Namiki Fountain Pen Making Process - What Creates The $ Value

A $10,000 Foutain Pen! Unbelievable! You will be surpised even more after watching this video! It is Pilot Corportation 100th Anniversary in 2018. As such, it is time to look back at Pilot's beginning as Namiki and learn the true values behind their $10,000 pen. Around 90 years ago, it was normal practice to use a material called “ebonite” for the body of fountain pens. However, although ebonite showed tolerance toward ink, it had the shortcoming of changing colour and losing its shine over time. In their effort to solve this, Urushi spark the interest of Namikie founders. Urushi, a superior coating which Japan boasts to the world, creates an attractive body which was tolerant to deterioration. For luxury fountain pens in Western countries at the time, decorating the metal bodies with elaborate metal-carving techniques and designs was normal. The Namiki founders thought that by making fountain pens with Urushi and Maki-e, a culture associated with Japan, they could compete on even-footing throughout the world. Namiki Maki-e Fountain Pens are very expensive because of 3 pillars integrated in the pens. - Japanese Urushi Lacquer Japanese Urushi Lacquer is a natural coating processed from the sap taken from the sumac tree. Not only is it highly durable, but the more it is used it gracefully fits into your hand while retaining its beautiful and unique charm. In the video, the undercoat of Maki-e fountain pens is layered with black Urushi lacquer. - Maki-e “Maki-e”, where detailed designs are expressed by sprinkling gold powder on lacquer is a Urushi technique synonymous with Japan. First, motifs are drawn by several types of brushes on the lacquer undercoat. Afterward, powdered gold is sprinkled onto the lacquer using a fine bamboo tool called “Funzutsu”. Finally, after Urushi has been applied to the whole pen, the Urushi is rubbed off with charcoal until the pattern appears on the surface. - Emphasis on the pen nib The pen nib can be said to be the life source of the fountain pen. Namiki strongly believe the in creating the best writing experience so the best nibs must be used for their fountain pens. Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of this video. All copyrights go to the original owner, Namiki.