Kickstarter: Namisu - Nova With Titanium Ef Nib . . .

[markh]

 

Thanks for providing this, a much better overall review of the pen than I did .

Sorry to hear your Ti nib needed work but am glad all is well now.

 

Delighted too to hear that you found the nib similar to the Visconti Paladium Dreamtouch.

 

As for markings, I noticed a very, very discreet "N" by the threads as you unscrew to refill.

 

 

I must admit that I didn't catch the "N" until you mentioned it. While the pen design theory is simplicity, I think it would be improved with a very light "NAMISU" engraved in a more visible location. But like all design issues, everyone's opinion is different, and they are all correct.

 

 

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[markh]

how do you heat set a plastic feed?

 

1. Practice on pens/parts that you can afford to ruin and replace. In the case of feeds, this is easy.

 

I purchased a small supply of Jowo compatible feeds and holders here:

 

http://penkits.biz/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=17&zenid=k0cueh85f0e00suj4qqr0h5qs2

 

And a small supply of Bock compatible feeds and holders here:

 

https://www.classicnib.com/feeds-and-taps/feeds-and-housings-detail

 

I occasionally need a spare, and they are cheap enough to keep a few around. The Jowo feeds are particularly nice, as they are double cut.

 

2. I purchased a cooking thermometer.

 

3. Boil water. Plastic feeds are softened with water just below the boiling point. Ebonite feeds are softened with a heat gun. If you try to heat the plastic feed with a heat gun I think its impossible to not damage the feed fins in a way that's instantly visible

 

4. In the case of plastic feeds, I poured some boiling water into a ceramic cup with the thermometer in. I used one of the feeds I purchased, and tried to soak in the water for various lengths of time, at various temperatures. I'm holding the back end of the feed in my fingers, and the front end is in the water. Keep the feed moving to help even out the temperature.

 

For me, I found that around 200deg, and what seemed like a somewhat long soak (I'm sure it's really less than a minute) to let the entire business end of the feed to get an even temperature would allow me to gently bend the feed. Run under cold water to set.

 

Ebonite feeds are cut from rod stock, plastic feeds are molded. If you bend an ebonite feed in a way you don't like, you can re-heat and it returns to its original shape. Plastic not so much.

 

You just need to play around with it for a little while until you develop a "feel", and some confidence that you know what your doing. Given that you can buy a feed for $1.25, it seems like a worthwhile experiment.

 

5. With the feed and nib correctly mounted in the section, I heat the combination now armed with some experience. When I think the feed has softened, I use a small piece of rubber and gently squeeze the two together (assuming you are trying to move them closer. The other direction is sometimes needed, in which case I push gently on the nib alone.) After they are together cold water again to set.

 

6. Dry the nib/feed, and then test how much you changed things. Sometimes you can eyeball it, but there is a standard "test instrument" you can use - a piece of high quality 24lb paper, which should just slip under the nib with some effort. This is only the starting point - in the end the only thing that counts is how the pen writes.

 

7. Repeat, because you will rarely get it perfect on the first try.

 

 

That's how I heat set a plastic feed.

 

i should mention that in this case, somewhat unique, the feed was bent upward without the nib to help the very soft Ti nib make better contact.

 

 

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Edited March 7, 2016 by markh

[Precise]

Like some of my fellow FPNers, I'm also interested in wristwatches. Although some love "heft" on their wrist, I find any wristwatch heavier than about 70 grams tiresome after a few hours. My favorite wristwatch materials, in order of preference, are plastic, aluminum and titanium. Yes plastic! Isn't that cheap? Yes, it is cheap, and it's also the most comfortable material.

 

Concern about weight of pens is most evident for carry. I'm content with a heavy pen in my hand, but not in my shirt pocket. I prefer pens of 25 grams or less for carry. Those are all plastic.

 

There's a broad resistance to metal pen sections here at FPN. I agree that they are less suitable to hold than plastic. Yet this resistance to metal isn't evident for the entire pen, including the section.

 

There's also broad praise for materials that feel "warm" here at FPN. I've pointed out here that wood is the champ for this criteria. But if wood is the champ, any metal is the least warm. That's simply because metals conduct heat away from your hand much faster than wood or plastic.

 

Alan

[snarkitect]

I went the full titanium route and my experience hasn't been as positive. The Ti nib was DOA as the tines were horribly aligned. There were also a few noticeable scratches on the section, which was a little disappointing.

 

I also noticed that the cap seems to have been machined differently, perhaps with a different machine or tool. If i rub my hands on it I can produce a noise and feel some texture. The body, on the other hand, is a whole lot smoother and does not produce any noise. It seems more polished. Because of this, they cap and body can appear as two different shades. Something minor, but annoying nonetheless.

 

I understand this pen is mass produced overseas, but I have read nothing but positive reviews so far so I expected a little more. Anybody else have a wonky Ti pen?

[Feanaaro]

Concern about weight of pens is most evident for carry. I'm content with a heavy pen in my hand, but not in my shirt pocket. I prefer pens of 25 grams or less for carry. Those are all plastic.

 

There are plenty of metal pen which are less than 25 grams, including for example the other Namisu's pens in their aluminum version (24g with cap). Other aluminum pens are also pretty light, the Muji fountain pen for example.

[Tas]

I went the full titanium route and my experience hasn't been as positive. The Ti nib was DOA as the tines were horribly aligned. There were also a few noticeable scratches on the section, which was a little disappointing.

 

I also noticed that the cap seems to have been machined differently, perhaps with a different machine or tool. If i rub my hands on it I can produce a noise and feel some texture. The body, on the other hand, is a whole lot smoother and does not produce any noise. It seems more polished. Because of this, they cap and body can appear as two different shades. Something minor, but annoying nonetheless.

 

I understand this pen is mass produced overseas, but I have read nothing but positive reviews so far so I expected a little more. Anybody else have a wonky Ti pen?

 

So, so sorry.

 

Please contact Namisu, I'm sure they'd want to put things right.

[rajesh06]

I went the full titanium route and my experience hasn't been as positive. The Ti nib was DOA as the tines were horribly aligned. There were also a few noticeable scratches on the section, which was a little disappointing.

 

I also noticed that the cap seems to have been machined differently, perhaps with a different machine or tool. If i rub my hands on it I can produce a noise and feel some texture. The body, on the other hand, is a whole lot smoother and does not produce any noise. It seems more polished. Because of this, they cap and body can appear as two different shades. Something minor, but annoying nonetheless.

 

I understand this pen is mass produced overseas, but I have read nothing but positive reviews so far so I expected a little more. Anybody else have a wonky Ti pen?

 

My experience has not been positive.

This was my first Ti nib - so part of it may be just getting used to that. The pen is not delivering consistent flow for me. I checked the tines under a loupe and they look OK - I just think the capillary action cuts off when the they spread like Ti tines do. Any suggestions (ink or nib modification) would be apprecaited.

 

Thanks - Raj

Edited March 15, 2016 by rajesh06

[I.M.]

If you're flexing the tines apart quite a bit, and writing quickly it's very likely you'll get some 'railroading', ie. the feed hasn't got enough ink reserves to supply the widely spread tines. I don't know if that's the problem you're getting Raj. Writing a little slower, or with less pressure might fix the problem...

[rajesh06]

If you're flexing the tines apart quite a bit, and writing quickly it's very likely you'll get some 'railroading', ie. the feed hasn't got enough ink reserves to supply the widely spread tines. I don't know if that's the problem you're getting Raj. Writing a little slower, or with less pressure might fix the problem...

Thanks for the suggestion. I am getting skipping - not railroading. That is, I lose flow when I pick up the pen to (for example) go to the next line. And pen does not start reliably.

 

Thanks again - Raj

[markh]

The Ti nib is picky compared with the more normal, stiffer nib. Not everyone is going to like using it, especially if you have a heavy hand. Even more so with a heavy pen like the Namisu

 

I needed to heat set the feed quite a bit up (exactly how posted elsewhere), tighten up the tines, and in the end, while it worked fine with Quink, used a thicker, more viscous ink - Noodlers.

 

I have a Visconti Pd nib, called the Dreamtouch (a Visconti marketing term). Also a very soft nib, I made the same adjustments and got similar results.

 

The combination works for me, but still requires a light touch. I also have the regular steel nib in EF - it has none of these issues.

 

I would guess that some people will never get along with the Ti nib. I have been using a fountain pen for a long time and I guess I don't use much pressure, so I actually feel that I can write with less effort with the very soft nib. Some people will be happier with a stiffer nib.

 

Everyone is different...

 

 

.

 

[rajesh06]

The Ti nib is picky compared with the more normal, stiffer nib. Not everyone is going to like using it, especially if you have a heavy hand. Even more so with a heavy pen like the Namisu

 

I needed to heat set the feed quite a bit up (exactly how posted elsewhere), tighten up the tines, and in the end, while it worked fine with Quink, used a thicker, more viscous ink - Noodlers.

 

I have a Visconti Pd nib, called the Dreamtouch (a Visconti marketing term). Also a very soft nib, I made the same adjustments and got similar results.

 

The combination works for me, but still requires a light touch. I also have the regular steel nib in EF - it has none of these issues.

 

I would guess that some people will never get along with the Ti nib. I have been using a fountain pen for a long time and I guess I don't use much pressure, so I actually feel that I can write with less effort with the very soft nib. Some people will be happier with a stiffer nib.

 

Everyone is different...

 

 

.

 

Thanks for this. I do write with a pretty light touch but will try a Noodler's Ink and see if that helps.

[snarkitect]

 

So, so sorry.

 

Please contact Namisu, I'm sure they'd want to put things right.

 

I've emailed them twice and still no response...

[Jamerelbe]

 

I've emailed them twice and still no response...

I hate to say this, but Namisu are not renowned for their communication skills. You may need to keep pestering them!

[snarkitect]

I hate to say this, but Namisu are not renowned for their communication skills. You may need to keep pestering them!

 

I know, but it's pretty annoying after dealing with such great customer service from so many others in the fountain pen community. I just sent another email... I don't have high hopes. I think it's pretty deceptive to bend over backwards for reviewers and treat paying customers like (bleep) and just flat out ignore them.

[Feanaaro]

They are a small team, as far as I know, so they may not have the manpower to offer prompt customer service.

Regarding the nib itself, my experience with the EF (which is not really that fine) has been different, far from requiring a feather touch, it is actually so dry that it requires some pressure to spread the tines a little bit and let the ink flow. From this experience, as well as their steel nibs, my impression is that Bock's QC is not so great, at least on #6 extra-fines.

[Tas]

I was lucky to be one of the first to take delivery of my pen and this original review / post was meant to be a little appetite whetter to those yet to receive their much anticipated and wonderful new pen. It wasn't meant to turn into a downer.

 

I am delighted with mine. Those keen eyed amongst you may have noticed that my NOVA has replaced my VHS in my avatar (for the time being at least) - Yes, I am that thrilled.

Continuous, faultless use has only made me appreciate it's tactile nature and gorgeous wet flow even more.

 

Perhaps those wishing to bash the Namisu Nova or it's nib, Ti or otherwise, could start their own post. I'm all for raising awareness of issues and Namisu need to put things right, but perhaps a separate post would better achieve this.

 

I'm not very good with confrontation and genuinely do not want to offend anyone - basher or not - and I hope my sentiments are understood as they are intended. Friendly in nature.

Thank you.

[Jamerelbe]

I was lucky to be one of the first to take delivery of my pen and this original review / post was meant to be a little appetite whetter to those yet to receive their much anticipated and wonderful new pen. It wasn't meant to turn into a downer.

 

I am delighted with mine. Those keen eyed amongst you may have noticed that my NOVA has replaced my VHS in my avatar (for the time being at least) - Yes, I am that thrilled.

Continuous, faultless use has only made me appreciate it's tactile nature and gorgeous wet flow even more.

 

Perhaps those wishing to bash the Namisu Nova or it's nib, Ti or otherwise, could start their own post. I'm all for raising awareness of issues and Namisu need to put things right, but perhaps a separate post would better achieve this.

 

I'm not very good with confrontation and genuinely do not want to offend anyone - basher or not - and I hope my sentiments are understood as they are intended. Friendly in nature.

Thank you.

 

@Tas, I appreciate your concern - and like you, I'm very happy with my Nova pen. The fit and finish is magnificent, and the nib writes as well as any in my collection.

 

Communication issues aside - and in their defence, I believe they *do* get things sorted, albeit slowly - I think it's worth potential buyers being aware that they may also have to contend with nib issues. That's true for *any* pen manufacturer, but I think the incidence may be higher for Kickstarter pens - established brands like Diplomat and Kaweco have their own internal QA processes, which will double-check (and if necessary adjust) the nibs that are supplied to them by Bock, whereas a small-time, relatively inexperienced crowd like Namisu may not have the expertise to do that.

 

So, "buyer" be warned - less experienced manufacturers may have a higher incidence of 'problem' nibs shipping with their pens. But for this particular project... I'd say it's worth it!

[Tas]

 

@Tas, I appreciate your concern - and like you, I'm very happy with my Nova pen. The fit and finish is magnificent, and the nib writes as well as any in my collection.

 

Communication issues aside - and in their defence, I believe they *do* get things sorted, albeit slowly - I think it's worth potential buyers being aware that they may also have to contend with nib issues. That's true for *any* pen manufacturer, but I think the incidence may be higher for Kickstarter pens - established brands like Diplomat and Kaweco have their own internal QA processes, which will double-check (and if necessary adjust) the nibs that are supplied to them by Bock, whereas a small-time, relatively inexperienced crowd like Namisu may not have the expertise to do that.

 

So, "buyer" be warned - less experienced manufacturers may have a higher incidence of 'problem' nibs shipping with their pens. But for this particular project... I'd say it's worth it!

 

 

[LizB]

I like mine too (nib needed a tiny tweak on arrival). It's a beauty.

 

[I.M.]

Nice pic Liz!

 

Is the writing sample in the photo from the pen too? Which nib did you get?