Platinum Izumo Yagunomuri Ginsen. A Serene Giant Pen.

[columela]

B]First Impressions[/b] (10/10)
This is a pen that I have secretly desired for more than a year, since I read some reviews of it with the gorgeous pictures! However it was clearly outside my price range. Fortunately a well known US online retailer put some of these pens for sale at half price earlier this year so I jumped at the opportunity. This is my first true Maki-e pen, as I have another smaller and cheaper Platinum Kanazawa Haku which is mass produced using what is more or less a print maki-e design.

One of the incarnations of the Platinum Izumo line. The Ginsen Yakunomuri is one of the 4 designs based in the motif of “sea of clouds” from the shinto Shrine in Izumo province, home of the founder of the Platinum pen company.

The pen comes in a nice bamboo box, with a cartridge and a converter, and also a very nice silk pen pouch, wich also has the cloud motif in the band.

 

http://i.imgur.com/9KZ5vdv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/p8mkLIK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/S60bD6E.jpg

Appearance (10/10)
The serene beauty of this pen comes from the original curved shape, the brilliant gloss of the urushi lacquer and the beautifully crafted and hand painted clouds in green, red and mainly brown, all sparkling with the gold and silver particles that make the pen a truly work of art. My model is the Ginsen or silver wire. The clouds are outlined in a subtle line of silver. I can spend hours looking at the sparkle of gold and silver dust over the clouds.
http://i.imgur.com/oAPASPo.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/bmpljmo.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/VyxoJ0a.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/fGQ7TIY.jpg
Design/Size/Weight (9/10)
The pen is shaped in a very original design, which is a variation of the typical cigar but with noticeable curves in the body and cap of the pen. The size of the pen is huge. You can see here comparisons with other pens in my collection ( Parker Duofold, Platinum President, Pilot Custom 823 and Montblanc 149) which are dwarfed by the legth and width of this beauty.

 

http://i.imgur.com/FnJAeS6.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/xuED5LR.jpg

 

 

Weight 34.7 g
Length closed 157 mm
Length of the barrel 137 mm

On the hand is a very comfortable pen, which is surprising given the size of it. It cannot be securely posted, which is probably a good thing so the delicate maki-e design does not suffer with the constant scratch of the pen and cap.

Nib (8/10)
The pen has a standard 18 k gold Platinum President nib. As I had a President pen of near perfect performance, I was not sad, but it is too big of a pen to have a nib of this size. In my opinion , this is the only disappointing feature of this model. The nib in itself works really well, although my M nib works really like a thin EF, which is good for my style of writing but it might annoy others.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Ua6kFBy.jpg

Filling System (8/10)
The usual cartridge-converter system which Platinum uses is also present in this pen. There is nothing special to it, but again it is surprising to have such a large pen with a small ink capacity.

http://i.imgur.com/nOAfwiY.jpg

Cost and Value (9/10)
I got the pen for about 2/3 of the cheapest retail cost that I had seen in different online retailers, including the japanese ones. I find it one of the jewels of my collection for its serene, beautiful decorations in contrast with the large size it has.
http://i.imgur.com/Oo6yqyL.jpg
Conclusion (9/10)
A truly exceptional pen which I am very proud to possess. A larger nib and a piston filler mechanism would have made it the perfect pen. But as it is, is really wonderful and it might my entry pen for more extra large ebonite Japanese pens.
http://i.imgur.com/L7YPlwo.jpg

 

 

Thank you for reading!

[jar]

That is certainly a beautiful and comfortable pen to use. The posting issue is more the fact that the cap lip is both thin and ebonite and so posting would almost certainly result in cracked caps.

[whichwatch]

I have the same pen and think you did an excellent review.

 

I bought mine several years ago because I thought it was the most beautiful maki-e pen I had seen, and because to me the design was less feminine than many others I had seen. It is a pleasure to write with. I actually prefer the cartridge/converter system because I don't write that much and I do like to change colors after almost every fill, so the ease of cleaning makes that system preferable for me.

 

I enjoyed your excellent review. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Mew]

That's what I find annoying with Izumo's. They are fantastic pens, but C/C is letting them down (for me). The barrel and the pen itself are too big for such a tiny convertor. I'm sure that the convertor won't be occupying more than 60% of the barrel length.

 

Thank you for the review.

[fjoly79]

I really like your review, very factual, to the point. I am a bit confused with your comment about the nib size though: it looks proportionate to me which isn't a bad thing. I saw large pens with small nibs in the past which looked a bit akward to me.

[ENewton]

What is the weight of the pen uncapped? I assume that the 34.7 grams includes the cap.

[zaddick]

Thank you for the review. I enjoyed reading it and seeing your passion for the pen.

[columela]

What is the weight of the pen uncapped? I assume that the 34.7 grams includes the cap.

it is 23.5 grams, with the converter and inked.

[columela]

I really like your review, very factual, to the point. I am a bit confused with your comment about the nib size though: it looks proportionate to me which isn't a bad thing. I saw large pens with small nibs in the past which looked a bit akward to me.

Thank you for your positive comments. Obviously this is a subjective opinion, but to me the nib, which looks perfect for the President, is too small for the Izumo. A larger nib would be more proportionate to the large size of the pen, something similar to the Sailor KOP.

[flipper_gv]

Gorgeous pen, but that is one of the thinnest medium nib I've ever seen.

[larsbj]

Very nice review, and stunning photos! I actually have the excact same in the mail, bougt from a japanese seller. I find myself checking the mail tracking twice a day or so, and am very excited!!! Looking forward to get my hands on if

[sumit010]

Very nice review, and stunning photos! I actually have the excact same in the mail, bougt from a japanese seller. I find myself checking the mail tracking twice a day or so, and am very excited!!! Looking forward to get my hands on if

Beautiful pen indeed. Can you share the website from where you bought yours.

Thanks

[LanceSaintPaul]

It's a stunner! I'm not very partial to pens this large, however it is perfect in that regard as a larger surface for the artwork (I bet I would adjust). I am happy for you. Thanks for the show and your impressions. The subtle curve of the body...ooooo!

[jar]

What is the weight of the pen uncapped? I assume that the 34.7 grams includes the cap.

Remember that since each pen is hand turned the dimensions and weights will vary considerably from pen to pen.

 

http://www.fototime.com/0F5AFB3FDAA52BC/medium800.jpg

[hari317]

Your pen is lovely, thanks for the review. The Izumo is a lovely design with nothing else quite like it on the market.

[ENewton]

Remember that since each pen is hand turned the dimensions and weights will vary considerably from pen to pen.

 

http://www.fototime.com/0F5AFB3FDAA52BC/medium800.jpg

 

Any idea how much of the stated weight is the cap? I'd be interested in knowing the range of weights unposted.

[jar]

 

Any idea how much of the stated weight is the cap? I'd be interested in knowing the range of weights unposted.

Again, it will vary from pen to pen. I could weigh them and if I get them out anytime soon will try to remember to weigh them but I doubt anyone posts one. The cap lip is as thin as on any pen I've come across.

[ENewton]

Again, it will vary from pen to pen. I could weigh them and if I get them out anytime soon will try to remember to weigh them but I doubt anyone posts one. The cap lip is as thin as on any pen I've come across.

 

Yes, that's why I asked. Knowing the weight of the pen closed is not as helpful as knowing the weight of the pen without its cap.

[jar]

 

Yes, that's why I asked. Knowing the weight of the pen closed is not as helpful as knowing the weight of the pen without its cap.

Well, the weight uncapped will be less that the weight capped.

 

Up thread one was quoted as weighing 23g but it was not specified whether that was with cartridge or converter or if so how much ink was in the cartridge or converter or whether it was an African or European swallow.

[ENewton]

Ah, thank you.