Namiki Bamboo

[spilled ink]

I just want to see if I have this all correctly understood.If I purchase a Bamboo with Pilot and NOT Namiki on the barrel,I am purchasing an officially imported pen which should be covered under warranty by Pilot,not Pilot USA.correct?If the officially imported "Pilot" pen needs repair and is still under warranty,where does one send the pen?

 

 

Gray-market pens are not broken or seconds or inferior in any other way to officially imported pens; but because Pilot USA did not import them, it does not handle warranty coverage for them. If you have a warranty issue with a gray-market pen, you will have to send the pen out of the country unless you want to pay Pilot USA to repair it.

Weird... I always thought of this kind of issue with machines and electrical items like cars, stereos, etc. Unless the pen was actually made with special parts not available in the USA, it seems unfair to me that they wouldn't service the pen. There's also the issue of someone buying the pen while in Japan, then returning to the USA. They can't get service then, even if the exact same pen is sold in the USA but with a different name on it?

 

[Richard]

If I purchase a Bamboo with Pilot and NOT Namiki on the barrel,I am purchasing an officially imported pen which should be covered under warranty by Pilot,not Pilot USA.correct?If the officially imported "Pilot" pen needs repair and is still under warranty,where does one send the pen?

No, if it says Pilot on it, it is unofficially imported into the U.S.A. But yes, it is covered by some entity other than Pilot USA. For warranty service, I assume that you would most likely send such a pen to the Pilot distributor in the country where it was originally purchased, i.e., the distributor to which you would have sent the registration certificate when you bought the pen.

[spilled ink]

Thanks Richard.I learned something.I always just assumed that Pilot and Namiki were interchangeable.

[skipwilliams]

I have a Pilot Bamboo purchased in Singapore. I've twice sent it to Namiki in CT for nib swaps. They were OK with service on the pen for a small fee. YMMV.

 

Skip

[spilled ink]

Thanks Skip.Which color Bamboo did you get?

[QM2]

 

Oh no, looks like the Bamboo is not in the cards for me.

 

My local pen shop had finally gotten the Bamboo in stock, and I eagerly went to try it out. I was so sure I would like this pen and was anticipating buying it in the near future. But to my dismay, the grip/section was such a problem for me, that the pen is out of the question. The threads and the sharp transition onto the barrel are located in the exact spot where the sensitive/fleshy sides of my fingers rest against the pen. I found that I could not write with it even during the short amount of time I was testing it in the shop. I hold pens fairly low and at an acute angle, and the sharp pain induced by this was unendurable. This is not to badmouth the quality of the pen in any way; I am just disappointed that its design makes it incompatible with my grip. Alas, no Bamboo for me...

 

QM2

[skipwilliams]

Thanks Skip.Which color Bamboo did you get?

 

I've got a blue one with the pink gold clip.

[skipwilliams]

Oh no, looks like the Bamboo is not in the cards for me.

 

My local pen shop had finally gotten the Bamboo in stock, and I eagerly went to try it out. I was so sure I would like this pen and was anticipating buying it in the near future. But to my dismay, the grip/section was such a problem for me, that the pen is out of the question. The threads and the sharp transition onto the barrel are located in the exact spot where the sensitive/fleshy sides of my fingers rest against the pen. I found that I could not write with it even during the short amount of time I was testing it in the shop. I hold pens fairly low and at an acute angle, and the sharp pain induced by this was unendurable. This is not to badmouth the quality of the pen in any way; I am just disappointed that its design makes it incompatible with my grip. Alas, no Bamboo for me...

 

Yep, you're not the first one to have a disagreement with a Bamboo. It hits lots of people in the wrong place on their hands, rendering it unusable. For me, it's almost perfect.

 

Skip

[bruno7]

Well, I've had my Bamboo in black resin since Christmas and absolutely love it! I cannot say it's heavy or large because this is my very first decent fountain pen. It fits my small hand quite well and I really love everything about it - the design, the weight and the nib as well. I have a fine nib which is actually medium and it's very smooth. I think I 'll spend a lot of time with this pen before I buy another one. I highly recommend it.

[hunstanton]

Well, I've had my Bamboo in black resin since Christmas and absolutely love it! I cannot say it's heavy or large because this is my very first decent fountain pen. It fits my small hand quite well and I really love everything about it - the design, the weight and the nib as well. I have a fine nib which is actually medium and it's very smooth. I think I 'll spend a lot of time with this pen before I buy another one. I highly recommend it.

 

Could someone post pics of how they HOLD their Bamboo? That would be interesting for me. Thanks.

[georges zaslavsky]

The bamboo is indeed a nice pen with a great smooth nib but honestly it is not the most comfortable to write with. I tried one at my favorite pen shop and the front foregrip is not ergonomic.

[Ronin]

I Have a Bamboo and have no problem with writing with it. It's a great pen with a superb nib.

 

Ronin

[MYU]

I Have a Bamboo and have no problem with writing with it. It's a great pen with a superb nib.

Ronin

I guess the comfort factor in writing with a Bamboo is pretty much up to personal preference, somewhat like the Pilot Vanishing Point (some are fine with the clip, others annoyed by it) and Lamy 2000 (some are fine with the clutch pins, others are annoyed by them). So, it's probably a good idea to try one out first hand before buying AND to keep an open mind, as Richard pointed out that after acclimating to the pen one of his customers changed from disliking it to loving it.

 

As for service, it's good to know that Pilot USA doesn't have a problem with nib swaps when being sent a Pilot Bamboo. But if you send them one with a problem and expect a part replaced, they may balk at doing so without the Namiki branding on it. However, being a c/c filler pen, there's little risk IMHO.

[Stephen-I-am]

I have and enjoy my black bamboo with rhodium trim. The only issue I have with it is posting -- it's not the most comfortable pen to post. It does write quite well unposted, but I prefer not to use it that way.

 

Stephen