Hakase Pen Purchase Help

[Algester]

You need to kill the buffalo to get the horn, surgically taking them out will be very expensive and you just cannot release the buffalo after the surgery, you need to give it time for recovery and ensure that he is healthy before releasing him. All this is very expensive. Easiest way is to kill it and take the horn. All the meat will be nowhere near the price of the horns. i.e. it is killed for the horns.

 

Tortoise needs to be killed to take the shell, there is no further use of it once you take the shell. It may be regulated, but then i still don't want this.

 

Heck, i sound like a PETA activist.

 

Getting back to Hakase. He shot me down on every option i gave him for the payment.

The pen i want is for 210,000 yen, half needs to be paid now and half later. So i suggested him that since he is unwilling for a bank transfer, can he raise 2 invoices of PayPal right now of 52,500 yen each. Suppose i place the order on 30 September 2015, i'll clear the first invoice on the same day, the second invoice i will clear on 1st October. This will be possible since i will do a bank transfer to the credit card company from my bank account to clear the 52,500 yen transaction undertaken on 30th September, and the card will be again available to take further transactions on 1st October. Still unwilling.

I honestly don't know what his problem is. I have certainly talked to better dealers than him, one kept a limited edition pen aside for me when i didn't have sufficient funds, another one added a ruthenium clip and nib to my normal Nakaya and absorbed the extra cost. Compared to them, he doesn't even have to take any impact on his revenue. PayPal transaction charges are on the amount of transaction which i think are 5%, so no matter how many invoices he makes, he will still have to pay the same amount to PayPal.

If he keeps this up, i will certainly never buy a Hakase even if i have a better credit card. Not to mention that he is the worst dealer i have come across.

Then I guess... a trip to tottori is for you... you may not even want to attempt to get an ohashido at this rate LOL as its pretty much the same problem heck the pen wont be made and sold without having a man to man meeting Edited June 19, 2015 by Algester

[mehandiratta]

Such an ordeal

Edited June 19, 2015 by mehandiratta

[Dhruv_Sood]

Then I guess... a trip to tottori is for you... you may not even want to attempt to get an ohashido at this rate LOL as its pretty much the same problem heck the pen wont be made and sold without having a man to man meeting

Alright, now that i have cooled down a little, let's go over this again. I'll probably go back to him in an year or two, when i decide to get a better credit card. This one is without any charges so i keep it.

What's an ohashido?

[JLS1]

Ohashido is another 'bespoke' Japanese pen maker similar to Hakase. You can find a few posts regarding these pens on FPN; here's a link to a review.

 

FWIW, Hakase pens do come up for sale sometimes in the FPN Classifieds: they are rare and pricey, but I suspect it's still cheaper than a trip to Japan!

[Dhruv_Sood]

Flight tickets to Japan cost around $550, after that getting to tottori prefecture should take $100 maybe if you take a cab, i don't know about their public transport system.

 

I can't order Ohashido online?

[rutherfordr]

Nope, you can't even order it over the phone -- you have to show up in person to buy one.

 

Like Hakase, they're occasionally offered for sale on the classifieds, but they're few and far between.

[Dhruv_Sood]

Now that's a pen to get.

Added it to my "To get" list which already had 21 pens.

 

But why would it even come up on the classified? You are going there in person to get the pen made, you will try it and have it adjusted according to your needs, the pen will become your number 1 writer and most used pen, why would anyone put such a pen on classified.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Dhruv_Sood

[Algester]

Now that's a pen to get.

Added it to my "To get" list which already had 21 pens.

 

But why would it even come up on the classified? You are going there in person to get the pen made, you will try it and have it adjusted according to your needs, the pen will become your number 1 writer and most used pen, why would anyone put such a pen on classified.

They need the money simple... :X but even then its rarely sold but they do pop up every now and then

[daintydimsum]

Yeap. Hakase and Ohasido are probably my favourite Japanese brands but so painful to access. They do show up in the Classifieds once in a long while, but the Hakases tend to disappear very quickly. The search field is generally your friend.

[Dhruv_Sood]

They need the money simple... :X but even then its rarely sold but they do pop up every now and then

Well, this really caught my attention. I think i should cut down on pen expenditure too, i will have close to 350,000 yen by next May which is quite less than the amount i was looking to save up. I think i shouldn't really buy the Urushi one, it's $1,700 for something not that exceptional.

 

Somebody promised some pictures for that Rosewood pen.

 

 

Yeap. Hakase and Ohasido are probably my favourite Japanese brands but so painful to access. They do show up in the Classifieds once in a long while, but the Hakases tend to disappear very quickly. The search field is generally your friend.

Search field? I was looking to buy a Nakaya from the classified.

[mongrelnomad]

I've written many threads about my Hakases and my Romillo, including photos. Search is your friend.

 

For the record: dealing with Japan is very often an exercise in efficient inflexibility. You may think that Ryo-san is being irrational, but he has decided on a sales process that works for him, and that is that. Work within the clearly defined framework, and everything will proceed with clinical and mesmerising efficiency; attempt to break the chain and everything will grind to a halt. This is Japan.

Edited June 20, 2015 by mongrelnomad

[Dhruv_Sood]

Yes, Google search directed me to one of your thread, The buyer's remorse one.

 

No, they are certainly not efficient. For an amount such as 130,000 yen, PayPal is definitely a bad option with 7.5% charge (source: Pensinasia payment page). Whereas a bank transfer will have only $20 as charges (Source: A dealer friend of mine). So unless Japanese have invented a new kind of Mathematics in which 9,750 yen < $20, they are not efficient. I don't really care, it's his money, he can burn it down for all i care. I definitely know about their culture, learned about it when i was learning Japanese, i can still understand ~1,000 words of spoken Japanese. If a better method exists, not using it is downright stupid.

 

About the pen, I have decided that i'll take QB10A (Rosewoodburl Urushi) since he finally agreed on making multiple PayPal invoices. I have asked him whether he will make it or not as it is not in his Catlog, i picked it up from his price list and it appear that it doesn't have all the unnecessary gold furniture which i don't need. He hasn't replied yet. If he accepts, then it's fine, otherwise, i'll just pick up a Pilot Custom 845 since he uses Pilot nibs only and get it over with as my last fountain pen.

[mongrelnomad]

You missed my point: efficient in that if you follow their instructions (no matter how arbitrary it may seem), the transaction is flawless; if you don't, well there will be no transaction.

 

May I advise you to be slightly less than brash when dealing directly with the Japanese. It can often be taken as rudeness and will lead to a quick souring of any relationship.

[Dhruv_Sood]

Isn't that true for everywhere? Follow the instructions and the transaction is flawless. I actually had to explain to him using an example of dates like i did above, only then he understood what i meant. But he finally did and agreed to it.

 

Thanks for your advice. I have been patient and polite with him throughout the conversation, even though his straight refusals for all my requests put me off a bit. I have a few questions for you, mongrelnomad:

1. If you have a Nakaya, how does the quality of workmanship and product quality compare to the Nakaya? I found my Nakaya almost flawless and joy to hold and write with.

Basically, i am looking for a conclusion of this: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/215833-best-quality-regardless-of-price/?p=2265640

 

 

2. Considering that this might be my last fountain pen purchase (i really hope so that nothing catches my eye again ), i want it for a special occasion, which is still a little far away. So can i place the order now and ask Hakase to deliver in that month/year? It's my 25th birthday in November 2017. So what do you suggest that i do? Place the order now and ask him to deliver it then or place the order at the starting of next year considering it may take longest time period of 17 months for the urushi pen?

Edited June 20, 2015 by Dhruv_Sood

[mongrelnomad]

Just tread lightly.

 

1. I prefer my Hakases, though they are less perfectly formed than the Nakayas. That is not to say that they are less exquisitely manufactured, just that if you are expecting objective perfection, you will be disappointed. They are flawed, but as I said before, it is an endearingly human type of flaw that gives the object a unique soul.

 

2. No idea. You seem to be creating drama in your life where there is none. I am certain that Mr. Yamamoto would be happy to post-date a pen for you; whether you want him to is a question only answerable by you...

 

Anyway, I hope your tribulations are overcome, and that you can enjoy one or more Hakases as much as I enjoy mine.

[prf5]

No, they are certainly not efficient.

 

You are correct. "Efficiency" means skill in avoiding waste of time and effort, lack of friction between input and output. Among Westerners, especially Americans, efficiency is related to effectiveness -- the ability to get something done. In contrast, production of a top-of-the-line Hakase, though inefficient, appears to be highly effective. Consequently, in order get the outcome you desire, you'll have to tolerate the inherent inefficiency.

 

In lieu of requesting a specific delivery date, you might have the pen sent to someone else -- a friend or relative, for instance -- which would give them the opportunity to hold the package until your birthday, then wrap it as a present.

 

Congratulations on your decision and pending purchase.

[Dhruv_Sood]

Yes, that's exactly out of my Strategic management book. They are effective, not efficient. I got the matter sorted with Yamamoto-San and i am expecting a reply for my query in another 3 hours or so. That's when he usually replies, ~9 AM JST.

 

I'll ask him to schedule the production so that it is over by the time i have to get, meaning delaying the manufacturing of the pen. If it's not possible for him, i'll just take it whenever he finishes it. Thanks prf5.

 

 

Just tread lightly.

 

1. I prefer my Hakases, though they are less perfectly formed than the Nakayas. That is not to say that they are less exquisitely manufactured, just that if you are expecting objective perfection, you will be disappointed. They are flawed, but as I said before, it is an endearingly human type of flaw that gives the object a unique soul.

 

2. No idea. You seem to be creating drama in your life where there is none. I am certain that Mr. Yamamoto would be happy to post-date a pen for you; whether you want him to is a question only answerable by you...

 

Anyway, I hope your tribulations are overcome, and that you can enjoy one or more Hakases as much as I enjoy mine.

1. On, not as perfect. I am guessing those flaws are due to the pens being made from natural material and not ebonite. That's acceptable, the wood pattern actually makes the pen look better.

 

2. Drama? What do you mean? I will ask him whether it is possible for him to do so, if not then i'll ask him to go according to his production schedule.

 

Thanks. How many Hakases do you have?

[mongrelnomad]

Not just the materials; there is a rougher, more rustic quality to the manner in which everything is made and assembled, like fingerprints left by the maker on the pen.

 

I have three; awaiting my fourth.

[da vinci]

Not just the materials; there is a rougher, more rustic quality to the manner in which everything is made and assembled, like fingerprints left by the maker on the pen.

 

I have three; awaiting my fourth.

 

I hope this isnt too much of a thread hijack!

 

Mongrelnomad (and perhaps this may help the OP) how did you make your nib choice? I am sure I read somewhere that, understandably, one of the key aspects of manufacture is the insight into the end user's writing style etc.

[mongrelnomad]

I hope this isnt too much of a thread hijack!

 

Mongrelnomad (and perhaps this may help the OP) how did you make your nib choice? I am sure I read somewhere that, understandably, one of the key aspects of manufacture is the insight into the end user's writing style etc.

I based my choice on past Japanese purchases (with a general rule of 1 nib width narrower than a respective European pen). After that, it is a case of 'tuning', though not of the nib width.

 

Generally, I have settled on a Hakase F, which best represents what I want from a nib (very fine, but still relatively wet and forgiving)...