Namiki Fountain pens

[Bryant]

A friend of mine is just getting into Fountain Pens and asked me about Namikis... I have never owned one so I thought I get the experts oponions...

 

Good for using?

Collecting?

 

Thanks and Cheers!

Bry

[langere]

Namiki is the same as Pilot. All first-quality pens. I have the Namiki Falcon and a whole host of Pilots. They are usually not as expensive as most European brands, but just as good.

 

Erick

[ANM]

I have four, all nice pens, all nice writers, one collectible (maki-e)

[Bryant]

Ok, so I am liar... I do have a "Namiki", I have a Pilot VP... Oops! I am pretty sure its vintage... How long has the company been the same?

B

[simonrob]

A friend of mine is just getting into Fountain Pens and asked me about Namikis... I have never owned one so I thought I get the experts oponions...

 

Good for using?

Collecting?

 

Thanks and Cheers!

Bry

 

In terms of performance, I doubt any company makes better nibs/feeds these days - I have several, and they've all performed flawlessly since I first took them out of the box. (I'm especially partial to Namiki Falcons and a raft of Pilots available only directly from Japan.) Aesthetically they're rather conservative, but that suits me just fine. As for whether they're of interest to collectors or will prove to be a good investment, I'm afraid I have no idea.

 

Simon

[Lloyd]

My favorite brand.

[Siv]

Namiki is to Pilot what Lexus is to Toyota.

 

In Japan all their pens are called Pilot but the ones they want to brand as high end are called Namiki only in their export markets.

 

Personally, I think they make the best modern fountain pens. They also have their Maki-e line which are Japanese hand crafted/painted and very very collectible (along with being very expensive).

[playpen]

Namiki is a fine company. I have the Falcon, the Flower Baseket maki-e and several VP's. They all write beautifully and I have no complaints about any of them. Their nibs are first rate!

[scribe75]

I have three Namikis. Two writers, one collectible - Golden Eagle (at least I think so based on the price).

 

They are really well made. Great nibs, good ink flow, straight out of the box. One thing to keep in mind as you compare them to other non-Japanese brands, the FP nibs in Japan all tend to run a little to the fine side of any indicated nib size. For example: A medium is going to write more like a fine; a fine like an extra fine, etc. They are so sized overall as to fit well in a pocket, the big maki-e pens excepted. Great for everyday use. The future value of any collectibles will depend entirely on the future. Right now, I am not sure I'd look at re-sale prices as being truly indicative of long term values. The economy isn't exactly great globally and I sense the supply of pens on the re-sale market is a little greater than demand.

[Splicer]

I don't think anyone has them beat on the price/performance ratio, and their QA is top-notch. I keep on buying Pilot/Namiki pens and comparing them favorably with other pens twice the price. I keep saying that they're making everyone else look bad which isn't quite true, but Pilot is making almost everyone else look bad.

[Taki]

Ok, so I am liar... I do have a "Namiki", I have a Pilot VP... Oops! I am pretty sure its vintage... How long has the company been the same?

B

90 years Pilot was started as Namiki Seisakusho in 1918, and changed their name to Pilot in 1938. They use Namiki name overseas and for high-end maki-e pens domestically.

[southpaw]

Pilot/Namiki is certainly amongst the very top in terms of quality. If you like it, don't hesitate to get one as they're great pens.

[CharlieB]

Namiki (aka Pilot) pens are excellent. I think they're every bit as good as Sailor. Unfortunately, some of their best pens are sold only in Asia and Europe and never appear in the American market.

[Martius]

I love Namiki/Pilot. Great pens, great prices. You really can't go wrong. Get a Pilot Vanishing Point or Namiki Bamboo from a nibmeister like Richard Binder or John Mottishaw if you want the "real deal" - they adjust the pens to perfection, so you get even more for your money.

 

Best,

Summer

[extrafine]

As a side-note, the PIlot 78G is, in my opinion, one of the best value-for-money pens out there. If I were restricted to one pen, under $15, it would probably be my pick, though a Reform 1745 might be a consideration as well.

[aikidorat]

All,

 

thank you for your inputs, I really appreciate it.

 

(Bryant posted for me - we ran across each other while on vacation, and talking to him about fountain pens renewed my interest in FPs.)

 

Bryant also sparked my interest in obtaining new pens, and I am finding I am leaning towards the Namiki line - particularly the Falcon (with a fine nib) as my next pen.

 

(I'll need to research more and understand pricing before going for a Maki-e or similar pen.)

 

Are there any concerns with the Falcon I should be aware of? I searched the forum, and most (95%)of the posts are very positive in regards to the Falcon. From what I read, it is a good quality pen and a nice nib. I happen to like the overall styling as well, and the price is reasonable (though if I can find one gently used, so much the better). Any recommended places to purchase?

 

(and I can see getting a VP at some point too).

 

lastly, at this time, collectibility isnt as much a concern as getting FPs I can use and enjoy. I can see that changing as I hang out here more, read more, and get bitten by the bug (to the dismay of my wife! ;-) ).

 

 

A little background about me:

 

I have a early 90's Schaeffer Targa (exact year unknown), Black lacquer with gold accents, that my wife gave to me as a gift. I was quite into FPs back then, but never started collecting, and only have the one pen. I used it quite a bit, but then found that it didnt write as well as I wanted it to. Thinking it was my handwriting, or I had somehow broken the pen, it soon found it's way back to it's box in the desk. Talking to Bryant, I realized that it may just have been the ink I was using (old Skrip black and blue-black) and not the pen.

 

I've since tried some MB black (recommended by Bryant, and easy to get near my house in Phoenix), as well as newer Slovnia Skrip, and the change in ink has made a huge difference. I've been using it every day for the last month. I am enjoying using a FP again, and have even checked out a book on improving my handwriting so I can use the FP even more (increase my speed and legibility). That and well, my handwriting really deteriorated over the last few years! But getting better every day

 

thanks for reading, and the information, deeply appreciated.

 

and thanks again Bryant! Glad we met each other at Disneyland as our kids waited for the parade. Funny how that works out at times.

 

best,

 

dave

 

 

 

[Bryant]

Its nice to see all positive things said about the brand... And welcome to the Fountain Pen Network Dave!

Cheers!

Bry

Edited June 30, 2008 by Bryant

[Bryant]

(Bryant posted for me - we ran across each other while on vacation, and talking to him about fountain pens renewed my interest in FPs.)

 

Bryant also sparked my interest in obtaining new pens, and I am finding I am leaning towards the Namiki line - particularly the Falcon (with a fine nib) as my next pen.

 

and thanks again Bryant! Glad we met each other at Disneyland as our kids waited for the parade. Funny how that works out at times.

 

best,

 

dave

My pleasure Dave! I hope you find the perfect pen for you... Or many perfect pens!

 

Haha! Another convert!!!

Edited June 30, 2008 by Bryant

[vermillionpart4]

I enjoy my VP except that the broad is an asian broad which is actually fine and the converter is tiny and somewhat difficult to fill because of the looong nib. I've gotten around the filling issue by pulling the converter out but there's not getting around the tiny size. Other than that the pen is excellent, ssolid construction, slightly flexy smooth nib and I even love the clip near the nib.