An Hommage to Japanese craftsmen

[mchenart]

As the disasters and tragedies experienced by Japan unfolds in front of our eyes, I thought it fitting to post some pictures of two Ban-ei pens to pay tribute to the excellent craftsmen who made them and the Japanese society that nourish such creativity.

The first one is a 2001 makie pen made by the Eisuke Sakai/Shuichi Tsuchida team, with makie work done by Kosai Nakamura. The theme is called 'Umkin' where maple leaves and sakura (cherry) flowers were rendered in the same composition. It has a 14 kt hard Medium nib, eyedropper filled with safety shut-off valve, and a capped length of 145mm. This pen will be featured in the upcoming book 'Fountain pens of Japan' by Andreas Lambrou & Masamichi Sunami (thanks to Nikolaos).

The second pen is a Kamakura-Bori pen, also with a 14 kt flexible Fine nib, eyedropper filled with safety shut-off valve, and a capped length of 140mm. This one sports an unusual Kamakura-Bori pattern where four incised marks were grouped together to form individual squares- a sort of Louis Vuitton-like pattern. Not often seen and interesting. According to Stan, this pen could be a 1950's production, in wich case, it might not have been done by the Sakai/Tsuchida team.

While admiring these pens, my thoughts drift towards the Japanese people who have to face such a difficult time and sadness. I hope they will stand up again soon to start the rebuilding process. My prayers go out to them.

[Nikolaos]

beautiful pens Michael!

 

Thanks for posting these wonderful photos!

 

 

Nikolaos

[Siv]

Those are two seriously beautiful pens. And the photography is excellent also.

[nicholasyeo]

Great photography, excellent pens, well worth it.

I hope Japan recovers fast. I love the country...

[shuuemura]

Amazing pens. How do they write?

[mchenart]

Thanks for all the kind words. Well, I think the photography could be better, as I was experimenting with a new tent and a manual macro lens. As they say, the pens look even better 'in the flesh', especially if you could touch the warm urushi surface at the same time.

 

I am a newby at owning vintage Japanese pens, so I really didn't know what to expect from writing with one. Both nibs say 'Warranted 585 14kt Pen' in their engravings, and both are extremely smooth, having been 'tamed' by their previous owners. They just glide on paper as if on oil. However, the similarities somehow end here. The Umkin Makie pen with the Medium nib writes a Medium to Broad line with excellent and consistent flow of ink, which could theoretically be controlled by turning the safety valve at the end of the barrel. If I turned the valve all the way back, the ink flow will stop after writing a few lines. I have yet to experiment with different settings of the valve to see if they offer vastly different levels of ink flow, but the difference to me did not seem that great. This nib is very hard with hardly any bent under pressure. Nikolaos, who has many Tsuchida pens, told me that all their pens have nibs which are hard.

 

The nib on the Kamakura-Bori is quite another story. It is soft, but not as soft as a, say, Nakaya soft nib. But it is a true flexible nib that widens as you press on it. The ink flow is ideal and follows the speed and pressure of writing perfectly. While a Fine nib, it is never scratchy and never skips, so it is as close to being a dream nib as any.

 

I would like to add that while both pens are really very beautifully crafted, they were made to be used and not merely to sit on a display shelf. In their friendly size and minimalist 'Balance' shape, they exude a zen like quality which is timeless.

[geoduc]

They're both nice pens, but I'm really drawn to the Kamakura-Bori pen. Thanks for posting the excellent photos.

[DavidHandmade]

Hello. I realize that I am a little "late" to this thread.

 

Beautiful Pens and great photography - definitely.

 

Question:

When you start writing with one of these Pens, what "position" do you use for the "safety valve" at the end of the Barrel?

 

I've had a few recent instances with my Ban-ei Pen, where ink leaked out of the Pen at the joint of the "valve" and the Barrel. I've used the Pen with the "valve" turned all the way in to the Barrel with no problems, up until now.

 

Does my Pen require some sort of a new "seal?"

 

I would appreciate your comments and suggestions.

 

Thank you - and - once again: thanks for posting your photos of these beautiful Pens; reminders of such a wonderful Culture.

 

- David.

Edited May 20, 2011 by DavidHandmade

[DanDeM]

Hello. I realize that I am a little "late" to this thread.

 

Beautiful Pens and great photography - definitely.

 

Question:

When you start writing with one of these Pens, what "position" do you use for the "safety valve" at the end of the Barrel?

 

I've had a few recent instances with my Ban-ei Pen, where ink leaked out of the Pen at the joint of the "valve" and the Barrel. I've used the Pen with the "valve" turned all the way in to the Barrel with no problems, up until now.

 

Does my Pen require some sort of a new "seal?"

 

I would appreciate your comments and suggestions.

 

Thank you - and - once again: thanks for posting your photos of these beautiful Pens; reminders of such a wonderful Culture.

 

- David.

Since no one else has responded, here's my experience.

I use my Mikado with the valve opened about two or three turns...more if I know the pen is getting low on ink. When done writing I close the valve completely to prevent ink from draining into the cap.

After it has been flushed, (whether in preparation for storage or to change the ink color) I open the valve as far as it will go and apply a light coat of silicone grease to the threads, then screw it closed. That coating may be all that it takes to prevent a backwash of ink, 'cause I've never had your problem.

Hope this helps. These pens are too beautiful to be messy.

[mchenart]

In response to DavidHandmade's question, I always open the shut-off valve by turning the end knob a couple of times before I start to write. Theoretically, ink would not go to the nib (i.e. you would not be able to write) if the knob is in the 'closed' position, unless there is some kind of miss-alignment or defect.

 

Leaking ink in the rear end seems to be the most prevalent problem with eye dropper pens especially if the pens are of vintage type. Shrinking cork due to age would widen the gap between it and the shut-off rod, causing leakage. Blotto's suggestion sounds very wise. If that didn't work, perhaps you need to take it to specialised pen repairer, such as Eric Wilson, aka eckiethump for servicing. That said, I must confess that I am still new to eye dropper pens. Perhaps more experienced FPNers could enlighten us further.

 

After I posted the original article with pictures, I have bought a black urushi Ban-ei pen under the Danitrio name. That pen is slightly bigger than the two colorful Ban-ei's, and has a beautiful flexy Fine nib. However, it 'burps' ink after I have written with it a few minutes. Elsewhere in this forum, this problem was attributed to the expanding air when the barrel is running low on ink. It is quite annoying.

[Nikolaos]

Michael is right about his regarding leaks. I have several vintage and modern eyedroppers and my feeling with all these pens is that there is no clear-cut formula as to how they perform. Some work with a couple of turns of the blind cap, some with more. There is something temperamental about Japanese eyedroppers (and vintage ones in particular) that reflects the fact that they were all hand made using traditional skills and tools.

 

I am sorry to hear about the ink "burping" on your Ban-ei Michael. Actually I got one of those bigger, thicker Ban-ei pens last month (not the Danitrio one) and i haven't inked it yet. I will do so to see if mine has the same issue. Perhaps you can play around with the turning of the blind cap and have it just a bit opened to prevent too much ink gathering around the nib? Or maybe use a denser ink?

 

Nikolaos

[mchenart]

Thank you Nikolaos for your suggestions.

 

I noticed that my Danitrio Ban-ei was running out of ink when the 'burping' occurred. It could be due to the enpanding air in the empty ink chamber caused by the heat in my hand, or the fact that I did not close down the blind cap a bit when ink was running out. You are right in saying that these pens all behave differently because of their handmade nature. Perhaps I shouldn't be annoyed by eyedropper pens' eccentricities, but rather regard them as the pens' inherent characteristics. I am sure that once tamed, these pens offer a writing experience unmatched by other types.

[Nikolaos]

You are right Michael. My experience with eyedroppers so far is a mixed one. Some work great straight out (mainly the modern ones) and some I need to find their "button" and then they get transformed into great writers. It feels like each pen has its own personality.