I got this pen today

[Surlyprof]

I may have just received the grail pen that I didn’t know was my grail pen.  My Pilot Custom Enjyu arrived from Pensachi and I am thrilled with it!  I had my reservations about ordering my first >$200 pen having never seen or held one IRL.  But, after reading the few reviews I could find, I thought it might be the pen for me.  Boy, was I right.  So far, I love everything about it.  The weight, balance, nib size and smoothness and, most importantly, the material.  I have done woodworking for many years so, when I saw this pen (that I didn’t know existed) during Pensachi’s holiday sale, I tried to learn everything I could about it.  There are a couple of reviews or descriptions online but not a lot.  This review was the most helpful.  What I could surmise, from searching the forums, is that it might feel fairly comparable to a Pilot 823, a pen I had tried and liked.  Finding a pen comparable to an 823 in a beautiful wood with squared ends… I was beside myself!  It has not disappointed.  Mine even has some figure in the grain (angel’s marks) that give it a unique personality.  Since there are not many reviews about these pens, I’ll try to be sure to write one after I’ve lived with it a while.  In the meantime…

 

 

 

[amberleadavis]

On 12/18/2023 at 10:14 AM, cat74 said:

Well....this is more a cautionary tale.

I received a beautiful Ranga pen in the mail but it was clearly not the same colour I had chose -sample #9

While I accept that there can be small differences in batch to batch this was just too large a difference - it appears to be #10 more than #9.

 

I have been in contact with Ranga but the main response is that no the pen I received is #9 colour and they do not take returns etc.

I am very saddened as I was greatly looking forward to this pen as a treat to myself for both my 20yr work anniversary and my upcoming 50th 

 

Again very saddened that I will not get to use a Ranga pen and I am now too afraid to make other colour choices - if anyone is interested in this pen let me know

It has not been inked and comes with a Jowo #6 Flex nib (would have been my first real flex nib) 

I simply cannot bring myself to use it - while Ranga does not take returns or offer refunds I may in the end send this back anyway 

 

 

 

I think they gave you a #19 instead of a #9.  They usually have much better customer service. I'm so sorry to hear this.

[A Smug Dill]

4 hours ago, Surlyprof said:

There are a couple of reviews or descriptions online but not a lot.  This review was the most helpful.

 

The Pilot Custom Ichii pen reviewed is the Custom Enjyu's long-since discontinued sibling, with a different type of wood that was then treated entirely differently. I ordered the Custom Ichii from Pensachi, back when it was still listed as available, only to then be informed (after my credit card was already charged, at shopping cart checkout time) that the product was discontinued. Duh! Even I knew that, and remaining stock of the Custom Ichii has been already rare for a while with retailers in the Japanese domestic market; so how could Pensachi not know, by then, that it couldn't just backorder from Pilot after accepting the retail customer's order and taking his money upfront? Pensachi then tried to sell me the Custom Enjyu for the same price (and they were identically priced models, so Pensachi wasn't making a concession or gesture in apology with that; it just wanted to keep the revenue already captured). No way, and thanks for nothing.

 

I did end up buying the Custom Enjyu, years later, from another seller. No, it won't ever make it to being even one of my Top Five favourite Pilot pens; and Pensachi is partly to blame, by inadvertently putting it in the frame of being a consolation prize. Mainly, I'm not thrilled by the way it writes, compared to some of my favourite Pilot fountain pens (which I'd posted somewhere on FPN, way back then, but it's inconvenient for me to find and link it right now while posting this on my phone); so it's quite possible that the Custom Ichii could have also disappointed me in that respect, albeit having a pen body much closer to what I really wanted.

[Surlyprof]

@A Smug Dill I had actually found your previous writing sample of the Enjyu incredibly helpful in making this purchase.  I was seeking a super smooth writing experience with this pen which is what you described.  I prefer a really smooth nib for writing whereas I seek out a finer nib with more feedback for sketching.  I’ve been paying close attention to what you’ve written in the past about pens that provide crisper details in your writing.  We’re going to Japan soon and that seems like a perfect place to look for my grail sketch pen.  Thanks for providing such useful information on the forums.  It has helped me a great deal.

[A Smug Dill]

3 hours ago, Surlyprof said:

 It has helped me a great deal.

 

I'm glad to hear that. Thank you.

 

Ah, found what I had in mind: 

 

To me, the larger the pen/nib is physically, the more I would like it to be ground and tuned precisely, if it has a nominal width grade of EF or even UEF or XXF.

 

When I was being trained on how to use a six-foot long (and heavy!), two-inch diameter bo staff, one of the key drills was focused on how to thrust and strike an area no wider than the opening of a can of Campbell's soup. We literally hung/suspending hoops of that size from the ceiling, and the training objective was to deliver a thrust at speed and with bone-crushing force through the opening of a hoop without making it move (i.e. without making contact with the hoop itself); the blow is meant to be delivered to an eye, or the solar plexus, or a particular rib or kidney, in combat and completely pulverise the target with pinpoint accuracy. Whereas, using my arm and fist — a smaller “weapon” — the goal was to hit so hard it almost produced a large (but relatively shallow) crater in someone's head or chest, or send someone body mass flying backwards, instead of being pierced through. So, my preference is for (somewhat) broader nibs on my smallest pens, and clinically and devastatingly precise nibs on my larger pens.

[Baka1969]

I received my Conklin Israel 75th Anniversary pen. It looks even better in person. I wish I could post the pictures, but, alas, I've gone through my allocation of posting pictures. 

[Penguincollector]

9 minutes ago, Baka1969 said:

I received my Conklin Israel 75th Anniversary pen. It looks even better in person. I wish I could post the pictures, but, alas, I've gone through my allocation of posting pictures. 

  I can DM you instructions on how to keep posting pictures if you want.

[Baka1969]

19 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

  I can DM you instructions on how to keep posting pictures if you want.

That would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Baka1969]

[Misfit]

On 12/19/2023 at 7:51 AM, AmandaW said:

OK, so it's a ballpoint, but it is a Pilot Lucina and I had to get *something* to get a Pilot 2023 bear. 💛

 

Still waiting for the Lucina fountain pen to arrive from Japan... I just couldn't wait to share the bear.

 

That bear is so cute!  Will you name the bear?

[inkstainedruth]

@Baka1969 I'd seen that pen for sale on some websites.  Looks even better in person....  The barrel is a GORGEOUS color!

@AmandaW Not really a toy bear person (never really have been but I do like other stuffed critters, most recently a very silly but fun Warner Brothers Tazmanian Devil from off eBay) but that one really is cute!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Baka1969]

10 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

@Baka1969 I'd seen that pen for sale on some websites.  Looks even better in person....  The barrel is a GORGEOUS color!

@AmandaW Not really a toy bear person (never really have been but I do like other stuffed critters, most recently a very silly but fun Warner Brothers Tazmanian Devil from off eBay) but that one really is cute!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Thanks. It's absolutely better in person. Probably one of my best looking pens. It feels really nice too. 

[Stompie]

6 hours ago, Baka1969 said:

Lovely looking pen with a great sentiment too!

 

I need to win the lottery!

[inkstainedruth]

1 hour ago, Baka1969 said:

 

Thanks. It's absolutely better in person. Probably one of my best looking pens. It feels really nice too. 

Any clue what it weighs, capped/posted?  it seems to be a fairly hefty pen.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Baka1969]

29 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Any clue what it weighs, capped/posted?  it seems to be a fairly hefty pen.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Sure do. According to my scale it weighs 39g capped, 17.5g uncapped and the cap is 21.5g. All without ink. 

 

I know you like your pens lighter. So at close to a total of 40 grams it's a bit heavy. If you don't post the pen it's fairly light at under 18g. Although I haven't inked the pen, posting does back weight the pen significantly. 

 

I am likely to use this Conklin as a display pen more than a daily writer. Heck, I might not ink it at all? Who knows yet? It's a really nice looking pen though. 

[inkstainedruth]

Yeah, that does sound a little too hefty for my taste (especially since I tend to post pens) .  I was afraid it might be.

Thanks for the heads up, though.  Because it IS gorgeous....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Hmmm.  Maybe Conklin can be talked into using the barrel material for a Duragraph....  I tried holding one of those at the Ohio Pen Show last month, and that was a MUCH better size and weight for me (I just wasn't thrilled with the color of the one I was trying).  I had been lusting over one of the Purple Nights ones, but if they came out with one with this material for the barrel I just might rethink that.... 

[Baka1969]

27 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Yeah, that does sound a little too hefty for my taste (especially since I tend to post pens) .  I was afraid it might be.

Thanks for the heads up, though.  Because it IS gorgeous....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Hmmm.  Maybe Conklin can be talked into using the barrel material for a Duragraph....  I tried holding one of those at the Ohio Pen Show last month, and that was a MUCH better size and weight for me (I just wasn't thrilled with the color of the one I was trying).  I had been lusting over one of the Purple Nights ones, but if they came out with one with this material for the barrel I just might rethink that.... 

Just a reminder, the rod is somewhat a translucent demo that is lightly frosted with the added blue swirl. Yet the internals are still clearly seen. It's a gorgeous effect that has great depth. It is difficult to photograph though. 

[Baka1969]

23 hours ago, Surlyprof said:

I may have just received the grail pen that I didn’t know was my grail pen.  My Pilot Custom Enjyu arrived from Pensachi and I am thrilled with it!  I had my reservations about ordering my first >$200 pen having never seen or held one IRL.  But, after reading the few reviews I could find, I thought it might be the pen for me.  Boy, was I right.  So far, I love everything about it.  The weight, balance, nib size and smoothness and, most importantly, the material.  I have done woodworking for many years so, when I saw this pen (that I didn’t know existed) during Pensachi’s holiday sale, I tried to learn everything I could about it.  There are a couple of reviews or descriptions online but not a lot.  This review was the most helpful.  What I could surmise, from searching the forums, is that it might feel fairly comparable to a Pilot 823, a pen I had tried and liked.  Finding a pen comparable to an 823 in a beautiful wood with squared ends… I was beside myself!  It has not disappointed.  Mine even has some figure in the grain (angel’s marks) that give it a unique personality.  Since there are not many reviews about these pens, I’ll try to be sure to write one after I’ve lived with it a while.  In the meantime…

 

 

 

Beauty

[AmandaW]

My first lever fill pen. Now what? How do I figure out if it works? Or leaks?

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

The rubber is very, very old....once before supersaturated inks, a rubber sac lasted 30-40 years....your sac is 60 or more years old.

You need a new sac.

The 65 is a third tier pen, but back then the 65 &76 were nitch market, in few needed a italic calligraphy pen, so were cheaply made.

The chaepness is feelable.

 

I suggest getting a newly sac'ed Esterbrook (A solid second tier pen). They come in many colors and three sizes. DJ (standard), SJ (slim) and LJ..(Lady).

I think they cost some $45 the last time I looked some 4-5 years ago.

You Osmiroid nibs will screw right into those Esterbrooks.

I have one of my 6 Osmiorid nibs in one of my two remaining Esterbrooks; which were re-sac'ed some 6-7 years ago.