreciated in a photo, but are most evident when held in the hand. Also available are striking acrylic/resin pens. People who purchased after I referred them to Bill have been overwhelmingly satisfied. Like me, they are enjoying these custom-made (not mass-produced) writing instruments! I can personally guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at the prices. If you would like more info., please contact Bill directly....bjscrafts76@gmail.com The purpose is not to commercialize the post, however, whenever I do post Reviews, many inquiries are received, and thus the decision was made to mention contact/other info. I am obviously a very happy customer, but am in no way business-affilated. Thanks.
  2. freakman

    Merry Christmas From Omas

    http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh34/frenzyman01/IMG_5126_zpslpuldgoz.jpg Ordered this for myself directly from OMAS and it was delivered this morning. Will write a review later. Definitely one of the best OMAS creations!
  3. There is a wise catch-phrase coined by the seminal 90s British sitcom Spaced. "Skip to the end." And so I will: This is the single best pen I have ever owned, ever held, ever used. It is so good that it has made me believe - maybe just a little bit - in the old, oft-told myth of The One Pen. There. Good. I uttered the sacrilegious words. Now that they are free and I am free too we can backtrack a bit (as I take a deep breath) and I can attempt to explain how this little cylinder of rosewood, ebonite and gold caused the furnaces of hell to freeze to ice. As some of you will remember, this is not my first Hakase. The first - a rather fetching buffalo horn torpedo - confused initially, before wrapping its tentacles firmly around my heart. This pen too came as something of a shock (no, slow down - I am getting ahead of myself), but even then there were no, even fleeting, feelings of disappointment. I had long wanted a wooden pen and after being gently guided through the options by Hakase's Mr. Ryo Yamamoto, I slowly narrowed my choices to the shape (flat-top), size (large) and wood (rosewood). I paid my deposit and began my wait. The photographs I recieved from Mr. Yamamoto in answer to my questions - 1. l-r: buffalo horn torpedo, RW15C, RW10C; 2. l-r: ebony, rosewood, cocobolo http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8245/8453562872_0895dd1ae4_c.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8454014328_d5e5fd7e28_c.jpg The pen arrived with little fanfare as all Hakases do: a small wooden box wrapped in the company's steel-grey wrapping paper. Open the paper, pull the lid off the perfectly-fitting box and there was the pen. It was, and is, absolutely gorgeous. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5332/9291677875_14717ca64c_c.jpg http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/9294461724_e30aaa18ab_c.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5451/9291690423_71cb73d81f_c.jpg The shape is highly unusual but deceptively simple - a large cap worked to a slightly conical summit allied to a voluptuous barrel that narrows to an abrupt end (where the signature Hakase production date is carved into the wood). This allows the cap to post comfortably and securely. The pen, though large, is light and comfortable, and is is perfectly balance whether the cap is posted or not. Only the gold roll-stopper breaks the clean, unadorned lines. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/9294417512_51ffeb0247_c.jpg Although the pen is exactly what I expected, some details still manage to surprised. Google translate being what it is, I intended to ask Mr. Yamamoto how one could possibly fill, empty, clean and care for a pen constructed entirely from wood but could not reduce the question to sufficiently simple syntax. Not that it would have been necessary, for the apparently wooden section turned out to be the most glorious, warm, sensual ebonite, polished to a lustre that would make even the old vintage gods of yore weep. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/9294426386_d224a96b57_c.jpg The wood itself as I wished: it smells deep and sweet and organic and is pockmarked with veins and crevices and seams. It feels as I expected the buffalo horn to feel: rough and intimate; perfectly flawed as only a once-living, experiencing thing can be. It has been masterfully worked, from the hand-carved threads that screw on and off with the faint rubbing sound of rope being fed through an old loom, to the nearly imperceptible join where the cap's hollow section and rounded top meet. http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2831/9291638983_01167814e7_c.jpg The furniture is as to be expected of Hakase: solid, hand-beaten 14k gold. I understand from Mr. Yamamoto that white gold and sterling silver are now options but I cannot think of a single Hakase model that would benefit from a more monochromatic palette. As my buffalo pen had a circular nipple roll-stopper, I chose a pyramid for variety, and I am glad I did for it seems to catch the light and gleam in a more three-dimensional, more dramatic, way. Hugged lovingly within its trough, the band is neither loose nor tight and I find myself absentmindedly rotating it around the barrel as one would a wedding-ring on a fleshy finger: smooth as olive oil and hypnotically satisfying. Reassuring even. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/9291648137_16a2a0c5f8_c.jpg Nib, converter, feed: all Pilot. Off-the-shelf, yes, but of the highest quality nonetheless and perfectly integrated. For this pen I requested a fine nib and once again Hakase delivered. It is without a shadow of a doubt the single best nib for me and my illegibly cramped style of writing that I have ever used. Even by Japanese standards its line is fine, but it is so consistent and predictable, so smooth and forgiving of angle and pressure, that I have not been able to put it down. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/9291640201_2457222466_c.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/9291637557_c24549a04a_c.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9299899748_67982fbe0e_c.jpg I have an obsessive methodology that governs my writing. Ever since I began work on the second first draft of Unpublished Novel #1 ™ I have changed both pen and ink every day. This was not only an excuse to amass and horde, it had at its root a practical purpose. Not all writing days are created equal, and altering the visible signature simplifies the thankless transcribing process months later. General rule: if a colour (day) begins eloquently, it will most likely remain eloquent. If not, skip ahead to the next colour (day) and fill in the blanks later. This simple regimen has remained unbroken for nearly five years, through two and a half novels and countless edits and rewrites. Until now. Since I received this pen, held it in my hands and first filled it with Iroshizuku Shin Kai, I have used no other. This is not out of necessity - I am not currently travelling (even then I carry between three and seven pens) and I have over a hundred pens and probably a good deal more inks easily to hand. No. I have, quite simply, not wished to use another pen. Size comparison - MB149, RW15C, Buffalo Horn Torpedo http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7382/9294428972_69eaea5cae_c.jpg To add insult to injury, the price is also shockingly resonable. No, you're right - calling a pen that retails for ¥162,000 (~$1,600) good value is a sure sign of insanity, but stay with me. First, because of the lack of embellishments (read: gold), this pen is several magnitudes cheaper than most of Hakase's creations. Then, when we remove immediate family from the contest and look at alternatives based upon price, all are big brand variations on a mass produced theme. And so the question becomes: would you rather pay for a fancy finish (raden on an M1000 for instance), elaborate gratuitous embellishments (MB POA 4810s, themselves 30%+ more expensive), or a unique, handmade product of singular skill and obsession where your fingers can sense the love and attention in every touch? Before we reach the foregone conclusion, allow me a brief addendum, for I bought a Hakase case with my pen and must include at least a mention in this review. Outsourced to these people, it is constructed of the most beautiful fragrant leather and is crafted as immaculately (and with the same methods, last and all) as hand-made shoes. Although I ordered it as a separate entity, it has been custom-made (without me asking) to fit this pen and this pen only. There is no strip for a clip (visible on the website here), and a little hole has been cut at exactly the height of the roll-stopper. It holds my pen, and my pen only, perfectly and it is impossible to appropriately describe how lovely it feels to have the pyramid slide into place and to see it poking out through its rabbit-hole into the light. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3767/9294445330_4ee178e111_c.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5460/9291636735_d11edc8c2c_c.jpg But forgive my brief digression, for now we've returned full-circle back to where we began. This is the single best pen I have ever owned, held or used. It is so good that it has made me believe, maybe just a little bit, in the old myth of The One Pen. Perhaps now you will understand why.
  4. First I would like to thank Hari for sharing details about his bespoke Sandalwood Fosfor. His post was the push I need to go ahead and take the plunge. I have been an avid follower of Manoj's work from the beginning and now this pen is a thumping confirmation for me that Fosfor pens have arrived! I received it today and here are a few pictures made in receding light; cannot wait to ink it up.... http://i.imgur.com/Mlbybvx.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/16rVQ42.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/AfxEasS.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/1aZ9gJE.jpg?1http://i.imgur.com/52lF4qN.jpg?1
  5. Hey Everyone, Many of you responded to my post "Win one of 7 new high performance flex pens" a while ago, and I was very pleased you took the time to reply to such an exhaustive survey. Well, I've been working like a dog making a lot of mistakes these past few months, and at last, here are a few ideas in the form of flex fountain pens I think you'll enjoy. You've probably already seen the writing samples I've posted in the poll posting, so I won't burden you with another one here. User testing was very positive so far. Now, we get to talk about design. Please go to the company Facebook page, and "Like" the pens you like the most on this photo: http://tinyurl.com/plo63t6 Otherwise, chime into this thread with what you'd like. I want to make these pens affordable, so if you're lusting after 14k gold flex, or lots and lots of metal in your pen, you'd probably be better off going vintage. That said, I have lots of ideas I want to make, and your comments will significantly help me refine my thoughts. The webstore is on its way, and if you like what you see, please comment!
  6. jasonchickerson

    Desiderata Mercury Flex Pen

    Introduction This is a review of the Desiderata Mercury flex pen. After seeing a couple of photos on FPN about a year ago, I knew I’d be getting one someday. When I saw that only one or two pieces were available on the website and no new products were in the works, I decided now was the time. After just a few days with the pen, I am really happy with it. Hopefully you’ll find this useful if you’ve considered one of these great pens. http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/jasonchickerson/_FUJ6507.jpg Desiderata Mercury pen, Purple Heart and Cherry woods First Impressions I’m sorry to start off on a low note, but here we are. Customer service and product presentation are definitely the low point in what is ultimately a great buy. Pierre ships once per week on Fridays, which I understood when I made my order. Pierre emailed me a week later stating he was unable to ship my pen until the next Tuesday as he was preparing for a pen show. When Wednesday rolled around, I emailed Pierre for an update. He responded that he was too busy to ship it and would send it as soon as he could. It suffices to say I was not impressed. In the end, it took two delays and 16 days to receive my order, though it was sent Priority 2-Day Mail. When the package arrived I (mostly) forgot about all that, so you’ll forgive the lack of a proper unboxing photo. Product presentation is a divisive subject. Some people like lots of heavy packaging, wrapped in tape and plastic. Personally I don’t see the need for a pricey box I’m going to stick in a closet or throw away. Still, while not necessarily indicative of high quality, great packaging suggests such. My pen arrived unceremoniously wrapped in brown kraft paper. I’m glad Pierre didn’t go overboard with the packaging, but some people might prefer some kind of presentation. Design and Construction What Pierre has done here is to construct a feed/section assembly that makes it possible to use (disposable) calligraphic dip nibs in a fountain pen body. His design works very well, and in normal (slow) flexed writing, performance is very good. Occasional railroading will occur when writing too fast or at the wrong angle. This is not a fault of the pen, however. Calligraphy is meant to be written slowly. http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/jasonchickerson/_FUJ6512.jpg Desiderata Mercury pen, parts exposed The Desiderata Mercury fills with a simple but effective sac. To fill, one must remove the body from the section, exposing the sac. Depressing the sac to create a vacuum, submerging in ink, then releasing will give a 3/4 fill. Pierre provides instructions via a YouTube link on how to get a complete fill, if that is important to you. The pen holds about 3.0ml of ink. Overall, I find that the relatively crude filling system does not detract from the experience of using the pen. While I would balk at any other pen filling in this way, in a calligraphy-cum-fountain-pen, I find it more than appropriate and actually prefer it over a converter setup. Although Pierre does pens of other materials, the Mercury turned from wood. Mine is Purple Heart and Cherry wood with (I believe) an ebonite feed and section. The quality of the wood is very nice. While the color combination of Purple Heart and Cherry would not be my first pick (it was the only option when I purchased mine), woodwork is well done and the pen is beautiful in its simplicity. If scrutinized, I can see the lathing marks, but for me, this says handmade and not low quality. The wood is well-sealed against staining and the hand-cut feed on my pen looks the part and keeps up with the high flow requirement of the Zebra G nib. The nib/feed fits precisely into the section with high tolerance. As another reviewer pointed out, the major failing of the Mercury is in the finishing. When unscrewing the pen for the first time, the threads between the cap and the body showed fine curls of ebonite left over from the cutting of the threads. This causes resistance when replacing the cap. The same is true of the threads between the section and the body. These could have been easily removed and this finishing would improve the apparent value of the pen. Nibs The Mercury is designed around the Zebra G comic nib, which is a good, solid nib that is well-suited for calligraphy and drawing. The standard nib is chrome-coated and a titanium-coated nib is available. If you are unfamiliar with calligraphy dip nibs, I suggest you buy a few G nibs and a suitable straight holder and see if this is something you are interested in before you purchase a Desiderata pen. The experience is very different from using a standard, modern fountain pen nib or even a vintage super flex nib. Fountain pen nibs, even those capable of a great deal of flex, are much, much smoother than writing with a true calligraphy nib. The Zebra G, like all other nibs of this type, will seem very scratchy to the uninitiated. Some tinkering with the nib/feed assembly and insertion depth may be required before you get the perfect flow for flexed writing. The pen is compatible with a number of other nibs, including the Goulet, Pilot and Nemosine nibs. I purchased a Nemosine Broad nib with my pen and it wrote a very wet line when tested with a notably dry ink, Rohrer und Klingner’s Scabiosa. http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/jasonchickerson/_FUJ6514%20copy.jpg Desiderata Mercury pen with titanium Zebra G (left) and Nemosine broad (right) nibs Cost and Availability I purchased my pen at www.desideratapens.com. Pierre is a one-man show and his website is the only place you can get his pens. My pen cost $100 and was a “second.” The regular price for these pens is $120. That is, when you can get one. Like any hand-made item, manufacturing is slow and these sell out fast. Ask Pierre when he’ll be making new pens and he’ll happily point you to his extensive FAQ, which basically states, “who knows.” At the time of this writing, there are no pens available. However, you can sign up for the mailing list if you want to be apprised of new stock availability in the future. http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/jasonchickerson/_FUJ6519.jpg Copperplate sample with Rohrer and Klingner Scabiosa ink Conclusion Aside from initial hiccups with the ordering process, I’m very impressed. The pen does exactly what it is supposed to do, which is provide a dip-free calligraphy experience. This will not be a pen for everybody, or even for most people. It is finicky, requiring a precise positioning of nib/feed for proper flow, and I’m not sure I’d trust it in my pocket. But for carrying in a bag to the coffee shop for a little copperplate practice, I could not be happier. http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac209/jasonchickerson/_FUJ6520-1.jpg Get Well Card, drawn with Desiderata Mercury pen, Parker Quink Black and Iroshizuku Chiku-rin inks on Original Crown Mill Pure Cotton paper
  7. rberg6868

    Pen Block

    I do a little woodworking of my own and I really liked the work that Mike Dudek at clickypost.com does so I decided to try making a block of my own and this is what I came up with. I started with two pieces of walnut, one longer than the other that I glued together, then planed down. I made a couple of mistakes with keeping the holes in line but, c'est la vie. I overestimated the size of holes that I would need for my bigger pens so I wouldn't include the larger holes again. I realized that I had included too many of the largest holes so I cut the last row of them in half to make a kind of an architectural detail. I loved Mike's idea of a slot for my journal but I also wanted a narrower slot for correspondence or cards, that was why I made the whole piece longer. Mine doesn't have the kind of architectural bauhaus simplicity that Mike has designed into his but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. If you are interested you really should check his out at http://clickypost.com/the-store-1/ (No affiliation, just inspiration)
  8. Hi everyone, this is my first review. I'm doing it because I have purchased a pen that has a history and also has emotional significance for me because of where the material used to make it came from. Name: York Minster 13th Century Firewood Oak handmade fountain pen Price: £49.99 from www.yorkandbeyond.com (no affiliation) who also have an ebay store. The pen is also available from www.yorkminster.org Overall performance: quite smooth (fine nib) Video of my review at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Nf0kFbO48 The pen is made by a Yorkshire craftsman using 800 year old wood from York Minster that was reclaimed after the fire there in 1984. York and the Minster mean something to me and so that is what motivated my purchase. The pen came in a large white cardboard box embossed with the seal of the Archbishop of York. Inside the box was a book (and I mean book) about the Minster and the fire as well as a certificate of authenticity from the Dean of York Minster. The pen came with a standard international cartridge and a standard international converter, a velvet pen-slip and a spare nib (so I have a fine and a medium gold-plate iridium-point german nib for this pen). The pen is capped and posted via a screw mechanism (the capping process was a little stiff). There is a large polished black, pointed finial (stone or metal?) on the cap which also has a large cap ring with a thin piece of the same black material embossed on it (it may be 2 thinner cap rings separated by a thin piece of the black material. The section is gold-plate to match the rest of the trims (which are also available in chrome and gunmetal finishes) and is a lot thinner than the barrel and cap (but not as thin as on my Waterman Hemisphere 10 which I find to be too thin). I have compared the fine and medium nibs supplied with the pen. Both are fairly smooth. The fine nib offers a bit of feedback which I find helpful but felt a bit on the dry side when using Waterman Florida Blue. The medium nib is considerably smoother, wetter and a joy to use. It feels a privilege to be touching history every time I use this pen and it was purchased for its history and to pass on when I'm not here. The fact it is so pleasant to use is an added bonus. Friendly and fast service when buying this pen and which helped make a contribution to the ongoing restoration and upkeep of one of the UK's finest cathedrals (no affiliation). Best wishes James
  9. TassoBarbasso

    Wooden Pens: How To Make Them Shine?

    Hi All! I have a Pilot Custom made of maple wood with a really nice grain. However, I would really like to make the wood surface a bit more shiny. I don't want to apply any paint or chemicals, I was just wondering if there's a way to polish it till it looks a bit less dull. thanks, Fabio
  10. This is my first review on this site. I think reviews are a great resource for others doing research on pens, and I’d like to give back. I am reviewing a Spalted Oak wooden pen, handcrafted by Ryan of Ryan Krusac Studios in Georgia. I bought this pen from him at the recent San Francisco pen show. I honestly just could not pass it up. Background: Ryan Krusac Studios is a small shop that makes hand crafted pens out of various beautiful woods and horn. Ryan puts his efforts into the carving and decorating of the organic materials and uses quality metal furniture and German nibs. His fountain pens come in various sizes and materials, mainly using #5 and #6 sized nibs. (He also creates rollerballs, whatever those are!) Ryan also does a lot of scrimshaw work and hand paints a lot of pens. One other great aspect of working with him is his willingness to do customized work at a reasonable price. I encourage you to look at his website and see what is on offer. It was there that I first saw his body of work. I do try to support artists and this was a nice aspect of the purchase process for me. I appreciate getting to speak to craftsman and understanding more about their craft. I can confidently say that Ryan is a passionate person who truly enjoys what he does. He has a good sense of humor and is very approachable. I would not hesitate to do business with him again because he showed me (through a few dealings after the show) that he has a high level of integrity and customer service. The pen I picked: It is one thing to see a pen on the internet and another to see it and touch it. When I saw the Spalted Oak pen in the large body size, I was taken by the beauty of the wood. Spalted wood occurs when a fungus gets into wood and adds color before it starts to decompose. It tends to happen in dead trees and it is most noticeable in lighter hard woods. If you get to the wood in time you can have the wonderful coloration without loss of integrity in the fibrous structure. After handling this pen, there was no loss of integrity! The pen is a cartridge/converter filler. It came with a converter and I filled it right when I bought it. I generally prefer piston fillers, but the converter works fine as I think the pen is a little heavy for me to write more than a cartridge at a time. The pen came in a velvet sleeve which is all I really need. I think if you order on-line you can get a fancy box for presentations, but I was happy not to pay for a box I don’t need. Fit and finish: The quality of this pen is top notch. The transition between the wood and the metal portions are smooth and pleasant to the touch. The barrel and cap are completely smooth and I cannot find any areas where the wood surface will splinter due to flaws. The pen had a matte finish to the wood, which works really well for me. Hand oils will keep the wood supple enough over the course of the year, but you can always add a little olive oil to the wood. The wood layer is good and thick, and I do not have any concerns about it standing up to normal usage. If the pen does split for some reason, Ryan stated he can take care of the issue. The metal appointment on pens in this price range can be pretty horrible. I am happy to report that Ryan has found good components. Most of the hardware is rhodium plated except the end caps and cap band which are black titanium. The designs are understated and I find them pleasing and not overwrought. Ryan marks his studio logo on each pen. I personally like that it is not overdone, but I might prefer it on one of the end caps because I think it is pretty good looking. The nib is German made and marked Dayacom. It is smooth but very firm. The nib is medium and write a little on the thinner side. This is one area where I’d like to see more exciting options. While Ryan offers a good assortment of sized and 18K gold options, I am going to look into adding a better nib to this pen. I think the wood is amazing and deserves a better nib. The standard nib is very serviceable, however, and this is just me being a fan of big nibs (like the MB #9). The cap screws on with a few twists, maybe 2 rotations. This is a fair amount, although I think the Graf von Faber Castell pens set the standard of easy on and off for me. (Visconti has a nice groove system on some of its new pens too.) The clip seems fairly robust and I don’t doubt it would hold the pen securely, but this pen is so heavy it is not for fancy shirt pockets. Overall impression: This is a big, beautiful and heavy pen. If you like wood pens, I think Ryan’s work is excellent and a great value for the money. I will use this as an everyday carry pen in my office.
  11. shuuemura

    Hakase Cocobolo Flat-Top

    Hakase Cocobolo Flat-top The Hakase Cocobolo resting in its paulownia box. The calligraphy on the box is done by the mother of the current owner of Hakase, Ryo Yamamoto. Yamamoto-san is the grandson of the original founder of Hakase. Introduction As a lover and user of Japanese pens, owning a Hakase pen has been my goal for the longest time ever. Ever since I read reviews of this brand four years ago, I fell in love with the mystique of a small family-owned shop on the west coast of Japan churning out hand-turned custom pens, one every day. They have no distributor and in order to purchase a pen, one has to either order in person or send in a form with a sample of your handwriting, your writing/grip preferences, and your choice of pen material and design. With the waitlist previously two years long and now shortened to approximately a year, Hakase pens are not something you can simply walk into a shop and buy! At this rarefied level, everything is custom and Hakase can accommodate most preferences. Pen materials include ebonite, celluloid, buffalo horn, different exotic woods including rosewood, cocobolo, African kingwood, sandalwood, ebony and more. They also offer real tortoiseshell as a pen material. Metal trim on these pens is usually solid 14K yellow/white gold or sterling silver, although gold-plated trim is also an option for the budget-conscious. Finally, urushi lacquering is available but will add to the time needed for pen construction. Hakase uses Sailor- and Pilot-made 14K gold nibs and converters for their pens. I scour the auction boards regularly to look for Hakase pens, but had so far been unable to obtain a suitable piece for my collection. So this year I finally bit the bullet and ordered myself a buffalo horn Hakase pen with the works. Imagine my surprise when this particular specimen came up for sale two months into my wait period! I couldn't resist but purchase it. See how the wood grain lines up nicely when the pen is capped. The metal trim on this pen is all solid 14K yellow gold. Pen construction Hakase pens are expertly hand-turned with a manually-operated lathe (see video posted by VirtuThe3rd) and handling a Hakase pen makes one deeply appreciative of the workmanship that goes into crafting each pen. On this pen, it is immediately apparent that the cap and barrel are crafted from a single cocobolo wood scantling (read: wood blank) and the cap and barrel have been threaded so that the wood grain will line up when one of the thread starts is used to cap the pen. I love this attention to detail that Hakase brings to their pens. The metal trim on this pen is all solid hand-wrought 14K yellow gold which goes well with the minimalistic design of the pen. The date code on this pen is 012014, meaning January 2014. Each pen comes with a date code, tastefully and subtly engraved on the barrel end. This particular pen was made in January of this year. The tapering of the barrel end allows one to post the cap securely, although for now I prefer to use the pen unposted. This pen has almost the same length as the Pelikan M800 capped and uncapped/unposted, which was a pleasant surprise to me. It has approximately the same mass as well, weighing 30 grams capped and 18 grams uncapped, comparable to the Pelikan M800 which is 29 grams capped and 21 grams uncapped. The Hakase is almost the exact same length of the Pelikan M800 capped and uncapped/unposted. It is just a bit shorter than the Montblanc 149 on the right. Comparison of the Hakase to the Pilot Custom 845 and the Namiki Yukari Royale. The Hakase is shorter than the other two pens but slightly larger in girth. I include the Pilot Custom 845 and the Namiki Yukari Royale in this review because of their extensive similarity to the Hakase pen. The Custom 845 and Hakase use essentially the same nib, while all three pens depicted above come with the CON-70 converter. Hakase usually includes the silver trim CON-70 converter with their pens; I have outfitted my Hakase with a spare black CON-70 converter instead. Not much to say about the CON-70 converter except that it has a high capacity of ~1 mL and it works well. Note that the section is made of SEM ebonite from Germany instead of Nikko ebonite and the wood grain ripple pattern blends well with the cocobolo barrel. Ebonite is the perfect choice for constructing a section which will be occasionally dipped into ink during refilling of the pen. The Hakase uses a Pilot CON-70 converter and a Pilot-made 14K gold nib with the Hakase logo. The section is made from wood grain ebonite (SEM ebonite) which can be safely immersed into ink during filling. Writing experience This nib is purportedly a fine size, but had been adjusted to give more of a medium-broad line. I was taken aback at first during my first filling with Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo, but have since grown to enjoy the luscious line of ink that this pen leaves on paper. My favourite nibs are the Namiki Yukari Royale medium nibs because of their springy feel, responsiveness to pressure, and extensive shading characteristics, but this pen writes extremely well too, putting ink down at the slightest pressure. Glassy smooth is an apt description for this nib. I have seen very little shading with Tsuki-Yo ink, allowing me to use this nib on paper that would normally give bleed through with other pens (such as the paper currently used in the TOPS and National Brand Computation Notebooks). Notice the similarity of the design between the Hakase 80th anniversary nib and the Pilot Custom 845 nib! The two-tone nib on this pen is part of the limited edition run of 100 nibs made to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of Hakase. Notice how similar the design is to the Custom 845 nib? Honestly I feel that Hakase should have arranged for an original design instead, but since I bought this pen pre-owned, I can't complain too much. Conclusions Hakase pens keep their value and are very hard to find on the secondary market. I particularly enjoy the fact that I'm using a pen that very few people will recognise or even own. These pens are not the most expensive out there, but are valuable because of their relative scarcity and the knowledge and craftsmanship that goes into making each pen. Finally, this pen has sated my current desire for a Hakase pen, and I look forward to receiving my buffalo horn Hakase soon!
  12. I've gotten some fresh bamboo pieces that look to be the right size for experimenting with pen-making, and was wondering about the best way to sure and work it. I've heard that you can cure it by standing upright for a while (very susceptible to the housemates-tossing-it-as-garbage problem), are there any quicker ways, like drying in the oven? Or are there any other forums, books or other resources that are helpful for starting to work with bamboo? Thanks, W P
  13. Hi, I recently bought this lovely fountain pen with wooden barrel and fine nib. I found its picture on internet as well but I have no idea about the brand. It takes international cartridges and it rights only 'iridium point Germany' on the nib. I would be happy if you can help me find the brand. http://justwrite.com.au/justwrite8/images/products/rosewoodfpbpwc_3.jpg
  14. GTOZack

    Laniers Pens

    ive been looking at many 'small" shops that produce pens i stumbled upon Laniers Pens, the selections of pens there are gorgeous, wood, stone and some precious stuff. I think everyone should check it out sometime also anyone have experience with the company? i am considering buying one of the wood pens there http://www.lanierpens.com/Default.asp
  15. InvisibleMan

    Redwood Lace Burl Richland

    I finally took this pen off of the planning board and made it. It is a large sized Richland made from redwood lace burl and black resin. This is a retirement/going away gift for somebody at work. This isn't my favorite wood by far, but as redwood trees are part of what this area of the country is known for, I thought this would be a meaningful material for this pen. I look forward to getting back to my resin The wood has some mineral staining on the barrel, which is either a positive or a negative depending on preference. I wrote this up on my blog if you care to read a bit about how it is made. I'm also happy to answer any questions here. Comments/critiques also welcome as always. 14mm triple start cap threads #6 JoWo nib http://www.pensbylyleross.com/richland-3---redwood-lace-burl.html http://www.pensbylyleross.com/uploads/1/2/6/0/12608908/1030864_orig.jpg?77 http://www.pensbylyleross.com/uploads/1/2/6/0/12608908/1551211_orig.jpg?123 http://www.pensbylyleross.com/uploads/1/2/6/0/12608908/1146933_orig.jpg
  16. farhanc

    Wooden Frankenpen

    Hello I am making blow filing wooden fountain pens . I was thinking of using Mahogany for the pen. Do the member of the forum think Mahogany is good wood or is something else better to make an elegant pen. I look forward to the discussion on wood choices for my pens. Yours Farhan





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