Tamenuri Studio Mini Review

[Uncial]

 

this is a quick mini, first impressions review of a pen from Tamenuri Studio. It’s a pen in the Midori Tamenuri Ishimeji style and came in a pale wooden box and a lovely pen kimono. 

 

it’s a textured urushi in deep green with a steel Bock nib. It mimics the shape and size of the Nakaya Piccolo. The avocado skin texture and colour make it a very ‘natural’ and very tactile pen. 

 

the nib is….ok. At this price I wasn’t expecting anything great, but it’s not bad, just a bit dull. I will swap it out or alter it to complete the pen to my taste. There aren’t many reviews of these pens but they certainly deserve better coverage as you essentially get a very fine urushi pen for considerably less than a Nakaya, and without the wait time. 

[Karmachanic]

51 minutes ago, Uncial said:

There aren’t many reviews of these pens but they certainly deserve better coverage as you essentially get a very fine urushi pen for considerably less than a Nakaya, and without the wait time. 

 

I have two of Michal's pens and agree with you on the quality of his work.  Replacing the steel nib for 14K brings the price to 20% or so less than Nakaya.  Then there is the benefit knowing that one is getting a unique pen, and not having to wait six months.

[Uncial]

I remember when he started out there was a bit of interest on these boards, but I must confess I was a little reticent about buying from him and some of his work seemed a little 'green' and unpolished. Looking at what he's doing now it's clear he has come on leaps and bounds. I really can't fault the urushi, the balance and weight of the pen or the tollerances. It all feels very professional and produced with a lot of care and attention.

 

For me, ordering in the EU, the prices are good. Ordering an unusual Nakaya direct from Japan is brutally expensive these days when vat and taxes are added on what is already an expensive pen. In this instance I was after a textured pen and something that looked as if it came from nature; a kind of 'natural' botanical sort of pen if that makes sense, and I felt I could really only get that with urushi. I eyed up his cherry bark urushis too, they are quite spectacular and very convincing to the extent that some even look like laquered cherry bark rather than an urushi effect.

[Karmachanic]

7 hours ago, Uncial said:

Ordering an unusual Nakaya direct from Japan is brutally expensive these days

 

Hadn't taken that into account.  I was just looking at the regular line on Iguana Sell

[Jarod]

On 6/20/2023 at 6:43 PM, Uncial said:

Ordering an unusual Nakaya direct from Japan is brutally expensive these days when vat and taxes are added on what is already an expensive pen.

Have you ever used proxy or forward services? I hear many people do that to keep the total cost down, when buying from Japan at least.

[Carrau]

Beautiful pen, and it does bring avocado to mind.  

[Karmachanic]

32 minutes ago, Jarod said:

Have you ever used proxy or forward services? I hear many people do that to keep the total cost down, when buying from Japan at least.

 

 Won't do much to bring the £1200 price of the Nakaya down to that of the £490 Tamenuri tho'.