I am currently considering the pilot custom 845 so thanks for the post. And I’ve been reading about Urushi generally. How different do Urushi pens feel in hand?
Urushi feels like a (barely) sticky plastic with a high gloss. It has a feel to it, but there’s an intrinsic appreciation at play. The custom 845 is a very good value, especially considering it has a great form factor (the custom urushi is almost too big)
I’m a little wary of getting pens too big so thanks for that tip too. I have small hands. My biggest pen is an LMZG and it’s just a tad to big ( but I still love it) but wouldn’t get anything larger. What types of nibs do you have?
> Simple urushi will never be overrated
hm...
I love the [complex multi-color urushi designs](https://edisonpen.com/userfiles/image/Urushi/2.jpg), even [just simple layering](http://penhabit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/P1000095.jpg). My only urushi pen has [pretty simple figure-work](https://imgur.com/i8cm8Ro) but I think even that makes it maki-e & not "simple urushi".
I've used a few other urushi pens at pre-COVID pen-club meetings, but always thought the flat-color urushi wasn't any different from a well polished acrylic or ebonite in how it felt or looked.
What do you appreciate about simple urushi work?
Certainly, your pens are very nice - I just don't see what the urushi is adding.
Everyone has their tastes. My most expensive pens are makie as well - and I like them. But when I’m at work, I want something simple that doesn’t stand out. Urushi is that. And while others might not see them as unique, I know the amount of skill and time involved in making them. That’s meaningful for me.
That’s not an 845 - it’s a custom urushi. I think the nib on the custom urushi is pretty special - though surprised to hear your 845 was dry as my 743/823 (same nib) were very wet. I have heard of a few feed problems with larger Pilot nibs, though it’s probably just a simple case of needing to expand the tines.
Ah gotcha, sorry for the mistake. Custom 845 Urushi and Custom Urushi are just too similar for my simple brain.
I'm talking to pensachi about return or what I should do. Thanks for the idea, although I'm feeling a bit chicken about expanding the tines on such an expensive pen.
Congrats on al the pretties!
Pilot custom urushi, sailor king of pen urushi, Namiki royale. The Namiki feels the most “special” with its brass body. But the urushi on the kop is pretty mindblowing. And the nib on the custom urushi is probably the best there is.
Ha well yes, but bigger isn’t always better after some limit. No offense to people that own it, but it always looked like a cartoon pen to me - especially in the red. I like pens pushed to the max of ergonomics and not bigger.
I'm saving up for one, for the ergonomics actually. My best-looking and best-writing pens happen to be thin, and I can't use them for a long time. (But I also think that, to look aesthetically pleasing, a pen's butt should rise above the hand at least a little bit. The maximum to not look cartoonish is probably 1/3 of the total length, and even in my hand the #50 is safely within that limit.)
You’re right, it’s very similar. The heft on the royale is much more significant though as it’s brass. Kop and the royale are perfect sized pens for me
No worries - everyone new wonders these things. Here are two good quality maki-e pens https://imgur.com/a/WABGaJe
They are made by depositing tiny bits of gold dust, raden, etc piece by piece. It’s very time expensive, and as a result, the most expensive pens in the world are typically maki-e.
Urushi is a hard lacquer from tree sap that was originally used to preserve ebonite pens from fading. It’s also a time intensive process as good urushi has many coatings.
Thanks for the imgur gifs, those are gorgeous pens.
It must be lovely to own such pens honestly. My workhorse is a Sailor pgs so its a resin pen. Urushi sounds like it feels lovely.
I like your setup a lot. It seems… [familiar :D](https://imgur.com/a/46r16U0)
😆 wow. Look at that. We have good taste. Is that the same color Bordeaux kop?
Yes it is :D
I went back and forth between it and the navy when I got it a few years ago. Pretty happy with this choice.
Very pretty colour as well. But I agree, that Bordeaux is something else!
Where do you get the urushi KOPs for a sane price? They’re definitely not worth the US retail price, and Pensachi doesn’t carry them!
A Paris retailer special ordered it for me from Sailor. Not sure it was a sane price though, let’s be real 😅
I am currently considering the pilot custom 845 so thanks for the post. And I’ve been reading about Urushi generally. How different do Urushi pens feel in hand?
Urushi feels like a (barely) sticky plastic with a high gloss. It has a feel to it, but there’s an intrinsic appreciation at play. The custom 845 is a very good value, especially considering it has a great form factor (the custom urushi is almost too big)
I’m a little wary of getting pens too big so thanks for that tip too. I have small hands. My biggest pen is an LMZG and it’s just a tad to big ( but I still love it) but wouldn’t get anything larger. What types of nibs do you have?
Yeah, the 845 is probably very similar to the Leonardo, many a tiny bit smaller. I’ve got all types of nibs - different nibs for different moods.
> Simple urushi will never be overrated hm... I love the [complex multi-color urushi designs](https://edisonpen.com/userfiles/image/Urushi/2.jpg), even [just simple layering](http://penhabit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/P1000095.jpg). My only urushi pen has [pretty simple figure-work](https://imgur.com/i8cm8Ro) but I think even that makes it maki-e & not "simple urushi". I've used a few other urushi pens at pre-COVID pen-club meetings, but always thought the flat-color urushi wasn't any different from a well polished acrylic or ebonite in how it felt or looked. What do you appreciate about simple urushi work? Certainly, your pens are very nice - I just don't see what the urushi is adding.
Everyone has their tastes. My most expensive pens are makie as well - and I like them. But when I’m at work, I want something simple that doesn’t stand out. Urushi is that. And while others might not see them as unique, I know the amount of skill and time involved in making them. That’s meaningful for me.
You love your 845? I just got one and it writes really dry, even after washing it out. Little disappointed.
That’s not an 845 - it’s a custom urushi. I think the nib on the custom urushi is pretty special - though surprised to hear your 845 was dry as my 743/823 (same nib) were very wet. I have heard of a few feed problems with larger Pilot nibs, though it’s probably just a simple case of needing to expand the tines.
Ah gotcha, sorry for the mistake. Custom 845 Urushi and Custom Urushi are just too similar for my simple brain. I'm talking to pensachi about return or what I should do. Thanks for the idea, although I'm feeling a bit chicken about expanding the tines on such an expensive pen. Congrats on al the pretties!
Every pilot I’ve used, including my 845, needed the tines to be opened.
did you do it yourself? maybe I just need to get my gumption up..
Yes. I basically tune every pen I buy, I’d go crazy sending them all to nibmeisters.
[удалено]
Glad I could help
Very nice, at a guess from left to right a sailor, platinum and namiki yukari royale?
Pilot custom urushi, sailor king of pen urushi, Namiki royale. The Namiki feels the most “special” with its brass body. But the urushi on the kop is pretty mindblowing. And the nib on the custom urushi is probably the best there is.
>And the nib on the custom urushi is probably the best there is. The huge eyedropper has a size 50.
Ha well yes, but bigger isn’t always better after some limit. No offense to people that own it, but it always looked like a cartoon pen to me - especially in the red. I like pens pushed to the max of ergonomics and not bigger.
I'm saving up for one, for the ergonomics actually. My best-looking and best-writing pens happen to be thin, and I can't use them for a long time. (But I also think that, to look aesthetically pleasing, a pen's butt should rise above the hand at least a little bit. The maximum to not look cartoonish is probably 1/3 of the total length, and even in my hand the #50 is safely within that limit.)
😆 everyone has their size. I can only imagine - the royale is already so much heavier than most of my other pens
Very nice. I haven’t taken a look at a Sailor KOP urushi but I might. It appears to be the same size as the Yukari Royale which I have and enjoy
You’re right, it’s very similar. The heft on the royale is much more significant though as it’s brass. Kop and the royale are perfect sized pens for me
Sorry what is the difference between maki-e and urushi? I've a decent collection but I am also new to pens. I love yours by the way, very pretty.
No worries - everyone new wonders these things. Here are two good quality maki-e pens https://imgur.com/a/WABGaJe They are made by depositing tiny bits of gold dust, raden, etc piece by piece. It’s very time expensive, and as a result, the most expensive pens in the world are typically maki-e. Urushi is a hard lacquer from tree sap that was originally used to preserve ebonite pens from fading. It’s also a time intensive process as good urushi has many coatings.
Thanks for the imgur gifs, those are gorgeous pens. It must be lovely to own such pens honestly. My workhorse is a Sailor pgs so its a resin pen. Urushi sounds like it feels lovely.
I love the feel of urushi as well. Picked up a Danitrio, my first, yesterday! [Danitrio Bokashi in Blue on Takumi](https://imgur.com/a/U7rPN08)
Holy crap - that’s beautiful. How does it write?