Is this a decent pen? Sailor lacquerware gift pen

[ctakim]

Sorry for the noobie question but I recently got a fountain pen as a gift and I don't know much about it. In my last job I did some work for a Japanese company and as I was leaving they gave me a black lacquer fountain pen. The gold colored ring at the end of the cap is engraved Sailor Japan Founded 1911. The nib is also gold colored and says 1911 with an anchor and 21K with the number underneath 825 and Sailor engraved at the bottom. The pen itself is pretty lightweight but it has a beautiful black lacquerware finish with a Japanese carp (Koi) on the body. It is finished like much of the Japanese classical lacquerware if you are familiar with that. It came with two ink cartridges and an internal converter with a piston mechanism. It came in a nondescript soft wooden box, but the interior is lined with a more elegant looking dark blue velvet material. I can try and post a picture if that would help.

 

Thanks in advance for any information.

[Titivillus]

Very nice pen I's a keeper.

 

K

[MiniMaupassant]

lucky, lucky you!!!

I hope you look after it and enjoy using it.

Leonie

[thibaulthalpern]

Very nice pen I's a keeper.

 

K

 

I have to disagree. It's a horrible pen. But don't worry, you can dispose of it by sending it to me. I'll pay for shipping and handling $20.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shadowsforbars]

Sounds good to me. It appears to be a very nice tip. Don't forget to declare it on your tax!

[Joe in Seattle]

I agree with the last poster - absolutely awful pen and I'll pay $50 for insured shipping to me!

[RHutch]

Are you sure they are Koi not Clown Fish? Look half way down the page at the The Creatures of the Deep - "Kumanomi" Clownfish pen.

 

Clown Fish Pen

http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/creatures/index.html

 

Koi Pen

http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/maki-e_resin/index.html

 

Edited September 20, 2008 by RHutch

[ctakim]

Are you sure they are Koi not Clown Fish? Look half way down the page at the The Creatures of the Deep - "Kumanomi" Clownfish pen.

 

Clown Fish Pen

http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/creatures/index.html

 

Koi Pen

http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/maki-e_resin/index.html

 

 

Thanks for the links. It is definitely a carp (whiskered, big scales, longer body) and not a clown fish (ala Nemo), but it differs from the pens shown on the Sailor website. The Koi pen there has no central cap ring. The fish looks similar, but the design is slightly different. My pen was also personalized with my name (in English) engraved on the cap.

 

Thanks for all the comments, it looks like a much more expensive gift than I realized. I got this about a year ago and just had it sitting in a drawer. However, I have a growing interest in fountain pens and belatedly remembered I had this gift tucked away! So no it is not for sale!

[thibaulthalpern]

[ So no it is not for sale!

 

Eh! No one is asking you to sell it. I'm just saying instead of throwing it away, let me recycle it for you. It's good for the environment. I'll pay for shipping...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ctakim]

[ So no it is not for sale!

 

Eh! No one is asking you to sell it. I'm just saying instead of throwing it away, let me recycle it for you. It's good for the environment. I'll pay for shipping...

 

 

 

Well, thanks, I guess. I didn't mean to underestimate your benevolence! Seriously, thanks for the feedback from the community. I am just starting to grow my interest in fountain pens and I'm currently writing with a rather inexpensive Conklin. I am just starting to shop for a decent Pelikan, but that is when I remembered I had this tucked away in a drawer. Now I'm thinking this might be too nice for every day general use. I'll probably go ahead with the Pelikan purchase to start to broaden my experience.

[jdboucher]

can we see pics?

[thibaulthalpern]

Well, thanks, I guess. I didn't mean to underestimate your benevolence! Seriously, thanks for the feedback from the community. I am just starting to grow my interest in fountain pens and I'm currently writing with a rather inexpensive Conklin. I am just starting to shop for a decent Pelikan, but that is when I remembered I had this tucked away in a drawer. Now I'm thinking this might be too nice for every day general use. I'll probably go ahead with the Pelikan purchase to start to broaden my experience.

 

Oh no...use it regularly although perhaps in the house if you don't want to take it to work

[ctakim]

can we see pics?

 

Here are some pics after a bit of a delay, I was traveling. Sorry for the poor quality!

[Leigh R]

You have a Sailor resin maki-e. They seem to have released two versions, one with a cap band and one without. There are pens similar to yours on Pengallery.

[biffybeans]

They gave you a $600 pen as a gift. You must have been an angel to them. Before I realized it's full value, I was going to tell you to use it. Now I'm not so sure.... Me personally, I hate the idea of having something that could be used, but isn't because of value or sentimentality...

 

 

 

Sorry for the noobie question but I recently got a fountain pen as a gift and I don't know much about it. In my last job I did some work for a Japanese company and as I was leaving they gave me a black lacquer fountain pen. The gold colored ring at the end of the cap is engraved Sailor Japan Founded 1911. The nib is also gold colored and says 1911 with an anchor and 21K with the number underneath 825 and Sailor engraved at the bottom. The pen itself is pretty lightweight but it has a beautiful black lacquerware finish with a Japanese carp (Koi) on the body. It is finished like much of the Japanese classical lacquerware if you are familiar with that. It came with two ink cartridges and an internal converter with a piston mechanism. It came in a nondescript soft wooden box, but the interior is lined with a more elegant looking dark blue velvet material. I can try and post a picture if that would help.

 

Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[burmeseboyz]

All I can add is that they must've really loved your work.

[ctakim]

I found this exact pen on the ujuku pen store website. It is the second carp pen listed under the Profit Makie line at http://ujuku.jpn.ph/KAIMONO/penframe.htm. It is listed there at $665 (yikes). I was working in Texas in collaboration with this Japanese company and every time they visited from Tokyo they would bring a gift (omiyage) even if it is every month. Usually this was a token or symbolic gift. When I announced that I was leaving for a new position they came one last time and I think that they wanted to make it a bit more special. They certainly did. Thanks for all the helpful comments and information!

Edited September 25, 2008 by ctakim

[thibaulthalpern]

Brilliant pen! It's wonderful. I still say use it! A fountain pen is useless if you just put it in a box and don't use it. Works of art are meant to be enjoyed and given that it's a pen, the way you can enjoy it is not only by looking but by putting it to use for writing, drawing, sketching, etc.! Perhaps the first thing to write with it is to your Japanese friends? :-)

[dcwaites]

You have a beautiful pen, and it will be a delight to write with it.

 

Ignore the hoi-polloi who are simply yanking your chain. They are, as we all are, just jealous.

 

The Sailors have the reputation for coming with some of the finest nibs on the planet. Do you know what sort of nib it has? There will be a couple of letters on the left side of the nib that will tell you.

 

But I would look for a special ink. I can't advise you on that, because it will depend on your preferences in colour, and other needs such as permanence, washability, etc. I use some (sadly no longer made) Parker Penman Sapphire in one of my Sailors. Some FPN members like the Pilot Iroshizuku inks.

 

I would use the pen. I couldn't not use it.

 

But I would only use it at home. This is not a pen that I would want to lose.

 

The only problem is that if you use this pen before getting any others, it will spoil you for any other pens.

[DRP]

DCWaites accurately stated that this is such a nice pen that it will spoil you.

 

You should enjoy using it. As others have suggested, use it at home where it will remain safe. But, definately use it. It is well worthy of being enjoyed.