Classic Pens Limited Edition LB4 Tahiti Maki-e Fountain Pen
This pen is lovingly used and comes with its original box and papers. It has a Medium nib. MSRP is $10,500
The LB4 Tahiti maki-e series was launched in 2008. All 25 pieces on the Parker Duofold and part of the 25 pieces on the Classic Pens Legend were created by the Master Tatsuya Tōdō.
Andreas Lambrou relocated back to the UK in 2010, to write the book Fountain Pens of Japan. The remaining LB4 Legend blanks were stored until his return to the USA in 2013. They have now been created by Tatsuya Tōdō with technical enhancements, as an improved Tahiti maki-e series.
The newest Lambrou Pens LB4 Tahiti features yellow gold vermeil trim. Paul Rossi hand crafts the faceted cravat clip in sterling silver, giving it an excellent springiness, allowing the pen to be carried in thin, medium, and thick pocket material. Paul also hand crafts the cap band in sterling silver, giving it a curved surface, completely reducing the step between the cap band and barrel when the pen is closed. The trim rings are also sterling silver. Once made, the clip, cap band and trim pieces are gold plated to complete them as yellow gold vermeil trim. The artwork is created by Master Tatsuya Tōdō on Classic Pens Legend with enhanced blue colors for the sky and ocean and tiare white flowers, a principal emblem of Tahiti, in quail eggshell using the Runkaku technique.
Lambrou Pens continues its positive working relationship with the unique Californian craftsman and artist Paul Rossi, a relationship which began is 1998, to create the sterling silver work on the LB4 Tahiti pens.
New, enhanced blue colors for the sky and ocean were developed and applied to the Tahiti art pens. More than that, the Tiare white flowers, a principal emblem of Tahiti, are showcased on the new maki-e in quail eggshell using the Runkaku technique, as opposed to all previous LB4 art pens, whereby the Tiare flowers were painted using the light grey white paint Tatsuya Tōdō created to represent the ocean waves.
The LB4 Tahiti carries both the gold and Red Seal signatures of Tatusya Tōdō. The Red Seal signature is the world accepted standard for a high quality maki-e work.
The LB4 Tahiti series features a solid 18 karat gold nib with Classic Pens logo and uses International type ink cartridges or a provided piston converter filling system.
The LB4 Tahiti series design is an exquisite and elaborate composition, meticulously handcrafted by the Maki-E master Tatsuya Tōdō. The pen is a portrait of nature scenes found on the paradise island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It displays the beautiful flowers of red hibiscus and fragrant tiare as well as palm tree leaves which adorn the island, surrounded by the clear blue sky and pristine Pacific Ocean. The playing dolphins and turtles on the beach are popular sights on Tahiti and complete the composition.
The LB4 Tahiti is an original and unique design, a portrait of nature scenes on the paradise island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. It is completely hand crafted with natural precious materials. All pieces in the series conform to the same poetic theme, but each differs just enough from the others to be truly a distinctive work of Art.
The LB4 Tahiti was featured in the September, 2008 PenWorld article, “A Brief Journey Into the World of Maki-E”. You can read the article by clicking this link.
Creating Maki-E Art on a Pen
During the development of Maki-E designs, we discuss the theme with the artist who then creates color drawings to suit the subject. The drawing below was created by Tatsuya Tōdō and formed the basis for the Tahiti composition.
Tatsuya Tōdō is one of the younger Maki-E masters in Japan and has been awarded many highly coveted prizes for the excellence of his work. Classic Pens and Tatsuya have had a fruitful working relationship since 2001. He has painted several novel designs for the company which are part of the LS and AL Signature Collections of Maki-E Art Pens. A hand drawing by the artist showing the LB4 Tahiti composition is shown above.
The artist employed the Togidashi Maki-E technique to create the background. He paints the urushi color lacquers, and then sprays fine gold dust on the cap, barrel and section of the pen. He rubs and burnishes the urushi lacquer to reveal the design and to impart a lustrous shimmer. He uses the raden technique of pearl inlay for the sparkling eyes of the dolphins.
The creation of the Tahiti is laborious and requires the highest degree of craftsmanship. The artist Tatsuya Tōdō handcrafts each and every Tahiti with natural urushi lacquer and precious materials of gold and silver. The white waves on the pen are created with an exclusive mixture of metals. The result is an exquisite Maki-E composition.
The Maki-E artist Tatsuya Tōdō hand crafting the LB4 Tahiti on the Classic Legend 766L fountain pen:
The pen body is painted with a prime coat of color urushi lacquer. The process is called Jinuri |
Large particle gold and silver powders are sprinkled on the pen body using a bamboo tool fitted with fine mesh. The surface is allowed to dry |
The gold and silver powder is painted over with the design background using color urushi lacquer. The surface is allowed to dry before polishing. If it is not completely dry, the colors will darken. |
Once the surface is completely dry, the artist polishes the design by hand using the tip of a charcoal stick |
The base colors of the turtle and dolphin are painted with urushi lacquer. Through the raden technique, pearl is inlaid for the sparkling eyes of the dolphins. |
The base colors of the red hibiscus, tiare flowers and palm tree leaves are painted with color urushi lacquer |
Pure fine gold powder is sprinkled on the design surface using a bamboo tool fitted with fine mesh. The pen is then polished to a fine gloss finish. |
Silver powder is spread on the wave pattern, and then the waves are painted with a metal mixture and urushi lacquer to give a white color. It is difficult to obtain white color urushi lacquer on Maki-E designs. The metal mixture is an exclusive formula developed by Tatsuya Tōdō for the wave design of the LB4 Tahiti. |
The red hibiscus and white tiare flowers are painted with color urushi lacquer. |
The palm tree leaves are painted with color urushi lacquer. |
The dry surface is polished by hand with a charcoal tip to a gloss finish. |
The artist paints the fine details of the flowers and sprinkles fine gold powder on the whole design. |
Once the surface is dry, the artist applies the suri-urushi step and paints the body of the pen with natural liquid urushi. Finally, he polishes the design to achieve its lustrous gloss finish.
Details and features:
The LB4 Tahiti pens are available from select retailers in the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia.
- Production limited to 50 fountain pens
- Black resin cap and barrel individually painted and signed by the artists
- Classic Legend 766L: Two choices: rhodium plated clip, cap band, and trim or vermeil (yellow gold plated) hand crafted sterling silver clip, cap band and trim; solid 18 karat gold nib with Classic Pens logo; and International type cartridge or piston converter filling system
- Parker Duofold: Gold plated clip, cap band, and trim; solid 18 karat gold nib with Parker logo; and Parker type cartridge or piston converter filling system
- Screw on cap
- Presented in a complimenting gift box
Legend™ is a trademark of Classic Pens Inc.
The series is official and carries the warranty and after sales service of the Duofold or the Legend, whichever is the canvas of the design.
The LB4 Tahiti pens are housed individually in an elegant gift box and are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Warranty.
Gift Packaging
Elegant and compact solid wood gift boxes covered with quality material in a color which compliments the pens.
Certificates of Authenticity
