Namiki
Namiki is a renowned Japanese brand that produces high-quality fountain pens known for their exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. Founded in 1925 by Ryosuke Namiki, the brand has gained a reputation for producing some of the finest writing instruments in the world.
Namiki fountain pens are a favourite among pen enthusiasts for their exquisite designs and unparalleled writing performance. Each pen is carefully crafted and uniquely decorated using an old craft tradition: Maki-e, a lacquer technique passed on between generations of virtuoso artisans.
If you are looking for a pen that writes exceptionally, uses the finest materials and is also a work of art on its own, then Namiki is the brand you are looking for. Because of its unique look and design, it is also a great gift.
Maki-e techniques
Maki-e is a Japanese lacquer decoration technique in which pictures, patterns, and letters are drawn with lacquer on the surface of lacquerware, after which a metal powder, such as gold or silver, is sprinkled and fixed on the surface of the lacquerware. There are multiple different techniques.
Hira Maki-e
The pattern is created by using coloured Urushi and raw lacquer, then entirely covered with silver and gold powder. After drying, several layers of Urushi are applied. Once these layers have hardened, the pen is polished to achieve a deep, lustrous shine.
Togidashi-Hira Maki-e
The base is covered with oil-free black lacquer that is then dusted with silver and gold to create the pattern. This is then entirely covered with Urushi. After drying, the pattern is revealed by charcoal polishing.
Togidashi-Taka Maki-e
The artisan creates the pattern in relief, layer after layer, mixing lacquer and charcoal powder to create tri-dimensional depictions with animation-like depth.
Shishiai Togidashi Maki-e
This complex process combines several techniques simultaneously, expressing multiple dimensions. Requiring numerous drying steps, this is considered as the highest level of Maki-e perfection.
Gilding and ornamentation techniques
Raden
The pearly inner nacre of various shells such as horseshoe and newt crabs, abalone, etc., is detached into thin strips and cut into small fragments that are covered with lacquer to hold them on the pen. The entire piece is then polished to achieve a perfect finish.
Hyoumon
Metal sheets of gold, silver and lead are cut to create the desired form and then fixed unto the Urushi lacquer. These forms are held in place by further coats of lacquer. Lastly, the surface is charcoal-polished to reveal the inlaid pattern.
Rankaku
The pattern is created with powder or tiny pieces of quail egg shell, bonded to the Urushi layer and cover with lacquer. The surface is then polished to reveal the pattern.
Chinkin
This delicate technique involves engraving the lacquer surface using special tools and a sheet of precious metal. Gold powder is then inlaid into the engraving. This process combines a light and delicate finish with the highly expressive power of relief.
Collections
Emperor
The Emperor collection is the most prestigious collection of Namiki - one that was created during its earliest years. These pens are equipped with a jumbo-size nib and a unique ink flow system. The harmoniously curved body provides a beautiful canvas for the most experienced lacquer artisans in the Kokkokai group. This is Maki-e art raised to its highest level.
Yukari Royale
The Yukari Royale collection comprises pens with a more generous and more curved shape than the Yukari collection. They nonetheless offer a perfect hold and great writing comfort. All are adorned using the Togidashi-Taka Maki-e technique for a unique relief effect combined with captivating depth.
Yukari
Nature has always inspired artists. The wealth of subjects it offers is fully expressed in the Yukari collection. Among the various Maki-e techniques used, Raden enables artists to inlay fine fragments of nacre to reach an exceptional level of detail, sublimating nature's perfection.
Chinkin
The Chinkin technique is one of the most delicate. The artist must engrave the lacquer surface with fine cutting tools and a sheet of precious metal., then inlaying gold dust and polishing the pen carefully. This process has no tolerance for error, requiring extreme concentration to reveal the design's intricacy.
Nippon Art Tradition
The Nippon Tradition collection depicts subjects that are closely linked with Japanese culture, such as dragons, flower baskets, and more. These pens are rich with timeless symbols. One stands above all others: Mount Fuji, the sacred mountain, standing proudly on an intense black lacquer background.
Urushi
Manufactured since 1950, the jumbo-sized pens in the Urushi collection are produced under the Pilot and Dunhill-Namiki brands. The pens feature an original ink flow system. Their deep and brilliant colour is the result of applying many coats of Urushi lacquer, charcoal-polished for pure refinement
Aya
In Japanese, the word "AYA" means 'coloured light to represent an enchanting world, imbued with poetry'. Abstract and contemporary patterns adorn this collection on an ebonite body, while highlighting the art of Maki-e. Each fountain pen is dressed with an extraordinary gold nib with the effigy of Mount Fuji and enhanced with a coloured lacquer and a pattern in Togidashi maki-e, Raden, gold or silver powder.
Capless
These retractable-nib pens combine traditional lacquer art and maki-e with a modern and ingenious mechanism. The Raden technique, with its inlays of tiny nacre fragments, gives them their own special lustre.
Buy your Namiki pen at P.W. Akkerman!
Would you like to buy a Namiki pen, but can't figure out which one is best for you? You are welcome to contact us or stop by our store. We are happy to help you!