The Twin Tohmas

[whichwatch]

 

 

 

 

 

Kiyotaka Toma is a Japanese artisan penmaker whose trademark is huge, oversized custom pens with immense #55 nibs.    I had just finished placing my order for the pen on the left when a short while later I saw a picture of the pen on the right, at that point simply a prototype.  I guess the picture of the two recently arrived pens pretty well documents what happened.  These pens left me absolutely breathless - so much so that I have decided to share pictures via this simple photo essay before I have even taken the time to write extensively with them.  But just the few short pages I have written with each already have me convinced that these pens are quite an experience in all respects.

 

The first thing that one notices in real life, which may not be fully realized in pictures on the Tohma website of each pen alone, is their size.  Did I mention that Tohma is known for huge pens?  Here are two photos showing a  size comparison to other large pens some may recognize.

 

 

 

 

 

Left to right are:  Pelikan M1000, Nakaya Dorsal Fin 1, Manu Propria, Namiki Emperor, and the two Tohmas.

 

Now let's take about each Tohma pen in a bit more detail.

 

The pen on the left is a Hachikuma 55.   Google translate tells me that Hachikuma means "Honey Bear", which apparently is a name for what is more properly known as a kinkajou, a mammal biologically in the racoon family.  The pen is crafted from the by now somewhat famous Conway Stewart Azure acrylic.   It is a torpedo shape that measures approximately 181 mm long capped and 162 mm long uncapped.  The nib alone when installed in the pen measures about 36 mm from nib tip to front end of the section!  Barrel diameter is 18.5 mm with a nicely curved section about 15.5 mm at the narrowest point.  Despite the massive size the pen is incredibly light, weighing in (empty) at only 40 grams.  The pen is eyedropper filled and by my very imprecise measurements has an immense capacity of somewhere around 8 mm (!!!!!!!!).  Given the amount I write, this could possibly represent a lifetime supply if I never stopped to change it!  The pen has a large yellow ink window just below the threads.  I do wish the ink window material were clear rather than yellow, but that is a very minor issue to me.  

 

The pen on the right is a Kumataka 55.  Google translate tells me that Kumataka means "Mountain Hawk- eagle".    The mascot of the college I attended is "Mountain Hawks" (formerly "Engineers") so this somehow seemed appropriate, though I had actually not checked on translation of the names until after the pens had arrived.  This pen has the flat ends and measures approximately 172 mm long capped and 167 mm long uncapped with a barrel diameter of 19 mm.  Weight is an even lighter 35mm which to me is mind boggling given the huge size of the pen.  The body is of course alternating strips of raden and ebonite.  This model has a much longer section measuring about 15 mm at the narrowest.  It has cap threads at the front end and an extremely narrow ink window.  I find the long section with threads at the front super comfortable.  The ink window is so narrow it is close to unusable for me and I would have been fine if it weren't even there.

 

 

 

(The following two pictures are features of the Kumataka only)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nib on the Hachikuma is a BB.  As you can see in the picture, it has two breather holes and a rather short slit, whereas the nib on the Kumataka is described as Medium "Naginata like" and has one hole and a long slit.  My understanding is that Tohma makes their own nibs in-house.  If I understood Toma san correctly, the material for the huge BB nib on the Hachikuma was so soft it was difficult to properly control flow with a long slit so he had to shorten the slit.  It looked a bit strange to me at first but I have quickly grown accustomed to it and realize it wasn't objectionable to me, it was just "different" from what I was used to seeing.

 

The Hachikuma came in what I assume is Tohma's standard packaging - a very nice stained wood box with hinged lid.   The Kumataka, a now-finished prototype, came in what I think is an unfinished pawlonia wood box, somewhat similar to boxes Nakaya uses.  Both are house in properly labelled cardboard outers and each contains a completed warranty card, and an ink syringe for filling the pen.  A several page "instruction sheet" with pictures and verbage in English was emailed to me separately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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These are custom made pens and the time between placing the order and delivery was about 7 months.  Toma san's communications were adequate - rather sparse at first but far more responsive as time went on.  Unfortunately I do not speak Japanese but he communicated well in English, an effort I always tremendously appreciate from those for whom English is not their first language.

 

I apologize for not including writing samples in this photo essay.  At this point  I'll simply say they do write great - very soft and bouncy with nice smoothness and proper lines for the nib widths.  I was so excited by these pens I simply couldn't wait to share some pictures.  I hope you'll understand, and that you have enjoyed reading about these not-yet-often-seen pens.

[GardenWeasel]

I am speechless!  How do you find such gorgeous and distinctive pen makers and pens!  Truly beautiful works of art. Love the comparisons too 😃  Thanks for sharing!

[peroride]

5 hours ago, whichwatch said:

I hope you'll understand, and that you have enjoyed reading about these not-yet-often-seen pens.

Thank you for the Tohma treat and size comparisons. Congratulations on the twins!

[whichwatch]

13 minutes ago, GardenWeasel said:

I am speechless!  How do you find such gorgeous and distinctive pen makers and pens!  Truly beautiful works of art. Love the comparisons too 😃  Thanks for sharing!

 

Come to DC Show.  I will have a table there and plan to bring them with me - not to sell, but to show to some friends who have already asked.  I'd be happy to show them to you.

[mizgeorge]

Those look huge, but outstandingly beautiful. Congratulations

[whichwatch]

3 minutes ago, peroride said:

Thank you for the Tohma treat and size comparisons. Congratulations on the twins!

 

Thanks!  Not quite as good as the twins my wife had 47 years ago (and I helped), but these are pretty darned good.

[whichwatch]

Just now, mizgeorge said:

Those look huge, but outstandingly beautiful. Congratulations

 

 

Thanks.  The size to weight ratio is incredible.  These are so light for their immense size!

[XYZZY]

Gorgeous pens!

 

You mentioned that the nibs are bouncy.  Anything to compare that too?  I have heard some people describe the Emperor as bouncy, and I disagree with that.  There's maybe a tiny bit of bounce, but I think it's mostly due to how long the nib is.

 

It's funny that my first reaction to seeing those is "Too big!", but I find my Emperor to be very comfortable to write with; I think I've burned through 4ml of ink the past four days.  I'm sure that if you loaned one of them to me 😀 I would find it comfortable, too.

 

 

[zaddick]

Great pics and overview. Super funky nib on the hachikuma. I kind of like it as it makes the nib look bespoke. Plus you likely don't have to worry about railroading.

 

An ink window on an eyedropper is a real plus in my opinion.

 

Thanks for sharing those new treasures. 

[whichwatch]

1 hour ago, XYZZY said:

Gorgeous pens!

 

You mentioned that the nibs are bouncy.  Anything to compare that too?  I have heard some people describe the Emperor as bouncy, and I disagree with that.  There's maybe a tiny bit of bounce, but I think it's mostly due to how long the nib is.

 

It's funny that my first reaction to seeing those is "Too big!", but I find my Emperor to be very comfortable to write with; I think I've burned through 4ml of ink the past four days.  I'm sure that if you loaned one of them to me 😀 I find it comfortable, too.

 

 

 

I am likely not the best person to answer that question for you.  The fact is that despite owning a large number of pens, I really don't write all that much because it is mostly in short bursts, not real  long sessions.  The nibs I most commonly use are Nakaya, Pelikan, Sailor KoP, etc which are all known to be pretty stiff.

 

The only nibs I have used that seem as soft to me as the Tohmas are titanium nibs, but I find those mushy and unenjoyable whereas the Tohmas are bouncier and to me more pleasureable a sensation.  I'm sorry I can't seem able to translate tactile sensations in words any better than that.  Like the Liberal Arts guys used to jokingly say about us in college:  "before I came here I couldn't even spell engineer, and now I are one"

 

I was very concerned about "too big", and especially so after I placed the order and was waiting for delivery.  But so far I am really enjoying these, and especially the Kumataka, on which I simply can't get over the (lack of) weight.  It just feels like writing with a feather.  I am sure that if it were heavier it would be tiring, but I feel like I can write with this pen for as long as I want without growing tired.  And most certainly, no hand cramps from too narrow a pen.

[whichwatch]

42 minutes ago, zaddick said:

Great pics and overview. Super funky nib on the hachikuma. I kind of like it as it makes the nib look bespoke. Plus you likely don't have to worry about railroading.

 

An ink window on an eyedropper is a real plus in my opinion.

 

Thanks for sharing those new treasures. 

 

Thanks!  When I first saw pictures of the nib I originally wondered why there were two breather holes.  I eventually decided that perhaps Toma-san had made a group of nibs including the heart shaped breather hole properly positioned for a long slit, and only later found that for a BB it wasn't working out well so had to adjust.  But I never did specifically ask that question, and since I bought both pens at the same time and one had the long slit with the other the short slit, I decided to proceed as they were.  The nibs are the same size and threading,  simply unscrew from the section, and I can put either nib unit in either pen.

[XYZZY]

14 hours ago, whichwatch said:

 

I am likely not the best person to answer that question for you.  The fact is that despite owning a large number of pens, I really don't write all that much because it is mostly in short bursts, not real  long sessions.  The nibs I most commonly use are Nakaya, Pelikan, Sailor KoP, etc which are all known to be pretty stiff.

 

The only nibs I have used that seem as soft to me as the Tohmas are titanium nibs, but I find those mushy and unenjoyable whereas the Tohmas are bouncier and to me more pleasureable a sensation.  I'm sorry I can't seem able to translate tactile sensations in words any better than that.  Like the Liberal Arts guys used to jokingly say about us in college:  "before I came here I couldn't even spell engineer, and now I are one"

 

 

I think that's a pretty good description actually.  More useful than just tossing out some fancy poetic description. 😉

 

[Karmachanic]

I have read that Tohmas nibs are made by nib master Kubo Kohei

[jandrese]

Thanks so much for posting this. I was looking at Tohma pens a couple of weeks ago. Still have not made up my mind, but they are intriguing! 

 

The nib with two "breather" holes is curious. If these are handmade to some extent they nevertheless both come out of the same stamp press. The person making the nibs must be quite knowledgeable about their product to understand the material, forces involved, stress points, etc. The second, round, stress relieving hole must have been cut by hand. Gotta love Japanese pens.   

[Linger]

Many thanks for posting this. It is so nice to get to learn about these small artisan craftsmen. Where else would one get to know their existence. And the Kumataka is stellar. The use of Raden in stripes is perfect. I will not re-hash the discussion on cultural appropriation here, but let’s just conclude that it fits really well on a Tohma, like it does on a Pelikan, and it comes from Japan, where the art-form comes from. The size is an issue though. It is re a l l y big. I for one will stick to Yukari Royale rather than Emperor size.

[eric.zamir]

I'm glad to see the Manu Propria in good company, in a good home! The Green Ray is my dream pen!

That being said, Tohma was recommended to me, and I am currently trying to decide on a pen, probably similar to one of the two you posted. Thanks for the post, it is enlightening and helpful! I'd be curious to see writing samples, and to have your opinion with regard to springiness, nib widths (vis-a-vis Western), etc. The other thing is, the grip on the M1000 is perfect for me. The MB 149, on the other hand, is slightly girthy. What's your take on the Tohmas?

[whichwatch]

Sections are of course tapered, but here are my measurements of the section ranges on each pen:

 

Pelikan 1000   11 - 12 mm

MB 149   13 +/- mm

Hachikuma  15 - 16 mm

Kumataka   14.5 - 17mm

 

And here are writing samples.  These pens take a light touch to avoid excessive wetness, especially the Kumataka with the long slit nib.  It takes a bit of practice, which I am still learning to get exactly right,  Check out the wild line variation possible from the Kumataka!

 

 

[WLSpec]

I was really taken by the pictures Toma-san put on his IG featuring that raden Kumutaka, so I'm glad to see more photos of the beautiful work of art! I can't wait for the Tohma I have on order to arrive.

On 6/4/2021 at 2:16 PM, Karmachanic said:

I have read that Tohmas nibs are made by nib master Kubo Kohei

My impression is that Toma-San was the pupil of Mr. Kubo, and is now making his own pens. 

 

@whichwatch I'm curious what you think of the two sections - which shape is more comfortable to hold? I noticed you said that the longer section is very comfortable, so how does the Hatchikuma compare?

[whichwatch]

Both are surprisingly comfortable for their size.  I have a slight preference for the Kumataka:

 

1.  Slightly lighter pen

2.  Longer section

3.  Cap threads are at the very front, whereas on Hachikuma they are at the barrel end of the section and my finger does contact them.

 

The Hachikuma is not uncomfortable and I do not wish to create that impression.  WLSPec asked for a comparison, and that is what I am trying to provide.

[WLSpec]

1 hour ago, whichwatch said:

Both are surprisingly comfortable for their size.  I have a slight preference for the Kumataka:

 

1.  Slightly lighter pen

2.  Longer section

3.  Cap threads are at the very front, whereas on Hachikuma they are at the barrel end of the section and my finger does contact them.

 

The Hachikuma is not uncomfortable and I do not wish to create that impression.  WLSPec asked for a comparison, and that is what I am trying to provide.

Thank you! I did wonder if the threads being placed at the front of the section had an effect on the feel of the pen, like an Oldwin.