Namiki Bamboo

[ishimaru_kaito]

Got the budget, now convince me (not that I need much). However, I do have some concerns:

 

1 - The cap unscrews, and from pictures, looks quite thick. I have small hands, so I'm not sure if the edge of the pen could irritate me.

 

2 - Is there an alternative pen that could be recommended in the £1-150 range?

 

Note - I'm in the uk, and only found one UK supplier for this pen. And they don't have it on try before you buy...

 

Rich

[rwboyer]

Got the budget, now convince me (not that I need much). However, I do have some concerns:

 

1 - The cap unscrews, and from pictures, looks quite thick. I have small hands, so I'm not sure if the edge of the pen could irritate me.

 

2 - Is there an alternative pen that could be recommended in the £1-150 range?

 

Note - I'm in the uk, and only found one UK supplier for this pen. And they don't have it on try before you buy...

 

Rich

 

Rich,

 

I love my Namiki pens. I have Namiki pens that cost < $100 and pens that cost > $3000, all of them are great. The Namiki I havent tried is the Bamboo.

 

You might want to check out the sterling collection (about the same price, may be a bit more) or the Falcon. The sterling and bamboo are heavier pens (by my standard) and the Falcon is super light weight and may be just what you are looking for from a size perspective.

 

RB

[satrap]

Got the budget, now convince me (not that I need much). However, I do have some concerns:

 

1 - The cap unscrews, and from pictures, looks quite thick. I have small hands, so I'm not sure if the edge of the pen could irritate me.

 

2 - Is there an alternative pen that could be recommended in the £1-150 range?

 

Note - I'm in the uk, and only found one UK supplier for this pen. And they don't have it on try before you buy...

 

Rich

=========

 

I have a black Bamboo, and, Waterman fan that I am, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the Bamboo. Very copmfortable to me, but I like big pens. Bamboo is longer than my LeMan 100, but not as thick.

 

Bamboo is a very long pen. If you use your keyboard for a guide, the closed pen goes from Q to the end of I; capped it goes from Q to the end of O. If you prefer a shorter pen, try maybe a Cross ATX, Waterman Expert, Waterman Hemisphere, to name a few.

 

diane

[garyc]

Rich,

 

I'm also in the UK and have been contemplating getting a Bamboo but the edge does worry me also. I had a similar concern about the VP regarding the placement of the clip and had to try one before buying (in the US).

 

However, I would recommend you look at Ujuku's web site if you do decide to go ahead and purchase. He carries a wide range of Pilot/Namiki/Sailor and Platinum here and has very reasonable prices. The Bamboo is available there in Black, Red and Blue. If you search FPN for Lucina you can find my comments on how quick and easy it was to get an order delivered to the UK (Ujuku take Paypal which makes things easy).

 

I have also been considering as an alternative the Custom 742 as its about the same price as the Bamboo, but to be honest it is a bit conservative in looks, certainly compared to the Bamboo whose styling and design are quite unique. It is, however, available with a wider range of nibs than the Bamboo.

[Splicer]

I'm also in the UK and have been contemplating getting a Bamboo but the edge does worry me also. I had a similar concern about the VP regarding the placement of the clip and had to try one before buying (in the US).

 

Since I started using the Bamboo (which was by coincidence at the same time I was reading a lot about hand position in the penmanship forum), I've adopted a grip that's different than I used to use. The pen rests on the pad between my thumb and forefinger, with my thumb on the barrel and my forefinger against the section. It works very nicely with the Bamboo. Sometimes I slip back to a "three finger" grip, but really the difference is just my middle finger slipping in under the section. My thumb remains back on the barrel.

 

When I try to put my thumb on the section opposite my forefinger, the step between the section and barrel does push against my thumb uncomfortably. But since it's uncomfortable to do it that way, I don't!

 

I have also been considering as an alternative the Custom 742 as its about the same price as the Bamboo, but to be honest it is a bit conservative in looks, certainly compared to the Bamboo whose styling and design are quite unique. It is, however, available with a wider range of nibs than the Bamboo.

 

You know, the 742's section will screw right in to the Bamboo's body. Too bad the color doesn't match. Well anyway, I kinda like the looks of the 742. A fellow has to have one black gold-trim pen in his collection, right?

 

[garyc]

I'm also in the UK and have been contemplating getting a Bamboo but the edge does worry me also. I had a similar concern about the VP regarding the placement of the clip and had to try one before buying (in the US).

 

Since I started using the Bamboo (which was by coincidence at the same time I was reading a lot about hand position in the penmanship forum), I've adopted a grip that's different than I used to use. The pen rests on the pad between my thumb and forefinger, with my thumb on the barrel and my forefinger against the section. It works very nicely with the Bamboo. Sometimes I slip back to a "three finger" grip, but really the difference is just my middle finger slipping in under the section. My thumb remains back on the barrel.

 

When I try to put my thumb on the section opposite my forefinger, the step between the section and barrel does push against my thumb uncomfortably. But since it's uncomfortable to do it that way, I don't!

 

I have also been considering as an alternative the Custom 742 as its about the same price as the Bamboo, but to be honest it is a bit conservative in looks, certainly compared to the Bamboo whose styling and design are quite unique. It is, however, available with a wider range of nibs than the Bamboo.

 

You know, the 742's section will screw right in to the Bamboo's body. Too bad the color doesn't match. Well anyway, I kinda like the looks of the 742. A fellow has to have one black gold-trim pen in his collection, right?

 

This is interesting - what you describe as your modified 3 finger grip, with forefinger to the front of the section on top, 2nd finger underneath but behind the first on the section and the thumb back on the barrel, is precisely how I hold a pen normally. (I just checked with a 78G - black with gold trim as it happens ). So it sounds like the bamboo will not be a problem for me.

 

But the bad news is from what you say about the interchangeable sections, is I probably need to buy both . I was thinking about the blue bamboo, though a black 742 section may go with a blue bamboo barrel.

 

(edited PS): Splicer, I see you also have a Rotring Newton - the one with the 45 degree angle on the step between the barrel and section, right?. I actually find this quite annoying - this lies just under my thumb and gets irritating after a while. Do you find the same?

Edited March 3, 2008 by garyc

[Splicer]

This is interesting - what you describe as your modified 3 finger grip, with forefinger to the front of the section on top, 2nd finger underneath but behind the first on the section and the thumb back on the barrel, is precisely how I hold a pen normally. (I just checked with a 78G - black with gold trim as it happens ). So it sounds like the bamboo will not be a problem for me.

 

But the bad news is from what you say about the interchangeable sections, is I probably need to buy both . I was thinking about the blue bamboo, though a black 742 section may go with a blue bamboo barrel.

 

(edited PS): Splicer, I see you also have a Rotring Newton - the one with the 45 degree angle on the step between the barrel and section, right?. I actually find this quite annoying - this lies just under my thumb and gets irritating after a while. Do you find the same?

 

The black 742 section wouldn't be the problem. It's the gold nib that wouldn't match the rhodium plated furniture. Tho I see that the blue Bamboo (Blue Bamboo? like if Roy Orbison were Japanese?) has a "copper plated pink gold" clip. What's up with that? Hmmmm.

 

Yeah, the Newton is the one where someone wanted them to show off and be a fancy "engineer's pen" (although most actual engineers are more impressed with the stark functionality of the 600). I do have to pinch the section way up by the nib in order to write with it, but it hasn't been a dealbreaker for me. I don't use it all that often although I carry it with me. It's in the case with the matching mechanical pencil, which I do use. Sometimes the Newton is handy and it gets used. I think when I wrote in my blog that it was a worthy successor to the 600 I was smoking crack. It's a good pen, and probably more to most people's tastes than the 600, but it ain't no 600. ("Senator Newton, I knew Rotring 600. I wrote with Rotring 600. You, sir, are no Rotring 600")

[Immoteus]

But the bad news is from what you say about the interchangeable sections, is I probably need to buy both . I was thinking about the blue bamboo, though a black 742 section may go with a blue bamboo barrel.

The Bamboo has the same black grip regardless of the (colour of the) barrel (Link Here). As for buying both pens, theres no way around that... One thing though, while the section of the 742 screws into the bamboo (and vice versa), the section on the bamboo is slightly longer than the 742. So the bamboo will cap perfectly, but you'll have to leave the 742 uncapped and unused (which I found out through trial and error). What I did instead was swap the nibs between the two pens; now the 742 is capped but still remains unused. (Pictures below)

 

 

Edited March 4, 2008 by Immoteus

[DanGitlitz]

There's one for sale in the Marketplace right now by Leigh R. Here's a link:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...c=55630&hl=

Edited March 4, 2008 by DanGitlitz

[garyc]

My head's in a spin now, for some reason I looked at the Ujuku pic and thought it was all blue, not with a black section. But its obvious now, esp looking at the deep red version. I also didn't realise the coloured models came with a copper/gold clip, which I don't really fancy at all now - the mixture of copper/gold clip and rhodium plate on the nib and thread doesn't seem to work for me (can be seen better from the marketplace example just quoted). I guess that just leaves black (or full rhodium, but its too heavy and expensive for me).

 

I'm also having to restrain myself from going for Leigh's red Sailor 1911 with the modded nib. For now, I'm restricting myself to just the Bamboo this month.

[Splicer]

The copper-plated gold clip is a surprise to me, too. I don't get it.

 

Is there a name for copper-plated gold, like vermeil for silver-plated gold?

[garyc]

I've ordered a Bamboo in black with M nib from the land of the rising sun. Now displaces the VP as the most expensive pen I have bought, so I have high hopes for it.

[Splicer]

I've ordered a Bamboo in black with M nib from the land of the rising sun. Now displaces the VP as the most expensive pen I have bought, so I have high hopes for it.

 

I think you'll be pleased, but if you hate it let me know and I'll take it off your hands. =^)

[garyc]

The Bamboo arrived today. I must admit I have more than slightly surprised to find the black version also has the copper clip - I just hadn't looked closely enough at the pics on the Ujuku site. I have a suspicion these are NOS from 2004 (the plastic box cover had a date) because the pictures on the namiki.com site don't seem to have copper clips anymore.

 

No matter, that's the only criticism I can find. It is beautiful, looks so unique and the nib does not disappoint at all. Only snag is that my thumb is suffering a bit from too much mouse (PC) action and has developed a bit of pins and needles on the tip, so holding the Bamboo (actually any pen) is a little uncomfortable. But with 4 days off work for Easter now I hope it will relax and recover so I can play with my new toy a bit more.

[Taki]

The Japanese version of Bamboo comes with rose-gold plated clip, not copper. I agree, they should have made nibs and clip the same, though.

[garyc]

The Japanese version of Bamboo comes with rose-gold plated clip, not copper. I agree, they should have made nibs and clip the same, though.

Ok its what they call 'rose-gold' but to the average man on the Clapham omnibus it looks copper coloured. Of course, with the price of copper going up on markets these days, supposedly due to demand cause by China's consumption, copper might be deemed a precious metal and be a new feature on pens like gold or silver soon. ;-)

 

The clips do match now on the latest pens - take a look at the Bamboo collection on Namiki's web site (click on 'View entire collection' for a pdf with a closeup). I think my pen is actually NOS from 2004 according to the date stamp on the pack. It looks like the colours are now in the Henry Ford school - anything as long as its black. Then there is the Rhodium finish pen - but even this may be discontinued now - out of stock on the nibs.com website, which also says the black pen's clip is 'white metal finish' whatever that may be (obviously not Rhodium plated then).

 

Or are pens for the Japanese domestic market still in the old style with all colours - as per Pilot's website?

 

Its my impression that the medium nib is not so fine as other Pilots I have. But it has nice variation, which is nice. I'm liking it more and more. Even wrote a letter to the tax man yesterday with it.

Edited March 23, 2008 by garyc

[msikk]

But the bad news is from what you say about the interchangeable sections, is I probably need to buy both . I was thinking about the blue bamboo, though a black 742 section may go with a blue bamboo barrel.

The Bamboo has the same black grip regardless of the (colour of the) barrel (Link Here). As for buying both pens, theres no way around that... One thing though, while the section of the 742 screws into the bamboo (and vice versa), the section on the bamboo is slightly longer than the 742. So the bamboo will cap perfectly, but you'll have to leave the 742 uncapped and unused (which I found out through trial and error). What I did instead was swap the nibs between the two pens; now the 742 is capped but still remains unused. (Pictures below)

 

 

 

Hey Immoteus, does the nib on the bamboo screw out?

[Immoteus]

IIRC Pilot nibs, for the most part, are friction fit.

[Inkstain]

Have a Bamboo...

 

I have a Bamboo (fine nib) and really like it a lot. I think my hands might be about medium and I like large pens, so I have not found it to be difficult or cumbersome to use. The balance is best, IMHO with the cap off the pen. I usually use a high grip, but have not found any problem with "ridges." Hope that helps.

[Bill Wood]

I'm more interested in ordering from Japan. No problems to the US? if not problems to the US should be no problems to Canada.

 

Although I did pay a good chunk with International customs for something from the UK - so lately I deal with all friends from the US on FPN. I've always been a little dodgey about ordering from Japan, Malaysia, the Orient. Any problems or concerns by anyone ?

 

Thanks

 

Bill