Sign of the times?

[QM2]

For quite a long time, this board was dominated by people enthusing over their Nakaya pens. Today, when I signed in, the top 5 threads are all about Danitrio pens! I was wondering why this is - is it because Danitrio are offering something Nakaya doesn't? More unique designs? Or is the price point better? Since I have both, I suspect it isn't the quality of the finish nor the quality of the writing. What are your thoughts?

 

Everything cycles, pretty soon there will be something else new to come to the top and be discussed. Discussions ebb and flow, it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

I agree with this. People start posting beautiful photos and there is a contagion effect, in which a seller such as Kevin also plays a role by offering more pens in response to popular demand.

 

During my 2 years here, I have seen several frenzied explosions of both Nakaya posts and Danitrio posts. They come and go.

[Titivillus]

... it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

 

K

HERETIC!

 

I have owned a Genkai, 2 Mikados, whatever the smaller one is called and a Mae West. So I think I'm in a good position to say this.

 

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

 

[Lloyd]

... it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

 

K

HERETIC!

 

I have owned a Genkai, 2 Mikados, whatever the smaller one is called and a Mae West. So I think I'm in a good position to say this.

 

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

Currently, I own neither a DT nor a Nakaya _{(I have a Platinum ribbed)}. I was joking...no need to defend your logical stance.

[Titivillus]

... it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

 

K

HERETIC!

 

I have owned a Genkai, 2 Mikados, whatever the smaller one is called and a Mae West. So I think I'm in a good position to say this.

 

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

Currently, I own neither a DT nor a Nakaya _{(I have a Platinum ribbed)}. I was joking...no need to defend your logical stance.

 

Not defending just expanding Some people seem to have opinions about pens that they never have owned :embarrassed_smile: I just wanted to add that I've owned these latest golden children and am now looking for the next best pen

 

K

 

[Lloyd]

... it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

 

K

HERETIC!

 

I have owned a Genkai, 2 Mikados, whatever the smaller one is called and a Mae West. So I think I'm in a good position to say this.

 

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

Currently, I own neither a DT nor a Nakaya _{(I have a Platinum ribbed)}. I was joking...no need to defend your logical stance.

 

Not defending just expanding Some people seem to have opinions about pens that they never have owned :embarrassed_smile: I just wanted to add that I've owned these latest golden children and am now looking for the next best pen

 

K

Actually, I've owned several raw DTs (Denshos & Takumi) but none of them wrote properly for me regardless of Kevin's best efforts. I love my Platinum but don't currently have the $$$ for a Nakaya.

 

[Titivillus]

Actually, I've owned several raw DTs (Denshos & Takumi) but none of them wrote properly for me regardless of Kevin's best efforts. I love my Platinum but don't currently have the $$$ for a Nakaya.

 

Nakayas are nice but I think the wait builds up the expectations and I'm not sure any pen could equal that! That's why I sold mine.

 

K

 

[winedoc]

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

 

You are entitled to your opinion of course, and with any brand, there will be fans. This is nothing new. Something special to me may not be special to you, and vice versa.... and that's why we have many sub-forum here for fans of particular brands.

 

Do let us know when you find that special pen

 

Kevin

[xmattxyzx]

... it isn't something special about Dani Trio.

 

 

K

HERETIC!

 

I have owned a Genkai, 2 Mikados, whatever the smaller one is called and a Mae West. So I think I'm in a good position to say this.

 

D T, the new flavor but nothing special.

 

 

K

I thought you gave the Mikado you reviewed a practically perfect score.

[Titivillus]

I thought you gave the Mikado you reviewed a practically perfect score.

 

Yes and over time the honeymoon faded.

 

[Titivillus]

You are entitled to your opinion of course, and with any brand, there will be fans. This is nothing new. Something special to me may not be special to you, and vice versa.... and that's why we have many sub-forum here for fans of particular brands.

 

Do let us know when you find that special pen

 

Kevin

 

Why thanks for allowing me my opinion :roflmho:

 

I was not disparaging Dani Trio just saying that the site cycles through pens and manufacturers with Dani Trio being on the top of the list now.

 

Pilot might be next but there is nothing better no worse that caused DT to peak now.

 

 

As for that special pen well I'm thinking that an OMAS Lucient 360 might be it but I have to buy one first to find out!

 

K

Edited April 9, 2009 by Titivillus

[QM2]

I currently own two Nakaya pens (with a third on the way) and three Danitrio pens. All I can say, is that it is really amazing that two manufacturers using basically the same materials and techniques, as well as drawing inspiration from the same cultural resources, can be so different. Each fills a distinct niche in the FP world.

[TheodorAdorno]

I have 5 Nakayas at last count - each worth every day that I waited for them. The ordering process wasn't flawless (my last order they completely screwed up and I was only informed once they'd started making the pen...not pretty) but they try to help the best they can bearing in mind the language barrier. The pens themselves are beautiful, stunning pieces. The nibs are generally quite good but do not take my breath away like my experiences with Sailor nibs.

 

I will soon be joining the Danitrio ranks (finally!). I have to agree with everyone else when they say that Danitrio is excellent purely because of winedoc, Kevin is fabulous to deal with. No language barrier there he's helpful and informative so buying a Danitrio is a much speedier and painless process. I have to wait until the end of the month to receive my pen so I can't comment on it here. However, it is in the minority in my house at least (it will still be Nakaya 5 - Danitrio 1 for me).

 

Like Feiye I'm eagerly awaiting (2) Danis and I already have 2 Nakayas

 

My reason for going for the Danis was a much cheaper urushi experience than is possible with Sailor (the uber-nibs of which I am still planning on obtaining) but with hopefully more expressive nibs than Nakaya ...

 

I think Nakaya pens are really beautiful but I agree with Feiye that the nibs are a tiny bit bland/insipid (and both of mine were Mottishawed so they're as good as they're going to get).

 

If you asked me which pen I'd prefer to look at and hold - Nakaya over Sailor every time.

But if it's a question of writing - Sailor over Nakaya.

 

I'm just hoping the Danis prove to the best of both worlds - a very expensive experiment I'm now involved in!!!

 

best,

 

Paul.

[winedoc]

Why thanks for allowing me my opinion :roflmho:

 

I was not disparaging Dani Trio just saying that the site cycles through pens and manufacturers with Dani Trio being on the top of the list now.

 

Pilot might be next but there is nothing better no worse that caused DT to peak now.

 

 

As for that special pen well I'm thinking that an OMAS Lucient 360 might be it but I have to buy one first to find out!

 

K

 

You are welcome

 

Trends come and go, people change their tastes, that's part of the life, so no disagreement here.

 

I still kept a few Omas because of nibs were done by nibmeisters and I like the way they write. I have tried 360 and personally can never get use to the shape... It is not made for my hands :roflmho:

 

Kevin

 

[QM2]

Interesting to read the comments about Nakaya nibs. For me, the nib (when adjusted properly) is one of the best spects of Nakaya pens. Partly this is because Nakaya nibs come in the tiny sizes I crave, whereas Danitrio nibs run wide. And partly, it is because I simply like the feel of them -- again, when adjusted properly.

 

If I had to describe the positive assets of both products, it would be something like this:

 

Nakaya:

. graceful shape

. subtle and complex aesthetic experience

. nibs appeal to me more

. I prefer their style of the tame-nuri finish

 

Danitrio

. medicinal/ chiropractic properties (they relieve pain in my hand, I swear!)

. the unique design of Mae West -- no equivalent "wow" shape is available from Nakaya

. available in raw ebonite

. I prefer their style of hana-nuri (distressed) finish

 

I should add that I prefer both Nakaya and Danitrio urushi over Sailor and Namiki urushi any day.

 

 

Edited April 9, 2009 by QM2

[MYU]

Accessibility does play a role... As Lloyd pointed out, Danitrios are quick to obtain while Nakayas are made to order (unless you're buying used) and thus require more time to obtain. And of course, having Kevin (winedoc) on the board frequently presenting images of his beautiful Danitrio pens helps them sell more so than Nakaya (no one from the Nakaya camp has taken interest in doing so).

 

The recent benefit for Nakaya was John Mottishaw sharing US representation, so their pens are even more accessible than before to English speaking folks who are a little uneasy about dealing directly with Nakaya. And I have to believe they have made many more sales that way (and about time).

 

I think there is also a pricing factor... Nakaya pens tend to cost more for the equivalent non-customized item (size, materials, details). I do not know how it works out with customized pens, but have to believe they are pretty close.

 

The last big differentiation is with the nibs. You get a little broader range of nibs to choose from with Nakaya (such as very flexible and extra-extra fine). Nakaya nibs tend to run in Japanese sizes while Danitrio nibs are closer to Western sizes.

 

 

Granted, there will be shifts in attention... for a while it was Nakaya, and now its Danitrio. But I think it's more than just an ebb and flow that will cycle around. While a few people bought Nakayas and promoted excitement about them, Danitrios were in the background because we didn't see that much activity about them. The lack of pre-made Nakaya pens meant that someone would post about ordering their Nakaya, and then it would be something like 3-6 months later when they'd finally get it. Then winedoc stepped up his offerings of Danitrio pens... pre-made, so you get them shortly after purchase. The quick turn around makes for easier attention. Finally, you get a few people on FPN with the finances to make multiple purchases and writing reviews about their pens after purchase, the attention swells even more so (and now there's a user founded group called "Danitrio Fellowship").

 

I think we'll see Danitrio leading the attention ahead of Nakaya for a long while... unless we get a Nakaya representative on board, or there's a coincidence of a few Nakaya buyers that also do some attractive writeups to revive Nakaya interest. Even in a down economy, there are always people with money to spend on luxuries. Hopefully there will remain enough to keep Danitrio and Nakaya in comfortable revenue. Or... might we see a slight decrease in prices to drive more business? Hmmmm...

Edited April 9, 2009 by MYU

[QM2]

Granted, accessibility does play a role in purchasing trends. But personally, I think that the product should not be confused with the buying experience, and so I try to keep my opinions about the two things separate.

[QM2]

I think there is also a pricing factor... Nakaya pens tend to cost more for the equivalent non-customized item (size, materials, details). I do not know how it works out with customized pens, but have to believe they are pretty close.

 

Unless something has changed drastically since my last order, Nakaya custom-ordered urushi pens typically cost less than Danitrio custom-ordered urushi pens. The only time I have seen Danitrio urushi cost less, is when already made pens are offered by Kevin at clearance prices on FPN. But if we compare custom made vs custom made, it is my understanding that Nakaya urushi is less expensive. To be fair, this may have to do with the fact that Danitrio pens are simply larger, and require more materials to be used and more labor to cover the larger surface.

 

When it comes to maki-e however, I believe that typically Danitrio is less expensive. However, this is much more difficult to determine than urushi prices, due to the unique nature of the work on each pen.

 

 

 

 

 

[dudleian]

Sorry, I was just enjoying writing with my flex sub Nakaya. Did I miss something

[winedoc]

Just for the record, not counting this thread, none of the top 5 right now is about Danitrio or Nakaya. LOL.

 

The bottom line is this, I have said this before and will say this publically... Don't buy the hype! If Nakaya works for you and you like them, then stick with them, and if Danitrio is the one for you, then that's fine too. If you are not sure... well, then buy an used one if you like and try them out. In my practice I ALWAYS remind my patients... just because it worked for Mrs. Jones, does not mean it will work for you, nor it will be right for you, and same apply to pens, among many other things.

 

Kevin

[Lloyd]

Pilot might be next but there is nothing better no worse that caused DT to peak now.

 

 

As for that special pen well I'm thinking that an OMAS Lucient 360 might be it but I have to buy one first to find out!

 

K

Brian Gray's pens are quite hot right now, too. Have you tried one?