Namiki Maki-e Fountain Pen Overview
We take good pleasure in presenting the distinguished assortment of Namiki Maki-e fountain pens. Rooted inside the time-honored Japanese customized of Maki-e, this artistic self-discipline blends an unwavering dedication to precision, profound symbolism, and historic mythology. To current you all the details of these unimaginable artworks, Brian sat down with John Lane, (now retired) from Pilot to check the ins and outs of Namiki maki-e fountain pens.
At its essence, maki-e is the Japanese methodology of creating use of layers of urushi lacquer to a ground. This lacquer is every extraordinarily sturdy and simple to the contact. To create the designs, gold, silver, and assorted completely different treasured dusts are utilized to the lacquer using numerous proprietary methods. It’s a customized that spans centuries and whereas the precise date is unknown, it is thought that the art work variety has been practiced given that seventh century in Japan.
Whereas maki-e has a protracted historic previous, it is under no circumstances a stagnant art work variety. In 1925, the very beginning of what was to alter into the Pilot Pen agency patented the Lacquer Naito methodology. The combination of maki-e methodology with gold-nibbed fountain pens was what spawned the Japanese pen empire. In the intervening time, virtually 20 specialists work at Pilot’s Hiratsuka plant devoting their time solely to creating Namiki maki-e fountain pens.
Strategies
Proper right here is a top level view of some of the methods you may even see on Namiki pens:
Hira (Flat Maki-e)
Relationship once more to the twelfth century, this technique is the very best. A moist layer of lacquer is utilized the the pen ground. Whereas nonetheless moist, the colored powder is utilized. One different layer of lacquer is utilized to take care of the design in place. The ground is then polished with a lacquer soaked piece of cotton until simple and flat. These pens are typically additional cheap on account of their parts are easier and typically achieved in a guild with each artist engaged on specific individual components sooner than handing it off to at the least one one different. It’s a methodology that youthful artists are able to obtain experience whereas working with additional expert ones.
Togidashi (Burnished Maki-e)
That’s the oldest kind of maki-e, courting once more to the seventh century. Metallic or colored powders are utilized to the lacquered ground. As quickly as they’ve dried, one different layer of lacquer is utilized after which polished. Additional layers and continued sharpening ensues, until the pattern is accomplished and the pen is straightforward to the contact. Pens with this technique may be inside the mid-high price range, as they take numerous months to complete and embody some additional superior parts. They’re normally created by a single artist from start-to-finish, nonetheless typically is also created by a collaboration from a gaggle of artists, known as kokkokai in Japanese, similar to a guild.
Togidashi-Taka (Burnished Raised Maki-e)
This technique is actually essentially the most powerful and demanding kind of Maki-e and solely achieved by the good grasp artists. Lacquer is drawn onto the pens and constructed up layer-upon-layer, making a textured design. As a lot as 40 layers of lacquer are required for a couple of of the better raised parts. Metallic or colored powders are then added. The creator receives a pleasant tactile sensation whereas holding the pen. Not solely is the design gorgeous to check out, it is satisfying to actually really feel. Pens with this technique may be a couple of of the larger and costlier Namiki pens you could uncover attributable to their complexity, the time frame involved, and their restricted availability. They’re normally created by a single artist from start-to-finish.
Chinkin
The Chinkin methodology differs from the others on account of it entails chiseling a design proper right into a pre-laquered ground. Gold or silver powder is then utilized and inlayed into the cutouts. Layers of lacquer are then utilized to create a simple ground. Each pen created using this technique appears to be practically three-dimensional, with the refined chiseled line work and layers of gold or silver powder making a formidable and dynamic picture.
Counting on the technique, the strategy to create a maki-e pen can take anyplace from numerous weeks to seven months to complete. The tactic of lacquering, drying, and sharpening is completed in steps, with each step requiring diligent software program and a highlight by a extraordinarily educated artist. Some pens can have anyplace from 15 to 50 layers of lacquer.
The Lineup
Namiki Nippon Art work
Namiki Yukari
The Namiki Yukari fountain pens are a couple of of essentially the most comfortable for regularly writing. Associated in dimension to a Pilot Personalized 74, they’re good writers that even have every kind of charming designs. You will note numerous fully completely different maki-e methods used all through the Yukari line, along with hira, togidashi, taka, and raden. Because of the pens are barely thinner than a couple of of the others and might solely use a couple of maki-e parts on a particular pen design, they’re comparatively cheap compared with others. They’ve 18k gold nibs obtainable in excellent, medium, and broad, and the pen comes with a CON-70 converter.
Namiki Yukari Royale
The Namiki Yukari Royale fountain pens are barely larger in dimension over the Yukari assortment, and higher in price attributable to their complexity. They operate additional of the Togidashi-Taka methods, and are sometimes made by a single artist. There are moreover numerous plain urushi variations of the Yukari Royale that are significantly lower in price that are absent of maki-e, in every Vermillion and Black. Each pen is equipped with an outsized 18k gold nib in excellent, medium, or broad, and comes with a CON-70 converter. They’re screw cap and push-to-post, and are the heaviest of the Namiki maki-e pens.
Namiki Aya
The Namiki Aya fountain pen assortment is the latest maki-e model from Namiki, with designs lacquered by the extraordinarily revered Kokkokai group. The barrel work was designed using standard maki-e urushi lacquer work and accomplished with a sprinkling of gold and silver mud using the togidashi sharpening methodology. Each pen choices fully completely different colored urushi lacquer to create the rich hues of nature. The Namiki Aya Assortment has a classical vest-type physique kind and is enhanced with an outsized No. 30 two-tone 18k gold nib that features the enduring silhouette of Mount Fuji. This classical fountain pen is refillable for continued use with a Pilot ink cartridge or Pilot’s CON-70 converter, every of which can be included, and arrives packaged in trying Namiki picket current subject.
Namiki Emperor
The Namiki Emperor is the largest of the Namiki Maki-e pens. The whole magnitude of this pen is hard to know until you see it compared with completely different pens. It is a formidable 6.85 inches (174.1mm) prolonged when closed and has a diameter of .68 inches (17.2mm). The nib is 18k gold and a No. 50 dimension, considered one of many largest manufacturing nibs supplied by a up to date fountain pen agency. The Emperors may be among the many many costliest maki-e pens supplied by Namiki, as a consequence of their enormous dimension and the complexity of the designs. No matter its large dimension, the pen is unquestionably terribly properly balanced and is lighter than you’d depend on on account of it’s created from robust ebonite instead of a metallic base. It fills by eyedropper, and holds pretty just a little little bit of ink. There are two variations – a round-top with a clip, and a flat-top (vest kind) that is clipless.
Namiki Chinkin
The Namiki Chinkin assortment makes use of the sophisticated chiseling methods to create a carving inside the lacquer. The unimaginable particulars make each golden design stand out in the direction of the black background. There are a whole lot of designs, each as intricate and detailed as a result of the ultimate. Their dimension is very like the Yukari, Yukari Royale, or Emperor, counting on the design. Each pen has an 18k gold nib and comes with a CON-70 converter.
Namiki Raden Vanishing Components
Now we have carried the Raden Vanishing Degree fountain pens for some time now. They’re branded beneath Pilot and use a couple of of the methods you may even see inside the completely different Namiki maki-e pens. The glint on these raden pens comes from abalone shells, utilized to the physique after which lined in lacquer. Since no two abalone are exactly alike, each pen has very refined variations making each pen distinctive.
The worth for each pen varies by model and design, counting on the complexity of the design and techniques involved. As quite a bit as they’re gorgeous artworks, they’re moreover properly tuned and capable of write. Now we have been knowledgeable by Namiki that it actually provides their artists good pleasure to know that the collectors looking for these pens are having enjoyable with writing with them along with them.
These pens mustn’t mass-produced, and are very restricted in amount they normally require an unimaginable time frame, normally 4 months for each pen. It’s common for the artists to create numerous fully completely different designs yearly, and folks designs will solely be obtainable for 2-3 years sooner than they promote out worldwide.
You may discover our entire assortment of attractive Namiki Maki-e fountain pens at The Goulet Pen Agency. We hope you benefit from viewing our photos on our site, and watching our video on these gorgeous pens.
Retailer Namiki
Posted by Brian Goulet
