Whiskers & Paws: June 2017 Edition

Review: Nakaya Piccolo Cigar Kuro-Tamenuri Fountain Pen @Iguana_Sell

Thanks to Iguana Sell for lending me this fountain pen to review and share!

ABOUT

Body material: Ebonite, Urushi lacquer
Trim: None on this model
Cap: Screw on
Posts: No
Nib material: 14 kt yellow gold
Filling system: Platinum cartridge/converter
Length (capped): 129.4 mm/5.09"
Length (uncapped): 115.8 mm/4.56"
Length (posted): N/A
Length (section): 25.6 mm/1.00"
Diameter (barrel): 11.7 - 14.9 mm/0.46" - 0.58"
Diameter (section): 10.4 - 11.3 mm/0.41" - 0.44"
Weight (all): 26 g
Weight (cap): 6 g
Weight (body): 20 g
Price: $ 830.00 CAD
Where to buy: Iguana Sell

PACKAGING

Like the pen itself, Nakaya's packaging is interesting, functional, and classy. The pens are safe in a little fabric kimono on a soft, velvety blue bed. The box is a solid softwood box with a removable lid. Included in the box is a box of ten Platinum ink cartridges, and a Platinum converter. I really appreciate that you get a full box of ink cartridges - not just one or two, as well as a converter. The pen kimono is very useful, and it's attractive. I like the simple packaging. It's clean, tidy, and not excessive. Very useful! Good stuff, easy to store if you want to keep it. The pen also comes with some writing preference information and details.

APPEARANCE

The Piccolo Cigar is a small, cute, cigar-shaped pen with pointed ends. This model has no clip, no other trim, and no other markings on the pen. The barrel tapers slightly towards the back end, and the cap does not taper. The finial is simply a smooth point at the top of the cap. The section is, for some odd reason, one of my favorite parts of Nakaya pens. It starts with a small step down from the barrel, continues to some smooth threads, and then has a round portion that tapers slightly before ending in a flared ridge before the nib.

The pen is quite simple. No bells or whistles with this model or finish. The Urushi lacquer is a deep red base that glows through the black lacquer at the edges of the pen - the ends of the barrel and cap, and especially on the section. It's hard to capture the depth and beauty of Urushi because it's a unique look and the beauty is subtle. I love it. It's not flashy and bright.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

This nib is a 14KT yellow gold broad. It has a single slit, a heart-shaped breather hole, and is decorated with quite a few engravings: some symmetrical decorations, the Nakaya globe logo, 14K, 585, and some (nib size) characters. The feed, as far as I can tell, looks like plastic.

This nib is excellent! It is a smooth writer and performs flawlessly. It's nice and wet, ink dries pretty fast, it does not skip or hard start, it keeps up with fast writing and long writing sessions, and although the nib is firm, one could squeeze out a tiny bit of line variation. It shows some ink shading, it sails through the free weight test, and it can be used for reverse writing. It's a solid, reliable, pleasant performer. It's a superb nib for daily writing, journaling, taking notes, writing letters, and pretty much anything else you'd need your fountain pen for!

The cartridge/converter system works well and is easy to maintain.

IN HAND

This is a clipless model. The last Nakaya I reviewed, I was sure I preferred the clip. Now I'm not so sure. The section is smooth and comfortable. The threads are super smooth to the touch so even if you grip higher up, they won't bother you. The ridge at the front is hard but is only an issue if you grip right on it. This is not a slippery, wiggly section, so I think it's great for long writing sessions and daily use.

As this cap cannot be posted, the Piccolo Cigar can only be used unposted. It is a rather light pen with a comfortable length to use unposted. If you have larger hands, it's probably going to be on the small/short side for you. The widening of the barrel fits well between my thumb and index finger - nestling comfortably into my hand. It's made for comfort.

One more thing I love about Urushi lacquer pens is how they feel in hand. They warm up and have such a smooth finish that it's so pleasant to use.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

The Piccolo is not my preferred model but the finish, beauty, and stellar performance of this nib makes it easy to give it two thumbs up. Nakayas are not inexpensive pens and they are offered in a huge rang of models, finishes, and with a variety of nibs/nib modifications. There's plenty to please everyone.

I think this one in particular is a beautiful pen. The Urushi lacquer work is really pretty, but is not excessive or flashy, the nib is exquisite (although I don't care much for the design on it) and all together it is a wonderful experience. I wish they weren't so difficult to get. The waiting times can be long. I guess it's worth it in the end, but it would be nice to be able to see more of these before buying one.


I received this item on loan for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.

Wordless Wednesday

Ink Shot Review: Diamine Flowers Cornflower @AppelboomLaren

Thanks to Appelboom for sending this ink for review!

ABOUT

Color: Blue

Bottle: 30 ml

Price: $54.01 USD (without tax) for the full set!

Where to buy: Appelboom

Discount code for 10% off: friend

PROS 

• Such an intense and vibrant blue! Not just "another blue". 
• Adorable little bottle.
• Bottle is easy to fill from when it's full.
• Comes in a cute set with a storage box.
• Shades beautifully.
• Perfect name, once again.

CONS

• When your bottle gets low on ink, it's hard to fill from. 
• Exhibits a little bleed through with wet use. 

OVERALL

This is such a vibrant, deep blue with so much intensity. So pretty. Another great color in this set!

I received this item/these items free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.

Sunday Reads: June 25. 2017

Stuff I Looked At Elsewhere

• Meet the Milky Way: A Timelapse Video Shot From the Cockpit of a Swiss Airliner - Colossal.
• Marbled rainbow toast - A Beautiful Mess.
• Gluten-free Cinnamon Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk Muffins - Snixy Kitchen.
• Brown butter and toffee chocolate chip cookie - I am a food blog.
• Tokyo Aglow timelapse by Justin Tierney.
• A comprehensive guide to the Uni-ball Signo at JetPens.
• DIY hanging planters - Tell Love and Party.
• Fast Company - inside the unicorn economy. Are you yay or nay for unicorn things?
• Raspberry white chocolate cupcake - Bakers Royale.
• A video crash course on watercolors - The Postman's Knock.
• ICYMI: Stephen reviewed the Aurora 88 Satin with a supreme stub nib!
• Rose rose cookies - My Name Is Yeh (following up on that cake I recently shared).
• Go Pens Blog - Currently Inked.
• Anderson Pens blog: thINKthursday Robert Oster Sublime.
• Whisker fatigue - NY Times.

Stuff I Apparently Did This Week

• Ink Shot Review Diamine Flowers Pansy
• Wordless Wednesday
• Ink Shot Review: Robert Oster Peppermint
• Franklin-Christoph Flex Nib Teaser Video

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Discount codes here!

Franklin-Christoph Flex Nib Teaser Video

Franklin-Christoph sent me their new flex nib (14kt gold, fine) and their SIG flex nib (14kt gold, SIG grind, fine) to play with. This is not sponsored - I was not asked to make this video or even post a picture of the nib or writing samples on this blog. I was just feeling creative and had shot a few videos and pics, so I sat down to share some of that fun!

Visit Franklin-Christoph for a flex nib of your own, and I definitely recommend the SIG grind. It's a lovely combination of italic and flex! Please visit me on YouTube and subscribe & like if you enjoyed it!

Ink Shot Review: @RobertOsterInk Peppermint @NoteMakerTweets

Notemaker was on the hunt for a new Robert Oster ink to add to their stock, and in a vote for popular colors, Peppermint was one of the favorites. So here's a review of this gorgeous green!

ABOUT

Color: Green
Bottle: 50 ml
Price: $12.51 USD
Where to buy: Notemaker

PROS

• Peppermint... it makes me think of mint leaves in some romantic Christmas setting.
• Easy to fill from bottle.
• Easy to clean.
• Amazing sheen.
• Gorgeous color with great shading!
• Shades well.
• Looks so good in a clear pen!
• The label on top of the cap of the bottle has the name of the ink printed on it, as well as a tiny ink swab so it's easy to spot in your ink drawer/cabinet.
• Easy to store bottles.
• Robert Oster is a really nice guy, so I feel happy to support his creations.

CONS

• Nope. I love this color.

OVERALL

Peppermint ticks all the right boxes for me. I think this is a gorgeous green, especially in broad, wet nibs. It's so deep and saturated, and the sheen is so delectable. It's such a seductive ink! It shades really well because it's not so dark that it's just a dark green, so you get a nice green range. Also awesome for art purposes.

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I received this item free of charge to help Notemaker select a winning ink, but I'm also now using it for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.