The Namiki Emperor Collection

(Ikonzine Spring 99)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the first edition of iKonPen and the first installment of Pen Review. I'm Preston the Penman, and if you don't know me, I have my own fountain pen website and I am an addicted collector. Here, I'll bring you a review of the latest pens and accessories. So, if you're all ready, here we go!

Fountain pens are something that used to be mainly a writing tool, nothing fancy, just a pen. Although now, in the days of the computer, the fountain pen cannot just be bought solely on the basis of something to write with, you can get that with a Bic, which most people do. Today, there has to be a certain something that draws you in, new collectors, longtime collectors, anyone! The collection by Namiki entitled the Emperor is the perfect example of this something.

The Emperor collection isn't a limited edition. This collection is a true symbolic tribute to a time honored tradition of long ago. The art of Maki-e painting ( a lacquering process applied to the body of the pen) is what we thought to be a tradition long forgotten. Until Pilot, the American branch of this company, decided to go off and make fine pens.

Well, you may be wondering what a pen company that has never created a fine pen is doing suddenly bursting into the business. Well, the truth is that before Pilot began to make the cheaper disposable models, they made handpainted pens from artists in Japan. So, they had something to fall back on in creating their new fine pen line. Namiki is now a totally different look than Pilot, merely owned by the same people. Most fine pen stores carry their products and don't usually think about the American end of it. The scenario is a lot like the Sheaffer company : they make many pens of differing quality at different price points. They haven't managed to get a bad reputation because of their commitment to making excellent pens at these different price points. In the pen world, it really depends on what quality of pen that you make, not what kind of pens that you are known for. So, Pilot commissioned several of the last Maki-e artists of their kind to create a new series for the company. My favorite, of course, is the majestic Emperor collection. These have all the qualities needed to sell a fine pen today: luxuriousness, tradition, history and beauty. This is one of the only few series that I have nothing negative to say about. I have heard from people that they thought it could stand to be a little more colorful, although I think that it's lack of obvious colour gives it a hidden aura. Many people may pass this pen up without saying anything (although I don't think that will ever take place because of their shear size) if so, it can be a, "however, if you look closer...." type of thing.

Namiki has been known for their collections and recent limited edition releases such as the Windgod v.s. Thundergod LE pictured here. I first had the chance of viewing the Emperor collection at Levenger in Delray beach, FL. The Namiki sales rep was there with all of the collections. I have to say it was the most impressive collection in the whole store!

First of all, the royal size alone isn't served justice on the computer screen. With the elegant glossy finish lacquering the modest gold dust and abalone materials they give off a reflecting shine that literally looks as if it glows! Picking one up allows you to see that they're actually pretty light. The most amazing thing about the Emperors are the little things that add to the luxury. Such as the piston twist. it is so finely cut, that if it wasn't shown to you, you would never know that it's there. the nib is absolutely gigantic! In the plain colored models they are a solid gold. To tell you the truth, the platinum inlay is a lot to add to the look.

I have asked many people when they are buying this pen : do you actually use it. I wouldn't think so, it looks to be impossible! For a small handed person, they're hard to grip! The Emperor Collection represents the pen maker's art at it's finest. Exquisite interpretations of traditional Japanese designs- Birds in Flight, Pavilion and Dragonfly are hand painted in gold, lacquer and vibrant color pigments by the world's finest craftsmen. The Nightlife pen displays the beauty of abalone shells in Radon lacquering style. The Black and Red Emperor pens demonstrate the simple, classic beauty of Urushi lacquering. Designed with an 18 karat gold fine, medium, or broad nib and presented in a traditional wooden gift box from the Orient.

So, needless to say, I definitely recommend this pen to any collector, although if you plan on writing with it, don't! This is meant to be strictly a collectors piece and a work of art. It will reign as the ultimate pen in yours and anyone's collection.

The Waterman Phileas
By ErikS (Forum post May '99)

Being new to the fountain pen arena I thought I'd take the time to share my impressions of the "Phileas" by Waterman. I've been using my pen for about a week now & my impressions are favorable. The combination of build quality and low price makes this a nice pen. I'll get started with the details:

Size - 5.5 inches closed, 5.8 inches w/ cap on barrel, 5.1 inches w/o cap
Width -.9 inches at the widest point
Weight -.8 ounces, fully loaded (with converter & ink)
Colors -All colors are the base w/ black & white marbling.
"Danube" blue (my choice),
"Mississippi" Red,
"Amazon" Green,
Black (not marbled), and Gray
Nib -Available in F or M (mine is M)
Cost -$19 + shipping

My initial thoughts when opening the package were "this can't be a $19 pen". It looked much more expensive. The marbled blue/black/white is nicely done and doesn't look the least bit cheap. The pen definitely has the traditional art deco look (similar to the Eversharp "Streamline"). The black fluted section block nicely sets off the marbling. It also has black trim pieces on the top of the barrel and on both ends of the cap. Between the section block and the barrel is a gold colored ring. Similar rings adorn the top of the barrel and both ends of the cap. The ring at the top of the barrel has the Waterman logo imprinted. The coloring combined with the black trims pieces and the gold colored metal work makes this an attractive pen. Enough of the outside, on to the most important part the nib. At this price point stainless steel is what you get. In my opinion Waterman added a nice touch by gold plating their logo at the base of the nib, it definitely adds to the pen.

Enough of what it looks like - how does it write? As they say the proof is in the pudding. I inked it up with Pelikan black and got out some paper. To my delight the Phileas was a fine writer. It was fairly smooth and lays down a nice line of ink. I've heard that Waterman's run a bit wide in nib sizes and in my experience I would have to agree (in my VERY limited experience), the line is a bit wider than other brands but it's still very usable for everyday writing and is excellent for signatures. All in all I can say is that it writes very well with just a hint of scratch. In the week I've had the pen I've written about 5-10 pages and it hasn't skipped once or failed to starting writing every time I've picked it up. This may be due to the ink, but it seems to me that the pen is a factor too. The balance of the pen is excellent, it is ever so slightly barrel heavy. Waterman put a nice chuck of brass in the barrel to get the balance as near to neutral as possible. As for ink capacity goes I can't give a real definite answer. I've written more than 3 pages in a single day without having to refill, but at the end of this (and some other "jotting") the supply was pretty well finished. So I'd say the supply wasn't huge, but more than enough to get you through the day.

Now I'll be the first to admit the pen is far from perfect. I've had some ink flow problems. It hasn't skipped, it just seems to lay down a bit less ink (the ink seems gray as opposed to black). The other flaws I've noticed are in the fit and finish. If you run your finger along the barrel you can feel the mismatches between the various surfaces. On the barrel there is a gap between the end of the trim ring. All these issues are minor problems. Overall I'd rate the fit and finish a solid 3 on a scale of 5 (what do you expect for $19).

To summarize my impressions the Phileas makes an excellent "desk pen". By desk pen I mean a pen that can be left in the pen/pencil cup with out fear of heartbreak if it should "grow legs". The pen is also a very good beginner pen, the SS nib being damn near indestructible. At the retail price of $40 the Phileas is a good buy, at $19 the pen is an outstanding value! Try it, you'll like it.

The Aurora Talentum
By ErikS (Forum post June '99)

Size - 5.6 inches closed
6.4 inches w/ cap on barrel
5.3 inches w/o cap
Width - .7 inches at the widest point
Weight - 1.1 ounces, fully loaded (with converter & ink)
Colors -All colors are solid color resin
"Burgundy" (more of a red),
"Celestial Blue" (sky blue)
Black (My choice)
Nib - Available in EF,F,M or B(mine is M)
Cost -$117 + shipping

Reasons for Purchase

I was looking for a fairly large pen at a reasonable price. During the information gathering phase I found two often repeated thoughts. The first was that the Italians make great nibs and the second was everyone seemed to love the Pelikan M800. I checked the Pelikan and found the price to be a bit more than I wanted to spend for this particular pen (I had to decide if I liked fountain pens - right?). Eliminating the M800 left me looking for Italian made pens. Needless to say I didn't find too many bargains in the "Italian made" arena. Then I discovered the Talentum by Aurora. Granted this is definitely an entry-level model (plastic & cartridge/converter) but it does have a 14kt Aurora nib and the price was right. To sum it up the pen seemed to fit the bill.

Initial Impressions

The pen is packaged in a fairly nice box measuring approximately 4.4" wide by 7.5" long. The box itself is contained in an outer paper sleeve and is covered with black faux velvet. The inside of the box is a beige color (again faux velvet). The converter comes mounted in the pen and two cartridges are included. Also in the box is the instruction manual. The instructions are typical of those that come with most products today. Written in a multitude of languages and covering all models of a given product line. The instructions, though not overly detailed, do explain the operations of the pen. On the whole my impressions were positive, I've seen products costing a good deal more come packaged with less.

Construction

My first positive impression of the pen was that Aurora doesn't call the construction material "precious" resin. I'll be the first to admit that I have limited experience judging quality levels of fountain pens, but here goes.

The overall fit and finish of the pen is very good. Running a finger along the cap and barrel reveals no surface mismatches. The plastic is a deep black and nicely polished with chromed trim pieces. The cap has a trim band at each end and both are nicely plated with no surface defects. On the bottom cap band is stamped "Aurora" and "Italy" (on opposing sides). The spring clip is of the "jewel design" and gives the pen a traditional look. The barrel is a pure plastic unit (no brass sleeve) with a chrome cap at the end. As stated above the plastic is a deep black and nicely polished. The section block is an unfluted piece that includes an integrated trim ring/barrel thread. The nib is 14kt gold with Rhodium plating. The nib is decorated with some nice scrollwork (the standard Aurora design) and marked with 14K, Aurora, and the gold certification (585=14kt). I have no idea of the purpose of the Rhodium plating but the overall effect is to give the nib the look of sterling silver. Overall I'd have to give the Aurora high marks in the construction department. The parts all fit together well and are light without feeling cheap.

Writing

I guess we've now reached the heart & soul of the pen review - how does it write? I mean that's really the purpose of the pen. The balance of the pen is at about the 3.9" mark (as measured from the tip of the nib). This gives the pen a definite cap heavy bias. I attribute this to both the chrome trim pieces and the metal lining in the cap. The pen is large enough that you can easily write with it with the cap entirely off. The odd part of the Aurora's balance was that though I personally prefer a pen with a neutral balance I preferred this pen with the cap on - go figure. The width of the nib is a question that always seems to arise. From my limited experience the width rating of nibs seems to be like dress sizes for women (a size 10 is NOT a size 10 everywhere). My Talentum has a medium nib and I'd rate the nib as an M-. It puts down a fairly fine line. It is almost as narrow as my Omas demonstrator with an F nib & not nearly as wide as my Phileas with an M nib (as we all know the Phileas is definitely a "wide medium"). Is the pen a true M? Until we have a standard by which to measure who can say. For me the M on the Talentum is perfect, thin enough to write small when I need to and wide enough to put down a healthy line of ink.

Ink flow and ink capacity are two other areas of concern to the pen aficionado. I didn't have an opportunity to use the pen with the included cartridges, only with the converter. The ink flow on the pen has been excellent. It is a tad heavier for the first paragraph when filled but otherwise excellent. The amount of ink put down never seems to vary from filling until empty. I have used two different inks (Pelikan black and Waterman Havana) in the pen without any problem. The pen has not skipped, clogged, or had any misfires. The only problem that the ink flow caused was that the consistent flow from start to finish gave me little warning before the pen went empty. The ink capacity of the Aurora supplied converter in the Talentum is, in my opinion, a bit small. I realize that as a general rule converters don’t hold the same amount of ink as cartridges or dedicated piston fillers but I still think this pen has a small capacity. It's been my experience that the converter holds enough ink for approximately 3 - 3.5 pages. This is more than enough to get me through the day but it does feel as if I'm refilling it quite often.

The writing ability of any pen is crucial. I wish I could unequivocally state that the writing ability was excellent, it's not. I would rate the pen as above average. Maybe a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. I'm not sure if it's the width of the nib or the nib stiffness but the pen is a bit on the scratchy side. It wasn't so bad that it kept me from writing with the pen, but it was definitely something you could feel. I've only written about 20-25 pages since I've acquired the pen so I may be a bit premature in my judgment. The pen does have a gold nib so in theory it should get better with age. I have no idea how the Rhodium plating may affect the break in period (does it break in). I'm used to writing with fine point pens of all varieties so the scratchiness didn't deter me too much.

By far the biggest annoyance was the noise the pen creates when in use. It's hard to describe; the noise is a hollow raspy sound. I can't say what the cause is, but I did find it annoying. I can say that the cap acts as a noise resonator. The sound level noticeably increases when the cap is placed on the pen. This was bad for me because I found that I liked writing with the cap on. I was always left with the choice of both noisier and more comfortable or quieter and less comfortable. I would summarize the writing ability of the pen by saying it's not a joy to write with but very functional.

Summary

I can sum up my thoughts on the Aurora Talentum, "nice pen". On the positive side we have the reasonable price, the quality of the fit and finish, and the excellent ink flow. On the negative side we have the small(ish) ink capacity, the scratchiness of the nib, and the resonated sound the pen makes. Will the pen become my daily writer? Nope, not a chance. I'm still looking for the "perfect pen". It has to be about the same size as the Talentum with an identical nib width but without the weird sound. Does this pen exist? I have no idea, but I'm going to have fun trying to find it!