Danitrio Urushi Kuro-Keshi (Black) on a Densho Fountain Pen
Danitrio makes special pens using the Japanese skill and craftsmanship that has been mastered over the last few thousand of years. One of their lines of pens is the Densho, this refers to the size and filling system on the pen. The painting on the pen is more subtle than some of their other pens, yet equally special. This pen is filled via eye dropper and has an 18kt gold nib.
Please note, the pictures show the pen with a “T” Double Broad nib. Â That nib has now been sold, so the pen will come with the Danitrio “fireball” nib in your choice of EF, F, M, B or Stub nib grades.
Craftsmen call Urushi is a living thing. Its qualities differ even from the same trees, but quality is different from the trunk or branches. Different qualities from different trees or different areas or countries. Then, crude Urushi must be refined to make more than 10 different qualities of Urushi for different usage. Now craftsmen have to pay more than $600.00 per pound for genuine Japanese Urushi, $250.00 for Urushi imported from China. They use it in different occasions and different places, while manmade Urushi or plastic paint only cost a few dollars a pound.  Genuine Urushi is like pure gold only for fine jewelry and pure gold is too expensive for cheap works with cheap materials.
The base for Urushi paintings must be smooth and strong in order to have a good Urushi painting, which will last thousands of years. When the base is ready for painting, the first painting uses Sabi, Urushi mixed with polishing powders, as its base painting and call it Shita-nuri, the base painting. Then, Naka-nuri, the interim painting with Urushi is preparing for better Uwa-nuri, the finishing part of painting. The color of the interim painting has to be selected according to the color of the finishing part of painting. All these works are usually done by Nu-shi, craftsmen of Urushi paintings, painting 7 times in average and it takes 2-3 weeks before the Nu-shi can send back the pens to our Maki-e sh, who will do more Urushi painting works or Maki-e onto the pens.
KURO-KESHI
(Polish the surface and paint with black Urushi to protect ebonite from tarnishing)
There is no 100% transparent Urushi. The clearest Urushi still has a light brown or amber color. The interesting thing with Tame-nuri is when the transparent Urushi is painted over the color Urushi, the color will change because this transparent Urushi is NOT 100% transparent like man-made “Urushi” which is 100% clear.
Size/Shape of pen: Densho
Base Material: Ebonite
Painting: Kuro-Keshi (Black)
Filling System: Eyedropper
MSRP $1100
