Japanese Jumbo Pen

[dcwaites]

Japanese Jumbo Pen

A Review

I have wanted one of these since I first saw one on eBay. I was prepared to pay about US$20 for one, but lately most of them have been going for about US$60. However, recently I saw this one, and it didn’t seem to be getting much interest. I was able to get for for a little over US$12, plus modest postage to Australia.

First Impressions

What can one say about a pen that is 5’’ long and an inch in diameter?. It is thick. It is not fat, it is generously proportioned. In the way that Marlon Brando was generously proportioned.

It is a vintage, third-tier Japanese pen. It came securely and protectively packed, but of course no papers or original packaging.

Appearance

The body and cap are made of black plastic. I think the cap band and clip are chrome-plated steel with well-worn gold-coloured lacquer.

The fit and finish are surprisingly good. When it is screwed up tight, you cannot see or feel the two joins on the body, something I can’t say about either of my ’51 Vacumatics.

Design/Size/Weight

Apart from the obvious Jumbo design of the pen, it is a Japanese Safety pen. The blind cap controls a narrow rod that closes off the ink flow when you are finished writing. In normal use you only need to turn it a tiny amount to let enough ink through to write continuously.

The body, with nib, is 12 cm long, with the barrel being 24 mm in diameter. The section tapers from 20 mm down to 15 mm. The cap only adds another 1 cm, with its capped length coming out at 13 cm and the cap diameter is 27 mm.

It is surprisingly light for its size, weighing 60 g empty, with cap, and 40 g, filled, without cap. I have a Jinhao Commemorative pen that weighs more.

The cap posts, barely, but this is not a pen that you would use posted. It just gets too big and heavy.

Nib

The nib that came with the pen is, in a word, crapulous. It claims to be a warranted 14k gold plated nib. However, it is a very dry nib, and the tipping on the tines is uneven. The tip on one tine is narrow and high, on the other it is wide and flat. As a result, it is a very scratchy writer and no amount of adjusting would fix it. It really needs to be ground and adjusted for flow. However, it is such a cheap and nasty nib it is not worth spending money on.

I gave up and found that the nib from one of my $2 Huashilai 3000’s fits nicely. After a little adjusting for flow, it is now a nice writer.

Filling System

This is an eyedropper filler. You unscrew the section, drop some ink in the barrel, screw it up tight, and writer. One would think, from looking at it, that it might take 20 or 30 mls. However, I put 5 mls of 3x concentrated Thistle ink in it, and the chamber was nearly full.

Once it was filled and closed, I then twisted the blind cap a little to let the ink through to the nib. After a little shaking, (and a hasty cleanup of the kitchen bench...), it started to write.

In normal use, you turn the blind cap a little, about 1/4 turn, and that lets enough ink through. Much more than that and you get to appreciate what a truly wet writer is.

Cost and Value

I bought this on eBay for US$12.60, plus postage to Australia, which was reasonable. Total cost was about US$21.

Value – with the supplied nib, very low. With an expensive replacement nib, surprisingly high.

Using the Pen

For its size, it is surprisingly comfortable. As noted above, the section narrows down a bit, giving a chunky, but still manageable, grip. Also, as said before, it is not overly heavy.

You do have to remember to open the flow when writing more than a few lines. You have to be careful not to hold it upside down when the blind cap is open more than a tiny bit, as the pen can (and did) leak. Perhaps a little more silicone grease might help there.

You also have to remember to close the blind cap when you are finished using the pen.

Conclusion

I read somewhere that these Jumbo Pens were designed for elderly Japanese with arthritis. I don’t (yet) have arthritis in my hands, so I can’t tell if it fits that purpose. However, it is a little more tiring to use than a normal pen. The first draft of this review took up 4 handwritten pages, and my hand and fingers were starting to get a little tired.

But, after swapping the nib, and getting used to the pen’s quirks, it is a nice, simple, functional pen.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

:blink:

[andy1m]

That's a HUGE pen!

[greencobra]

That's a HUGE pen!

It is that, huge.

 

I remember someone talking about this pen a couple of years ago here but this has to be the first review. I'm sorry the original nib had issues but looks like you're on track now.

[FrankB]

Thanks for an interesting review.

 

I have one of these pens myself. It actually is comfortable to use and a lot of fun it its own peculiar way. I also have a 14k gold plated nib, but mine is in quite good condition and performs very well. I don't know what else to say. Perhaps that I cannot write a novel with this pen, as I could not with a skinny dip style pen. Yet, I can use it for extended periods. Maybe, in the end, it really is a novelty.

[HenryLouis]

WOW. That's HUGE.

[Mrsal]

thats huge! is it comfortable to hold?

[Pueo711]

Jumbo! Yes, that's one large pen! Thanks and good review - I'm really surprised it's comfortable in the hand! Almost makes me wonder, though, if the designer happened to be using a screwdriver, looked at the handle and thought: 'you know, if I were to remove the bit and stick a nib in that end, hollow this thing out so it'll take ink and add a blind cap on the back end, this would make a helluva pen - one no one will forget!'

[alastair smith]

These odd pens have been around for years: I got one as a joke in Kobe, Japan in 1970 for a few pennies. The nib on mine was steel and so awful it made writing impossible. I had it on my desk for a while but have no idea where it is now.

 

Alastair

[sgl]

Fantastic, the proportion of the pen look great. I have always love pens with larger diameter. Would love to have one of these but one with a working nib.

 

Thank you for sharing.

[dragon899]

I saw one fo these on Ebay last week and wondered if it was some kind of demonstrator model or odd conversation piece. Glad to have stumbled upon this to better explain what I saw.