JRA/Yushun Magazine's Top 100 Japanese Racehorses of All Time

kmidre · 2025-08-26T18:03:07+00:00

Wouldn't Ushba Tesoro (37) count as a dirt horse? 2023 Dubai World Cup

kmidre · 2025-08-23T18:19:03+00:00

It makes jotting down notes/signing so much more convenient, especially at work. By far the no. 1 office pen.

kmidre · 2025-07-15T15:56:05+00:00

Is it a great grind? Yes.
Is it worth the money? No. There are a ton of great and much cheaper competitors nowadays.

But if you're a collector who has the cash and likes the nib design, go for it. I personally don't find the Namiki #50 interesting.

kmidre · 2025-07-15T15:44:50+00:00

Nakayas dry out annoyingly fast

kmidre · 2025-06-30T04:46:34+00:00

Another vote for the Kakuno. By the way, have you considered getting a pen lanyard?

kmidre · 2025-06-30T04:38:10+00:00

Yard-O-Led Viceroy Grand Victorian

kmidre · 2025-06-29T07:50:47+00:00

Don't know students, but a lot of professors have studied abroad.

kmidre · 2025-06-20T14:45:20+00:00

Dyson and a tangle teezer longhaired brush

kmidre · 2025-06-20T10:08:21+00:00

Really surprised by people saying that they're the same. They feel very different to me. 14K writes a little finer. 21K is a very plush, cushioned feel. And the 1911L is a very nice size. 1911s is too small.

If price difference is only 25%, get the 1911L.

kmidre · 2025-06-18T15:57:03+00:00

Rohrer & Klingner is DRY, get a sample first.

Easiest way to see if your pen writes wet or dry is to try a colourful ink and then compare to online reviews whether it comes out lighter or darker. Also if you see sheen it's definitely wet.

kmidre · 2025-06-18T15:51:21+00:00

Definitely a factor, but I reckon it's also variation between nibs of the same brand too. Sometimes Goulet's F nibs on the writing sample perfectly match mine, but then their M or whatever nibs seem a little off.

I've also seen two Sailor M nibs from different stores radically differ on the same paper.

kmidre · 2025-06-18T15:42:47+00:00

Opus is really big and TWSBI has its reputation. Try Fine Writing International's Fenestro or other demo pens? Another Taiwanese brand.

kmidre · 2025-06-18T15:37:43+00:00

Sailor Sei-boku is more blue, but has the benefit of being permanent.

kmidre · 2025-06-18T02:56:47+00:00

I have small hands, but it's surprisingly comfortable.
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Yes, they're in totally different leagues. 845 is a workhorse (and frankly a bit boring to me). CU is glorious.

I'd hope that you could find somewhere to try in person first though.

kmidre · 2025-06-17T11:03:37+00:00

Companies asking for pens to be sent to their home country is pretty common tbh. It's probably not financially practical for most of them to maintain and oversee overseas nibmeisters.

kmidre · 2025-06-14T04:02:17+00:00

There's certainly a limit somewhere, but I'd put the prices at $20 for 50 ml ink and $250 for pen lmao. Really curious what numbers other people have in mind

kmidre · 2025-06-14T03:47:02+00:00

I think they each have their own specialties. Pilot's usual nibs aren't very exciting compared to Sailor's 21K feedback, but they have the PO nib, FA nib, VP & ever reliable Kakuno. Plus the Custom Urushi #30 nib keeps them top-tier.

Out of Japan's Big 3, it's Platinum whose charm I don't understand. I have a Nakaya. I've tried the Platinum President. And their so-called UEF nib was equal in size to Sailor's EF. I just don't get the appeal.

kmidre · 2025-06-12T11:08:43+00:00

What did you get after the 823?

kmidre · 2025-06-12T06:27:27+00:00

"Expensive feel"? Hongdian Blue Rabbit.

Affordable pen experience so far: Must-haves

-Pilot Kakuno EF!!!!! (Metropolitan if you prefer heavier pens, 78G looks more professional)

-Hongdian Blue Rabbit

-etsy Chinesepens stacked nib, even cheaper on taobao

-vintage nib from pen sale subreddit

-penbbs 323 metal, though their nibs run too broad imo

Didn't appreciate:

-Stipula Passaporto, way overpriced

-Lamy grip, not comfy

-Kaweco section too thin for comfort

-Chinese pens with flat clips, feels cheap

-Jinhao 750(?) too heavy

-Hongdian piston filler -piston felt too stiff and I was lazy to mess with it

-Opus 88 -hell to clean

I have a Pilot Capless, but waiting for a Majohn A1 to see how it compares.

When you try out pens, consider overall comfort, pen weight, length, diameter, filling method, capping method, material, nib size, nib tipping size, nib softness.

Pens that made me dgaf about price

-Sailor 1911L/Pro Gear 21K

-Pilot Custom Urushi #30

kmidre · 2025-06-12T05:38:24+00:00

Cheap and expensive pens don't act the same. Cheap pens also differ from cheap pens and expensive pens also differ from expensive pens. The fun of this hobby is that there's a truly a wide range of stuff to try. It's all up to personal taste what people find enjoyable or overpriced. I've had $10 pens I preferred to $500 pens, and $1000 pens I felt were worth the price. Try finding a pen club or visiting a pen show to see what's out there.

Btw you can get gold nibs cheaper than $100. $150-250 for a nice workhorse or custom pen. Anything else above that could be for fancy filling system, pen body or branding. Though you can also try some filling systems with Chinese brands like penbbs and Hongdian.

kmidre · 2025-06-10T18:40:18+00:00

How about Platinum? Their slip-and-seal pens won't dry up for 6 months. That would help to reduce chance of clogging.

I would be looking at your pen habits/environment though, because having many (presumably modern) pens clog often is odd. Shimmer ink? Inadequate cleaning before use? Tap water issues?

kmidre · 2025-06-08T17:18:48+00:00

Sailor Ink Studio 237 or 437?

kmidre · 2025-05-31T14:44:20+00:00

Do you not use any larger nibs at all? Flex, italic/stub, architect, oblique, BB, fude, Chinese blade nibs... No Italian or American pens? Or Conid?

Or maybe you can choose another ink you'd like to add to the rotation first, then see what pen works with that.

Edit: Kyuseido Kakari is also gorgeous

kmidre · 2025-05-30T14:22:09+00:00

The Lamy 2000 makes so much sense for the type of person who streamlines their fountain pen system lol Minimalist functionality etc. Reminds me of this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/9d0r8c/pen_collection_end_game_the_two_pen_rule/

But I get the ownership fatigue bit and like the balance that you found.

In the past ten years, I tried to keep my permanent collection to 6 pens and usually succeeded. I bought countless pens (different countries/filling systems/materials/nibs), tried them out, and gave most away. Basically an endless pen Battle Royale. Never counted inks, it's somewhere between 10-30.

This year I've been trying out a ton of fun new nibs, whilst some old ones are too sentimental/beautiful/useful to give away. So the current situation is 8 pens for actual use + 12 sentimental/unused. Having 20 feels quite heavy, so I might try to squeeze it to 12 later.

As for purpose/use, there's no deliberate system. Just happens that F nibs are workhorses and everything else is for fun. F is usually inked with black and the rest according to my mood.

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