Japan Exclusives

[essayfaire]

outside of Tokyo? Bungbox?? where in Japan exactly then Bungbox is far from Tokyo but it does have a branch in Tokyo with no stable schedule

She will be in Kanegawa prefecture. Does that help in terms of best stores for her to visit for exclusives?

[mke]

Kanagawa is the district next to Tokyo - 15 to 30 min by train.

So, it is absolutely no problem to go to Tokyo. Even going to Osaka/Kyoto/Nagoya (where additional shops are located) is no problem and relatively cheap.

 

Just an example: flight from Narita to Osaka is 5000 Yen, from Haneda which is near to Kanagawa it is certainly similar cheap.

[Algester]

Kanagawa searching it's store directory didnt lead to anything conclusive whether or not they have shop exclusives but I'll dig around

I tried and I didnt get anything... well conclusive indeed there are shops there but they will carry your typical big 3 line up :<

if your daughter isnt pressed for time I think the closest lead I can get you from Kanagawa would be Daikanyama assuming she can get to Yokohama easily since I'm not familiar with Kanagawa's JR lines

beyond that is "Tokyo Proper" Shibuya

according to my train guide

if she is going to stay near Kanagawa Station (station KK 36) then going to Daikanyama is approx 40+ minutes

I'll try Yokohama as the next best thing as that is closer than Tokyo,Tokyo welp even Yokohama didnt give me anything... online shopping is fine?

Edited March 19, 2018 by Algester

[essayfaire]

She will have an address so she could probably shop online... I just wouldn't want her to get anything I could just order off JetPens myself.

 

She is planning on being in Osaka for a weekend as well.

 

I'd love a wooden pen as long as it writes well.... The big three might be alright (I could use a Decimo if it were in a color I can't get here) as long as they are truly Japan exclusives. Probably not another Sailor - I have one but find the nib a bit scratchier than my other pens' nibs.

 

 

[mke]

> Osaka

Then read this: https://www.handoverthatpen.com/2017/04/12/osaka-pen-store-recap/

 

> truly Japan exclusives

If it is a truly Japanese Limited Edition, you will not get them if you are not extremely lucky. Japanese also want them. And they know where to look.

At this year's Mitsukoshi Pen Fair, two Pilot Capless Limited Editions were available. Online and locally sold out in less than 30 minutes.

Additionally, pen makers usually don't tell what pen is sold where in which color. I guess most sellers also don't know.

 

Scratchiness is in the eye of the beholder - and not every pen of the same model and the same nib size of the same maker is scratchy. Additionally, a Sailor is much thinner than a Pilot M.

If you complain about scratchiness, go for a Sailor M or a Platinum M, if you like it thin - otherwise choose a Pilot M.

If your next pen is still too scratchy, go to a penfair near to you and request a nib smoothing.

 

Otherwise, why don't you choose a smaller pen maker, like Eboya <https://eboya.net/>. Here I can tell you that the M nibs are very smooth, from size F, you experience some resistance. MF is in between.

Edited March 24, 2018 by mke

[mongrelnomad]

I concur with mke - if youre finding any Japanese makers nibs scratchy, go up one or more sizes. You have to remember that Japanese nibs are for oriental characters - far more delicate and intricate than our barbaric western scripts. They require a certain amount of diligence to get the most from - something I havent mastered. A nice MF or thicker from any company should be a revelation. Sailor nibs tend to have feedback (you feel the texture of the paper), but they shouldnt be scratchy. Platinum are similar, and Pilot are, IME, the smoothest, though this is a characteristic rather than a quality.

 

I wouldnt write off any producer if I were you. If your daughter can order online, perhaps try Nagasawa Kobe - they have a gorgeous red-black Realo at the moment and there are some very cool fruit-and-vegetable color Pro Gears if theyre sold out...

 

FYI, Kobe is ~15 minutes by Shinkansen from Osaka, so she could always make a little detour. Its a very quiet city, but theres a nice little Chinatown with good Xiao Long Bao, and Kitano - the historic foreigners neighbourhood - is pretty fascinating.

Edited March 24, 2018 by mongrelnomad

[mke]

> they have a gorgeous red-black Realo

 

Correction necessary, they HAD a gorgeous red-black Realo.

You see, until you hear about it, it is sold out.

 

https://www.nagasawa-shop.jp/Page/GOODSDETAIL-71443

 

Still available, original stuff.

https://www.nagasawa-shop.jp/GOODSLIST-478

Edited March 24, 2018 by mke

[mongrelnomad]

Well that’s boring.

[mke]

Yes, too bad. I also was interested.

Fortunately, I have a ProGear Realo which is also a nice pen.

[25_15_3]

The Nagasawa in Umeda still had a fwe more blue-white Realos but not the orange-black that I was looking for a week and a half ago

[msum]

Thanks all for the heads up about Realos.

 

How does it work? Are they only intermittently in production?

 

Or is it just the special (non black) colours that are harder to come by?

[mongrelnomad]

Thanks all for the heads up about Realos.

 

How does it work? Are they only intermittently in production?

 

Or is it just the special (non black) colours that are harder to come by?

You can pick up a black or burgundy Realo anywhere. The limited editions are hella tough to get hold of.

[Algester]

We can recommend pen-house if online shopping isnt a hassle

The emerald realo would maybe strike your fancy as pen-house is in Osaka the logistics on the other hand is beyond my knowledge

Edited March 25, 2018 by Algester

[mongrelnomad]

We can recommend pen-house if online shopping isnt a hassle

The emerald realo would maybe strike your fancy as pen-house is in Osaka the logistics on the other hand is beyond my knowledge

You can buy the Pen-house pens via Global Rakuten and have it sent to you wherever you are.

[essayfaire]

Thank you everyone; yes, she will be able to do in-country mail-order. The Sailor nibs are funny - I have Pilot and Platinum fines that I don't find scratchy at all, but perhaps I need to go up to Med. in Sailor. I know the nibs are finer for the Japanese pen makers.

[essayfaire]

She will be in Kanegawa prefecture. Does that help in terms of best stores for her to visit for exclusives?

Eek! I got in wrong. She will be living in Kawagoe.

[Algester]

ohh Kawagoe City, Saitama prefecture still GTA but ehhh... closest there with some shops I know is from Joyful Honda in Gunma Prefecture

[essayfaire]

ohh Kawagoe City, Saitama prefecture still GTA but ehhh... closest there with some shops I know is from Joyful Honda in Gunma Prefecture

Well, she'll be in Tokyo a fair amount. At least there is the Itoya flagship and the store others' mentioned for when she goes to Osaka.