Nakaya Ascending Dragon

[sallywally]

Oh yes - and there is that Nibs.com photo up in the corner as my avatar.....

[cxcxx]

Heki-tamenuri

[Siv]

PHOTOS PLEASE!!!!

[teeitup418holes]

(all together now...) PHOTOS....PHOTOS.....PHOTOS.....PHOTOS (and the chant rises with the audience going wild!!)

[reprieve]

Right now, the art work is very dark and thus very hard to capture in a photo. Please excuse the dust and fingerprints.

 

Here is the Dragon under flash:

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4398875716_7fe95ab3a7.jpg

 

Here is the Dragon under natural lighting:

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4398108689_f11cd0e6ed.jpg

 

Here is the Dragon uncapped (in this photo, you can see his tail and his three-fingered hand):

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4398111371_042ca869de.jpg

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4398111903_e3ecc88286.jpg

 

Here is a writing sample. I am able to get very nice line variation with the flexible medium nib:

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4398112357_fcec8f6d5c.jpg

[reprieve]

After using this pen every day for ~three weeks now, I can say that it is one of my very favorites. I love the size and the balance in my hand, the nib is perfect (always starts, never skips, flow is just right; John knows exactly how I like my nibs tuned), and the art work, of course, is lovely. I am very glad that I decided on this Heki-tamenuri version, and couldn't be happier with that decision. No regrets whatsoever.

Edited March 1, 2010 by reprieve

[kushbaby]

After using this pen every day for ~three weeks now, I can say that it is one of my very favorites. I love the size and the balance in my hand, the nib is perfect (always starts, never skips, flow is just right; John knows exactly how I like my nibs tuned), and the art work, of course, is lovely. I am very glad that I decided on this Heki-tamenuri version, and couldn't be happier with that decision. No regrets whatsoever.

 

Which nib did you end up getting?

 

:puddle:

 

Edit: Sorry - apparently the drooling impaired my ability to read - I see you got the flexy medium... :embarrassed_smile:

Edited March 1, 2010 by kushbaby

[reprieve]

Which nib did you end up getting?

 

:puddle:

 

Flexible medium. I posted a writing sample a couple of posts up above.

Edited March 1, 2010 by reprieve

[kushbaby]

Which nib did you end up getting?

 

:puddle:

 

Flexible medium. I posted a writing sample a couple of posts up above.

 

Yeah, I edited to say I couldn't read. :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile:

 

Gosh, that's lovely... Wow.

[Siv]

Beeeeeeutiful! Congratulations on a lovely pen.

[johnptc]

not to be a trouble maker but have you seen the ascending white tiger ??? also a beautiful pen.

 

great choice and happy inking.

 

http://www.nakaya.org/special/etametora.html

[reprieve]

not to be a trouble maker but have you seen the ascending white tiger ??? also a beautiful pen.

 

great choice and happy inking.

 

http://www.nakaya.org/special/etametora.html

 

I have seen the White Tiger. AltecGreen posted about it here. It's a beautiful pen!

[johnptc]

not to be a trouble maker but have you seen the ascending white tiger ??? also a beautiful pen.

 

great choice and happy inking.

 

http://www.nakaya.or.../etametora.html

 

I have seen the White Tiger. AltecGreen posted about it here. It's a beautiful pen!

 

so many pens...............

[AltecGreen]

 

 

I have seen the White Tiger. AltecGreen posted about it here. It's a beautiful pen!

 

 

I commissioned the 'Byakko' aka White Tiger pen. It turned out very well. At some point, I need to commission the other three pens to complete the set. The other three pens will be Seiryu, Suzaku, and Genbu.

 

As a matter of background, these make up the four symbols of the Chinese/Japanese constellations. The white tiger is the guardian of the west and represents autumn. The ascending dragon could pass for Seiryu but I might go with a different dragon design.

[reprieve]

I am updating this thread with some additional thoughts, now that I have had the Ascending Dragon for just about six months.

 

• I still describe the Dragon as my most beloved pen. It is the one I would save if my house were on fire. It is my very favorite (but don't tell the others--they might revolt!).
• It has been inked constantly, and in permanent rotation. I use it at least once every single day.
• This pen handles every ink I've thrown at it beautifully. The nib is a wonder.
• The dragon artwork has begun to "ascend" so to speak. I picked up the pen to make a note last week, and I thought "oh, look, the dragon is getting lighter!" The difference is not significant--probably not enough to show up much in a photo even--but it is noticeable to my eye.
• Despite carrying the Dragon around with me (albeit in a pen case), and using it every day, it is still shiny and scratch-free. The urushi finish seems to be very tough.

Edited August 8, 2010 by reprieve

[Tanglewood]

Although I love Heki-tamenuri and like the idea of the dragon emerging over time, I think I have to put in my vote for the bokashi. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong either way, but that silver is just breathtaking, and I love the pen's speckled ends. What's the price difference?

 

+1 The silver is stunning. In its own way subtle. The dragon is sharply defined against a neutral-esque background. The artwork on the dragon is more vivid as a result. Silver.

[Tanglewood]

Ooops, I see you've chosen and have the pen. Read the whole thread before replying ...

[elderberry]

Time for necromancing this thread - reprieve, did the dragon ascend further and could you maybe post a picture of how it looks now? I'm fascinated by those things... Plus I've put one finger on a mint heki-tame dragon. Should I extend the other fingers and GRAB IT? I think I might...

[reprieve]

Time for necromancing this thread - reprieve, did the dragon ascend further and could you maybe post a picture of how it looks now? I'm fascinated by those things... Plus I've put one finger on a mint heki-tame dragon. Should I extend the other fingers and GRAB IT? I think I might...

 

YES! Grab it! My heki-tame dragon is my favorite Nakaya. I am lucky enough to have accumulated several other beautiful Nakayas by now, but the Long Ascending Dragon remains my favorite.

 

The artwork has ascended further, but it's a subtle change. I've seen some photos where the dragon became a startling yellow-orange; mine does not look like that. The artwork on the barrel is slightly brighter than the dragon's head on the cap, presumably because I haven't handled the cap as much. I like that. I like that each pen ages differently and that the artwork on each pen seems to change in its own way. It makes my pen that much more special to me.

 

It's really hard to capture the tame-sukashi technique in a way that resembles what the eye actually sees. There's a used Portable Ascending Dragon on Nibs.com right now. That photo actually looks fairly similar to my pen in terms of the brightness of the dragon. Each scale is visible and there are tinges of yellow around the edges, but the artwork still blends in to the background in a pleasing way.

[elderberry]

Thanks! I have to say I wouldn't mind if it didn't become yellow-orange at all, I like the more subtle looks much better.

 

And, well, I did grab it now. *giggles happily* Along with a Negoro Portable Writer! What better things to do with part of a long awaited tax refund. I will have some more time for anticipation since they will be on their way for a while. Sometimes I'm really glad I don't live within a day's postal range of nibs.com! My impulsiveness is getting the better of me frequently enough as it is. But I don't regret anything, no! :roflmho: