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Featured here is the Sailor Bespoke King of Pen Ebonite Naginata Togi 2022 LE Ryokko or Green Echo. The design is based on a picture set in the Miskaka Pond of Shinshu, Nagano. The pen is rather attractive. The Green Echo was preceded by the Solar Prominence (Kouen) in 2021 and the Blue Wave (Kaiha) in 2020. All are excellent writers. ryokko by itself focus stacked yes logo by Ja Ja, on Flickr trio capped focus stacked yes logo by Ja Ja, on Flickr nib trio underside yes logo by Ja Ja, on Flickr nib trio topside yes logo by Ja Ja, on Flickr _SON6700 trio nibs out caps up b side by Ja Ja, on Flickr trio capped yes logo b side by Ja Ja, on Flickr

https://sailor.co.jp/topics/kinproebo_naginata/ https://sailor.co.jp/product/10-1585/ Slated for June 5 in Japan and available in NMF, NM, and NB. Again, a bit surprised for the (more or less?) standard release given all the fun people have been experiencing when trying to get their hands on the flames and waves versions of the ebonite naginata.... But when you consider the price you got to pay for one of this baby - a critical blow of 165,000 yen, it's not gonna be a easy choice.

Introduction Nobuyoshi Nagahara is a name to be reckoned with in the world of fountain pens. Nagahara-san recently retired from his position at Sailor, for whom he invented a number of exotic and interesting nib designs. His inventiveness and craftsmanship was unparalleled, and he will be greatly missed by all who take an interest in Japanese fountain pens. To commemorate the man and his achievements, Sailor released a pen commemorating his retirement. The pen is in the shape of one of the bamboo pens that he loved, and crafted towards the end of his career, using the traditional take-nuri technique, which uses urushi to create the shape of the bamboo. First impressions I had been trying to get hold of one of these for some time, but it took a trip to Japan to find one. I was quite lucky: Itoya had none, but Maruzen had one left. Soon, they had none. The unwrapping begins: The pen comes in a gold coloured cardboard box, with "Nagahara Nobuyoshi retirement commemoration Take-nuri fountain pen" written in Japanese on the top. Opening the box, we find a wiping cloth, the guarantee card, and some literature about the pen. The first is a tribute to Nagahara-san and a description of the Take-nuri pen itself. The second describes the Naginata Togi nib, and its benefits for writing in Japanese. Finally a message from the man himself: Removing the black foam reveals the cartridges, and the pen kimono containing the pen itself. The pen reveals itself in the shape of a short length of bamboo. It's quite long, as pens go, certainly longer than the usual run of Japanese pens. The cap is a snap-on, with a very positive snap when new. We'll see how the spring survives the years. There is something of a step down to the section, which allows the cap to smoothly line up with the barrel of the pen. The nib, of course, is a Naginata togi N-MF, which is the earliest of the nibs that Nagahara-san designed for Sailor. It was based on early Japanese nibs that have a long blade shape which gives a broader cross stroke, and allows the width of the line to be modified by adjusting the angle of the pen to the paper. In skilled hands, it will give a brush-like stroke when writing in Japanese. The nib has Nagahara san's signature in place of the usual Sailor Logo. Weight and Dimensions The pen is quite light, and well-balanced in the hand. There is no option for posting the cap, which must be set aside. Uncapped, it is about 2 cm longer than an uncapped MB149, and is about the same diameter. The balance point is nicely between the middle finger and the webbing of your hand, when the pen is held in the conventional fashion, so no balance issues. Nib and performance As previously mentioned, the nib is a N-MF naginata togi. The blade-like shape of the nib allows for variation of the line width, and gives a more brush-like stroke than a conventional nib. The nib itself is smooth, as you'd expect from Sailor. The feed system provides plenty of ink flow, and there were no skipping or other flow issues, straight out of the box. Filling system The filling system is Sailor's proprietary cartridges. The proprietary cartridges are a particularly annoying feature of Japanese fountain pens, as they limit you to a particular manufacturer's cartridges. There is a cartridge converter available, but the Sailor converter is not particularly capacious, so many will prefer to refill used cartridges. Conclusion The Nagahara retirement pen is a very appropriate pen to celebrate the career of one of the greats of the fountain pen world. Nagahara san loved the simplicity of bamboo shapes, while being one of the great innovators of nib design. This is a pen that I will treasure.

Purchased my first Sailor pen last Friday from Anderson Pens at the Philadelphia Pen Show. It has lived in my shirt pocket for the past six days and has quickly become my favorite pen in my small collection. The Naginata Togi MF nib is outstanding.

Appearance & Design (10) – Large, simple, and elegant. Beautiful contrast between mirror finish on the ebonite and the rhodium plating on the simple section ring, nib, and clip. Construction & Quality (10) – Well constructed. Wonderfully smooth threading between section and barrel. O-ring on section gives a confident tight connection when threading in section to barrel. Flawless polished finish on the ebonite that looks to be at least a mile deep. The ebonite has excellent hand feel - warm to the touch - begs to be used (this is even before one considers the nib). Weight & Dimensions (8) – Large pen (See comparison to Mont Blanc 149, Pelikan M1000). Surprisingly light for the size. Excellent dimensions for those enjoying larger pens (length and girth). Nib & Performance (10) – This #9 21k Sailor Nib is ridiculous. Same size nib as the 149 though the 21k vs. 18k, tine length, and adjustments to the nib make for the most amazing writing experience on fountain pen friendly paper and cheap paper alike. The nib glides across the paper while also seemingly grabbing the paper just enough to let you know you are using a fountain pen. The description of feedback similar to writing with an old-school #2 pencil is apt. The nib does allow for line variation with regular writing without stressing the nib to any significant degree. Works with all inks trialled thus far: Sailor, Noodler's BBKF, Iroshizuku, J. Herbin. This is an amazing nib - worth the price of admission. Filling System & Maintenance (5) - For the price one expects to have some technology and effort put into the filling system - not so much with this pen. The converter holds an acceptable amount of ink for routine business or school work x a few days. For travel one would need to bring additional ink. Upside is the easy of cleaning and maintenance. If adjusts could be made to make this an eyedropper - that would be most excellent. Cost & Value (8) – Expensive pen ~$550.00. As stated above, the nib is worth the price of admission. Conclusion (Final score, 8.5) - I truly enjoy using this pen - daily. I would buy it again and plan to get one with the Naginata Togi nib (another amazing Sailor nib that I enjoy on the 1911). Sailor KOP Ebonite, Visconti HS Bronze, Pelikan M1000, MB 149, Sailor 1911, Platinum 3776, ASA Porus Sailor KOP Ebonite, Visconti HS Bronze, Pelikan M1000, MB 149, Sailor 1911, Platinum 3776, ASA Porus Sailor KOP Ebonite, MB 149, Pelikan M1000 Sailor KOP Ebonite, MB 149, Pelikan M1000 Brothers from another mother - Sailor KOP Ebonite and MB 149 #9 Nibs

Just the other day I discovered that two of my P51s, both English, behaved exactly like Sailor Naginata togi NMFs, that is a broad line at a low writing angle and with a fine line at a vertical angle,and a continuum in between. Sorry I have no pictures at this stage, but if I get a good response on this topic I could possible provide pics during the weekend. Anyone else who has noticed this? Lennart

Hello FPNers, Could not wait to share my happiness on the newly acquired Pro Gear with the NMF nib. Grabbed a pad and wrote a few lines with it Full review to follow soon.. Sorry for the dull pictures, you know mobile phones (promise will fix them in my next review ) http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/IMG_3673_zpsccc4nugo.jpg http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/IMG_3674_zpslffcgrhe.jpg http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/IMG_3675_zpsfjq1wqbw.jpg http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/soniknitr/IMG_3676_zpsppbgnrkb.jpg Happiness, Sonik