When the ballpoint took over, fountain pens graduated to the special shelf, where they hung out with the fancy china. From everyday tools, they became markers for significant occasions. Â Back then, people favored fine points, for compact writing on lightweight onionskin, perfect for letters in the mail. Then medium and broad nibs took over the …
It’s as long as its name implies, and the box is grand and as commemorative as can be. The elder Nagahara boldly went where no nibmeister had gone before. He was the architect of masterful nibs such as the Naginata Togi, the Naginata Concord, the King Eagle Emperor, and more. He retired last year, and …
Exotic nibs don’t have to break the bank. Sailor’s Fude pens aren’t your everyday fine, medium or broad nib. The length is already a clue. It’s closer to a brush rather than a pen, as fude nibs are meant to mimic brush strokes, and thus be held closer to vertical. The fude nibs come in …
None of these went home with me, but I did get a chance to play with them during a recent visit to Aesthetic Bay. The original Sailor Professional Gear Saibi Togi (a swordpoint nib) came with gold trim. There’s now one with shiny white metal trim and a rhodium-finish 21k nib. There is a new …
Ink is like chocolate. You feel a little guilty about having so much but it makes you so happy. Welcome, Okamoto Pink and Arima Amber. Okamoto Pink is flushed cheeks, Arima Amber is all shades of beer. No wonder they look good together. Thanks to RayVi for bringing them back from Nagasawa, and to this …
The audio is classic bad instructional video (voice-over talent I am not), but the video should be useful if you’re interested in seeing this unusual nib in action. The ink is Caran d’Ache Storm, diluted – it shades even more wonderfully that way.
Sailor’s Nagahara specialty nibs are feats of engineering, and just like other feats of engineering, like bridges and giant tangles of metallic modern art in parks, Â sometimes they look mighty weird. Take, for example, the King Cobra. The King Cobra is actually two nibs. The bottom nib has a very wide tip, the upper nib …
If your fountain pen stops working, you: check if the converter has worked loose; calculate the viscosity of the ink; flush the nib and feed with a 1/10th solution of ammonia in tepid water; use a syringe to force water through the feed; inspect tine alignment; wiggle a sheet of paper in between the nib …
I received a note from Mr. Tan the other day about the Sailor Pen Clinic in Aesthetic Bay. So who’s going? 🙂 Customers are allowed to bring any quantities or brands for the nib master to adjust the nib. In the event if the schedule is tight, we will limit 2 pens per customer. The …
And I keep forgetting to put their pictures up! I’d seen the pen in pictures, and of course the Takuya website has many handcrafted leather wonders to ogle, but to see the Vestaere for real was a treat. The material for this batch of King of Pens reminds me of the Namiki Impressions. The King …