Kakuno Fountain Pen Non-Color Clear M Nib

The Non-Color kakuno is the fully transparent version of Pilot's entry-level Japanese fountain pen, and it is the one ink enthusiasts reach for: with a clear barrel and clear cap you can see the cartridge, the feed and the exact color of whatever ink you loaded, which makes it a natural demonstrator for bottled inks like Pilot Iroshizuku. The section is triangular, so thumb, index and middle finger settle into the correct grip on their own, the faceted cap and barrel keep the pen from rolling off a sloped desk, and the special-alloy nib is stamped with kakuno's trademark smiling face so you can see at a glance which side is up. The body measures 131mm long, about 16mm at its widest and roughly 11g, light enough for hours of note-taking. This one carries the medium (M) nib, a wetter, more expressive line for letters, envelopes, signatures and looser handwriting. Because there is no body color to fight it, the clear kakuno shows off shading and sheen in an ink far better than an opaque pen. It fills from Pilot IRF-5S cartridges in ten colors, or from a bottle with a CON-40 converter. Made in Japan by Pilot Corporation.

1. Unscrew the barrel, push a Pilot IRF-5S cartridge firmly onto the metal nipple until it seats and the seal breaks, then screw the barrel back on.
2. To fill from a bottle instead, fit a Pilot CON-40 converter, submerge the whole nib and grip in ink, and twist or press to draw ink up.
3. Hold the pen so the smiling face on the nib points up, and write with almost no pressure — the ink flows on its own.
4. Cap the pen after every session and store it nib up so ink does not dry in the feed.
5. When changing ink colors, flush the nib and feed in cool water until it runs clear, then let the parts dry fully before refilling.