Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Blue Rose with Raden: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I admit it. I'm a Nakaya nut. I'm certain that, if I had to get rid of all my fountain pens except for one, the one I would save would be my Nakaya Moon Cat. Fortunately, I don't have to make such a decision right now. Instead, I keep adding to my Nakaya collection.

My most recent acquisition is a Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Blue Rose with Raden. I got it in a trade with my friend Rick Liebson (his username is whichwatch on Fountain Pen Geeks) who is the go-to guy if you want a Nakaya and can't find one at nibs.com or nakaya.org.

Nakayas come in a paulownia wood box lined in red velvet material. The pen itself is nestled in a kimono and cartridges and a converter are included.

The Naka-ai style is my favorite Nakaya model. I love the conical finials and how the barrel tapers gently at the bottom. Capped, the pen measures 150mm/5.9 inches. Uncapped it is 135mm/5.3 inches. It is not postable. At its widest, the barrel measures 15mm in diameter, but at the grip it is 11.9mm in diameter. It weighs only 18.6 grams uncapped and fully inked. It's the most comfortable Nakaya for writing, in my opinion--well proportioned and perfectly balanced. Like all Nakayas, it is a cartridge/converter fill.

The Blue Rose Raden is a unique and beautiful work of art. The base is heki-tamenuri urushi. Although usually heki-tamenuri finishes exhibit green highlights, for some reason this model does not. When you look at the finial or the grip section the "worn" areas are light brown rather than green.

The raden in the rose is blue, with green raden for the leaves and stem on the cap. A line of blue raden swirls around the barrel to the bottom, evoking either the rest of the stem or, as I prefer to imagine, a trail of rose petals.

Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Blue Rose Detail of Rose

This is a subtle raden design, which I find quite pleasing.

An additional detail on my Blue Rose is gold Kanji lettering. I was told it means something like "cherish." If anyone can confirm that for me, I'd be grateful!

Rick swapped out my 14k flexible stub nib from my Dorsal Fin 2 (review here) into this one. I love this nib--it's soft and springy and the stub offers its own line variation even without flex.

I can get more line variation with just a bit of pressure, but I'm afraid to spring the nib, so I haven't pushed it too hard. Below are some examples of writing on both Cosmo Air Light (review here) and Ayush Paper (review here). Ink spreads more on the Cosmo, so the line variation looks more pronounced than on the Ayush paper, but I like how the Ayush Paper (with its bit of texture and absorbency) makes me feel like I'm more in control of the nib.

A brand new Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Blue Rose with Raden will set you back $1,350 at nibs.com (and that's with no special nib modifications). Plus, right now there are very few models in stock which means a six-month to a year or more wait. I'm happy to recommend you contact Rick or go to his booth at the Washington Pen Show where you can find up to seventy Nakaya models! Nope--I don't get a commission or anything for recommending Rick, but I've traded with him and bought several of his pens and he's great to work with (plus he can switch out Nakaya nibs for you).

(I purchased this pen with my own funds.)

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Posted on July 23, 2021 by Susan Pigott and filed under Nakaya, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 471 - I Drop Pens All The Time

Bumper bowling. Kind of like adding a spring to a fountain pen.

It’s an epidemic in the community! No, not Myke never cleaning his fountain pens, but the number of people who frequently drop their pens. I have to ask you this: Why are you the way that you are?

I kid, because I love, but really, stop dropping your pens so much. Or, keep dropping them, I guess, and TWSBI will make the fountain pen just for you.

I also give my initial thoughts on the Schon DSGN Ultem fountain pen, recap my love for the TWSBI Mono Graph Lite ballpoint, and we play the Field Notes game.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code PENADDICT at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Kanilea Pen Co: Choose your Aloha today!

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Have we ever needed a Talisman more than we do now? This perfectly timed line from Russian pen maker BENU is something extra special and I am obsessed.

With this line, BENU stays true to their wild, over-the-top aesthetic--and then takes the creativity up a notch. At first glance, the Talisman pens look like any other BENU line--a creative shape, bright colors, a bit of bling: the BENU look we all know and love. Not satisfied with pens that merely look magical, BENU has set out to make pens that actually are magical. If there was ever anyone who decided that they would be the alchemists of the pen world, of course it's BENU.

BENU Talisman Dragon's Blood Fountain Pen

The Talisman line is inspired by folklore and legend, with each pen calling out to an origin myth for a magical substance. There's Edelweiss for the flower said to bring true love and bravery; Peacock Ore for the mineral of happiness and creativity; Mandrake Root for sexuality and wealth; Foxglove flowers for good luck and fairy magic; and Dragon's Blood for strength and invulnerability. BENU didn't stop at "inspired by" though. Because these pens are actually made of that stuff. Yes, these are infused with the actual flowers, minerals, and resins of their namesake. (Don't worry--Dragon's Blood is sap from the Dragon Tree. BENU isn't out there slaying actual dragons to make pens. I'm pretty sure. According to them.)

So when BENU says these pens are Talismans, it's more than just a name. And I for one, am enchanted. Who wouldn't need all of these? I was lucky enough to have been sent a Dragon's Blood pen. After a few weeks writing with it, I am delighted to say that even if your life is already charmed and you are in no need of any magical enhancements--this is also just a really good pen.

The first thing I noticed is that it's a more standard size and shape than some of my other BENU pens. It's close to the same size as a Lamy Safari, so it will fit well in most hands and do better in pen cases than some of the larger BENUs. But it can't be boring, so the body is covered in interesting facets of varying lengths, offset from each other. Each section has six facets. The effect is that it looks like an organic shape, like a tree branch or mineral shard. It's a very cool effect that is also comfortable to hold and keeps the pen from rolling.

The clip is stainless steel and very firm, but it has a push tab at the top of it to help it open. The cap does post, but with the facets some alignments work better than others. Posting can be a little fussy to find a secure spot--but if you're determined to post, it does work. The section is tapered and long, with a flare at the end to stop slipping. I found it very comfortable to hold. There are threads and a step up to the body at the back of the grip section, but they are all smoothed and not obtrusive.

The steel nib is an excellent writer. I've never had an issue with a BENU nib, so I was not surprised to find it smooth and well-tuned. BENU pens are wet writers, and this broad nib breathes ink like a dragon breathes fire. Between the generous ink flow and how much I was enjoying writing with it, I ran out of ink before I even sat down to write this review. It won't be cleaned and stored, though. It's getting immediately re-inked and put back into rotation, where I think it will stay for quite some time.

The Talisman line sells for around $122 each, so a bit more than a lot of the BENU lines, but those ones aren't infused with magical properties (as far as we know...). I think the price is very good, especially when compared with other brands of similar quality. If only BENU had sent me the pen that brings wealth. I would have used my riches to buy the rest of the Talisman pens.

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

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