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Sorry if this is in the wrong section, please move if it is, thank you! Are there any German users here who have ordered pens from Japan? I am thinking about ordering a Pilot pen on German eBay, but by a Japanese seller. It is so much cheaper than here, but of course taxes and customs ("Zollgebühren") have to be added (the seller says it is not included in price). Do you know how much I have to add for custom, taxes, Einfuhrsteuer, shipping company handling fees? I could not find "Füllfederhalter" (fountain pen) on the German customs catalog. The pen will be about 230-240 EUR with free shipping from Japan. I want to figure out if it is cheaper after all with all those extra costs (and the hassle driving to the customs office, filling out all these forms etc.) Thank you for sharing your experiences!

What is this pen? What is the brand / producer / origin? What model is this? This is a pen given to me by my father in early 80-ties. I used it for a couple of years as my every day pen. I cannot identify the producer nor the model. Must be produced somewhere in 1970-ties ot late 1960-ties? Much likely to be from China ? Maybe Japan? Maybe someone is able to read the signature on the nib?

Hi, I've put into one article some information how to start with urushi on fountain pens. - tools you will need (from surface to brushes and abrasives) - materials, types of lacquer - basic practice advice - "recipe" for basic tamenuri https://tamenuri.com/how-to-start-with-urushi/ I hope you will find it useful. Right now due to COVID it may be tricky to order some of these products. In Europe all of them are available at DICTUM. Japanese shops (Watanabe Shoten, Kato Kohei) will not deliver right now to most destinations (Japan Post suspended deliveries).

I just found this mini-documentary on YouTube and found it fascinating so I thought I'd share it.

On how the natural inks of Fumisome are created https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVD5elOiSYM

Hello! First of all, this is only my third review on FPN, so if you can please leave constructive criticism below! I would love to improve the quality of my reviews. The Pilot E95S seems to be like the least expensive gold nib pen that is consistently offered here in the U.S. . The only cheaper one I can think of is the Platinum PTL-5000A, which I would love if it was consistently offered in the U.S., but they seem to constantly discontinue it. So, this is a very popular first gold nib pen. It was my second gold nib, so I did get it relatively early in my fountain pen hobby. For a quick summary of the review, I like this pen. I don’t love it, but it’s is great value, and I definitely recommend it. Design and Build Quality (8.5/10) For the most part, this design is great. It is slim, but comfortable, has a great inlaid nib (which I love), is compact, but bigger when posted, and the feeling of capping and uncapping is great. But, Pilot’s black resin does not hold up to the little metal things on the inside of the cap that hold it on. It has fine scratches on it, which are pretty apparent. Now, I am one of those people who sort of like that, and don’t really want pens to look brand new, I want them to look like I used them. But I can understand how this can annoy some people. That’s why it’s a 8.5/10, instead of a 10/10. Nib Performance and Writing Experience (9/10) This nib is great. I have a fine nib, which is 14k gold and inlaid. It is smooth, and quite soft. I would call this a flex, semi-flex, or soft nib, but a quite soft nib. By that I mean that you can get some line variation, but not that much where you can use it for calligraphy, just a bouncy writing experience. The only thing is it is just a bit particular with inks. Both Noodler’s Walnut and Diamine Chocolate Brown were just a bit too dry for it, and it had some skipping. But all Herbin, Jacques Herbin, and Iroshizuku work great with it from my experience. With them the pen is not especially wet, but I wouldn’t call it dry either. With the writing sample, I used Jacques Herbin Terre d’Ombre, which is currently my favorite ink but might be replaced by Robert Oster Caffe Crema when that ink sample gets to me, and on 52gsm cream Tomoe River Paper. Conclusion This a great pen, and a great value! I highly recommend it. It’s really great! Little Note- It seems like every place I go to except for JetPens sells it as the Pilot E95S for $136, but JetPens sells it as the Pilot Elite 95S for $136 as well. Just a little thing. Edit- It was to commemorate the 95th anniversary of Pilot, but is not a limited edition. It also comes with the Pilot CON-40, but can fit the discontinued CON-20. Now the pictures: The second to last photo shows scratches on the barrel, and the last one shows the metal things on the inside of the cap.

Hi Everyone, Last year a pen starting popping up for sale in China that looks like a legitimate reincarnation of the discontinued but beloved Pilot 78G. The interesting thing is that this new pen, the Pilot 78G+, seems to only be for sale in mainland China. At first I thought it was another knockoff like the Wing Sung 659, but then I saw this on the official Pilot website for China. Scroll down to see a detailed comparison of the 78G and 78G+. In short, the major differences are that the 78G+ comes in 2 new colors (bright blue and bright red) and an EF (0.28~0.3mm) nib is finally available. If these EF nibs are nice, this would mean no more having to put a Pilot Penmanship EF nib in a 78G body. Also, the CON-20 squeeze converter has been replaced by the new CON-40 piston style. Before I take the plunge and buy one of these new pens, I wanted to know....do any of you have one of these and how does it compare to the original 78G? http://www.pilotpen.com.cn/upload/fckimage/image/1(14).jpg http://www.pilotpen.com.cn/upload/fckimage/image/2(2).jpg

Hello! I l've already posted this on the Far East section but I figured this is a better place to post this. I need help identifying these Pilot pens as I've searched everywhere with no luck. Also, sorry that the pictires are too lowres and have a watermark, couldn't do anything about that

This is a brand new platinum #3776 with medium nib fountain pen. Is the gap between the tines normal or bit much?

Dear all, (I hope I am posting in the right part of the forum. Apologies if I am not and, moderators, please help me move this message where appropriate.) TL;DR: This is about an issue with a 1970s Pilot Elite, Soft 18K Nib. I have never seen something like this before, but I suspect there is something wrong with the iridium tip of this pen. In plain English, I think it's missing. Could you please comment? Details: I just received a few pens from an eBay seller from Japan. One of the pens felt very scratchy on my thumb, so I started looking at its with 10x optics. Here are the photos, Figures 1-3, showing the nib overhead, sideways, and underneath, respectively. The original photo from seller seems to me to show the nib with tip, but I will not display it for now so I do not damage the reputation of the seller (which is high wherever I checked). My questions are: What do you think could be the problem? Is there a missing (iridium) tip? Is this reason to contact the seller and complain? What would be a typical request - money back? Is there any other way I could fix this? Can the nib be re-tipped? Who could do this and what would be typical expenses? Many thanks. Figure 1. Nib from above. Figure 2. Nib from the side. Figure 3. Nib from underneath.

Dear FPN'ers, This Grand Offer is for RANGA Handmade Pens Model 5 in Classic Ebonites and Premium Acrylics. The pens are completely handcrafted These are very Giant Size Pens. It is treat for Giant Pen lovers. .Ebonite is , highly beautiful , Durable, evergreen ,long lasting , Classic and favorite material for Pen lovers. It has Vintage Characteristics. Premium Acrylics are very attractive ,looks Gorgeous and appeals Visually very much. Model 5 is Cigar Shape Pen in seamless finish.It caps in less than 1 turn. It is clipless Pen. This Model is available in 120 colours now. Bock #8 Titanium nibs are available now in different line widths,. It is most sought after nibs among Fountain pen lovers. Ranga Model 5 and Bock #8 nibs brings the best of both the world to Fountain Pen lover's table. This offer is Valid till 15th December -21 Capped Length - Approximately 7 Inches Cap Dia - 19mm, Barrel Dia - 19mm, Section Dia - 14mm at Thickest part and 12mm at thinnest part. Making Time : 2 weeks Price: Base Price for Ranga Pens with Ranga Screw in nibs and German Converters: Premium Acrylic -89USD,Premium Ebonite :89USD, Regular Acrylic -69USD, Regular Ebonite -69USD You can upgrade it to plenty of nib choices with extra charge Shipping charges: Through Courier (Quicker delivery-4 to 9 days) .USA : 19USD, Central Europe : 15USD, Singapore/ Malaysia: 15USD. Rest of the world: It varies from country to country from 10USD -19USD. Kindly note that Shipping charges are very high, we bear the 50% of shipping charge and collecting the rest from customers. Payment: Paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com To book your pen, Please fill the below form . all details are included in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQtPfXpJh9XnDqbJ7M3oIDlVWzQPM0hir9T26blec3RqdZYA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hi Friends, Buying a new pen to deliver to Mike Masuyama for a cursive italic grind (~ .5 to .7)! I believe I have read most of the FPN threads dedicated to this topic (quite a few) and have arrived at two choice-point issues. Very grateful for any advice! My impression after reading the previous threads: Most posters prefer the Platinum 3776 on the strength of its nibs and lower price; but build quality is an issue. Sailor Pro Gear has the build quality but people are very iffy on the nibs, which are said to be scratchy. I would prefer to save the money with the 3776 but do not wish to get stuck with a tacky feeling pen. Issue #1 - Build quality of the Platinum 3776. Just how bad is it? Very grateful for any specifics. As for me: I dislike waxy finishes and barrels that rattle against the convertor when tapped (two reasons I am looking to replace my current daily writer--a Franklin Christoph Iterum). I sense these could be an issue with the 3776 but less so the Pro Gear. Issue #2 - Nibs on the Sailor Pro Gear (either 14 or 21K). Can an excellent nibmeister (like Mike) work around the major issues associated with these nibs (e.g., scratchiness) or are they indelible aspects of the alloy? Thank you!

Hello, We are writing to inform you of the service of our Chinese lacquer workshop. Our workshop named "Zhizhai". Our lacquer workshop in Guangdong that introduces traditional Chinese lacquer techniques. At the end of this year, we plan to have a fun project for fountain pen lovers. We are professional lacquer ware craftsmen. Our main works are lacquer ware and furniture, interiors of hotels and luxury cars. From time to time, at the request of a friend, I apply natural lacquer to their private fountain pen. We don't know how to use this site at all. Should I write in this comment section if I have an event for this fountain pen lover? If you know how to effectively inform us of an event, please let us know. We started Instagram with the help of Japanese friends because of internet regulations in China. Because Chinese lacquer techniques are little known in the world. In the future, we will post many rare Chinese traditional patterns on Instagram. And although they are mainly samples of authentic lacquer ware, we can express the pattern with a fountain pen. This is our Instagram account. @zhizhai_lacquer This is our website. We have prepared a basic knowledge page for real lacquer. Chinese lacquer culture uses so many colors, all of which are real lacquer. https://www.zhizhai.shop/ We look forward to your support and advice. Thank you very much for your interest in lacquer culture. Zhizhai Xiao Guan

Is there anyone who can help me make a purchase in Yokohama please? I would like to buy a Lamy fountain pen from a local shop but cannot find anyone to help me. Please let me know. Thank you

So I am looking into purchasing a Platinum 3776 Celluloid at some point and noticed some things that I have a few questions about, so, here they are: 1.) Why are some models so much more expensive than others? Like there is one over $1,000 and there is another for $382. Why? 2.) Are they real celluloid or cellulose acateate? 3.) Is PenSachi a “legit” retailer? It is a lot less expensive like most Japanese retailers, and I was wondering if any of you in the US have had experience with this retailer, I would appreciate if you valued tell your experiences. 4.) Do any of you have this pen? Do you like it? Thank you all in advance for your responses! I really appreciate it. W. H. Major

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

https://www.ancora-shop.jp/ So it looks like the partnership(?) between PLUS and Sailor is moving forward at a fairly rapid pace, with the first collaborative shop opening on March 26. Conveniently located in Ginza, this store seems to display a range of Sailor pens and inks - as well as the occasional ink workshop and product maintenance clinic event. Then there's the bunch of Sailor limited products such as the inks and birthstone gem pens (and I believe a PLUS stationary set as well). Hopefully someone in Japan will have a chance to stop by and provide a firsthand account.

https://bungu.plus.co.jp/special/feature/yozakura_collabo/ Well, I think most people who's been paying attention to the Japanese market have heard about the new relation between PLUS and sailor. It's no secret that many are worried about what's going to emerge out of this integration. Perhaps too early to tell, but at least this stationary set combining a notebook, ink, and pen seems OK for the price charged - and definitely targeting female users or as a gift set.

Dear FPN'ers , Ranga Pens wishes you all Happy Valentine's Day Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Here is what their recent Facebook post says: お客様各位： 誠に心苦しいお知らせをしなくてはなりません。 本日2月1日より長刀研ぎ万年筆と細美研ぎ万年筆の新規受注を一時休止させていただきます（受注再開は2018年6月頃を予定しております）。 ■「セーラーオリジナルペン先」製品の受注一時休止のお知らせ（PDF) 　（長刀研ぎ万年筆と細美研ぎ万年筆） 　 And this is a machine translation of the above: "Dear customers: I really have to do a hard hearted announcement. Starting today February 1st we will temporarily suspend new orders for long-sharpened fountain pens and fine sharpening fountain pens (We will resume ordering around June 2018). ■ Notice of temporary suspension of orders for "Sailor's original pen tip" product (PDF) (Long-blade sharpening fountain pen and fine sharpening fountain pen)" Seems like they are talking about Naginata togi and saibi togi nibs, eh? Hope all is well with Mr. Y. Nagahara.

What are your thoughts regarding sailor’s 110-th anniversary preparations ? What do you think they will announce ?

Hello all, I was lucky enough(and with generous enough relatives) to be able to procure a new Sailor Fairy Tales Vega pen for my birthday! I decided to try the medium fine nib as I have a Sailor F already and wanted a bit of variety. I was wondering what inks paired well with the Sailor MF nibs, and am open to color suggestions as well. Apologies as to the direction of the photo; technical limitations. Thanks for your input. I am writing a lot at this time so I can justify a new bottle of ink if necessary.

I wasn't 100% sure if I should start this thread in the repair or Japan forum. I chose Japan because it is not about repairing a Sailor pen but sending it to Sailor for repair. I thought I would post this thread to inform anyone interested of how the repair process for Sailor Pens works. I sent mine in for repair because I lost the friction-fit inner cap. This is probably a 10 cent part, but the only solution I could find was to send it to the factory for repair. After consulting the forums in this thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/347469-sailor-inner-cap-replacement/ I contacted Itoya -- the US Sailor distributor -- via their website: itoya.com. From there, I emailed returns@itoya.com and received this email: Hi Jonny, We can help facilitate the repair with Sailor. We as the distributor is not allowed by Sailor to do any sort of repair. All repair work has to be done at the factory in Japan. It is also Sailor policy not to send just parts for replacement. The entire pen has to be sent to Japan for evaluation. Even if you are just missing the inner cap. This is to ensure that the pen is in perfect working condition once the parts are replaced and repair is completed. Below is our repair process. You will be shipping your pen to our facility in California. Once it arrives, we will send this to SAILOR Japan. Once the evaluation is completed, SAILOR will contact us with a cost estimate which we will forward to you through email. If you authorize us to have SAILOR proceed, you are responsible for this amount plus a $20.00 shipping & handling fee (these charges are typically handled by credit card - we accept Visa, MasterCard or Discover). The entire process typically takes 10-12 weeks. If you decide not to proceed with the repair, the pen will be return unrepaired and your cost will only be the $20.00 shipping and handling. Please send the entire pen to ITOYA, at the address below. Reference on the outside of the package ######### for easy identification. Itoya800 Sandhill AvenueCarson, CA 90746 Here's the timeline so far for repair: Tuesday, July 9, 2019I sent the pen to Itoya via USPS. Friday, July 12, 2019USPS let me know Itoya received the pen. Tuesday, July 16, 2019I emailed Itoya to confirm receipt since I had not heard from them. Wednesday, July 17, 2019Itoya confirmed they had received my pen. Tuesday, August 13, 2019I have not received further communication from Itoya. I assume all is moving forward and my pen is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. I will update this thread as the process continues. In the meantime, I sent a pen to Franklin-Christoph last week for repair and have already received confirmation that it is in the mail back to me. I have also learned that Pilot has a repair tech in Lousiana. I love my Sailor, but I may choose Pilot for my next Japanese pen since they shouldn't require 10-12 weeks for a simple repair.

Background Here is a short review (and lots of pictures) of the Wancher Japan Blue limited edition fountain pen. This is a Wancher pen with Sailor base. TLDR - it is a beautiful made, striking pen whcih writes like a Sailor pro gear slim/1911 Std but feels more substantial (in a positive way) in the hand. It is a great collector's item as it is a limited edition, but also a very functional writer. Speaking of being LE, that is somewhat diluted by several repeat runs (I think 3 now). Packaging I personally don't care much for packaging, but a pen of this price probably warrants a good effort, which can double as display case. Wancher does not disappoint. The pen comes in a nice packaging which splits open from the middle to reveal the pen. Not much else is supplied except the pen, the converter and some papers about the pen. But this is nice understated display case which has my approval. Appearance & Design - The pen is, simply put, gorgeous and writes very well. The pen has a beaten aluminium body and cap dyed with real indigo flowers to provide an absolutely beautiful deep blue colour that veers to purple at some angles from the light. the hand hammered pattern is exquisite, and (according to Wancher) is meant to invoke the designing on the guards of samurai swords (Tsuba). The section is a black standard to Sailor's pro gear slim and 1911 Std pens. The finial has a sailor logo. there are 5 Chrome rings: at the top and base of the cap, before the section threads, and at the beginning and end of the metal part fo the barrel. The one at the bottom of the cap is a thick one (about 0.5 inch) and has the words "Oita made" and "Japan Blue" engraved. Here is a picture of the pen uncapped, with the nice (though for my tastes a bit small) Sailor 14K medium nib on display: There is no clip. This causes the pen to roll on a desk without a roll stop. It may have been a design decision to showcase more of that beaten metal pattern, but I personally don't think that a clip would be amiss. Some more pictures near the window (where the purple gleam comes through nicely : Construction & Quality The construction seems to be of the beaten aluminium tubes attached to an resin base. This means there is a step down at the top and bottom extremes where the aluminium tubes end and the black resin is exposed. Construction is to a high standard. Everything feels dense, solid and just right. there is a satisfying heft to it, which makes it easier to hold (though see my comments on writing comfort below). The only asterisk to this is that the inner cap liner disengaged from the cap and came with the barrel once. I had probably screwed in the barrel too tight on that occassion but this should not have happened. Nevertheless, after I firmly pushed the cap liner into place, it has never come off again. Weight, Dimensions and ergonomics I would call this a medium size, but weighty pen. The size dimensions (which are below) are very similar to a pelikan M600 or between a duofold centennial and international. However, the weight is higher than either because of the aluminium body (but still, I wouldn't call this pen heavy). Length/ weight (capped): 133.3mm (5.25 inch) / 36 gms (the website says 45 gms for some reason; but my pen definitely weights 36gms) Length/ weight (uncapped) : 122 mm (4.8 inch) / 19 gms Length (posted) : 163 mm (6.42 inch) The posting is not deep at all. The cap basically covers the exposed resin part at the very bottom of the barrel. But it is very secure as there is a clicking mechanism to hold the cap in place. The pen is longer and heftier than both its close cousins the Sailors pro gear slim and 1911 std. It is therefore more comfortable to hold than either. But not perfect, because : the pen is just about long enough to use uncapped, but I find it marginally small. However, I find it marginally back weighted when using it capped (the cap is almost half the weight, after all, and doesn't post deep)! Solution: to stop cribbing, and just get used to one of them! Nib & Performance It has the 14K smaller Sailor nib found in the Pro Gear Slim and 1911 Std. and mine is a M. It writes beautifully as expected of a Sailor, but like all their 14K hard nibs, there is very little springiness. There is that typcally Sailor 'pencil like' feedback, and the flow is good, without being gushing. The pen did write a little dry out of the box when I received it, and I had to work on the feed and nib a wee bit to get it just right. I don't mind, but a pen of this price shouldn't require user mod to work perfectly, especially since a lot of buyers will not be comfortable tinkering with such a costly item. Some writing samples: First with Pelikan Edelstein Topaz: This one with Lamy Azurite (sorry about the bleed through from the other side); which I think is the perfect shade of ink for this pen! Filling System & Maintenance – It has basic Sailor CC as filling mechanism; which as you know...em..works. But it doesn't hold much ink, which may disappoint some. I mostly don't mind as I like changing pens and inks often. Cost & Value – It costs about $ 550. The value will depend if you want an EDC, in which case you can get the same sailor nib and performance on a cheaper pen, such as any std. Pro Gear Slim or Sapporo. If you like this size of pen, a Pelikan M600 will generally be cheaper. However, if you like pens which are unique, made of unique materials, and still function as perfectly good writers, then this may appeal to you. Conclusion Beautiful pen and glad to have bought it. I wish they found a way to put a 21K sailor nib without increasing the cost and thickness (as I really love those); but it is still great as it is.

Hi, A story is quite typical for me. I get interested in something, the idea "cooks" for some time, and then blow and burns. And get another PhD in something, be it building a car, making DYI cosmetics, grinding nibs, and most recently - URUSHI. Instead of writing to much, I'll show some pictures. Below I'll try to explain what is it all about. My journey is being documented on my Instagram account : https://www.instagram.com/tamenuri_boru/ http://gakko.pl/piora/1.jpeg http://gakko.pl/piora/2.jpeg http://gakko.pl/piora/10.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/11.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/12.jpeg http://gakko.pl/piora/15.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/24.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/25.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/8.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/8.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/7.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/6.jpeghttp://gakko.pl/piora/3.jpeg