Thinking about Nakaya.

[tarheel1]

So I have been on the fence about the next pen I will purchase and think I have narrowed it down to Nakaya. My problem is I cant make up my mind what model or what nib to get. I love how the Piccolo Long portable looks as well as the Naka-ai. I dont care for the Neo standard and could tolerate the Portable cigar. Long cigar is probably too long. Now comes the finishes I like. I would love o get a blue dragon, but probably out of my price range. I think I like the Ao-tamenuri but wish it was a bit bluer. The Shobu looks nice but is a solid color as well as the Kikyo. So what is one to do? Now nibs. I love both flex nibs as well as stub, italic, and music nibs. There are just too many options. Maybe a medium to BB flex if it is an option. Maybe a flex music nib? I guess my dream Nakaya would be a Blue dragon Long piccolo with a medium to bb nib. Second would be the Naka-ai Blue dragon followed by the same order Ao tamenuri.

[tandaina]

A couple things.

I have an ao-tamenuri. I was hoping for blue, it is very green. But it is still gorgeous. I do not regret the finish.

The nibs are not flex nibs. I really wouldn't buy them for flex, go vintage for that. But if you buy through nibs.com and like italic you will be in heaven. Have John grind it just the way you like and it will be like no other italic you have ever used. Magic.

[Jon Szanto]

I can't think of a pen more deserving to be tried out in person. No, that doesn't make your task easier, but they are so individual in terms of weight, feel in hand, and the way the nibs go. That is a lot of money to put down on a pen you haven't written with and held for a while. Just sayin'.

[VertOlive]

I think Jon is spot on.

Nakaya is the next pen I want, but am waiting to handle them at a pen show first. Color is so important to me that I'd have a total hairball if I ordered it online and the color was a tenth of a shade off...

[orfew]

I have been contemplating the purchase of a Nakaya for several months. I agree with Jon, wait until you can actually handle one in person. I know I am unwilling to make a commitment to buying one until I can gain some first hand experience with the pens. There will still be plenty of choices, but you will be able to compare the pens to your own notion of the perfect pen for you.

[caribbean_skye]

Nakaya is my grail pen. I wanted one just based on the photos and then Lisa let me try hers and now I know i want several. If only my bank account would cooperate

[tandaina]

Trying one in person was not possible for me, I just wasn't going to be able to get to a show and knew no one in my whole state who owned one. So I did take the risk. I had one custom made my my specifications, waited 9 months for it. It was worth it.

If you can't try them in person pay close attention to the measurements and try pens of similar girth at least. I was surprised how *fat* my Picolo was. I've grown to love it, but at the time it was the widest pen I owned and I was worried for a bit. Frankly the pens are so light and well balanced I can't imagine anyone *not* liking them. And they are quite easy to resell. For me it was worth it, but if you can handle them in person, do. But I'd hate for anyone to skip a Nakaya because they can't handle them in person. I really think anyone who uses one for a couple weeks will fall in love with it. (And if you don't, frankly you can probably sell it pretty easily for what you paid for it.)

[tarheel1]

Unfortunately trying one is most likely not possible. I dont personally know anyone close enough with one to try. Maybe at a central Texas meet someone might have one.

[Lady Onogaro]

You might check with Dromgoole's, though. If they don't have it in stock, I bet they know someone who does and who visits the store regularly. Is the Dallas pen show a meet you could manage?

[tarheel1]

Dallas is far closer than Huston is. Austin is about an hour and half. I am not sure if I will make Dallas this yeqr, but I have 6 to 12 months of saving up for the Nakaya. As far as size. I love the m800, mb 146, platinum president, large sailor 1911, and my Jules Verne. Anything smaller and it is not comfortable.

[Jon Szanto]

Dallas Pen Show? (http://www.dallaspenshow.com/) Dude, it's like, 170 miles! Surely worth it, worth more than all the opinions on "what pen should I buy next?"! Put those pens in your hands, you'll know which one is the "must have".

Go. Plan on it.

(Disclaimer: I don't know for sure if there will be Nakayas there, but that might be your best chance, and you could ask in advance)

[tandaina]

Dallas is far closer than Huston is. Austin is about an hour and half. I am not sure if I will make Dallas this yeqr, but I have 6 to 12 months of saving up for the Nakaya. As far as size. I love the m800, mb 146, platinum president, large sailor 1911, and my Jules Verne. Anything smaller and it is not comfortable.

Oy! Five months ago I'd have said meet me in Kileen and you could have tried mine. I was in Waco, now I'm in Washington so that won't work. ;) Do try to get to the Dallas pen show, it is coming up soon and I'm sure someone going to it will have one you could try. I don't think Nibs.com attends that show (didn't the years I went) but there are lots of people in that area!

[Tracy Lee]

I can't think of a pen more deserving to be tried out in person. No, that doesn't make your task easier, but they are so individual in terms of weight, feel in hand, and the way the nibs go. That is a lot of money to put down on a pen you haven't written with and held for a while. Just sayin'.


I have been contemplating the purchase of a Nakaya for several months. I agree with Jon, wait until you can actually handle one in person. I know I am unwilling to make a commitment to buying one until I can gain some first hand experience with the pens. There will still be plenty of choices, but you will be able to compare the pens to your own notion of the perfect pen for you.

What they said. I tried Julie's Decapod last year and that was enough for me to begin the quest but I waited until I could use one and the show was perfect. They had so many and were so nice and so patient. In 30 minutes I knew what I needed to have, where I wanted to start and I am over the moon with this pen. If I buy or design another, I would be tempted to fly to their store to work the details it is that amazing.

[DrChumley]

I own a Decapod in the Heki-temanuri finish, and I adore it. I got an Broad Oblique nib ground for me, which was a bit sharper than I wanted, but I knocked down the corners a bit with some Micromesh, and now it's perfect.

I also had someone send me the Neo Standard in the Ao-Temanuri finish. (I think that's the red-on-red finish) which is one of the most beautiful finishes I've ever seen on a pen.

I also wasn't able to try one in person before buying, but if I can make it to the LA Pen show in February, one of my first stops is going to be the nibs.com table. :) Wonderful pens.

[Finalist]

I tried all the Nakaya nibs at the Nibs.com SF Shiw table and it was surprising how much soft the soft medium was compared to the soft fine. I wasngoimg to order mine with a soft fine thinking I'd have more line variation, but in reality there is very little. The soft fine is not a flex pen. It is a fine point that doesn't feel like a nail. However, the soft medium is a whole different thing. The SM has some bounce and a lot of line variation. Not as much as my Falcon with Spencerian, but close and the SM is a much better daily write than the spencerian Falcon. The SM had three line weights. A XF on quick cross strokes, a western f/m on normal speed daily writing and a B/BB on pressured flex. Granted it's not a flex nib, but it does flex MUCH better than an FPR flex nib.

Also, the ao-Tamenuri looks pure green in person, but it's based on when they made it. I asked Leigh reyes about her's since it too looks so green and she said that she had a choice of Ao-Tamenuris and she picked the most green. It's all luck which shade of blue/green you get.


and.. The Naka-ai is by far the best shape! IMO ;) they show off the tamenuri very well, the threads uncap faster than the neo standard, the section looks awesome with the ending angles and the way the threads show off color, the soft pointed ends looks very handmade and the flush cap to barrel looks awesome. IMO the nakayas stole the SF pen show. I thought they stood way above the rest. The naka-ai is also bigger in person by a hair than pics make it out to be.

[dneal]

I tried all the Nakaya nibs at the Nibs.com SF Shiw table and it was surprising how much soft the soft medium was compared to the soft fine. I wasngoimg to order mine with a soft fine thinking I'd have more line variation, but in reality there is very little. The soft fine is not a flex pen. It is a fine point that doesn't feel like a nail. However, the soft medium is a whole different thing. The SM has some bounce and a lot of line variation. Not as much as my Falcon with Spencerian, but close and the SM is a much better daily write than the spencerian Falcon. The SM had three line weights. A XF on quick cross strokes, a western f/m on normal speed daily writing and a B/BB on pressured flex. Granted it's not a flex nib, but it does flex MUCH better than an FPR flex nib.


Both of my Nakaya's are soft medium, and these comments are pretty much spot on - although I would say a normal, light-pressure down stroke leans more to a western F than western M.

[tarheel1]

Well i ordered a soft medium with added flex on an naka-ai.

[ethernautrix]

What color?

The Naka-ai is a lovely model. I'm confident you'll find it very comfortable.

Me, I bought my first Nakaya without having seen one with my hands. Of course, it was $250 at the time. Now I have eight. My first was a solid black Piccolo. Five of the eight Nakayas are Piccolos.

I have one Naka-Ai, and it is also a favorite. Hehe!

[tarheel1]

Ao-tamenurai

[writingrav]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

[tiffanyhenschel]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)

[writingrav]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)
Ah well I guess I'll have to keep saving until next year in DC

[Crazyorange]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)
Ah well I guess I'll have to keep saving until next year in DC

That's a bummer. I was hoping they would be there in Philadelphia. Another reason to go back to DC in 2015.

[writingrav]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)
Ah well I guess I'll have to keep saving until next year in DC

That's a bummer. I was hoping they would be there in Philadelphia. Another reason to go back to DC in 2015.
I hope you'll be coming to Philly anyway.

[Crazyorange]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)
Ah well I guess I'll have to keep saving until next year in DC

That's a bummer. I was hoping they would be there in Philadelphia. Another reason to go back to DC in 2015.
I hope you'll be coming to Philly anyway.

Booked my room. I'm coming. :)

[writingrav]

My next show is Philadelphia and I'm not buying anything till then hoping to save for a Nakaya. Don't know if nibs.com comes to that show though

They go to very few shows anymore. Just LA, DC, and San Francisco as far as I know. (Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?)
Ah well I guess I'll have to keep saving until next year in DC

That's a bummer. I was hoping they would be there in Philadelphia. Another reason to go back to DC in 2015.
I hope you'll be coming to Philly anyway.

Booked my room. I'm coming. :)
Great. Hopefully we'll finally meet up.

[Crazyorange]

What days are you going?

[Finalist]

Well i ordered a soft medium with added flex on an naka-ai.

I have about five months to go for my Naka-ai Ao-Tamenuri. I've narrowed the nib choice down to soft medium, or soft fine with added flex. I'd love to see those to compared, but I have yet to find a sample.

I asked Nibs.com why the SM flexes more than the SF and their answer was that people tend to feel more comfortable flexing the medium but in fact Nakaya creates the two nibs with the sam amount of softness. I can without a doubt say that at the testing station the SM flexes much more and more easily. I consider myself a pretty decent skill with flex stuff and drawing. The only thing I can come up with is that at some point the two nibs were the same but as nibs.com says testers over the years have flexed the SM more and made it softer??? Regardless the sm is definitely smooth, a vastly better daily writer and can produce some very very thin lines with a light quick touch. I found the SM's standard sloppy cursive line compares to my twsbi mini ef width.

[tarheel1]

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/272920-nakaya-soft-fine-vs-soft-medium-pics/

[VertOlive]

This "Tester Set" is..... what ?

"(Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?) "

[tiffanyhenschel]

This "Tester Set" is..... what ?

"(Although with them investing in their new tester set, maybe they are planning to change that?) "

When I worked with John at the Dallas show a couple of years ago, people could test the nibs on the pens, but it was a matter of searching through each pen looking for just the nib you wanted to try. That meant a lot of searching on the user's part and a lot of cleaning of dipped pens on Nibs.com's part. Now they have a full set of tester pens (I think the desk pen model?) with each of their offered nib options. I imagine it's much easier for everyone this way.

[Finalist]

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/272920-nakaya-soft-fine-vs-soft-medium-pics/

Yep, that's my thread with pics I took. The SM shows a lot more line variation than the soft fine. I just need to see a soft fine with added flex for the final shiw down.

The testing station that nibs.com sets up at shows is awesome. It really changed my mind about what I like and don't like.

[Jon Szanto]

And Tiffany is right, the testing station is an array of desk pens, with labels to identify nib type/size. Photo from Ian's SF Pen show report...

http://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=13617&d=1409014471

[Finalist]

^the black rack has all the John Mottishaw custom grinds and the individual Nakayas to the left that are in the single holders are the standard Nakaya grinds. I wrote about five pages of scribbles from that day! It was so educational to see how they all compare. Also, they are tuned for a five out of ten wetness, so that's another educational bit to gain a feel for that CFP wetbess scale.

[leighpod]

A Nakaya soft medium will be more semi-flex than a Nakaya soft fine. I have no idea why. :)