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Hello all, hope you and yours are doing well during these odd times. I am reevaluating my ‘desirables’ list of pricier fountain pens and attempting to narrow down my choices a good deal. For example, I’ve recently removed the Montblanc l’Aubrac after finally getting a chance to try one and being disappointed by the slippery metal section. (Why, Montblanc? Also, why do I trick myself into thinking I won’t mind it, every time?) The basis for my pruning of the list is that I want a pen I can use. I write a lot, usually for several hours everyday. I’d told myself that this ought to limit my quiver of pens to only the most utilitarian models. Nakaya is out, on account of their tiny ink capacity. Sailor—whose nibs are my absolute favourites—is also out, unless I put their nibs in a Conid. However, the Con-70 is a fair capacity converter, and much easier to clean than an eye dropper, so the Yukari Royale remains on the table. Why can’t I have a pen that’s gorgeous and practical? As I try to inject some majesty back into my rotation of pens (all delrin Conids and ‘precious’ plastic Montblanc) I see myself drifting further towards the Yukari Royale. It is beautifully lacquered, yet tastefully subtle, black with reserved furniture. It is unassuming, which for me is a huge plus. The last thing I want is someone to ask me about my pens. I have to work hard to hide the Montblanc snow cap if ever I leave the house with one of them. I’m counting on the uninitiated not recognizing the Namiki clip, as no one ever makes a fuss about the Conid final. The review on this forum have been wonderful, by the way. There are some effective reviewers and spectacular photographers in this community. For that, I owe you all my thanks. So, all told I am simply looking for opinions on the viability of the Namiki Yukari Royale as a moderate to heavy use daily writing pen. It’s hefty, but only seven grams more so than my Conid inked and uncapped. It’s lacquered, but urushi’s withstood more abuse over the centuries than I ever intend to throw at it. Does anyone actually use this pen to get some decent chunks of writing done? Any insight, advice, or words of caution would be greatly appreciated. Stay healthy, stay happy, folks.

This is the perfect pen. 10/10 Ok I am sure you want to know more. https://imgur.com/XJXW98V There you will find a written version of this review that might not have all the details. https://imgur.com/a/wz7784l And here is the rest of the album. So this is the Pilot Custom 845 Urushi. The finish is Vermilion and the nib is Pilot's 18kt gold two-tone. But you can see all that. The Custom 845 Urushi is the full-size brother of the over-sized (or really super oversized lol) and number-less named Custom Urushi. Pilot USA does not import this pen so you will have to import it yourself directly from a Japanese retailer. The Vermilion finish to this pen is, to the best of my knowledge, exclusive to Tokyo Pen Shop Quill. I am not 100% of that but it seems to be the only place you reliably purchase this pen if you're not in Japan anyway. Even then, the Vermilion is not in constant production and seems to restock around fall/winter of the year and sells out quickly. The price I paid for this pen was around 500 50000 yen and the experience in purchasing was amazing. Tokyo Pen Shop Quill only carries a very curated selection of Pilot/Namiki pens and thoroughly inspect the pen as well as tunes the nib before shipping it. The packaging could not have been better and included a lovely letter thanking me for my purchase as well as a nifty pen cleaning tool that according to my post purchase questions, the shop owner makes himself. So that brings us to the nib. Pilot nibs are very reliable writers, no matter what price point, but these 18kt nibs are just something else. The shop owner himself does some adjustments that takes the quality to the next level. This is the smoothest fine nib I own and have ever used because if anything was smoother than this I would have bought it or not have sold it. This pen is my first Urushi pen and I doubt it will be my last. The feel of the urushi (which is the red/vermilion sections) has a subtle warm/soft-feeling that is very unique compared to resin/plastic. It seems to be very scratch resistant as well. Size wish is is pretty much the same as Pelikan M800 but weights just slightly less. The body does have some lovely gold ring furniture and is just... ugh I love it lol. The filling system is C/C.. yes piston snobs, I know.. but trust me, this thing is so pretty you won't care. While it might be C/C, it does use the venerable Con-70 push-button vacuum converter. The pen is something special really. Pens sometimes reflect the personality of their owners and other times give something back to the writer. This definitely gives back in the form of confidence that you cannot help but feel as how hold the powerful vermilion hue in your hands. This is the first pen I have ever owned that as made me question the need to own anything else. 10/10

I love the in-between-ness of the tertiaries; they're complex, blended, impure, not one thing, nor t'other. Those yellow-oranges, red-oranges, red-purples, blue-purples, blue-greens, and yellow-greens. So all you ink lovers out there who love the tertiary colors: let's hear / see your favorites in the in-between ranges. Here are the colors I have loaded in pens at the moment:

Greetings, Recently I decided to integrate red into my calligraphy, but I would like to use a very specific shade, which really appeals to my taste. I generally prefer muted/dusty shades, so I'm having trouble finding a suitable red, since most of them are really bright. Below are 2 examples of the color I'm looking for, and I'd like to know if anyone has ever come across such an ink color: 1. Excerpt from the Jacqueline's Svaren's amazing book on calligraphy (which I'm still looking for). Most of the text is written in the shade of Vermilion I'd like to use (the plastic bottle pictured here is also in tone with the used color) 2. The Vintage Red Parker Duofold...for me this is the perfect vermilion color: http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/d/u/duo_sr_red_58_1_1.jpg Please let me know what you think. Cheers!

So its finally here! Namiki Royale, Vermilion Urushi Warning: Photo Heavy - I personally love when reviews have tons of photos so just returning the favor! This pen fulfilled so many of my most desirable traits in a pen, that I found myself in need of writing a review on FPN for others to see. I will try to restrain myself from praising the pen too much, as I have only had the pen for about a week now...but as of now all I can say is: "this pen is freaking awesome!" I will divide the review into the following: 1. Appearance: The aesthetics and feel of the pen, disregarding the write-ability of the pen for this portion. 2. Performance:The nib and writing experience. 3. Construction: Durability of its materials, construction method, and details. 4. Presentation: Small portion that describes packaging. 5. Value: What/how I may value the pen and its experience. Without further ado... 1. Appearance: The appearance of the pen is of elegance and of humble gesture... At first glance from a distance the pen doesn't look too special, but as you get closer the finer details and presence of the pen slowly reveals itself to be an object of human creation approaching the pinnacle of perfection. Yes those are big words, but this is a big pen with bold attitude and confidence, I feel comfortable many who held one would agree. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6011_zps5238ba00.jpg The shape of the pen is a classic cigar shape, but utilizes some of the lines of the french curve. A "french curve" is a classical curve measurement or standard in which the beauty of its curvature is determined through proportion. It appears pleasing to the eye much like the "golden scale" many are more familiar with. There is no compromise here, the pen became all that it wanted to be along the barrel and the cap. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6023_zps528c8108.jpg http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6043_zps5f59366f.jpg The only details on the pen that breaks the perfectly lacquered shape are the clip and the very thin trim along the bottom of the cap. The clip very mysteriously slips into a slot, showing no evidence to how it might have been made. This is very much like Japanese Architecture, components coming together in a matter that shows no sign of bolts, rivets, seams... Therefore in appearance creating a object that is - and not that is force to be. I've seen several people complain that the Namiki clip on their higher end pens look exactly like the ones on their more "affordable" pens. I don't have any other Pilot or Namiki pens and cannot compare but from pictures the Royale Urushi and Maki-E line as well as the Emperor line seems to have greater taper along the two sides of the clip. This makes sense since they are larger pens, and therefore can have a larger clip. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6033_zps4840078c.jpg The very thin golden ring trim at the bottom of the cap protects to urushi from impact anytime the cap is put down. It is the only urushi edge that will come into constant contact with other surfaces. This design shows impeccable excellence in the care for their pen designs, combining beauty and purpose. The Form and the Function do not compete for attention, they create synergy and one cannot be separated without the other, much like what we see in nature's design. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6055_zps28c09fb9.jpg To give you an idea as to the size of this pen, I compared it to well known German and Italian pens well regarded as "pen standard" in measurement. The Montblanc 149 to the left appears to be similar to the Namiki in its cigar shape, but in reality it is VERY different. The ends of the 149 do not follow the "french curve" and have a bit of a squashed look to it in comparison. The Namiki I would say is slightly larger in length and very slightly thinner in girth than the 149. For die-hard Italian fans I threw in the old-style Omas Paragon to size compare... the comparatively small yet nimble Paragon is much thinner and shorter in comparison. The Paragon I feel is the perfect size for on-the-field type of writing, I feel very comfortable whipping it out in any situation to write down something quick. The 149 and the Namiki are large pens, however they somehow mastered their utility and grip comfort despite their size. I feel equally as comfortable to bring them along anywhere I go. They will feel right at home in either the field for sketching or in the meeting room. I tried to cover the colour portion in this review but it is just so difficult for words to describe, it shifts drastically depending on lighting conditions. I can say that it is a very bold and deep red that your eyes cannot look away from. I will let you readers be the judge of the colour... In my opinion, a deep bold red paired with a sensual yet humble body is a killer combination. 2. Performance: The writing experience of this pen can be explained to you in one word: Zen This is where the review might get a bit controversial... Statistics show that this pen is in the "heavier" pen category. The weight of the pen is around 45gr. This is due to the un-assuming brass construction underneath the delicous vermilion urushi (that will be covered later on). In comparison the MB149 weighs 29gr and the Omas Paragon weights 20gr. Although the Namiki more than doubles the weight of the paragon, it is so well balanced that the weight does not detract from the writing experience. Like a well made sword or weapon, the weight distribution is perfect and the user feels no strain, while at the business end there is more "oomph". I absolutely love this well balanced weight, a humble looking pen, when held has that feel to it like - "hey I am a big deal"... is what really makes it a serious pen for me. Looking at a Namiki Royale and holding one is a completely different experience. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6028_zps80101cfe.jpg http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6041_zps05844c2c.jpg The nib is gorgeous...Large gold thing that writes with a perfect combination of smoothness and control. Unlike many Japanese cars, the smoothness of the feel does not compromise the control of the vehicle. I can feel the "road" or paper in the perfect amount so that I may react accordingly. It feels much like a BMW, I am always in control and never left dry from feeling like I am the vehicle, not riding one. The nib writes pretty wet for a Japanese pen with a bit of give to create some line variation. This pen is a m nib and writes somewhere between an Italian M and a Japanese M. I cannot compliment in control more, I ask nib for more by applying a bit more pressure - and it provides by giving me thicker lines and a juicier flow. I ask for less and loosen my pressure and it gives me thin lines with drier ink flow. What more can you ask from your pen? 3. Construction: http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6059_zpsc66017c4.jpg I don't think I can comment much on its construction other then - it is made of brass...and lacquered with the most beautiful Vermilion I've ever seen. The inside of the cap barrel is lined with some sort of felt to protect the urushi pen placing the cap on. The inner treads are all brass and align perfectly to one another, giving confidence to the user that it is robust and not a fragile instrument. The outer threads above the grip section are lacquered in urushi, and very meticulously done to show no evidence that any human has ever touched it. The pen uses a converter, yes I know what your thinking...why make a big pen and stick a converter in it? But this is the Namiki CON-70 converter, don't be fooled... it is a big converter. I am a huge advocate of large pens must = large ink reservoir, and converter in a large pen like Sailor KOP is a big turn-off for me. But Namiki's CON-70 holds 1.9ml of ink, I can hardly say that is little considering Pelikan M800 holds just about the same ink! 4. Presentation: Just a short note on the packaging of the pen: it is neat! There is no unnecessary decorative features, well protected, yet still very sophisticated. No it did not come inside that large blue metal trunk that's my coffee table! http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6061_zps9f299049.jpg 5. Value: I think I will take this portion as a conclusion to my review. How would I rate this pen? It is well worth every penny for me. No other pen has performed so well in all aspects of performance, durability, style, elegance, and presence. The object evokes a pen that strives so close to perfection that it feels almost as if it is made from a superior machine with extremely precise assembly. However the real value of this pen is knowing that in fact it is meticulously hand made. How and what it took for someone to hand lacquer this pen is beyond me... In conclusion, it has satisfied every appetite I have for a pen both subjectively and objectively. Don't just look at this pen but hold it...and if the owner allows it please take some time to meditate on the feel of its writing experience. With each tier of experience with this pen, the appreciation of it grows ever so humbly. http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/Pammzer/IMG_6032_zps74201db8.jpg Thank you for reading this review! I hope it was fun reading it as much as it was for me to review it! Please feel free to leave a comment on how I can improve my review skills as well as any comments you may have on the pen. Many more reviews to come, my other pens are very jealous in what I had to say about the Namiki, the newest arrival...and is begging me to give them some more attention that they surely do deserve. Cheers! Michael

I collect Parker 45s and am trying to get one of each. Richard Binder's excellent guide is very helpful in this regard as it lists all the barrel colours. However, to my eye, it is very difficult to distinguish "rage red" from "vermilion" without having them side by side. My problem is that I cannot actually place them side by side, because I only have one colour: http://users.tpg.com.au/bule/temp/red_pens.jpg (in reverse chronological order: Custom, CT, Arrow/CT, Parker Eversharp, Eversharp Big E). Does anyone know which colour I have here? I suspect it is rage red but I far from certain! Any guidance would be appreciated!