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.
Red stripe ebonite base.
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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