Posts filed under Nahvalur

Nahvalur Original Plus Rainbow Wrasse Fountain Pen Review

It’s been a year and a half since my Nahvalur Original Plus review, and since that time, this pen has proven to be a solid option for those looking to move past their first cartridge/converter filling system into something more unique, like a vacuum filler. That’s the main selling point for the Original Plus, that is, until you see their latest iteration, the Original Plus Fountain Pen in Rainbow Wrasse.

If you are like me, you may not have know what a Wrasse is, or what it means. According to the internet, the Wrasse is a fish known for its wide variety of colors, and the Rainbow Wrasse is one of the more stunning of the bunch.

Narwhal took a few liberties in translating the look of this fish into a pen, but I am completely here for it. The clear translucent barrel is loaded with glitter, mimicking flickering fish scales in the light, and all of the hardware features rainbow anodization, including the nib. It’s a knockout in my book.

Without fully rehashing my original Original Plus review, I did want to share a few thoughts about the pen. For starters, it fits my hand perfectly. The shape is comfortable, and the weight is balanced. When I’m writing with it, I feel like I could go for hours, if needed. The ink reservoir would allow for that, too, with its 1.5 ml ink capacity - easily filled with the vacuum mechanism.

The nib on my Rainbow Wrasse is Fine, which is the finest Nahvalur currently makes. I’m still holding out hope for an Extra Fine one day, but I like the Fine for daily use, and would have no issue modifying it in the future due to the generous amount of tipping. The line is slightly wider than a similar Steel Jowo #6 nib, but not so much that it feels like a Medium.

It took all of my willpower to not ink this pen up with a Hot Pink ink, which is my usual choice for a pen like this. Instead, I chose the dark Purple of Octopus Fluids Write & Draw Violet Giraffe, which is a pigmented ink. I’ve had good experiences with this ink lineup, and should have no problem cleaning it out when the time comes.

The Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pen in Rainbow Wrasse is a Goldspot exclusive release, and at $65, is flying off the shelves. And if you miss out, any of the Original Plus models (most at $55,) would make a nice addition to your writing arsenal.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on June 17, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Nahvalur, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

IKKAKU by Nahvalur Gradient Urushi Fountain Pen Review

The story of Nahvalur as a brand has been an interesting journey, to say the least. As a stationery fan, it has been fun to see them begin with what many would consider an entry level fountain pen, continue to refine that same pen model over the years, and quickly escalate into new models, materials, and designs. Slow and steady has not been their mantra, and so far, it is working out.

The IKKAKU series, for example, is the pinnacle of their product range. Think Namiki, as it relates to Pilot - a sub-brand of the more well-known main lineup, where all bets are off as far as creativity and craftsmanship go. IKKAKU has already seen close to ten designs released, with the latest - the three pen Gradient Urushi Collection - launching earlier this month.

Each of the Cinnabar Red, Vermillion, and Scallion Green - the model I have been loaned for this review - go through a months-long creation process. Urushi lacquer art requires the repetition of coating, sanding, polishing, and drying dozens of times to end up with the finished product. I love the light, airy feel these pens and this process brings to my own writing experience.

I chose the Scallion Green model to review for two reasons: One, while each pen has a raden gradient sprinkled down the cap, it is most noticeable in this model, and two, the transition into the black grip section was the most visually appealing of the three models. Both Cinnabar Red and Vermillion have a much harsher transition, and on a pen defined by its gradient, I think it could be better represented into the section.

Speaking of gradients, the layering application of the urushi looks wonderful. As someone who owns a range of different urushi pens with different finish qualities, I appreciate this one as much as any. The Scallion Green color is darkest, and deepest, at the end of the barrel, and slowly gets lighter as it traverses down the barrel, ending with stray green brush strokes in black lacquer. The solid black then transitions into the aforementioned galaxy of raden, with the heaviest application near the top of the cap. All three pens follow this same pattern, with their respective colors.

The pen is fitted with a Fine 14K gold nib, manufactured in-house by Nahvalur. Combined with the feed, I have found the flow to be excellent, and would even call it a wet writer as it is currently set up. Obviously, there are specific ink and paper characteristics to consider, so your mileage may vary. The nib is soft, with a little bounce in it, so the lines are wide for a Fine nib, at least as compared to something like a firm steel Jowo Fine nib. The line width relates closely to the German manufacturers (Faber-Castell, Lamy, Pelikan,) more than anything else. The nib was smooth and properly aligned right out of the box, and I didn’t have to adjust it at all. I have enjoyed writing with this pen from the moment I inked it up.

While you will see rare instances of urushi lacquered pens with a piston-filling mechanism, that is an outlier, so Nahvalur uses the standard international cartridge/converter filling system. All of my urushi pens use a similar setup, and work well.

The final, and possibly most important, talking point of the IKKAKU Gradient Urushi pen is the price. At $699 for any of the three models, this is an expensive pen. That said, I believe it is priced fairly for the amount of time and the level of craftsmanship required to produce pens like these.

*Nakaya Piccolo, left. Nakaya Portable, right.*

*Pilot Custom 743, top. TWSBI ECO, bottom.*

If I were to break it down even further and focus on my personal value proposition for this pen, I’d want to see two changes to better justify adding this pen to my collection. First off, the grip section needs to be lacquered to match the barrel. This goes for the model I reviewed, but even more so, the other two models. Different brands handle this differently, and there is no wrong way, but it is something I would like at this price point. Secondly, I want a more substantial, and unique, clip design. I’m not a fan of this thin style of clip Nahvalur likes to use on many of their pens, and it stands out to me even more here. If IKKAKU is your premium offering, differentiate the clip somehow.

I like what Nahvalur is doing with their brand as a whole. A company who can make quality pens at every price point will always have my attention. I look forward to the continued experimentation of not only their standard pens, but with the IKKAKU lineup as well.

(Nahvalur loaned this product to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on February 26, 2024 by Brad Dowdy and filed under IKKAKU, Nahvalur, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Nahvalur Horizon Twilight Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The Nahvalur Nautilus is a fountain pen that I really enjoy using, and it's also fun to see the different materials and colors that they experiment with. Outside of the Nautilus, I haven't tried any of the few other body styles that Nahvalur offer, but that changed recently. The Nahvalur Horizon is a more traditional shape, but it has all the magical goodness that I've come to love from my Nahvalur pens.

The Nahvalur Horizon is a line of pens that feature beautiful pearlescent materials (made by Starry Night Resins) that dance and shimmer as light changes around them. The colorway that I have is called Twilight, and it's a mixture of creamy pearl, dark and medium greens, some silvery grays, and reddish-browns. This iridescent quality is so beautiful in person and is paired with a dark gunmetal finish on this model. I'm a big fan of anything with iridescence, so I'm really loving this pen.

Like all Nahvalur designs, the Horizon's cap has a wavy bottom that carries the maritime theme. There's a small narwhal in the center of the scroll design on the cap band, but there's no other branding on this pen. The clip is a simple shape that works well with the cigar shape of the pen. And, it's really strong and has no problem attaching the pen to whatever can fit under the clip opening.

Unlike the Nautilus, this pen doesn't have the unique porthole ink windows, but it does have a traditional, large ink window that gives you a good view into how much ink is left in the reservoir. The piston filler mechanism operates smoothly and the reservoir holds plenty of ink for long writing sessions.

The grip section on the Horizon is a good size and doesn't taper, but there is a sudden diameter change next to the ink window where the body slims down to the grip. Interestingly, the threads on the grip section aren't at the top where it meets the body (which is the most common location for cap threads); instead, the threads are on the very end of the grip. This provides a really clean grip section with no threads getting dirty under your fingers while writing. And, they're at the very end of the section so that your fingers don't notice them as you're writing either — the threads serve as a boundary for letting your fingers know that you're getting close to touching the nib or feed (ink fingers ahead!).. I really like this placement, but I know that it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

The Horizon is equipped with one of Nahvalur's own #6 steel nibs that has some lovely decorative scrolling and the same dark gunmetal finish as the rest of the trim. The stub variant that I have in this pen is similar to a broad stub, and it is capable of laying down some really thick, juicy lines while also staying very thin and crisp when making left/right lines. The nib is smooth on paper and flows easily, and the lines are crisp at the edges and transition flawlessly from wide to thin widths as you move the pen. I've noticed that the ink takes one down stroke to start flowing properly, but it's smooth sailing after that. Ink flow is terrific and I've been really happy when writing with this nib.

The nib paired with the body of the Horizon is a really comfortable writing experience. It's a "full-sized" pen, meaning it's about the same size as a Lamy Safari. As such, I don't like posting the cap when writing. The cap can securely post to the back of the pen, but it messes up the balance of the pen for my grip style.

The Nahvalur Horizon is available in Twilight (seen here), Dawn, Dusk, and Aurora. Seriously, good luck choosing one from that lineup — they're all beautiful. There are also plenty of nib options from the typical EF to B, and then some of the colorways also have some extra nib options like the stub shown here and a double broad. This is a fantastic writing instrument that doubles as a piece of art. At $168, they're also a fair price for what you get.

(Pen Chalet provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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