3776 as test for Nakaya?

[mnempnix]

Simple question - would a (relatively) cheap and readily available 3776 be a good way to see if a Nakaya would suit me? Similarly, is a President a good approximation of an Izumo or does the nib work and tuning render these flagship pens unrecognisable from their cheaper siblings?

FYI I'm interested in a broad or western medium equivalent.

Thanks for your insights!

[jar]

No, not at all. The materials, fit-n-finish as well as hand tuning make a considerable different between the four Platinum selections.

Both the 3775 and the President are fine choices in their own right but they will tell you little about the experience with the Nakaya or Izumo lines.

[Chrissy]

1) Simple question - would a (relatively) cheap and readily available 3776 be a good way to see if a Nakaya would suit me?
Similarly, is a President a good approximation of an Izumo or does the nib work and tuning render these flagship pens unrecognisable from their cheaper siblings?

2) FYI I'm interested in a broad or western medium equivalent.

Thanks for your insights!
1) No, not at all. They are completely different types of pens with different nibs.
2) If you are interested in a broad or western medium equivalent nib then you might be disappointed. Try and focus your sights on buying a similar Western pen in order to get their M or B nib experience. Or as an alternative maybe try a Pilot Custom 74 with M nib or a Pilot Capless with M nib.

[mnemonix]

1) Simple question - would a (relatively) cheap and readily available 3776 be a good way to see if a Nakaya would suit me?
Similarly, is a President a good approximation of an Izumo or does the nib work and tuning render these flagship pens unrecognisable from their cheaper siblings?

2) FYI I'm interested in a broad or western medium equivalent.

Thanks for your insights!
1) No, not at all. They are completely different types of pens with different nibs.
2) If you are interested in a broad or western medium equivalent nib then you might be disappointed. Try and focus your sights on buying a similar Western pen in order to get their M or B nib experience. Or as an alternative maybe try a Pilot Custom 74 with M nib or a Pilot Capless with M nib.


I appreciate the fit, finish, materials, shape and size of the pens are very different so I wouldn't expect any approximation of these aspects, however the Izumo does use a President nib and I thought, perhaps mistakenly, that Nakayas use a 3776 nib, so I guess my question comes down to the tuning of these nibs if any - what do Platinum and Nakaya do to them by default that makes them different?

[Wile E Coyote]

Why is a Nakaya is different from Platinum? Just go to the Nakaya pen site and go through the order process. You will be asked many questions pertaining to the options available.

Then, when you get to choosing the nib you will be asked:
1) Nib size
2) How heavy is your writing pressure
3) What part of the pen section you hold
4) How fast you write
5) The size of your writing (ie. height of your writing 5mm-6mm-7mm-8mm-9mm)
6) Writing style (cursive, block)
7) The angle that you hold the pen to the paper
8) Rotation of the nib in relation to the paper
9) Right or left handed

They will take all those parameters and "tune" the nib to provide the best writing experience. Unless you order a Platinum from someone like nibs.com, they will ship you the pen as it was manufactured and you get what you get. Also, when you purchase a used Nakaya you might not be as satisfied with the performance because it was tuned for the original purchaser. Not to say that you couldn't send it off to a nibster or take it to a show and have it tuned, but you should keep that in mind.

FPs aren't ballpoints and the ability to customize the nib is a big part of the writing experience.

[notsim]

if you get a 3776 in the tipping you want your nakaya in, you will have a chance to see if the tipping is right for you.

[Sandy]

No. The Nakaya is nib is tuned to suit your hand/what you put on the form.

Also, writing with an ebonite body is like holding a soft cushion/pillow.

They are all nice pens, but if you are hankering after a Nakaya, save your money and buy the Nakaya.


In my experience the broad Nakaya I have is cut/polished to match my 45 degree writing angle. This means the pen is more stubbish - and also doesn't write quite so well when not held at the correct angle. The pen is perfect for writing on a desk/flat surface. Less so than when not at a desk and the pen is not being held at the correct angle to the page.

This is not the case with the broad Izumo - as the tipping material is untouched. Its a round ball which means you get a writing line no matter what angle you use.

The size of the Izumo is large - with the Nakaya you can choose the size you want. My Izumo is the biggest pen I have - it's 15 and a half cm capped and wide,- which means it is not quite so easy to slip into a pocket or find a case for it. The portable is 14 and a hald cm capped and The lacquer on both is well done.

The ebonite is an extremely light material

[dneal]

The nibs are the same, and interchangeable.

If you want to see if you like their nibs, sure.

The only way to see if you really like the pen though, is to try the pen. I didn’t like the Neo Standard, and got rid of it. I loved the portable, piccolo, and Naka Ai. Size-wise, the 3776 and portable feel similar but the weight and tactile feeling of the ebonite is unique.

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I have both. I find the nibs quite similar. I would guess that the Nakaya division spends more time tuning their nibs. But I wold also say that the equivalent 3776 nib gives you a good idea what to expect. I have less experience with the Izumo and President nibs, but I have one of each. With these, I think that the experience is more similar.