One of the Coolest Ink Pens Yet Devised. . .

[Garys4598 1,065]

Along with being a firearms and custom knives enthusiast, I'm also a bit of a "gadget" guy. . . which somewhat recently led me to a Japanese artist's work with ink pens (hey, the pen can be mightier than the sword, right?). Hidetoshi Nakayama has been hand-crafting jewelry, knives and pens (and probably other items) for several years and it was very recently, when I was searching for something special to get for my wife's upcoming birthday, that I decided to procure one of his ink pen creations.

 

Below is a photo of one of his typical "bolt action pens" fabricated out of steel and brass; it is how I came to know his work about three years ago. I believe he has been making this particular style of pen for well over five years if not longer.

 

 

 

About three years ago Mr. Nakayama started increasing the complexity of his pen fabrications, by including exotic woods and adding more complex contouring to his metal components using what I assume to be some sort of lathe set-up. Below are two such pens:

 

 

 

I decided to purchase the pen depicted at left, above, for my wife's birthday gift. Just prior to the vendor shipping the pen to me, he brought to my attention two new designs from Hidetoshi Nakayama which he believed I'd get a kick out of. . . and which ultimately, I could not friggen resist (as mentioned previously, I'm a bit of a gadget guy).

 

Below happens to be Mr. Nakayama's latest two design creations, which significantly reflect the creativity of his artistry, and obviously his ingenuity. The one on the left he titled "Steam Ride" and the one at right, "Ride the Wing". After much consternation and debate, I decided to purchase the Steam Ride, being personally attracted to its "steam punk" type appearance (although likely such could be said for both) and believing that it would provide a slightly better balanced writing platform, since the Ride the Wing's design requires the pen's action "lever" to be in a 90 degree angle from the pen's body when the pen is in its writing configuration, which I assumed would make the pen rather unbalanced via weight distribution. But that was all supposition on my part since I didn't have the luxury to physically hold or manipulate the pens prior to making a purchase decision.

 

 

 

Close-up of the pens in their "retracted" position:

 

 

 

"Ride the Wing" with its pen point ready for writing (To open the pen, you simply push down on the top like a standard Click pen. To close it, you pull down with your thumb on the extended Wing and it retracts the pen):

 

 

 

My "Steam Ride" with its pen point ready for writing (To open the pen you simply pull down with your thumb on the extended ball. When you want to close it, you gently touch the ball in an upward direction and it jumps closed; retracts the pen):

 

 

 

Regarding my Steam Ride, I hugely enjoy operating and 'flicking' its mechanism open and close. . . although I suppose that annoys the hell out of my co-workers in the office since I find myself doing it habitually. The internal coiled spring Hidetoshi Nakayama selected for it is significantly larger/stouter than a standard Click pen, bit its operation is extremely smooth. Go figure?

 

Since acquiring the pen I have located an ideal piece of rubber sleeving that I removed from a Zebra 'Lunar' ink pen, that I was able to slip over the bottom portion of the pen where one's fingers grasp it during writing. The rubber greatly stabilizes and provides control to the pen during writing (it is not a light weight pen, being fabricated from block steel); preventing it from rotating or twisting during actual use. I abso-friggen-lutely luv this pen!

 

Below is a photo of my two Hidetoshi Nakayama custom pens (well, the one at left is my wife's):

 

 

 

~Gary

Edited April 11, 2013 by Gary

[Remek 771]

I've seen Nakayama's work before, his craftsmanship is exquisite. I love the ones you've purchased! Congratulations!

[Syndicate 812]

I would call the steamride one more dieselpunk in nature than stempunk.

 

damn you Gary, better not post links to these, my poor ass can't handle the temptations lol

[Ronin38 2,117]

Very nice, and that Celtic binder is pretty impressive, too!

[Syndicate 812]

I've liked my little cross ion that I've had for a while and I have this "bullet" pen that is a push style space pen, it's in my EDC stuff, my brother gave it to me, it's pretty cool, it is the size of a normal space pen (maybe a hair longer) and when pushed opens to about the length of a bic, so no fumbling.

 

the ion is a pull out design that is kinda fat, but fits really well. both stow away in the pocket really nicely for carrying around.

 

my desk pen is a set I got from a company I worked for, when I scored top level on some internal stuff and a bunch of ASE exams I did, I really like it, nothing to crazy money wise, just good cartridges and modest styling, write really well.

 

I've always been into the hand carved stuff or the machined pens. There's a dude on kick starter that makes Ti pens and in other materials that are awesome, I'll see if I can dig up the link, they are not works of art like the ones Gary has, just very industrial and what not. I used to think I always would prefer minimalist design in pens, but these have me thinking otherwise.

[Garys4598 1,065]

Until receiving the Hidetoshi Nakayama 'Steam Ride' pen, my everyday office pen was a SureFire III tactical pen in FDE finish. I even built/carved a walnut pen stand for it, as a befitting place of prominance for my office desk. As mentioned, I'd seen these handmade Nakayama 'bolt action' pens for the last few years. . . but they didn't appeal to me; seemed a bit crude and clunky.

 

A little over a year ago I saw (via the internet) Nakayama's newer, more refined bolt action pens with the exotic woods, and it was then that my 'magpie' instincts started kicking-in and I got my name on a wait list with a vendor for one. Many months later the vendor got a hold of me and informed me he had just attended a custom knife show, and had procured two different Nakayama steel & wood pens that I could select from (I was mildly surprised that the guy had remembered and contacted me). He forwarded photos, and I picked the lighter wood pen. . . not being exactly sure whether it really "fit me" and my idiotic eclectic tastes. It was during the money transaction phase of the purchase that he additionally informed me he had also acquired two very new 'mechanical' type pens from Nakayama that he personally found extremely fascinating. Obviously, that really peeked my interest so I begged him to please forward me photos of the new designs (big mistake on my part ).

 

A few days later he forwarded pics of the Steam Ride and Ride the Wing pens. . . and I was bloody hooked! So instead of purchasing just one pen, I inevitably walked away with two (justifying the arguably exorbitant expense within my brain as, "I'm buying the exquisite 'bolt action' wood pen for my wife's upcoming birthday, and the neat-o mechanical Steam Ride pen for myself"). I dunno. . . maybe I got played by the vendor . (Nawwww. . . I'm just an idjut this way ).

 

Anyhow, I'm sure my wife is going to love the wood bolt action pen (although she'd think I'm nuts if she ever found out how much it cost. . . and she'd likely immediately get on the telephone and contact the nearest sanitarium were she to find out about the Steam Ride pen as well).

 

 

Moral of the Story: My life's experience has been that second marriages are terrific! I pay my share (and more) of the bills on time; I meet all the required partnership obligations. . . and then the rest of my money is MINE to obviously do with as I please. (My first marriage was anything but ). My wife doesn't quibble or beat me up about my eclectic and sometimes extravagant desires and magpie habits. She does the best that she can toward supporting them (even if she rarely agrees).

Edited April 11, 2013 by Gary

[devildogdakota 804]

All right!... A pen thread!

 

The three on the bottom are Fisher Space Pens ( I lived down the street from where they are made in B.C., NV.) The pen on the left is a combo laser/ flex light/ magnet/ pen, the one on the right will shock the living shit out of you, all the way up to your elbow pen when you press the button on top, and the top pen is an awesome 32 GB high resolution video and audio spy pen. No blinking lights, 17 hrs of non-stop video recording, and motion activation. Lifetime warranty and built like a tank. Bought the upgraded model for close to $300.00. The video resolution is unbelievable. You would never think it came from a pen. I can set it up as a security camera as well. Great tool to have on you if you get stopped by rogue law enforcement, or film anything they don't want filmed.