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This week I picked up two urushi pens, a Danitrio Junikaku tame-nuri kama-nuri and a Nakaya Portable Writer araishu. I’m posting separately but there is overlap in the photos. The Junikaku (12 rectangles) is an oversized pen in terms of both length and girth. Dimensions are as follows: Overall length capped: 15.7 cm or ~6.5” Length un-capped: 14.0 cm or ~5.5” Cap diameter: 2.3 cm or ~7/8” Body diameter: 2.1 cm Grip section: max. 1.6 cm, min. 1.3 cm or ~5/8” to 0.5” So, it’s a big pen. Nevertheless, it is an excellent writer and comfortable to use. It positively dwarfs the Nakaya Portable Writer, which itself is simply a full sized pen on the order of a Pelikan M800. This pen has a little flair at the end of the section reminiscent of vintage pens. My other Junikaku has a section that simply tapers without the flair. Both offer a positive grip but the flair is really a nice touch in terms of appearance and function. Filling is via eyedropper and as a Japanese eyedropper it has a shutoff valve. Just twist open a little for an extended writing session. As you imagine it holds a lot of ink. I think I stopped at 4 ml but maybe could have gotten more inside. Nib is the #8 size 18k gold found on many a Danitrio pen. Size is broad with a slightly stubbish shape that makes me think of the finishing on older Montblanc nibs. Gives a bit of style to the lines making it more interesting to use. Feed is ebonite and flow is ample. The nib is not flexible at all but it’s not hard as a nail either. Just enough softness for a luxury feel. The base material is ebonite that is given a tame-nuri urushi finish before carving all the divots. Imagine the time and concentration it took to make this pen. The carvings are a type of kamakuri-bori technique with a long tradition in Japan. Here is a link to a most excellent article on the technique. This is the first time I’ve seen this this technique on a junikaku body and it is perhaps the ideal canvas. The facets provide a natural ground for the carvings that deliver texture and color variation. The corners of the facets then allow the light to play with the urushi layers in a most pleasing fashion. I especially like the carvings on the ends, the radial pattern just looks cool. In the light this pen is bling bling. Packaging is a paulownia wood box including a pen sleeve and an eye dropper. Focus is on the pen, not the packaging.

Some new Danitrio pens arrived with a new finish : the Kama nuri ! It is a techniek developed by the Danitrio artisans. It finds some similarity in the Kamakura-bori and Cho-Shitsu techniques. The result is a beautiful handmade structured surface. Available on Genkai, Sho-Genkai and Mikado. http://www.sakurafountainpengallery.com/en/boutique/detail/new-kama-nuri-red-genkai All welcome to take a look at these pens ! Catherine