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Help Me Pick My First Nakaya!


schin

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Guest Gracie

Hi Schin,

 

Wow, what a wealth of information. Like you, I have been considering one of the new Nakaya Naka-ai, and I already have a long Cigar, but I find that the pen I use most by a long shot, is this one (having hunted around on the net for an image) -

 

http://www.melpens.com/Namiki/Nippon_Art_Chinese_Phoenix_Fountain_Pen.aspx

 

I also have a small hand and the same preferences as you, and I find that this pen is perfect. Which leads me to your Sakura Cherry Blossoms, which is quite probably very similar in size to my Chinese Phoenix, with a similar nib (mine is a fine). It is also gorgeous!

 

I see that you have made your decision already, so hopefully this information will come in handy for your next pen.

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An FYI , the twist is a bigger diameter pen. I'm not sure of the grip section, but that might throw you off. I have a mini decapod with a broad nib cut to a stub and thinned to .55 which is the same as namiki medium. John at CFP did it BS like everything he touches is outstanding. Good luck.

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So I have decided to thin down the pen herd and invest in one good pen to rule them all. I have a Mottishaw falcon, have tried other Mottishaw tuned pens (including Nakaya and platinum), absolutely love his work and would like to start thinking about getting one for some important papers to sign later this year, and subsequently to use as my workhorse pen. Unfortunately I do not live near his shop nor do I plan to go to anymore pen conventions this year so I am ordering online.

 

I already know what kind of nib customization I want on them, but I am just not sure which model to get. They all look different with different widths and finishes, so I hope those of you who own one can give me some opinions.

 

Some background:

I have smallish ladies hands and prefer a 'thinner' pen.

I always write unposted! Are Nakayas meant to be posted?

I have tried a Piccolo and like its length, but not its girth.

I have a budget of under $750.

I prefer a pen that feels 'substantial' and 'weighty' in hand (like a metal or resin pen), rather than a 'light' pen such as a Lamy safari.

 

So far I have my eye on these beauties:

http://nibs.com/NakayaDecapodTwist.html - But without the clip. It just looks cooler than the normal decapod pen!

http://nibs.com/NakayaPortableCherryBlossoms.html - ...I love this one, but am not sure if it is a wise choice? It is rather long. Preferably with no clip.

http://nibs.com/Nakaya-Naka-ai-Cigar-Aka-tamenuri.htm - I'd love to get this one but with a rolling clip.. I won't mind the 5 month wait! However, I feel the shape is not as attractive as the others.

 

Any ideas? Suggestions? Thank you!!

It really sounds like maybe a Nakaya isn't the pen for you. If you really want something thin and heavy, you want to get a Caran d'Arche. I hate to tell someone interested in Japanese pens to go with a European Pen, but it really sounds like Caran d'Arche would better suit what you're looking for.

 

Aditionally, if you are still interested in a Japanese pen that has that weight, there are still a few options that you can look into. I think that the Titanium, aside from being out of your stated price range, is still pretty light. You may want to look into trying a Pilot Grance with a Sterling Silver body or Platinum makes 2 very nice stirling silver body pens, but they start at around about $1000 USD. The only downside is that neither comes with the variety of nibs that you can get with the Nakaya.

 

Finally, there's always Namiki. I know that the designs on Namiki are a little more outlandish than the simplicity of the Nakaya pens, but Namiki makes sever pens with a metal body running ¥52,500JPY(MSRP). You may be able to find one that is available in your area. (I have no idea what the price will be)

 

If you're still dead set on getting a Nakaya, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were, they are great pens, and getting a custom made pen is something that everyone should have done, you will get used to the wright and size of the pen. It's just may have to be the compromise that you have to make for getting a custom made pen. (I am assuming that you will be ordering the pen custom made and not used or from a store) It will be a compromise that you will not regret.

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