Anchors Aweigh

Funny how when talk comes to the good, better and best of some things, a favorite is apt to slip through the cracks and never get more than a sideline mention. Fountain pens, ink and paper take up enough of my days to assure those around me that I might just have an addiction. Here in these pages I have written again and again about this or that fountain pen, sometimes about the same pen more than once. Looking over again what I have in the past relayed about specific fountain pens brought to light a gaping hole in the reviews of pens in my collection. For reasons I don’t quite understand, one of the most cherished Sailor fountain pens on my desk has by and large been practically ignored in Scriblets.

In the beginning it was Pelikan that attracted my enthusiasm, and even years later it remains clear that the Pelikan quality is hard to beat. But not long after the first couple of Pelikan pens I discovered Sailor and became thoroughly enchanted with one of the early Professional Gear models. And then for a long time every new purchase was another Sailor, each one bringing that same satisfaction over dependability and smoothness. In December of 2006, while browsing in ACT Pen Shop in the Kamata section of Tokyo I came across a Sailor model not seen before and after trying the pen out decided it was well worth saving for. The pen was a Sailor Profit 21 with a Naginata Togi nib designed by Nobuyoshi Nagahara, the nibmeister who has been at Sailor since the age of fourteen. But what first caught my eye was the striking red and black body with gold trim, though not truly a red, more of an orangish red similar to persimmon. I have looked and looked for more detailed information about this model, but have never found much.

It has the classic cigar shape with rounded ends, meaning that the top of the cap does not have the old Sailor anchor logo inset. That logo inset into the cap seems to be a vanishing design feature in the new models from Sailor. The Profit 21 measures 5.5 inches (14 cm) capped and 6 inches (15.2cm) posted, not terribly large, not terribly small; call it just right. The true shine of this fountain pen comes in its look and in its 21k gold nib shaped by Mr Nagahara. No other way to describe this pen when seen resting on a desktop or an open notebook—it is eyecatchingly beautiful in its elegant jet black, orangy-red and shiny gold trim. Hard to imagine who would not stop with an urge to pick it up and draw nearer to such perfect dimension and design. I have said so much, so often about Sailor’s master nib craftsman, Mr Nagahara that any more would be tedious, but this Profit 21 gives the impression of being a design that he took special, loving care with. I like a generous line with a hearty flow of ink, and the broad nib on the Profit 21 gives the feel of a nib that has been crafted to my personal idiosyncrasies.

About the nib…One evening a couple of years back I was cleaning the pen and as will happen horribly on occasion, the pen slipped out of my hands and dropped like a missile, nib first to the hardwood floor. Any sharper and it would have stuck up quivering in the floor. I stood frozen in shock for half a minute imagining the newly blunted nib. No question it was badly damaged by the fall, and in a condition that required professional help. About three weeks later Mr Nagahara was making an appearance at a pen clinic in Tokyo and I took the pen to him for repair. Apparently it was a simple fix for him, and within fifteen minutes I had the pen back in mint condition—and of course, no charge.

Recently I’ve been using an almost-recent ink from Sailor in the Profit 21, a deep mossy green called Tokiwa-matsu. There is nothing particular in this ink that increases the performance of the pen, and honestly ink from various makers seems to do well in this Sailor. One or another ink may look better on the page, but there have been no instances where a certain ink threw the nib off its game and destroyed the line and smooth flow of ink. In five years of regular, hard use this pen has never lost its quality of line.

As do most of the Sailor fountain pens, the Profit 21 uses a cartridge converter. I am still using the original converter after countless ink changes and washings, a longevity that not all my converters can claim. If I had to do it over again, without hesitation I would buy the same pen. Line up seven or eight different pens and chances are good I would finally opt for the Sailor.

Another Sailor Package

Late in December of 2009, while browsing in a Tokyo pen shop I came upon a Sailor pen I hadn’t seen before. Had never even heard of a fountain pen with the name ‘Realo’ and couldn’t figure how anything made by Sailor had gotten past me—for two years. As I came to learn, commemorating its ninety-fifth year of making fountain pens, Sailor released a new design in 2007, one they called the Realo. I had trouble with the numbers, adding ninety-five to the founding year of 1911 and coming up with 2006. Strange math aside, I bought the Realo, excited about it before even leaving the shop.

Some research brought a better understanding of the name, one that really turns out to be both bland and odd. Hard to think we are supposed to put two and two together and realize that the name stands for 'reliance and place,’ or something like that. Problem is, no one will figure that out without a bit of hard looking. Pursue the question long enough and you will find that the first two letters ‘RE’ stand for ‘reliance,’ the third letter ‘A’ is for ‘and’ and the final ‘LO’ is (of course!) ‘locus.’ And so Sailor named a fountain pen a ‘word’ all Japanese people have difficulty pronouncing, tripped up by that pesky ‘L’ and calling it ‘Rearo.’

Whatever you want to call it, the Realo is one more in a line of quality writing instruments from Sailor. The key to this particular pen’s distinction is the naginata nib crafted by Nobuyoshi Nagahara, Sailor’s longtime nibmeister. It is a long, 21 carat gold nib, measuring very near 2.5 centimeters and called naginata after the tenth century Japanese halberd, or long handled sword.

Two features stand out in the Realo, both a first in Sailor design. This is the first Sailor pen to have a piston filler, and the first to have an ink window. The ink window feature is nothing unusual, and common to many fountain pens, but on the Realo it is a clear, easy to see window that doesn’t mislead. Too often ink windows are cloudy or stained and hard to see into; not so with the Realo’s window, which is perfectly clear and washes clean with each ink change. Size-wise, the pen weighs 35 grams, is 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long closed and 15.5 centimeters (6.1 inches) posted. At a glance, the Realo looks very much like the early Sailor 1911, classic in shape and trim. The body is black acrylic resin and the pocket clip and bands are all 24k gold plate—a beautiful fountain pen.

Initially, the nib had very little flex (rare in a Sailor, unusual in a naginata) and even has H-B stamped on the side of the nib, which I suspect means ‘hard-broad.’ After a year and half of regular use the nib is no longer hard, but has just the right amount of flex. I don’t credit that to anything particular about Sailor nibs, but believe the same will happen with any nib, any pen used regularly over time. As for the B or broad part of it, that classification too is short of being altogether true. I am more comfortable calling it a generous M or medium. Whatever the ink, the pen never gripes or halts its flow across the page, each line testimony to what makes us like and enjoy using fountain pens. Odd name, great pen.

For some good close-up photos of the Realo take a look at what’s offered at Classic Fountain Pens.

Unbeatable Yellow

Been some time since a new fountain pen has come my way, and posts focusing on fountain pens lately have been second looks at one or another of what I have here already. Looking at the pens on my desk and on shelves elsewhere anybody would surely agree that there are pens enough around here to satisfy even the most critical enthusiast, and while a new Pelikan or Montblanc would be welcome, for now I am happy enough to scratch scribble and diddle with what I have. The past few days one particular Sailor fountain pen has been my regular sidekick, one that I ordered from Classic Fountain Pens in Los Angeles about five years back. It’s the Sailor Full Size 1911, a joy to write with from the first words that flowed onto the page from its high quality nib.

According to Nibmeister John Mottishaw at Classic Fountain Pens, The nibs on these Sailor pens are among the best quality of any made in the world today. In my experience there is a lot of truth to that because the quality of Sailor nibs is directly related to their longtime master craftsman, Nobuyoshi Nagahara. Mr Nagahara’s work has elevated the art of nib design and production at Sailor to something that goes beyond even first class. But back to John Mottishaw, indisputably a top-ranked nibmeister himself, I credit him with taking the stock M 21k gold nib on the 1911 Full Size pen and customizing it to my preferences perfectly, giving me a pen that never fails, never disappoints. Let me quote another Mottishaw description: ‘Because of the large-bore opening on the Sailor converter, ink starvation problems, common to many other brands of cartridge/converter pens, are avoided.’

Further description of the Sailor 1911 Full Size on the Classic Fountain Pen website tells us that the overall design has its origins in the 1931 Sheaffer Streamline. No question it is an elegant design of clean lines with minimal distraction. There are four gold bands and a simple, almost plain gold pocket clip. The pen measures 5½ inches capped and a little under 6¼ inches posted. Good choice of colors to choose from: black, burgundy, blue, red, transparent and yellow. I chose the yellow, which resembles the 1928 Parker Duofold Mandarin. If the pen didn’t write like a dream I would still love it for its bright yellow.

I used to work with a Japanese man, someone I still call a friend who came around at least once a week wondering if he could borrow that wonderful yellow fountain pen, that he had a particular document that required the look of a good fountain pen, hopefully with a conservative dark ink. I never hesitated to lend him the Sailor 1911 because his handwriting was such a pleasure to see—a smart calligraphy-like hand, but neither too studied nor too fancy. I always marveled at how casually he dashed off such character rich lines always easy to read. He told me that half of it was the fountain pen, the Sailor 1911 Full Size.

Little need to pretend this Sailor 1911 is anything less than expensive, but it is one of those indulgences when value comes with every penny paid. I’m not sure what’s available on eBay or elsewhere, but the chances are good there is a 1911 Full Size somewhere out there at a price not too intimidating. It’s a fountain pen that any enthusiast will come to treasure.

Photo credit to Classic Fountain Pens for the two photos of the 1911 Full Size.

Smoked Bamboo

A second look at the Sailor Susudake Naginata…

In the last few weeks of long years spent in Japan a process of winnowing began with the boxes, closets and shelves of things accumulated over time. Obvious that everything couldn’t be packed and shipped to Florida, but it was also obvious that some of those accumulations had achieved special value as tokens of memory, curious tidbits or in some cases an irreplaceable tool of daily life. There was enough to fill several boxes with hard to find objects of limited number, antique bits and pieces, each carrying an unmistakable imprint of Japan.

When it came to the packing of fountain pens, I counted nine Japanese pens, most of them Sailor. Each of the nine was treasured, used regularly and soon to be carefully wrapped and packed for shipping. But something was missing.

I found it a week later at Kingdom Note, a favorite pen shop in Shinjuku. Had someone asked before that what I was looking for, the answer would have been, “I’m not quite sure.”

The moment I saw the Sailor Susudake Naginata the answer came to me. It was a pen made by Japan’s ‘god of the fountain pen’ Nobuyoshi Nagahara, bearing the patented mark of traditional Japanese craft, smoked bamboo—a pen that would mark my time in Japan and my love of Japanese craftsmanship.

For centuries bamboo has been a common element in Japanese life, showing up in poetry, proverbs, chopsticks, body armor, sword guards as well as handles, writing brushes, and following the line of poetry and writing brushes, fountain pens. The wood is known for its strength and resilience as well as beauty, and for those reasons found its place among the objects of daily life.

But the bamboo is not merely cut and quickly fashioned into useful pieces. There is a lengthy process of smoking the bamboo over an open hearth, sometimes for years at a time. The rarest examples of susudake passed as much as a hundred years absorbing the smoke of generations. This long absorption of smoke serves to harden the bamboo even more and to add elegant coloration to the grain. The result is called susudake, or smoked-stained bamboo.

From this hard and beautifully colored bamboo, Sailor’s master nib craftsman has made what is called the Susudake Naginata. Naginata is a nib design of Mr Nagahara’s, long in body and slightly reminiscent of the old Japanese halberd or naginata. The nib is 21k gold, and as with other Sailor fountain pens is offered in a range of sizes from fine to broad. For those desiring other nib sizes, John Mottishaw at Classic Fountain Pens offers the pen with a nib in a wider range of sizes.

Before buying and using the Sailor Susudake I had had some experience with another of the Naginata pens and knew it qualities well, so risk on that account was zero. Like most of my pens, the Susudake has a medium nib with good flex. The flow of ink is smooth with never a hint of skip, always generous, never stingy. It is precisely the kind of nib and ink flow that Mr Nagahara is long famous for.

In the ultimate sense, pleasure from this fountain pen comes with its value as a kind of totem or relic of the Japan years. It has its time in the weekly pen rotation, but when not inked up and lounging on my writing desk it sits displayed on its own shelf, resting on the backs of two small silver cats.

The photograph with the sample writing was done with Iroshizuku Yama-guri ink in a Faber-Castell journal.

Interested in the earlier Susudake post? Look here.

Hobby Box 17

The eagerly awaited new issue of Stationery Hobby Box (Shumi no bungu bako), volume 17 arrived today from a friend in Tokyo. The cover story this time is (roughly translated) ‘Cool Pens and Notebooks We Want to Try Right Now,’ The fountain pen featured in the center of the cover is a new model from Montblanc, the Meisterstück Diamond, a treasure in two sizes for those willing to dig deep into their wallet.

Feature articles in this issue include one on notebooks, pens and ink for work, a beautiful page on the Pelikan 100 series, an Herbin story on the new 1670 ink, and including a fold-out color chart, a long article on the world of nibs, and several pages on Mina Ishiwatari, President of Hoppy Beverage Company. Ms Ishiwatari is featured because she owns a collection of 250 fountain pens, writes a daily blog in longhand with pen and ink, choosing the pen and ink that suits her mood each time. Have a look here. I chose two pages from the Ishiwatari article to scan, partially because one page shows two new limited edition Iroshizuku inks, edo-murasaki and shimbashi-iro. There is a third limited edition color called fukagawa-nezu. Samples of the murasaki and fukagawa above are from The Laurel Tree blog. To my eyes, the fukagawa-nezu is a must have.

The current issue is the first to include an advertisement related to Apple's iPad. A company named Mejin Takuya is now making an iPad leather slipcase that comes in fourteen colors. If I’m converting the yen to dollar rate correctly, this little luxury item sells for $425, only $74 less than the iPad.

The article on fountain pen nibs around the world is twelve pages of stunning detail. From a brief look, the writer and photographer don’t seem to have left out much.

Little surprise to find another article on the acclaimed “God of Fountain Pens” Nobuyoshi Nagahara, and the fadeless beauty of his Naginata nibs. This is a man who has been making nibs for Sailor over the past sixty-four years.

Also included in this quarter’s issue is information and photographs of ten different notebooks, diaries, planners and sketchbooks. This line up, though beautiful in design and layout, is a little disappointing in that none of the featured products come in a blank page alternative, except for the Drawing Block sketchbooks. Life is offering a new hardbound journal that looks good, but also has lined pages.

In an earlier post on Stationery Hobby Box, I bemoaned the fact that eighty percent of the stationery goods showcased in the magazine are too expensive for my budget, but the presentations alone are a pleasure to ogle and wish for. This magazine is exceptional in the quality of its writing, photography, layout and design, and to me worth its $17 price tag.

For those interested in further sample pages from Stationery Hobby Box, there are some earlier posts here:

June 5

March 21

December 23, ’09

Workhorse

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned my workhorse pen from Classic Fountain Pens in Los Angeles, the Sailor 1911 Large. Anyone familiar with past pages of this blog will already know that Sailor fountain pens take a prominent place in my fascination with pens. No need to review my impressions of Sailor in general. Six different Sailor models are in constant rotation at and around my desk, but the 1911 Large is my never fail, always-a-joy fountain pen.

The 1911 Series was introduced by Sailor twenty-five years ago to mark the company’s foundation. Over the years, variations on the initial design have come out periodically, though it has not varied greatly. Of course, they’ve always had the great Nobuyoshi Nagahara designing the nibs, and that standard is unfailingly consistent. The chances are almost ninety-nine percent certain that a Sailor nib will give satisfaction right out of the box. Most of my Sailor nibs are unmodified and I’m happy with that. The medium 21k gold nib on my 1911 Large was modified to fit my preferences by John Mottishaw at Classic Fountain Pens, and he worked magic on that fountain pen. If anyone is considering a Sailor pen, I strongly recommend John at www.nibs.com.

Specifics on the 1911 Large…

MODEL NAME: 1911 Color 2021

NUMBER: 11-9201

MATERIAL: PMMA Resin

FILLING SYSTEM: Converter and cartridge

NIB: 21k gold in a wide range of sizes

The design of the pen is traditional and measures 5.5 inches capped, weighing 24 grams. It comes in yellow, blue or red, with gold trim and pocket clip. There are double bands on the cap, which has a rounded black top, minus the familiar Sailor anchor logo. Mine is yellow, and slightly reminiscent of the old 1928 Parker Duofold Mandarin.

I refer to my 1911 Large as the workhorse because it writes page after page, day after day without the smallest slip. The medium nib is very wet, and you would think it might guzzle ink, but that isn’t the case. The ink flows smoothly with good economy. I was writing a letter this morning that turned out to be several pages, and looking back on those pages at the end, I felt the pen deserved some praise. It lays down line after line, day in and day out, forever looking and feeling like the acme of fountain pen writing. Kind of wish I had the blue and red models as well.

A Hardwood Grip

Today’s fountain pen spotlight focuses on a pen produced in such limited numbers, it may be unfamiliar to many aficionados, even those who name Sailor among their favorites. Mine is a recent gift from a good friend, someone I often refer to as my fountain pen sensei, or teacher.

Three years ago, in March of 2007, Sailor released a limited edition fountain pen crafted especially for the annual Mitsukoshi fountain pen clinic. The clinic is held each year for three days in March at their main store in Ginza. Each year Nobuyoshi Nagahara, Sailor’s living treasure nib-meister, makes an appearance, at the clinic. The model released at the 2007 clinic is one called the “Tagayasan,” written using the three characters in the photo. The name comes from the wood that the pen is crafted from, which in English is ironwood. I understand from my friend that only between twenty and thirty of these pens were produced.

The Sailor Tagayasan is handmade from one of the extremely hard woods we call ironwood. There are many varieties of ironwood, and which of those hardwoods Sailor chose to use has not been noted anywhere, to my knowledge. Though the wood grain is clearly visible in the dark brown wood, I thought at first that it was acrylic resin because of the several coats of lacquer applied to the wood. The hardwood is quite heavy, so the Tagayasan weighs slightly over thirty grams, only a shade under what the larger Pelikan Souverän 1000 weighs. Adding to the weight is a heavier than usual gold band at the base of the cap, which includes an extra beveled band below the usual one. In length, it is 13.5 cm with cap, and 15.5 cm posted.

As with all Sailor fountain pens, the nib is what it’s all about. The Tagayasan comes with Nobuyoshi Nagahara’s long-proven Naginata Togi nib. Mine is a little unusual when compared to my other Naginata nibbed pens, this one surprisingly hard and inflexible. It is a medium, 21k iridium tipped nib, and at first I thought it odd, or out of whack because of the stiffness. It took several pages of writing to show me that it is simply an inflexible nib, and despite my preferences for more flex, there is nothing about it to detract from the elegant line of ink it lays down. I have a feeling that over the months of regular use, it will develop a measure of flexibility.

The writing sample in the photo here was done with Ajisai (hydrangea) ink, from the Iroshizuku series.