Namiki Falcon Spencerian Custom job

I just ordered and received my Namiki Falcon pen with a custom Spencerian
nib (Exra extra fine, super-flexible nib). I really enjoy it so far. My
thoughts follow.

The overall feel of the pen is cheaper than my MontBlanc Le Grande. It
does not have quite the heft or balance that the MB has. On the other
hand, I still find it to be a handsome specimen. It has similiarly
understated styling that makes it blend in well. The resin looks
serviceable, but I shall wait to see how well its finish holds up compared
to the MB.

Non-writing functions are fairly good. The feed system (twist converter,
in this case) is less agressive than the MB, so it holds less ink and must
be submerged deeper in order to syphon the ink into the barrel, but the
action feels good enough. The cap is a twist on and off, which I have come
to really appreciate, so I expect that it will maintain a tight and
fitting seal for quite some time.

The nib itself is mostly as reported. I believe this is probably the
closest thing to a Spencerian dip pen as you can get in a modern fountain
pen. The nib itself is less springy than the new old stock nibs that I
have, but it has enough feeback to enable serviceable writing. The nib
most definitely writes a very fine line, and I can get fairly good control
over the thickness with appropriate pressure changes. I estimate the range
of thickness from less than a hair’s width to between one and two
milimeters. That is not too bad all things considered. The pen writes
well, has a smooth feel, but with good feedback in the various directions.

Overall, the pen is not the ideal instrument for writing Spencerian: a
steel dip pen will still do better. Nonetheless, the nib should hopefully
last longer than a normal steel nib and it is much more portable.
Moreover, you can actually feel pretty good about writing Spencerian
cursive with this pen; you can bring all the appropriate techniques to
bear, unlike with the normal modern pen nib.

So, yes, I am pleased with my purchase.

Aaron W. Hsu

--
Programming is just another word for the lost art of thinking.