Changes and Updates in Tokyo

It is an impossible task to keep perfectly updated any list of places where to buy fountain pens in a city –or group of cities—the size of Tokyo metropolitan area. Now and then you notice some changes and you write about them… That I am doing now, together with some minor reflection.

-- Lemonsha’s branch in Shinjuku no longer carries fountain pens. That part of the business is now concentrated in the Ginza shop.

-- Map Camera-Kingdom Note, therefore, is the only available shop for second hand pens in Shinjuku. However, the selection of those –as of February 2015— is becoming alarmingly small, which combined with the usually high prices of this shop make this pen scenario not very appealing. Map Camera/Kingdom Note keeps having a very good inventory of inks (at MSRP prices).

And it is my impression that the second hand market is moving away from regular shops. The amount of pen on display on them seems to be shrinking. The trade might be moving to some other channels, probably eliminating the middle man.

-- Mori-ichi in Ginza-Kyobashi has been refurbished and no longer sells with discounted prices and its appeal is now very low. This shop stocks mostly Pilot pens.

-- Isetan department store in Shinjuku has enlarged its space for fountain pens. As in any other department store in town, all pens are marked at MSRP, and no bargains can be really found in them. This section has a small selection of maki-e decorated pens.

All in all, I want to see an increase on the importance of the fountain pen market—on this last reform of Isetan in Shinjuku, fountain pens have gained some importance.

Isetan Shinjuku
Shinjuku 3-14-1
Shinjuku
Tokyo 160-0022
Tel: 03 3352 1111
Hours: 10:30-20:00

-- Angers Bureau seemed to be a stationer and gift shop with a few fountain pens here and there, but nothing very interesting. However, now it is possible to see some vintage pens on display. Given their prices, they seem to be more of a decoration than an actual new product in their line of business. Some pen rookie might fall for them, though. Anyway, all this might be the result of a renewed interest in fountain pens.

Angers Bureau has three shops in Tokyo:

ANGERS Ravissant Shinjuku (Marui building)
Shinjuku 3-30-13, Marui Honkan  8F
Shinjyuku
Tokyo 160-022
Tel 03 3352 1678
Hours: 11:00-21:00

ANGERS Bureau ecute (Ueno JR Station)
Ueno 7-1-1, ecute 3F
Taito
Tokyo 110-0005
Tel: 03 5826 5681
Hours: 18:00-22:00

ANGERS Bureau Marunouchi (KITTE building)
Marunouchi, 2-7-2, KITTE 4F
Chiyoda
Tokyo 100-0005
Tel: 03 3217 2006
Hours: 11:00-21:00

Pilot Custom 912, music nib – Sailor Yama-dori

Bruno Taut
Shinjuku, February 13th, 2015
etiquetas: Tokyo, mercado

Pen People

A pen person, Leigh Reyes rightly said, knows better than drinking anything looking like ice tea at a pen meeting. And would use almost anything as a pen holder. A pen person, as well, never misses a street with such a suggestive name as Namiki.

In Chuo-ku, Tokyo.

And wonders what Vanishing Point might mean as a bar, members only, in the sleazy streets of Roppongi (Minato-ku, Tokyo).

In Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Yeah, we are a crazy bunch.

Super T Gester 40 – Sailor Yama-dori

Bruno Taut
Nakano, August 16th 2014
etiquetas: estilofilia, Tokyo

Pens at an Exhibition

I have already mentioned the news, already old by now, of the release of the Pilot Elite 95s, a pocket pen, to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the company. And I also published my reflections on these policies to increase sales: against the Elite 95s, the original Elite from the 1970s…

Of course, Pilot might not be happy with that idea, but this company seems indeed aware of the interest –and of the market—of second hand and vintage pens. Its museum, the Pen Station, is a clear example. And now, during these days, and up to May 31st (2014), there is an exhibition on the Pilot Elite model at the Pen Station.

Assorted Elite pens including the modern reissue from 2013.

Information adds value, and this exhibition might do that not only to those pens from the 1960s and 1970s, but also to the current reissue. And this might be the main argument behind this nice operation of public relations.

Exotic nibs in the Elite gamut of pens (ca. 1970). The exhibition includes some memorabilia.

Sometimes modern marketing has some interesting side effects.

Pilot Jumbo pen (size 50) – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Nakano, April 14th, 2014
etiquetas: Pilot, Tokyo

Tokyo Olympics

The XVIII Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964 are usually associated, pen wise, to the release of the first Capless model (C-600MW) by Pilot. In fact, there are some ads associating the pen to the sport event. However, I know of no Capless pen with any obvious reference to the Games, but there are some other pens that did celebrate the event.

The Tokyo Olympics poster made by Pilot to announce the first Capless.

The first Pilot Capless, C-600MW, from 1963.

On the picture we can see an E model, predecessor of the first Elite pens and evolution of the earler Super line of pens from the 1950s. In fact, many E Pilot still carried the inscription “PILOT / SUPER 200” on their barrels. But the looks of these pens departed clearly from the old Super models by using of straighter lines –both on the pen ends and on the clip— on the overall design. Two different filling systems were implemented on these pens—the hose system (often known as quarter switch) and ink cartridges, albeit with the caveat of two different types of these. Both the double spare type, long gone, and the single spare cartridge still on production were available on the E model.

This Pilot E does not show the E indication, though. Instead, it sports a sign saying “TOKYO 1964” together with the Japanese flag in between. The filling mechanism is the hose system, and the nail-shaped nib is made of 14 K gold with a manifold point.

These are the dimensions of the pen:
Length closed: 141 mm
Length open: 121 mm
Length posted: 144 mm
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 14.5 g (dry)
Ink deposit: 1.0 ml

This particular unit was made at the Hiratsuka plant on September of 1964. The Tokyo Olympics were celebrated between the 10th and the 24th of October.

Pilot Prera – Platinum Black

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, September 10th, 2013
etiquetas: Pilot, Tokyo

PCJ-Wagner Pen Show 2013

The yearly Spring trading event organized by the Pen Collectors of Japan and the Wagner group is coming. It will be held on the weekend of April 20th and 21st at the KFH Hall (KFC Rooms, 11th floor, room 115). The opening times will be from 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturday (entry fee JPY 2000) and from 9:30 to 16:30 on Sunday (entry fee JPY 1000).

View Larger Map

The table fee for traders is JPY 10000 and there seems to be no problem with the available space, just like on year 2012 show. So, to participate as trader you only need to show up on Saturday at 8:50 at the venue.

Pen trading in Japan keeps being a domestic issue, but that might change soon. This coming September, the first international pen show in Japan will take place in Sapporo, in the northernmost island of Hokkaido.

More information (in Japanese): http://blog.livedoor.jp/aurora_88/archives/51937289.html

Platinum Belage – Wagner 2008 ink

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, April 12th, 2013
etiquetas: Tokyo, Japón, evento

More Shops in Tokyo Area

I have just updated the list of shops –and the map with their locations— where to find fountain pens in Tokyo area. There are four new shops and one that went out of business.

That was the case of Asahi Shokai in Ameyoko market. Therefore, there are only fou shops in this street market offering fountain pens.

However, not far from Ameyoko, I have included Takeya General Discount Store. This is a big complex where you could find almost anything, and it also has a small stationery department. The selection of pens and inks is not big, although includes products by, at least, Lamy, Montblanc, Parker, Pelikan, Pilot, Platinum, Sailor. The prices are 30% and more below the MSRP.

8. Takeya (http://www.takeya.co.jp/english/index.html)
4-33-2 Taito
Taito, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3835-7777
Opening hours: Mo-Su: 10:00-20:30
Location map.


On the other side of the Yamanote line, we can find Tsutaya at Daikanyama T-Site. On one hand, Tsutaya is a big chain shop of bookstores, stationeries, and, more importantly, video and music rental. On the other, Daikanyama T-Site is a very pleasant shopping complex, designed by Klein Dytham Arquitecture, in the ward of Shibuya, just one station away from its well-known crossing, along the Tokyu-Toyoko line.

The Tsutaya branch at Daikanyama T-Site has a very beautiful section of upscale writing tools. Prices, though, are MSRP. Might this not be a place to buy, but it is indeed a place to visit and enjoy. The coffee is, unfortunately, subpar.

20. Tsutaya at Daikanyama T-Site (http://tsite.jp/daikanyama/store-service/tsutaya.html)
17-5 Sagurakucho
Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0033
Phone: 03-3770-2525
Opening hours: Mo-Su: 7:00-2:00 (yes, from 7 AM to 2 AM).
Location map.


About 25 kilometers to the West of Shinjuku we find the city of Tama, still in the province of Tokyo. By the station of Seisekisakuragaoka, Keio line, we have a big branch of the general store Keio-Atman. It belongs, not surprisingly, to the big Keio group, involved in transport, retail, real estate and other industries. At some of its shopping centers, the stationery section is good, and in a number of cases, they are Sailor Friendly Shops. This means that besides the regular pens included in the Sailor catalog, there are many other variations. Keio-Atman at Seisekisakuragaoka is one of those shops.

21. Keio-Atman at Seisekisakuragaoka (http://www.keio-atman.co.jp/seiseki/index.html)
1-11-1 Sekido (building A, 4F)
Tama, Tokyo 106-0011
Phone: 042-337-2555
Opening hours: Mo-Su: 10:00-20:00
Location map.


Along Odakyu line, already in Kawasaki, we reach to the station of Shin-Yurigaoka. B-Stock/Nakajima is a small chain of stationery shops located mostly on the West side of Tokyo and in the province of Kanagawa. Some of their branches are Sailor Friendly Shops, and such is the case of the B-Stock branch close to Shin-Yurigaoka station.

22. B-Stock at Shin-Yurigaoka (http://www.stationers.co.jp/shinyuri/index.htm)
4-1-1 Kamiasao (MyLord Building, 3F)
Asao, Kawasaki 215-0021
Phone: 044-959-5061
Opening hours: Mo-Su: 10:00-21-00
Location map.

Pilot Murex – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, February 23rd, 2013
labels: Tokyo, mercado, Sailor

Itoya 2012

Itoya is one of the big stationery shops in Tokyo. Its two buildings in Ginza are a Mecca for any lover of stationery goods, including fountain pens, visiting this city.

Itoya's building in 1909

Itoya has recently –opening this past October 3rd—reorganized its sections. Fountain pens are now located on the backstreet building, named K. Itoya 1904 after the foundation of the company in 1904 by Katsutaro Ito, and occupies the first two floors. On the ground floor we see the Montblanc counter, always separated from the rest of pens by imposition of the company, and most pens in price ranges medium and low. The second floor is dedicated to maki-e and urushi fountain pens and to the technical service.

The K.Itoya 1904 building is clearly marked as the fountain pen building, although only two of the seven floors are in fact devoted to these tools.

View of the second floor, dedicated mostly to fountain pens decorated in maki-e and urushi.

This investment in the new organization and this larger space dedicated to sophisticated pens can only mean that the profits derived from upscale writing tools in increasing in the total balance of the company. And foreign visitors might have played an important role in this as there is now a native English-speaker salesman.

Pilot E, manifold nib – Pilot blue-black

Bruno Taut
Shinjuku, October 12th, 2012
Etiquetas: Tokyo, mercado, Japón, papelería, Itoya

PCJ-Wagner Pen Show 2012

Spring is here, despite the weather conditions, and Spring is the season for the pen show organized by the Pen Collectors of Japan (PCJ) and the Wagner group. It will take place on the weekend of April 21st and 22nd at the KFC Hall (KFC Rooms, 11th floor, room 115) in Ryogoku, Tokyo. (Please, check those links for access maps).


The entry fees are JPY 2000 for Saturday (open from 10:00 to 17:00) and JPY 1000 for Sunday (from 9:30 to 16:30). The table fee for traders is JPY 10000 for the whole weekend (more information, on pelikan@hotmail.co.jp). Apparently, there are no limitations of space and there is no need to book in advance—to trade, just show up at 9:00 on Saturday and pay the fee. The tables and the location in the room are decided on a first come, first serve basis. And this year there seems to be no special requisites to participate as a trader. Maybe we would see some coming from overseas to make this show international. Despite the interest of Japanese stylophiles for Western pens, mostly German, trading in Japan seems to be a very domestic business…

Related information: An old chronicle on PCJ-Wagner Pen Show 2010
................................. Information in English through the Fountain Pen Network,

(Platinum pocket pen in striped steel – Platinum Brown, cartridge)

Bruno Taut
April 14th, 2012
[labels: evento, mercado, Japón, Tokyo]

Drilling

This coming Sunday 29th, the August meeting of the Wagner Association will take place at the Subaru building in Ebisu, Tokyo. And now, checking my notes of the July Pen Clinic I see some pens worth to mention here.

On a previous entry I spoke about the creations of Mr. Yamada. This time I focused my attention on his modification of a Pilot Custom 823.


On these chronicles and in some other discussion fora, pen users have complained about the boring looks of the pens equipped with more interesting nibs. The case of Pilot is very significant. This company makes as much as 15 different nibs –actually, many more--, of which five or six really stand off the common trend of purely symmetric points. But these interesting nibs only come in black torpedo pens.

Mr. Yamada’s way to correct this problem is quite radical—and inspiring. He modifies the nibs by thinning the nib plate and by drilling holes on them with the final goal of making those rigid nibs more flexible. When needed, he also works on the feeds.


On its side, the Custom 823 model is often praised by its self-filling system (one of the few self-filling pens in the Japanese pen scene) and by its huge ink capacity. On its cons, the small selection of nibs: F, M, and B.


Then, he chose this interesting pen to create a more exciting writer. The result, looks aside, is not spectacular. Maybe because the baseline of this nib is a B, quite broad by default. Therefore, the apparent increase in the line-width is compared to an already wide line. To create more striking results, a fine nib would be more suitable.


There is, however, another alternative to this DIY (do it yourself) approach. Pilot’s size 15 nibs come also as a flexible falcon (FA). Exchanging the nib and feed in a Custom 823 is easy—just grab them firmly and yank them out of the section. A different story might be where and how to find this extra nib and feed.

The discussion on how efficient the falcon nib actually is should be the topic of another chronicle.

(Pilot Custom 742 music nib – Sailor Red Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, August 21, 2010)
[labels: plumín, evento, Pilot, Tokyo]

Craftsman

Last Sunday (June 20th), the monthly Wagner association Pen Clinic took place. As in previous occasions, lots of magnificent fountain pens gathered in there, together with their happy owners.

Today’s report will focus only on one pen: Mr. Yamada’s tuned Pelikan M800. On a first look, it appears to be a regular green stripped M800 with a BB nib.

It writes very smoothly, and is very wet. But that is usually the case with these Birds and, more particularly, with thick nibs.

But if looked sideways to the nib, things start to change:

The nib is, say, two-folded.

Mr. Yamada is an expert in tuning nibs in order to make them to perform in new ways. Most of his creations have the purpose of making them a lot more flexible. He drills holes here and there weakening the structure of the nib.

Junior 14 K gold Sailor nib with two drills on the sides to increase the flexibility. Note also the enlargement of the breathing hole to add more ink flow (by letting air in) to cope with the increased demand of ink.

This time, he opted for making a very broad nib with a big flux to cope with that big demand of ink.

Sure enough, this nib reminds of those wonderful creations by Sailor nibmeister Mr. Nagahara.

The next Wagner Pen Clinic will be celebrated on July 25th, Sunday, at the usual venue.

(Soennecken 110 – Waterman Florida Blue)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, June 21, 2010)
[labels: Pelikan, plumín, evento, Sailor, Tokyo]

Madrid Monogatari

Para los otaku de la Myu en Madrid.

Supe de la Pilot Myu 701 una vez hube llegado a Japón. En aquel momento me interesaban las plumas, pero no constituían la obsesión que es ahora.

Esa pluma estuvo en mi bolsillo durante mucho tiempo, aunque no era mi única pluma. Tanto me gustaba –y tanto me gusta aun hoy— que en uno de mis viajes a Madrid llevé otra Myu para regalar a un viejo amigo, a Merino-san. Y creo que le gustó, porque pasados lo años todavía la usa.

La pluma llamó la atención a compañeros y paseantes. Uno de ellos, de nombre Kinno-san, decidió que necesitaba una Myu y ni corto ni perezoso compró dos en la Red a pesar de los precios fuera de toda medida de los tratantes habituales. La otra era para el cuarto mosquetero: Kendo-san.

Kinno-san y yo nos conocimos, meses más tarde, en Tokyo. Y, claro, nos fuimos a comprar plumas por esta ciudad. Recuerdo que se llevó varias Pilot M-90 en el bolsillo. En el museo de Pilot en Kyobashi, Kinno-san se quejaba de que aun sin conocerlo yo le había tocado las narices con aquella Myu que le regalé a Merino-san.

Mi siguiente paso fue un cambio de residencia a Madrid. Y allí, al abrigo de visitas a tiendas, de reuniones para probar tintas y plumas, de visitas al Pen Show de Madrid… realimentamos nuestra pasión por las plumas, no sólo por la Myu y por las plumas japonesas.

Ahora estoy de vuelta en Japón. Disfruto de la actividad estilográfica de Tokyo al tiempo que me esfuerzo por mantener el contacto con estilófilos de aquí y allá. Y aguardo con impaciencia la visita de algún miembro del grupo de otaku de la Myu de Madrid.

Las distancias, sin embargo, son muy obstinadas.

(Platinum Preppy 0.5 – Platinum Carbon Ink)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, Junio de 2010)
[labels: Madrid, Tokyo, Pilot, estilofilia]

Peco & Paco

ペコとパコ

This past Sunday (May 23rd), the monthly Pen Clinic organized by the Wagner association took place in Tokyo, at the same location as the Wagner 2010 Pen Show already reported on these chronicles.

These monthly events have the main purpose of fixing and tuning the pens of those attending it. About six pen gurus were ready to listen to our concerns about our beloved pens and work quickly and efficiently on them. The charismatic leader of Wagner, Mr. Mori, doubles as a pen doctor on duty. Two others are Peco –we met her at the Pen Show—, and Paco. Both are masters in the art of smoothing and tuning the nibs.

Peco...

...and Paco.

Other than that, the clinic works as a social gathering to exchange information and to test each other’s pens. Magnificent pens were scattered on the tables. Kimi Tarusawa showed a very rare Pelikan M800 with brown tortoise shell. According to some sources, Pelikan archivist Jürgen Dittmer among them, it was commissioned in 1987 by some Spanish vendors.

Peco-san is the proud owner of a trio of exquisite Soennecken Lady 111 in mint condition. A real pleasure to write with them!

Mr. Capless also joined us. He has the complete collection of Pilot/Namiki Capless (Vanishing Point the US market). To this event, he brought only a small sample of his collection to show the differences between Namiki Vanishing Point and Pilot Capless.

The box also included his recently purchased Lamy Dialog 3, and the pair composed by the Pilot Capless in regular black finish and its apparent twin --the black urushi Capless Pilot released on the occasion of the Maki-e Fair in Itoya.

How to make a flexible Sailor nib. Final tuning by Paco-san.

Other variations on the form of being obsessed.

Excellent pens and excellent people with great knowledge on their object of their obsessions.

(Morison Pocket Pen 14 K – Pelikan Brilliant Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, 25 May 2010)
[labels: Evento, Pelikan, Japón, Tokyo, Soennecken, Pilot, Lamy]

Frills

Itoya’s Maki-e Fair 2010

(This event was celebrated in a shop, and unfortunately the management did not authorized pictures. However, this being Japan, too often these decisions are enforced or not depending on the staff in charge. Fellow Fountain Pen Network subscriber Moskva (http://dondellinger.com/mipiace/index.php?) was allowed to take some pictures and I thank him for his permission to include them in this post. They are also published in this entry of the above-linked blog: http://dondellinger.com/mipiace/index.php?post/2010/05/18/Exposition-Maki-e-chez-Ito-ya).

These days –from May 12 to 24— stationery Itoya in Ginza (shop no. 15 in this link) in Tokyo organized what they called a Maki-e Fair. Five were the exhibitors invited to it: The three leading Japanese companies –Pilot-Namiki, Platinum-Nakaya, and Sailor—, the California-based Danitrio, and a fifth one dealing with Aurora, Caran d’Ache, Parker, Pelikan, and Waterman. All those brands showed their creations in maki-e and urushi (lacquer).

Pilot introduced a 10-unit limited edition of a black urushi finished exclusively for the Fair for JPY 52500. It only came with M nib. The whole line of maki-e by Pilot and all the Namiki branded pens were on display.

The lower pen is urushi finished; the upper one, the regular black pen with golden accents. The difference, JPN 36750, and the nibs are exactly the same. Picture taken at the May meeting of the Wagner association (May 23, 2010).

Some pens by Nakaya together with matching business card holders. Picture courtesy of Moskva.

Platinum presented their first maki-e pen after a long time (I cannot find how long…), but their main selling point were those marketed under the Nakaya brand. However, the Nakaya craftsmen only attended the event on the last four days.

Two more Nakaya pens. Picture courtesy of Moskva.

Danitrio made the big news being invited to attend the fair by Itoya. And from now on, this shop will carry their line of products. Urushi and maki-e –with examples of good and unbelievable bad taste— were present on display. All the art on these pens is made in Japan; all the nibs –with one Japanese exception— are made in Germany by Peter Bock. They also displayed their 24 K gold nib.

Danitrio urushi pens. Picture courtesy of Moskva.

Sailor showed their urushi King of Pen line.

Sailor's King of Pens in urushi finish. Picture courtesy of Moskva.

Finally, the Western companies showed their very limited set of products. Among them, two M1000-based Pelikan limited editions –Maiko in Kyoto and Fireworks—, and the Sérenité based Waterman models were the more interesting products.

There was also a maki-e workshop for those interested in learning the basics of the technique. It costed JPY 2100 and was quickly sold out.

Certainly, I am not enticed by these pens, Actually, I wonder if they really were pens ready to write. For sure, some of them were, as I had the chance to test some of the pieces. However, the writing experience was not in accordance with the price tag. And that is what finally counts.

(Pilot Telescopic – Waterman Florida Blue)

Bruno Taut
(Shibuya, May 22, 2010)
[labels: Tokyo, Pilot, Sailor, Platinum, Danitrio, evento, FPN]