Grand Trio “Totetsu” From Danitrio

[Alex2014]

I got my first Danitrio a few days ago. I due it to Bry, who offered on FPN no less than 45 different Danitrio’s from his old stock. Among them, there were four Grand Trio’s “Totetsu”. The MRSP of such a FP is 2200 dollars, but Bry offered it at an attractive price. Well, the FP is tagged as “09/50,” that is it was produced in 2009, as a limited edition of 50 pieces. It was a godlike gift for me!

You can read a good review of a similar Danitrio urushi Mae West here, so I will not repeat what Doug C already wrote.

 

1. Appearance & Design (9/10)

The FP comes in a traditional Danitrio black lacquered box protected in its turn by an additional cardboard box. The box is very heavy – over 1 kg –, so the postage cost a little more. I paid without regretting: the box is really attractive. Unfortunately, (my?) Grand Trio came without a kimono, as I’d have expected . Thus I bought a Nakaya silk pouch from nib.com.

The shape of the FP, with its multiple curves, is somehow unusual and “exotic”. But on the whole, it is harmonious and well mastered. I could not make a connection with other known FP’s. I saw however some old Chinese brushes having the handles shaped in the same manner. It’s only a hypothesis… Certainly, this shape fits well in my hand.

 

The FP has a togidashi maki-e drawing (see here on FPN the excellent explanation of Winedoc on the techniques of maki-e). The maki-e is completed with gold powder in two nuances with different granulations. A further layer, in red, includes a seal. I asked, and Mr. Bernard Lyn from Danitrio kindly answered me that the seal is called Kao (花押), being a kind of sign derived from the artist’s name. “It is interesting to see the fact that the red seal was not popular to be used in Japan, because it didn't mean anything until recently, when some foreigner requested to have red seal below the signature, to show as a better work, and everybody has to follow the trend lest they think that the pieces without the red seals are not good works. We call this red seals as the legs drawn on a snake,” Mr. Bernard Lyn added.

We know the artist, whose signature – Akio – is discreetly situated on the section (photo right below). I asked and Mr. Bernard Lyn confirmed that the real name of the artist is Kenji Yamamoto (山元 健司) who used Akio (章生) as a pseudonim.

Regarding the maki-e design, some explanations are necessary, because its cultural symbol contributes to the fully value of the FP and urged me to buy it. Totetsu (in Japanese) or taotieh (in Chinese) was a mythical being. The creature possessed the head of a human, the body of a sheep, the nails of a man, and it made sounds like that of crying human babies. It had two eyes on its chest. The totetsu was greatly feared and disliked, but the Chinese used it as a totem, as a charm against the devil, beginning from the Sheng Dynasty (20-18 Centuries BC). The meaning of the word in Chinese is ‘gluten,’ maybe for it was believed it killed and ate people. After 800 BC, taotieh ceased to be used in the art, being substituted by the dragon. J.L. Borges wrote about the T’ao t’ieh in his “Book of The Imaginary Beings”.

It is worth mentioning that Akio was inspired by a bronze statuette displayed at The Taiwan Koo Kong Museum.

2. Construction & Quality (9/10)

The body of this FP is made of ebonite. It is a handmade solid FP whose quality is attested by a famous brand. The only deficiency I observed was the imperfect continuity of the painting from the cap to the barrel. The thread has four starts, only one of them insuring continuity, but even so a little visible shifting remains.

Being without clip, the pen of course could easily roll on the table. I did not know a special Danitrio support to exist. A Nakaya pen pillow could be suitable, due to the thinner shape of the FP at one of its ends.

3. Weight & Dimensions (9/10)

Length capped = 147 mm

Barrel length = 114 mm (including the nib)

Barrel diameter = max 19 mm (about 13 mm at the end)

Section diameter = 13 mm

Weight = 35 gr (not inked), but the FP can be used only with the cap aside, therefore it seems rather light.

Below, there is a picture showing the dimension of Danitrio Grand Trio “Totetsu” in comparison with that of a Nakaya aka-tamenuri Decapod Cigar.

 

4. Nib & Performances (9/10)

This FP is provided with a #6 soft, 18 k gold nib, plated in two tones (see above, right). It is very nice engraved with a circular pattern (like a mantra) on which we see the Kohai (後輩 – in Japanese = ‘behind,’ ‘after’). This “fire-wheel” is a well-known symbol that can be seen on the back of many Buddhist statues. On nibs.com it is said that this design was the idea of the same Danitrio maki-e artist Kenji Yamamoto.

I chose a F nib knowing that Danitrio’s standard is similar to the European ones. However, the stroke width seems to be rather like of an European M nib, and it surprised me. Maybe Danitrio has not a very good control on their handmade (German?) nibs. Anyway, the “F” is engraved on the body of the nib, so there is no room for confusion.

Even soft, the nib is still stiff, and I like it. For me, it is a pleasure to “feel the paper,” that is to have a sensible feed-back while writing. I definitely dislike the “butter-like” nibs, be they from Europe or Asia. For I have not a calligraphic writing , I am not at all obsessed by the variations of the stroke width.

 

 

Here are the writing samples on 80 gr Rhodia paper in comparison with some other similar FP’s:

 

The differences are evident, Danitrio F nib being thicker than Parker Duofold F nib and Nakaya M nib, but rather similar to a Pelikan M800 Medium nib. Montegrappa New Espressione stainless F nib or Sailor 14 k F nib are both visibly much thinner than Danitrio F nib, as it can be seen from the sample below:

 

 

5. Filling system & Maintenance (9/10)

The FP has a common converter with a screw system that supports 2.7 gr of ink. I did not observe any surface tensions when I inked the FP for the first time. What could I say more? Maybe that I will buy a Danitrio with an eye-dropper in the future. I really long for it!

 

6. Cost & value (9/10)

For those who appreciate Danitrio FP’s no price is too high to be paid, especially when it’s a piece with an artistic value. Bryant Greer made the purchase more friendly to me. For those who appreciate the pure functionality of a FP, however, this one could seem too expensive.

 

Final score: 54/60

With such a score, the Grand Trio “Totetsu” earned a top position in my FP’s collection. It rests now comfortably among other FP’s on a Moroccan ceramic plate on my desk; nearby it is an Easter egg beautifully painted by an artist from Bukovina.

 

 

“Creating good works is a reflection of one's journey of the spirit,” said Akio – the artist who created this beautiful fountain pen. What else should be added to these so wise words of him? Maybe the Grand Trio “Totetsu” was one of the journeys of Akio’s spirit, because it is really a good work.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Alex2014

[a_m]

Thats a very nicely design and artistic looking FP. Definitely stands out.

[Painterspal]

Beautiful pen and a great review - many thanks indeed!

[Alex2014]

The Japanese name of this shape is Hyotan, translated in English by 'Calabash' (a kind of long melon). Mae West could be a nickname, the shape of the pen remembering tthat of the famous American artist's body.

[lisantica]

Your pen is very beautiful.

[Doug C]

Lisa, you are on a roll!!. I have the plain unrushi version of this pen and the body style is one of my favorites..

 

Keep it up!.

[mk2579]

Awesome pen and review!

 

I hadn't heard of “Totetsu”, only the Urushi Mae-Wests.

 

I don't see many Danitrio reviews on FPN- please post more if you have them...with plenty of pics!

 

Here is my somewhat more modest Hakkaku in Kuro-keshi, next to Nakaya for consistency...

 

http://s21.postimg.org/va2cp1own/ama_iro.jpg

 

http://s17.postimg.org/6yy1ywvcv/DSC00678.jpg

[Xozzen]

It certainly is a beautiful one

[TassoBarbasso]

Beautiful!

 

And the egg is beautiful, too! Someone should make a pen inspired to those patterns.

[mk2579]

I believe its called Ama-iro...