Platinum Izumo #28 Akatame

[tattu]

A very nice review and valuable insights from all. Must keep remonding myself that i can't buy this gorgeous pen . Anyway, what is a competitive price for this pen?

[nicholasyeo]

Absolutely true... I was not really aware of Platinum's quality until I got myself one

and I realised it was really value for money. And some of their stuff, are just ....

Beautiful.

[hari317]

  On 4/1/2012 at 2:25 AM, tattu said:

A very nice review and valuable insights from all. Must keep remonding myself that i can't buy this gorgeous pen . Anyway, what is a competitive price for this pen?

 

Thank you Tattu. 425$ is the best price that I have seen yet on the Urushi models and the lowest I have seen is 355$ for the Tagyasan models.

 

  On 4/1/2012 at 3:08 AM, nicholasyeo said:

Absolutely true... I was not really aware of Platinum's quality until I got myself one

and I realised it was really value for money. And some of their stuff, are just ....

Beautiful.

 

Agreed, Platinum is underrated.

[Abhik]

Dear Hari, another stunning pen & a through review! Nothing to ask as you have covered all points! I am just envious! Enjoy you urushi laquered pen in good way!

Best wishes,

Abhik

[mongrelnomad]

Thanks for the great review Hari - one I've come back to (too) many times.

 

I've long liked the Izumo, but never pulled the trigger for quite a few reasons: 1. the price comparison with Nakaya (~$100 less than a plain urushi), 2. Snobbery (just never thought Platinum was 'up there'), 3. Uncertainty about the size.

 

Eventually I pulled the trigger on an akatame like yours - I am so glad I did. This is one fabulous pen: one of my best writers, incredibly comfortable, and with a standard of finish no less incredible than any of the Nakayas I own. At the less-than-Nakaya price I think I can call it an absolute bargain...

[hari317]

  On 5/17/2013 at 1:03 PM, mongrelnomad said:

Thanks for the great review Hari - one I've come back to (too) many times.

 

I've long liked the Izumo, but never pulled the trigger for quite a few reasons: 1. the price comparison with Nakaya (~$100 less than a plain urushi), 2. Snobbery (just never thought Platinum was 'up there'), 3. Uncertainty about the size.

 

Eventually I pulled the trigger on an akatame like yours - I am so glad I did. This is one fabulous pen: one of my best writers, incredibly comfortable, and with a standard of finish no less incredible than any of the Nakayas I own. At the less-than-Nakaya price I think I can call it an absolute bargain...

Thank you! I have only briefly flirted with a Nakaya Urushi. Based on that I also rate the Izumo at equal if not better level in my estimation. The clip is superb, I am not a fan of the Nakaya clip, I would take another Izumo anyday, but that is only my biased opinion.

[de_pen_dent]

Nice to see this review - last month I got myself an Izumo in aka-tamenuri and it is one of my favorite pens - beautiful designed, and an absolutely amazing writer stock.

 

My stable of Platinums (2 3776 Maki-e styles, a President, an Izumo, a Briarwood Nakaya-clone and a Tortoise en route) are probably, on average, the best-writing pens in my collection

[hari317]

  On 5/17/2013 at 7:33 PM, de_pen_dent said:

My stable of Platinums (2 3776 Maki-e styles, a President, an Izumo, a Briarwood Nakaya-clone and a Tortoise en route) are probably, on average, the best-writing pens in my collection

Agreed. Platinums are quite underrated IMO when you consider the other two from the Japanese big three. You will love the tortoise also. I have managed to buy one example of every celluloid pattern currently offered by them, I should post a group review.

 

Is the name Nakaya famous in Japanese pen circles(how good is the reputation or brand good will among local buyers when they have Namiki et al to choose from)? or is Platinum more famous and well known? I ask since I am curious why Platinum would produce the same models in Briar and celluloid under both names, maybe to have recognition in local market also?

[mongrelnomad]

My wife and I are coming close to the complete celluloid collection too.

 

The more exposure to Platinum I get, the more impressed I am. Easily up there with Pilot and Sailor IMO...

 

(And I am quickly becoming hooked on the sound of the ball-bearings in their carts.)

Edited May 17, 2013 by mongrelnomad

[hari317]

  On 5/17/2013 at 8:49 PM, mongrelnomad said:

The more exposure to Platinum I get, the more impressed I am. Easily up there with Pilot and Sailor IMO...

 

 

I have my friend, who goes under the name Strang on FPN, to thank. He nudged me in the direction of Platinums and told me about their wonderful nibs. I was ignoring them.

[Alex2014]

Another photo. My Platinum Izumo in aka-tame came a month ago with an F nib that is smooth smooth....

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2014 by Alex2014

[hari317]

wonderful pen Alex, congrats!

[ArchiMark]

Very informative review, great photos (including latest by Alex), and lots of good comments along the way....

 

Also, didn't realize how large the Izumo is....which is OK by me.......

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Mark

[hari317]

  On 6/22/2014 at 6:12 PM, ArchiMark said:

.

Also, didn't realize how large the Izumo is....which is OK by me.......

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Mark

Yes, it is a nice big pen. for some reason the Izumo does not get the press it deserves.

[mongrelnomad]

  On 6/24/2014 at 8:08 AM, hari317 said:

Yes, it is a nice big pen. for some reason the Izumo does not get the press it deserves.

True dat.

[zzbr76]

The pen is very beautiful, anyone would wanna have this gem. But the problem is the nib. It looks like the one from President.

I find that japanese pens, except maybe, a little, Danitrio, have wonderful performing nibs, but they all look the same.

They tend to use the same models again and again, the same design of nibs. For ex: I bought a Platinum Jupiter with

over 500$, but it has the same nib like an ordinary 3776 from ebay that costs 80$.

The nibs tend to be boring. Compare this to the variation in nibs with Montblanc. They make nibs

for the 149, for the writers edition etc. in different styles, different shapes, engraved beautifully.

The Nakaya, Platinum, Pilot, Sailor and some others, I am referring to the high-end Urushi ones, have boring nibs

and boring c/c fillers; nevertheless they perform outstanding.

Maybe it's a thing of taste, but I would have designed different nibs for different urushi styles,

engraved masterfully, with both the nib and the body outstanding, not only the body of the pen.

[hari317]

^^ I agree with your point about the companies re-using the same identical nibs even on their high end. With a dedicated nib design, the price of the Izumo would go up 3x I am afraid, but it would be complete.

[aliikizkaya]

@hari317

Dear Hari,

I am not lucky like you. I got my Platinum Izumo Dark Green B one month a go. Its president nib is completely disaster. Nib tip and nib tines are not cut equally. And the inner wall of the right half ball of the tip(nib upward) is damaged, not straight. Faulty slit opening process.

For that reason nib losts alignment after writing two or three words even I am writing with low pressure. And scrathy.

Bad quality control for a pen 800 bucks. And due the my country custom regulations its nearly impossible to send back the pen.

Edited February 9, 2015 by aliikizkaya

[mehandiratta]

  On 3/23/2012 at 7:10 PM, hari317 said:

The Izumo is perhaps the only Urushi coated ebonite offered presently by the Platinum pen company, Japan. The Izumo ebonite is offered in three Urushi colors: Black, Red and Green. there is also the Izumo made from iron wood with a Urethane coating. The pen under review is the Red Urushi version.

 

The packaging is typical as found on the Japanese maki-e/urushi offerings, hand made paper outer cover:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6849.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6851.jpg

 

The pen is housed in a Paulownia wood box:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6852.jpg

 

The box contents:, the top cover is lined with white silk, the bottom is covered with green velvet:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6854.jpg

 

Some closeups of the various papers that came with the pen:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6855.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6856.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6857.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6858.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6859.jpg

 

It is not recommended to post the pen, we will see in the review that posting is really not necessary:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6860.jpg

 

The roll of paper that came with the pen, It is very smooth and nice, but I don't know if this is writing paper or for the purpose of gift wrapping the box:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6861.jpg

 

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6862.jpg

Unfortunately i have no knowledge of Japanese, I think the back of the roll of paper tells the story behind the evolutiuon of the Izumo line. I found some similar looking text on the Platinum Japanese website:

 

 

 

Which Translated to the following using google:

 

 

 

EDIT: Mchenart has kindly provided the following translation of the writing on the paper scroll:

 

 

Onto the pen now, with the green pen kimono in the background:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6863.jpg

 

I love the shape of the pen, in one word: Elegant:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6864.jpg

 

Loaded with a Platinum Black Cartridge:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6865.jpg

 

Nib is the same nib that is found on the Platinum President pens:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6866.jpg

 

The superb clip, very shapely and of a one of a kind design:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6869.jpg

 

The Izumo is a huge pen of jumbo proportions, shown here alongside the MB149 and a YOL Grand Victorian:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6871.jpg

 

A writing sample made immediately after popping in a cartridge:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6872.jpg

 

The flow is neither dry nor wet.

 

Some concern has been expressed regarding the brass thread ring on the section coming in the way of the grip, I think the results will vary from user to user. I find them a non issue, I tried three grips that i have tried to show below:

 

The tripod comes naturally on this pen due to its girth, this is for long writing sessions, the tapered barrel sits nicely against the web between the thumb and forefinger:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6873.jpg

 

This is the position that I would prefer for a short jot or note:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6874.jpg

 

The forefinger up is really not comfortable here due to the thickness of the barrel:

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Izumo/IMG_6875.jpg

 

I hope you find this review useful.

 

Cheers!

Hari

Sir

 

You have a nice hand....

 

and love the pen...

[hari317]

  On 2/13/2015 at 1:09 PM, mehandiratta said:

Sir

 

You have a nice hand....

 

and love the pen...

Thanks Vaibhav. Just call me Hari.