Pen World December 2018

Regalia Writing Labs:
               ^{BY BARRY GABAY}

                                                              Ode to Joy
                           Meet Ralph Reyes, the new nib-making phenomenon

 

The idea of a genius operating in isolation has intrigued historians and ordinary people for centuries. Robert Frost writing poetry on his farm, Paul Gaugin painting in Tahiti, Isaac Newton with some free time on his hands deciding to invent calculus. I want to say from this opening paragraph — without bombast or effusion — that the nibs produced by Ralph Reyes, founder/owner of Regalia Writing Labs, are the most revolutionary now being produced among all I have encountered.

Since the death of the renowned Sailor nib master Nobuyoshi Nagahara, the cost of his specialty nibs has skyrocketed. Yukio Nagahara, son of the late nib master and current Sailor nib specialist, continues that Japanese company’s tradition of specialty nibs. The appreciation of Nagahara’s extraordinary nibs and the inability of all but a select few wealthy writers to own one were the twin motives behind Ralph’s decision to start producing his own specialty nibs.

Although a designer and engineer first, Ralph is clearly a nib artist. He describes his nibs as “canvasses.” For him, the nib in general and its iridium tip in particular are spaces where he can create, where he can be expressive. Yet his is a creative act providing more than satisfaction for the artist. Ralph wants Regalia Writing Labs to serve any writer.

Like quite a few post-millennial writers, Ralph began using fountain pens early on in college to combat cramping hands while taking notes. When chosen to participate in a study abroad program in Japan, Ralph was especially excited because of the serious fountain pen culture found there. On the last day of his trip, back in Tokyo, there was time to visit Kingdom Note, a well-respected shop in the Shinjuku district. Ralph still beams when he recalls, “It was there I acquired my second fountain pen and a bottle of ink: a Namiki Vanishing Point Decimo and Iroshizuku Syo-ro ink.”

   Armed with his new fountain pen, Ralph enjoyed the enhanced pleasure of writing but longed for something else. He began searching and soon acquired some favorite nibs: Japanese fine, extra-fine and crisp italics. Ralph readily acknowledges the masters who have influenced him the most and who produced his favorite nibs. In addition to Nagahara, Ralph credits Richard Binder (richardspens.com), Michael Masuyama (mikeitwork.com), and the late Jim Rouse with his nib education.

While most of us describe a favorite fountain pen, Ralph admits, “I’m a bit of a serial nib swapper, so it’s tough to say exactly which pens I reach for the most, which is why I speak in terms of nibs. I love feeling the different ways a nib can be experienced in different pen bodies, so I’ve always had a soft spot for interchangeability and choice.”

This preference helped guide Ralph when he began experimenting with the creation of his own custom nibs. After seeking and using both current and vintage specialty nibs, Ralph “began Regalia to explore the natural expressiveness of various nibs: italics and stubs, the softness of flex nibs, a double-broad—I was overwhelmed with all the different nib options and felt strongly that I had to try them all. Regalia Writing Labs was born from a desperation to create more interesting writing experiences, to revitalize the desire for specialty nibs, and to educate people on Nagahara’s legacy.”

Approximately one year ago, Ralph sold nearly all his pen collection, took out several sizable loans, and purchased 100 nibs, plus equipment from a custom jewelers’ supply house. There were no guarantees that he would be able to create his own version of the multi-layered nib, but so strong was his desire, he had to try.

Ralph picks up the thread of autobiographical narrative: “I locked myself away in my room for three weeks, hardly eating or speaking to anyone, prototyping different ideas for how to approach replicating the writing experience of a King Eagle nib, Sailor’s most famous multi-layer nib. My tools and skills were quite limited. Following numerous experiments and trials, I created what I thought was impossible: the Trilogy nib,” a triple layer piece of functional art.

Ralph is reflective about what he does and how his works compliments that of custom pen makers: “Artisan pen makers accommodate preference and choice in ways no large manufacturer can. From the material used to the to the shape of the body to the nib itself, [pen artisans] pursue the creation of something truly special—a tailor made pen, personalized to the highest degree.”

The same can be said of Regalia Writing Labs’ nibs; testing Ralph’s nibs is an experience unlike any other. They are constructed using as a base the most widely-used and preferred nib by artisan pen makers: the JoWo No. 6. The Regalia Crossflex nib possesses extraordinary flexibility for a modern steel nib. I felt as if I were using a 19^th century dip pen or a 1910-20s Waterman or Wahl. And then there are the multi-layered nibs: Epilogue, Trilogy, and Ninth Symphony. I first used the Trilogy at the 2018 Washington D.C. Fountain Pen SuperShow and could not stop laughing with joy at it, an old guy feeling like a child with a new toy.

The Ninth Symphony presents a positive, controlled flood of ink to the page. This nib’s base is a traditional Franklin-Christoph two-slit music nib, overlaid with two additional music nibs—a total of nine tines with 4 nib slits that lay ink on the page (two vertical nib slits cut into the nibs and two horizontal ones formed by the base nib and the two laid atop it). Remarkably, there is considerable control of flow while writing. Though not a dedicated fan of music nibs, I never felt as if the nib had gotten out of hand; the writer works the nib, not the other way around. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony concludes with “Ode to Joy,” and that is certainly the way I felt about using this most unusual, but satisfying, nib.

I ask Ralph which of his creations is his favorite. “The Epilogue, without question,” he replies. “An ‘epilogue’ is the end, which is why I named it so. The Epilogue provides a ‘canvas’ that can allow for a needlepoint on the regular writing side, and anywhere from fine to quadruple-broad on the reverse side according to the writing angle. The Epilogue is essentially every nib size, all in one.”

Ralph is democratic when describing his nibs. He believes Regalia nibs should be perfectly functional for anyone, that the writer need not be a trained artist or calligrapher to use and enjoy his nibs. When seeking feedback, Ralph maintains his perspective as an experimenter in the lab: “I trust everyone’s feedback, and I consider all concerns and criticisms.”
All of Ralph’s nibs can be seen at his website or on his Instagram account, some with videos, which is, of course, the best way to understand the remarkable quality and performance of these unique nibs. At present, each nib is individually made by hand, leading to an extremely limited number of pieces produced during any run.

Ralph says, “I wanted to reward people who are as passionate about fountain pens as I am, who are also willing to travel to a pen show to be closer to the hobby we love. However, I understand that not everyone can attend a show, so I’ll do my best to secure a future where people can get a piece of the pen show without having to leave their homes. I will be working hard over the next few months to make Regalia Writing Labs nibs available through my webstore.”