Madrid 2022

After the pen show of hope in 2021, the 2022 edition of the Madrid Pen Show had to be the show to return to some form of normalcy. And it seems this was achieved.

Photo courtesy of Mr. JMBS.

The odds were not in favor, though. New hotel with last minute problems, a sense of uncertainty regarding the coronavirus, some passivity in the local community, conflicts with a couple of dealers...

But 70 dealers and about 1800 visitors –official figures provided by the organization— prove it was a good event.

There was a mild renovation in the list of dealers with respect to pre-pandemic editions. Some retired, some were not willing to travel. But there are others willing to fill in. A minor side effect of this renovation was a higher presence of inks in the Madrid Pen Show.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Conde de Carrión.

Re visitors, the Spanish pen community had shown a remarkable lack of enthusiasm in online fora. Lack of reliable information about the event was at the heart of it, but it was corrected in time and aficionados did attend the event. And not only the domestic community came, but visitors from other European countries and even from the US.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Conde de Carrión.

The Madrid Pen Show is a free-entry show—the costs are covered by the table fees (about EUR 300/table this year). That makes it a very welcoming event for casual observers and for families, and encourages the social aspect of it. After all, a pen show is the perfect excuse to meet like-minded people even if you did not want to buy anything.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Conde de Carrión.

So this was the Madrid Pen Show in 2022, The test posed by the coronavirus pandemic seems passed, and now the challenge is dealing with the economic crisis ahead of us. But that will be in 2023,

Video courtesy of José Riofrío.

My thanks to Mr. JMBS and to Conde de Carrión for the pictures, and to Mr. José Riofrío for the video.

Hongdian N6 – Montblanc Black

Bruno Taut
November 28th, 2022
etiquetas: evento, Madrid

Spanish Yatate

Yatate pens are that style of pens popular in Japan til around 1920, when they ran out of popular appeal. Nowadays, the Taccia Covenant is the only of the very few pens (vid note at the end) vindicating that particular geometry. So, could we make a new yatate pen taking benefit of the lathe skills of those independent craftsmen whose pens are becoming so popular?

An old yatate pen. Foto courtesy of Mr. Ariel Zúñiga.

A new yatate pen. Taccia Covenant.

The chosen artisan was Miguel Ángel García, of Antigua´s. And the designing team was formed by my fellow stylophile Papish and myself.

Miguel Ángel García at the Madrid Pen Show in 2019. Photo courtesy of Mr. JMBS.

The starting conditions were very simple; the pen had to implement a size 6 nib, and the barrel should fit a standard converter. And then there was a decision to make: should it post or not?

The already reviewed Taccia Covenant could be posted —the cap, in actual terms, screws onto the barrel. The price to pay is aesthetic as we need the barrel to stick out of the cap to open and close the pen.

The Taccia Covenant. Note how the barrel tail sticks out of the cap. This is needed to open and close the pen.

The Taccia Covenant, posted. Secured, but bulky. Does anyone use this pen in this configuration?

The other option is to finish the barrel with a flat end disk aligned with the cap. This was the chosen solution.

As a consequence, the pen is just an ebonite rod when closed. An ebonite blank with a mystery inside.

A rod.

These are the dimensions of the Antigua´s Yatate:

Length closed: 135 mm
Length open: 127 mm
Diameter: 16 mm
Weight: 25,0 g (full pen), 13,5 g (open without cap)
Ink deposit: between 0,7 y 1,45 ml, depending on the cartridge or converter installed.

The pen is made of German ebonite, and the original nib was a steel JoWo unit. This prototype has no markings.

A pen.

The insides.

Whether Antigua´s would upgrade this prototype to a regular model in its lineup depends solely on Miguel Ángel, the artisan behind those pens. But so far, I am very happy with this pen and with the skills shown by the artisan.


NOTE added on Dec 1st 2022: A kind reader pointed out the existance of the Franklin-Christoph Abditus model, another yatate-style pen, currently on the catalog as a "special edution only". So, on production... now and then.


My thanks to Papish and to Miguel Ángel. And to Yuan Niu for the information on the F-C Abditus. Pictures by Ariel Zúñiga and JMBS are greatly appreciated.

Antigua´s Yatate – Diamine Bilberry

Bruno Taut
November 26th, 2022
labels: Antigua´s, España, Japón

Chinese Naginata

After speaking about a naginata-like nib made in Germany, it might be worth to mention the Chinese versions of such a nib.

After all, it is only natural that Chinese companies created their own nibs specialized in writing Chinese ideograms. And that is the declared purpose of the Naginata Togi nib by nibmeister Nobuyoshi Nagahara.

One such example is the "Long Knife" (長刀) nib made by Hongdian, and implemented, among other pens, on the N6 model. But the N6 is such an interesting pen that the variable stroke nib is almost a secondary detail.

The "Long Knife" (長刀) nib by Hongdian. Note the similarities with the Naginata Togi (長刀研ぎ): the first two ideograms are the same.
The Hongdian nib is engraved with 刀F.

The N6 has the rare virtue of clicking the boxes of the requirements of many a pen aficionado:

A self-filling mechanism--a piston. An ebonite feed with a generous yet controlled ink flow. And ink window. A decent ink capacity (about 1.4 ml). An attractive matte-black look (one of the versions). And a variable nib.

The Hongdian N6 in matte black, with a ¨Long Knife" variable nib.

It could have been a gold nib, but then the price of the pen --about EUR 35-- would have been a lot higher. And the performance of this unit is very nice--smooth and very resistant to drying up when not in use. It indeed writes on contact.

However, there are two weak points in this unit. First is the lack of options--only EF, F, and variable F. Therefore this might not be your pen should you be looking for a broad point.

The second is the very limited line variation offered by this nib point. There is some, as can be seen on the picture, but is not much. Of course it is a variable F, but given this performance some might consider purchasing the lower-priced EF or F points.

Written sample of the "Long Knife" nib. There is some line variation by changing the angle between pen and paper, but not an extreme one. The paper square is 5x5 mm^2.

The pen as whole is a bit heavy --32 grams-- but it is well balanced if unposted: center of gravity at 66 mm from the nib end; at 90 mm when posted.

These are the dimensions of the pen:

Length closed: 137 mm
Length open: 123 mm
Length posted: 152 mm
Diameter: 15.0
Weight: 32 g (without cap, 20 g); inked
Ink deposit: ca. 1.4 ml

All in all, this pen is an excellent alternative to almost any other pen unless you wanted the ease of use and the cleanliness of a cartridge-converter or a broad nib. But this one costs only about EUR 35.

The main obstacle for the popularization of this and other Chinese pens is the distribution, limited to online channels. However, this also is changing as there are several of those mechanisms competing with each other. And Western and Japanese brands should pay a closer look to what is coming from China.


My thanks to "el abuelo Tobías".

Hongdian N6 – Montblanc Black

Bruno Taut
November 25th, 2022
etiquetas: China, mercado, Hongdian, plumín

The Lamy Naginata?

Not much new can be said about the Lamy Safari—a 1980 design by Wolfgang Fabian endlessly reissued and copied. And Lamy regularly uses it for yearly limited editions and regional variations.

In 2022, Lamy has released the Lamy Kanji in East Asia. But this edition, developed by Lamy Hong Kong, is more more than just a variation of colors, as is the case of those special editions above mentioned. On this occasion, Lamy came with an original nib—the Kanji nib.

Interestingly enough, the explanations on the specifics of the nib come in Chinese, English and Thai.

The variations with respect to the regular Safari nib –the Z50 nib- are easy to spot: longer and narrower tines, and a specific nib point akin to a fine architect.

The selling argument is that this nib is more suitable for writing Chinese ideograms... Well, just like Sailor claimed re the Nagahara's Naginata.

The Kanji nib offers some line variation on the angle between pen and paper. Not extreme, but noticeable.

So, is this the Lamy version of the Sailor Naginata Togi nib?

The price of the Safari Kanji is JPY 6000, plus taxes, which is 50% more expensive than a regular, non-Kanji, Safari.

Lamy Safari Kanji – Franklin Christoph Urushi Red.


Bruno Taut
November 3rd, 2022
etiquetas: Lamy, plumín, mercado

Western Paradise. Madrid Pen Show 2022

Comes November and the Spanish pen community get ready for the big party, for the “fiesta mayor”, the Madrid Pen Show. And it also happens to be the biggest pen show in Europe.

This year there is a new venue—Hotel VP El Madrono—and the party will take place between Friday 18th and Sunday 20th of November.

After the full-of-hope event of last year's, this one promises to be more normal, more free, and more populated. And with many pens!

Madrid Pen Show 2021.

So, go West, paradise is there.

See you in Madrid!

Lamy Safari Kanji - Franklin-Christoph Urushi Red

Bruno Taut
November 2nd 2022
labels: evento, Madrid

Eboya tan-pen

Very often, speaking about Eboya implies some element of frustration—that of Eboya pens being exclusively cartridge-converters. And when not —the nominally eyedropper model Yuzen—, they still are cartridge-converters.

So, the Eboya market policy seems limited to release new models and new ebonite colors as long as the filling system did not change. And such is the case of the newer model, the tan-pen (in lower case).

The Eboya tan-pen. Only 97 mm long.

Its originality comes from its size: very small, very short; just 97 mm in length closed. And the well-known Eboya construction quality does the rest: the cap posts very securely onto the barrel. The result is a regular sized pen, even if on the shorter side. The price to pay is that it can only be inked with short cartridges (or as eyedropper).

Very secure posting. 133 mm long.

A size 5 nib by Bock. Note the new logo of the brand on the cap.

The tan-pen is certainly attractive and original, and represents a new approach to pens in the Eboya catalog. My only complain is that the company does not make it in black—you can choose almost any color but black. A black tan-pen, though, is available at sale events as a demonstration pen for potential customers, but is not for sale.

Any color but black.

These are the dimensions of the tan-pen:

Length closed: 97 mm
Length open: 91 mm
Length posted: 133 mm
Diameter: 12.2 mm
Weight: 11.7 g (dry)
Ink deposit: 0.8 ml (short standard cartridge)

The price, JPY 31200, plus taxes.

Lamy Accent – Franklin Christoph Urushi Red.


Bruno Taut
October 31st, 2022
etiquetas: Eboya, mercado

Ohashido (IV)

Different craftsman, different quality. That is what we saw on the previous Chronicle Ôhashidô (III). But was it just that?

A tray of Ôhashidô pens by Yûichi Uehara (Maruzen Nihonbashi, Tokyo, 2019).

The current production of Ôhashidô pens, made by Yûichi Uehara, is anything but structured. What you see on his table at sale events is what you get. There are no model names, no documents attached, no warranty card... At most we have some features that show up on a number of his pens, but not always. Current Ôhashidô pens can be very simple or very “giboshi”; in plain ebonite or with some form of urushi coating; black or colorful;… And in the end, each of them is unique.

The Eiichi Uehara's Ôhashidô pen.

On the contrary, Eiichi Uehara attached a lot more information on his pens. One of the documents, in fact, describes the three models of Ôhashidô pens available at the time:

Pro I (プロI): The luxury pen, recommended for long writing sessions. It implements two movable rings, one of them made of 18 K gold, to adjust the balance of the pen.

Pro II (プロII): For regular use. Three rings, two close to the nib and one on the cap.

Pro III (プロIII): The entry level pen. Two rings.

The revealing text. The diagram corresponds to a Pro I pen.

So there was a structure in the production of pens under the direction of Eiichi Uehara! And chances are that his son Yuichi chose a different route for Ôhashidô; the current route of unique pens.


My thanks to Poplicola-san.

Lamy Accent – Franklin Christoph Urushi Red.

Bruno Taut
October 21st, 2022
etiquetas: Ôhashidô

Ohashido (III)

Some more on Ôhashidô (::1::, ::2::), the small one-man operation from Sendai.

We saw on past texts that Ôhashidô traces its history back to 1912, but the production of pens only started in the late 1950s by the hand of Eiichi Uehara, who founded Ôhashidô Ltd. in 1965. He was in charge of the company until 2010, when he passed it onto his son Yûichi, the current craftsman behind the operation.

Therefore, there are Ôhashidô pens by the hand of Eiichi as there are by his son Yûichi. How do they compare?

The pen on this first picture was manufactured by Eiichi Uehara.

An Ôhashidô pen by Eiichi Uehara.

The most clear difference is the better polishing on the older pen by Eiichi. Then, the whole construction and fitting seems more refined as well.

Father's (bottom), and son's (top).

It is labeled –twice-- on the rings: “J. S. U. ÔHASIDÔ SINCE 1912”. The nib, a 14 K unit by Sailor, carries the usual engraving we can still see nowadays. The Sailor logo is also included but hidden under the section. This particular unit is not dated.

The Sailor nib with the "Ôhasidô" engraving.

These are the dimensions of this older pen:
Length closed: 138 mm
Length open: 125 mm
Length posted: 154 mm
Diameter: 13.3 mm
Weight: 22 g
Ink deposit: 0.7 ml (converter) – 1.2 ml (cartridge)

This older pen is also more generous in all that is not the pen. The “kiribako” --the paulownia wooden box-- is basically the same in both old and new pens, but the old unit came with a pen case and three documents: an instruction sheet, a booklet explaining the history of the brand, and a third sheet describing the pen itself.

The pen and the box. Note the signed pen case.

And what we see on those documents is as interesting as the pen itself, but that will be the topic of the next Chronicle.

Ohashido Pro III – Lamy Dark Lilac

Bruno Taut
October 5th 2022
etiquetas: Ohashido

Celebrations

What kind of pens become anniversary pens? Among those made by the big three Japanese pen companies we can see three basic strategies.


– The most daring and expensive strategy is the creation of a new pen model for the occasion—a new pen with a new nib.

Such was the case of a number of commemorative pens by Pilot—the 65 in 1983, the Shijin pair in 1988... Platinum did the same with the piston filler of 1989 for its 70th anniversary. Sailor got close to it at the time of its 95th anniversary (2006) with the release of the first Realo pen.

Pilot 75th anniversary. After some minor variations it became the Custom 845.

Pilot, however, stands apart on this strategy as this company often transformed those limited editions in regular models, albeit with (minimal) variations. Thus, the 65 became the Custom 67; the Shijin became the Namikis Yukari Royale and Urushi 20, the 75th anniversary pen became the Custom 845...


– A second strategy is to revive some old successful or iconic model.

The original (bottom) and the reissue (top). The Myu-71 (1971) and the M90 (2008).

This was the case of two commemorative pens by Pilot—The M90 (2008) and the Elite 95s (2013). Both followed the patterns of the pocket pens popular in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. The M90, modeled after the all steel Myu-701 (1971) was a limited edition of 9000 units. The Elite 95s, a renewed version of the second generation of the Pilot pocket pen, later became a regular model in the Pilot catalog, and the commemorative pen ended up diluted in the sea of regular pens.

Pilot's Elite 95s --the three pens on the left hand side-- together with their originals.

– Finally, companies use a third option—get a well known pen in the regular catalog and decorate it for the occasion. This decoration can be almost anything—from a very elaborate urushi-based pattern to a simple inscription on the body or nib.

Sailor's centennary pen. Variations on the well-known theme of the large Profit nib.

Examples of this are very numerous—Sailor's centenary pen, Platinum 25G in carbon fiber for the 90th anniversary (2009), Pilot's centenary flat top pen (2018), etc.


Many ways to celebrate an event or anniversary, some more expensive than others. But the bottom line is that these commemorative pens hold their value and are appreciated and sought after by the aficionado. At least, that is, if they were distinctive –even if marginally-- and were limited runs.

And all that because we, stylophiles, are very easy.

Sailor Candy Smurf – Unknown ink

Bruno Taut
September 27th, 2022
etiquetas: mercado, Japón, estilofilia

100th Anniversary (III)

We have seen two affordable fountain pens (::1::, ::2::) Pilot made to commemorate its 100th anniversary. However, none of those was marketed. Instead, Pilot chose more elaborated and expensive pens to put them in the market.

The two clandestine centenary pens of Pilot's.

And what these affordable pens show is that not much is needed to create a commemorative edition: engrave a descriptive text on the body or on the nib of a regular model and claim it is a very limited release.

But there was a time, not that long ago, when Pilot –and other brands-- used anniversary pens to try new products and test the market. Such was the case of the 65th anniversary pen—the first modern balance model by Pilot--, or the Shijin pair for the 80th anniversary, later to become the Namiki Yukari Royale and Namiki Urushi 20; to name just a couple of them.

This strategy could understandably imply higher selling prices, but on this recent occasion –and big one it was--, Pilot followed a more traditional approach. Pilot chose a couple of well known canvases and decorated them lavishly and sold them at a premium—no innovation, no affordable prices. There was, though, an exception—the seven ring-top pens with maki-e decoration in a very limited edition of 25 set, but their prices were simply obscene (USD 48000).

USD 48000.
(www.pilot.co.jp).

But Pilot did make affordable anniversary pens!

The side effect might be that these quasi secret pens might become all the more valuable in some years given their obscurity.

Pilot Custom 74-Yamada Seisakuzho – Diamine Graphite

Bruno Taut
September 10th, 2022
etiquetas: Pilot, mercado

Vpen of Wales

Good enough for a prince.

Pilot Vpen – Sailor Yama-dori (refilled)

Bruno Taut
September 11th, 2022
etiquetas: Pilot, Reino Unido

100th Anniversary (II)

A second private pen released by Pilot on its 100th anniversary was the following Capless:

The 100th anniversary Pilot Capless.

It is a regular Capless in blue with golden trim. The nib is made of 18 K gold, dated on February of 2019. And the only unusual feature is the inscription on the barrel around the central ring:

“100 th / ANNIVERSARY / SINCE 1918 “

The box, also in blue, is very interesting--all the logos of the company are subtly printed on it.

Pilot made for its shareholders in 2019. On these pages I have already described another shareholder pen in the form of the Elite 95sof Pilot in 2015.

Again, an affordable anniversary pen that was never for sale.

Mannenhitsu-no Yamada Susutake – Ishimarubun Gunkanjima Sunset Grey

Bruno Taut
September 7th, 2022
etiquetas: Pilot, mercado, Capless