Nakaya Urushi - Piccolo Chinkin Palmet

[artaddict]

Oh my! That is beautiful!

[Doug C]

Men less secure would think that this is a very feminine pen, but all I can say is that this is one of the most striking pens I have ever seen.

 

You have impeccible taste, and they (Nakaya) have masterful skills to be able to carry out your vision.

 

I keep holding my Piccolo up to this picture to visualize what this might look like in real life.

 

[Phthalo]

You have impeccable taste, and they (Nakaya) have masterful skills to be able to carry out your vision.

Not quite. I have some kind of vision, which Nakaya embrace and then take in their own direction, improving, refining and perfecting all the way.

[MYU]

Beautiful pen, Laura. And very nice review with superb photos. Well chosen composition and detail. And great choice on the rose gold nib! It must have been painful waiting months to receive it, and quite an elation when it arrived.

~Gary

[Phthalo]

Nope, the waiting doesn't bother me. I mean, it's not like I don't have any other pens to use...

[Siv]

Laura, a wonderful looking pen - makes me want to get a unpolished shu piccolo myself...

 

I got my wife a green urushi chin-gin from the regular line-up and think that the design is very well suited to women.

 

One thing that I would be interested in hearning your opinions on is the fact that Nakaya put the pen which you have designed (or at least had some hand in specifying) and the price out there for the world to see. Stops it from being exclusive - how do you feel when you put all the effort into specifying a pen with a particular design and then someone can just randomly pick it from Nakayas offerings and have a copy made?

[Wwillco]

You say that the custom order process is great- what does it entail? Do you pick from options that they have, choosing your own combination for effect, or send in a design that they emulate on the pen?

You can go about it in a number of ways - look through their existing special orders and choose something that appeals to you, or base your own off one of their designs. You can also send in patterns or artwork to inspire a design from, or just tell them about the motifs you like, and allow them to design something for you which combines your requirements. They are very flexible in the design phase, but it does help to have some firm ideas about what you do and do not want to make the process easier for all.

 

Thank you; I'm breaking out the sketch pad now, And starting to budget for it... I guess no more pen or ink purchases until I meet my goal.

[Phthalo]

One thing that I would be interested in hearning your opinions on is the fact that Nakaya put the pen which you have designed (or at least had some hand in specifying) and the price out there for the world to see. Stops it from being exclusive - how do you feel when you put all the effort into specifying a pen with a particular design and then someone can just randomly pick it from Nakayas offerings and have a copy made?

This pen does NOT have my design - this is a well-known Nakaya design used on many pens! I just picked the colors.

 

My second Piccolo was a design dreamt up by me, and when Nakaya received requests for orders of that pen to be made, they contacted me and asked if I would allow that. I said "Sure". If the second Piccolo had of had a more elaborate and special design, I would have said no, and they would have respected that completely.

 

They don't tell anyone anything unless you are happy for them to do that, and they discourage direct copies of anyone's designs that are not in-house.

 

Edit: In regard to anything like this which I design, if others copy them, that is fine with me. I will always have the original.

Edited April 14, 2009 by Phthalo

[fuchsiaprincess]

One thing that I would be interested in hearning your opinions on is the fact that Nakaya put the pen which you have designed (or at least had some hand in specifying) and the price out there for the world to see. Stops it from being exclusive - how do you feel when you put all the effort into specifying a pen with a particular design and then someone can just randomly pick it from Nakayas offerings and have a copy made?

This pen does NOT have my design - this is a well-known Nakaya design used on many pens! I just picked the colors.

 

My second Piccolo was a design dreamt up by me, and when Nakaya received requests for orders of that pen to be made, they contacted me and asked if I would allow that. I said "Sure". If the second Piccolo had of had a more elaborate and special design, I would have said no, and they would have respected that completely.

 

They don't tell anyone anything unless you are happy for them to do that, and they discourage direct copies of anyone's designs that are not in-house.

 

Edit: In regard to anything like this which I design, if others copy them, that is fine with me. I will always have the original.

 

Hi Laura,

 

Are the photos of your original design Nakaya available for viewing here on FPN?

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

Soki

[hari317]

It was a pleasure to read this review and enjoy the marvellous photgraphy required to capture a pen such as your latest Nakaya. Congratulations!

[Phthalo]

Are the photos of your original design Nakaya available for viewing here on FPN?

No, I don't show them, plus, I have dozens... finished products only.

 

This post from my other review shows a sample of the kind of thing I send to Nakaya though! (I go into a lot of detail which isn't usually necessary!)

 

[Phthalo]

I fielded a question in the Japanese forum which I thought may be of interest here!

 

Can you tell us a little more about how the pen came about? From what you said in response to your review, it sounds like you started out with a certain concept and Nakaya evolved it to a degree, achieving what you could only say is perfection. I'm curious to know what kind of feedback they gave you and how it went from there.

Sure - I picked a traditional design motif (palmet) which Nakaya have used, and then put my own influence into it.

 

When I picked the unpolished Shu finish, I was told that they had never made a Piccolo in that finish before (~June 2008). This was important! I didn't want something someone already had, just because I chose their palmet motif for the Chinkin linework. The colors they would have chosen for the powders would not have been all warm colours if I had just left it at that - blue would have certainly featured, but I definitely did NOT want any blue, so I specified red/pink/mauve etc, and not too strong.

 

I always wanted the pen to have a rose gold nib, but we didn't absolutely confirm that until the lacquer and Chinkin work was completed. If Nakaya's craftsmen had told me they thought the two-tone nib would have looked better, I would have accepted their decision - but we all thought the pink gold was fab, so on it went!

 

In regard to the linework, I did not want pure gold either, I wanted a subtle, pale gold, so we toyed with the idea of mixing gold and silver powders, but in the end left that in the hands of the craftsman. The concern I had about pure gold lines is that it would contrast too sharply with the rose gold nib. I think they did mix those powders in the end, but I would have to check with Nakaya to be certain!

Edited April 15, 2009 by Phthalo

[feiye]

Another beautiful addition Laura, congratulations.

 

How does the feel of the unpolished shu lacquer compare to the polished? I think this was a very intriguing choice in the finish. I have the blue coloured powders one myself where the finish is glossy, it brings out the sparkle of the powders used. I think the unpolished finish would be more subtle and slightly more subdued?

 

Thank you for the wonderful photos too!

[Phthalo]

It doesn't feel much different at all. It's not a matte finish, even though that is what the word "unpolished" generally implies - it's a satin one, so it looks and feels softly glossy - until you put one of the mirror-finish lacquer pens beside it!

 

It's not a subtle pen, being red and all... but the unpolished finish does take a backseat to the linework and the iridescence of the colored powders, so that they really pop out nicely.

[scribbler]

Lovely pen! It's evocative of a kimono pattern for me, for some reason.

[Brian]

Really good photo skills and it helps to have such a beautiful subject. The unpolished finish adds a kind of richness and warmth that might have been absent if this were a fully polished surface, e.g., warm vs. aloof but pretty. Hope that is not too weird to put it that way but I have pens that I'd characterize like that.

 

Congratulations on a special piece. I am sure it will be a joy to use for many years.

[Daniel7]

Very nice pen indeed.

The pictures and the review are fabulous in line with the pen.

I wonder, how does the pink gold palted nib feel, any different from the others? I am also considering ordering my third nakaya and have a faible for pink gold, so I would appreciate your feedback on it.

Best regards,

 

 

Daniel

[Phthalo]

I wonder, how does the pink gold plated nib feel, any different from the others?

 

No difference at all, the plating options which Nakaya offer are purely cosmetic, and have no bearing on nib function.

 

I'm really enjoying this Piccolo, and have now inked it with Sailor Red Brown - another sweet combination!

 

 

 

[DRP]

Pthalo asked whether we prefer smaller photos or the large ones posted with this review.

 

My opinion: I enjoy the eye candy. Big photos are most appealing. This particular pen deserves plenty of photos.

[alvarez57]

Coming late and big-time bumping this review but ALAS!!!!

Laura you did good! What an absolutely stunning pen!

Girl, you did good!

 

The balance of the colors and the "satin" finish is what makes this pen remarkable. I like that finish.

 

Which brings me to the Chinkoku that I've been eying for more than a year - :hmm1: which means it's dangerous for when I do that it's because I'm convincing myself to $pend $o much on a pen...

Edited May 31, 2009 by alvarez57