A gift from my best friend for Christmas! Whenever she goes to Japan I usually pester to make an Itoya visit for me. I didn’t this time — she went anyway!

The new Kakuno demonstrator is a late-2017 release, and nib sizes for the other series have been expanded to include an option in extra fine, which mine is. I am a massive fan of finer Japanese nibs, and Pilot’s steel EF is very impressive.

The Kakuno is a very light plastic pen, yet doesn’t feel cheap at all. The solidity of its rounded hexagonal shape is something you can feel once you hold it in your hand. Though it has a corrective triangular grip, it’s only gently so, nothing like in the Lamy Safari or Pelikan Twist. There isn’t a clip, but a little bump on the cap stops it from rolling off tables.

I chose to fill a cartridge with ink using a syringe to preserve the clean look of the demonstrator. In fact, the Kakuno is large enough to fit the CON-70, so it’s entirely possible to have 1.1ml of ink in it. Additionally, since there is no metal in the barrel, it would be possible to use some sealant to close the holes at the bottom and eyedropper the pen. I measured the barrel capacity and a full fill is just over 4.7ml — a huge amount, especially for an EF nib!

I give this nib a 10/10 as far as extra fines are concerned: the line is fine enough, definitely a Japanese EF, and the feedback is great. It’s not as intensely pencil-like as on a Sailor EF, but more like a certain feeling of knowing exactly where you are on the page. It’s precise and firm but not hard like a nail. And the line is smooth, with no sweet spot issues at all!

I definitely recommend getting one if you like very fine nibs. For another review in a larger size, click through to my other Kakuno (F nib; also available in medium)!