Nakaya has arrived!

[Phthalo]

Dean: The brightening process is subtle at first, but will then accelerate a little as time passes. I started to notice the pen was getting a bit brighter about two months ago. I can see that the cap and barrel are beginning to slowly clear - the underlying red body is more evident now. I don't expect it will really become quite different for another six months or so though.

 

It will be hard to show the effect in photos... because I did not take good photos in the beginning which I can use as a control. If I was smart, I would have setup the pen in a particular setting, and have been disciplined enough to shoot it every six months or so!

 

I have a Write-Fill syringe kit from Pear Tree Pens - a brilliant little product! The volume of the Platinum converter is around ~0.75ml, while the cartridges are ~1.15ml, so I'm happy to refill. Platinum Blue-Black is a wonderful ink colour on it's own, btw.

 

I was under the impression that the Tame-nuri finishes were more dynamic when compared to Kikyo / Arishu / Midori and Shu - these colours all brighten - but they do not transform as radically the Tame-nuri colours do. Those are made from colored urushi lacquer - not black urushi layered over red like the Kuro-Tamenuri.

 

Urushi lacquer 'clears' over time... so I am not sure that the Kikyo has darkened as John has indicated... However, my knowledge here is general - Kikyo may not be a straight colored urushi lacquer after all! (For example: The Shobu (Purple) is neither a colored urushi lacquer nor a layered finish.)

 

 

[Caboose]

Laura,

Thanks for your observations. I think I'd better get out the camera and take some more pics. of this pen in better light. Then, I will have something to compare against in 3 mos., 6 mos. etc. I'm looking forward to seeing how the pen changes, but I hope it retains a fair amount of the dark character.

 

I think I'm going to have to run off and pay a visit to Pear Tree Pen. That syringe fill setup sounds like just what I need.

 

So, what are the details of the Nakaya that is on it's way to you... or is that a secret until it has it's debut on the pages of FPN?

 

Cheers, Dean

[georges zaslavsky]

That is one sweet looking pen Very great looking nib too.

[playpen]

Dean: congratulations on your new gorgeous pen! I have been so tempted to order one of these myself but I am waiting for the D.C. show to see if there is something that will be able to tempt me in much the same way as I have been tempted by the Nakaya pens.

You wrote a great little review and your pictures are stunning!

[alvarez57]

Thanks to you all about the Urushi info. I have the Aka-Tamenuri in the largest possible size my hands could handle but I'm ok with it. Posting it would be ludicrous. The Urushi is soft but NOT slippery. Mine still holds the dark urushi -I've had it since about November but due to severe problems with the nib, stayed along time away from home (Richard Binder did a wonderful job).

I am seriously tempted in investing on another one, a smaller one. Piccolo is too small for me.

 

You will enjoy your pen! Its beauty lies on its simplicity.

 

 

[Renzhe]

約束

 

yue shu

ㄩㄝ ㄕㄨˋ

 

1.restraint; restriction; constraint; repression

2.to restrain; to restrict; to circumscribe; to repress; to hold in; to hold (or keep) sth. in check; to hem in; to tie down; to set measure to; to peg down; to bind sb. to

 

I did not know that. Partially because I used a Japanese dictionary to look up that compound, and partially because I am illiterate. At least it's on your pen and not on your skin!

[Caboose]

約束

 

yue shu

ㄩㄝ ㄕㄨˋ

 

1.restraint; restriction; constraint; repression

2.to restrain; to restrict; to circumscribe; to repress; to hold in; to hold (or keep) sth. in check; to hem in; to tie down; to set measure to; to peg down; to bind sb. to

 

I did not know that. Partially because I used a Japanese dictionary to look up that compound, and partially because I am illiterate. At least it's on your pen and not on your skin!

Renzhe,

If I understand correctly, those are the Chinese characters that look similar to the Japanese Kanji characters I have on my pen. The translation of the Kanji on my pen = "Promise" or "Comittment" as in comittment to family, etc.

 

Someone correct me if I've interpreted that incorrectly. I wouldn't have chosen something so severe

 

Cheers, Dean

[FrankB]

I am very impressed at how knowledgeable some of you folks are regading the urushi finishes. Your ability to set down the names fluently is beyond my ability. I must run to the Nakaya site for a refresher course every couple of days.

 

alvarez57, what size pen did you get? It looks great.

[Caboose]

Frank,

I'm right there with ya' buddy. You get a little more familiar with the terms when you do the pre-purchase research and then through the ordering process, but I still have to run to the Nakaya web-site to check terms.

I've been looking at Danitrios as well and Winedoc's Marketplace offerings have me switching to their site frequently.

 

Gee, you'd think it's a foreign language or something... :ltcapd:

 

But really, learning about fountain pens - their technology, terminology and history - has been a lot of fun. Now, adding the artistry element that is most common in the Japanese urushi and Maki-e pens kind of appeals to the left-side of my brian a little more. I'm kind of into more simple pens, and many of the urushi pens fit that bill while being very elegant and nice to look at. I'm finding that there are Maki-e pens out there as well that are understated, but still have some complex artwork on them that makes them special.

 

It's interesting to me to see the evolution (in the "change" sense, not necessarily in the "maturing" sense) I'm going through in my pen collecting. My interest started out with the more modern pens (VP, Pelikan, Graf Von Faber Castell), then moved to vintage Parkers ("51", and Vacumatics), and is now firmly in Japanese pens. Maybe it's just a desire to taste everything in the pen "buffet", but I can see myself coming back to the Japanese well frequently.

 

Cheers, Dean

Edited July 12, 2007 by Caboose

[TMLee]

Are all Nakaya feeds ebonite ?

 

 

[TMLee]

To those who ordered online ...

 

where do you indicate if you want an elastic nib ? Can't find any dialogue box to indicate so...

 

Why is there no option as " soft & flexible medium (or broad) stub" ?

 

[Caboose]

TMLee,

If I'm not mistaken, and I'm reading Nakaya's site correctly, the feed material is plastic.

 

With regard to ordering, You can start out with the order form, but certain nib preferences may be better requested via e-mail to/from Nakaya. They are very good at this process, but it can take a while depending on your location (e.g. time difference between Japan and you).

 

This page from the Nakaya site might help a bit on the stub nib issue:

http://www.nakaya.org/estub.html#music

 

Hope that helps a little,

 

Dean

[Renzhe]

Renzhe,

If I understand correctly, those are the Chinese characters that look similar to the Japanese Kanji characters I have on my pen. The translation of the Kanji on my pen = "Promise" or "Comittment" as in comittment to family, etc.

 

Someone correct me if I've interpreted that incorrectly. I wouldn't have chosen something so severe

 

Cheers, Dean

 

(Let me just make sure you know what kanji are. Kanji are what Chinese characters are called in Japanese. "Kan" = Chinese. "Ji" = character. Kanji are a part of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, katakana, and sometimes Roman characters.)

 

What you have on your pen are two kanji, 約束 (pronounced "yakusoku"), which form a compound. This compound indeed means "promise" in Japanese. However, this compound also exists in Chinese (Mandarin: yue4 shu1, Cantonese: yeuk3 chuk1), and it means "limit" or "restrict." So, let us just hope that whoever sees your pen is either illiterate or familiar with the Japanese definition.

[Caboose]

Renzhe,

Thank you. I was not completely aware of what Kanji are. That piece of information is useful - now and in the future, I'm sure.

 

It might make for an interesting conversation starter. Someone may ask me why in the world I have "Restrict" on my pen....... maybe that's a good way of telling people that "No, you may not borrow this pen".

 

Thanks again. I love the things I learn here.

[Opus104]

Dean,

 

Now that's clever! It's great to have this extended story to tell about your pen. The characters were, I think, a fantastic idea. Enjoy!

[coax]

Hope you're enjoying the pen so far.

 

About the kanji, Jim Breen's site is probably the best online Japanese dictionary, here's a link to some sample sentences for 約束

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin...%CC%F3%C2%AB_1_

[Caboose]

Opus,

Yeah, that will be fun. Now, we'll just have to see if anyone asks me.

 

Coax,

Thanks very much for the link. All of those examples are fitting.

 

Cheers, Dean

[Vintage Pens Fan]

Renzhe,

Thank you. I was not completely aware of what Kanji are. That piece of information is useful - now and in the future, I'm sure.

 

It might make for an interesting conversation starter. Someone may ask me why in the world I have "Restrict" on my pen....... maybe that's a good way of telling people that "No, you may not borrow this pen".

 

Thanks again. I love the things I learn here.

 

Dean,

 

Commitment (or promise) in Chinese writes more like:

 

承諾 or 諾言 (meaning A pledge to fulfill a promise)

 

But 約束 on your pen also conveys a positive tone as well. It mean self restraint (self control or self discipline) from doing bad things.

 

So in either interpretations (Japanese or Chinese) your are covered. & the most important thing is that you enjoy the pen.

 

Dave

Edited July 12, 2007 by Vintage Pens Fan

[Caboose]

Renzhe,

Thank you. I was not completely aware of what Kanji are. That piece of information is useful - now and in the future, I'm sure.

 

It might make for an interesting conversation starter. Someone may ask me why in the world I have "Restrict" on my pen....... maybe that's a good way of telling people that "No, you may not borrow this pen".

 

Thanks again. I love the things I learn here.

 

Dean,

 

Commitment (or promise) in Chinese writes more like:

 

承諾 or 諾言 (meaning A pledge to fulfill a promise)

 

But 約束 on your pen also conveys a positive tone as well. It mean self restraint (self control or self discipline) from doing bad things.

 

So in either interpretations (Japanese or Chinese) your are covered. & the most important thing is that you enjoy the pen.

 

Dave

 

:roflmho: Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that I caved in to my desire to own this pen... and then I have it inscribed with something that translates to "self-control". Maybe my subconscious (the part that understands Mandarin or Cantonese, apparently) was trying to tell me something :embarrassed_smile: .

 

Hmmmm, I wonder what I should have put on my next Nakaya or Danitrio?........ Does anyone know what the Kanji character is for "ooohh, shiny - must have!" ? :ltcapd:

 

Cheers, and thanks for making me self-relect.

 

Dean

 

Edited July 12, 2007 by Caboose

[Taki]

Dean,

 

I'm a Japanese born and grew up in Japan, and I have a teaching certificate of Japanese language. I assure you, yakusoku (the word on your pen) means promise, commitment (could be a date ) has no negative meanings in Japanese. Enjoy your pen!