Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Sumiko
Designed by Nakaya master pen designer Shinichi Yoshida in collaboration with Classic Fountain Pen's John Mottishaw, the Naka-ai, with its peaked ends and tapered body, combines many of Nakaya’s most distinctive design features in a single model. "Naka-ai" has the meaning of middle or in-between, and brings to mind the Middle Way of Buddhist practice with its emphasis on balance, integrity, and centeredness. Appropriately enough, the Naka-ai occupies a midway position between Nakaya's smaller Piccolo series pens and the longer Deskpen - this is a pen that will be a very comfortable fit for most pen users.
The double slit Music nib is available at an added premium, as are plated nibs in Pink Gold, Rhodium, Ruthenium, or Two-Tone.
Similar in appearance to the Matte Black Hairline but achieved through a very different and much more time intensive process, the Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar in Sumiko finish is an elegantly minimalist and modernistic fountain pen. Multiple layers of Sumi charcoal ink are applied over a period of months to create the smooth dark surface of this pen.
Like all Nakaya Urushi pens, each Naka-ai pen is made of hand-turned ebonite hard rubber. The Sumiko surface is then cured and stabilized over a lengthy period. The natural substances used give this pen a warm, comfortable feeling in the hand.
Nakaya pens can be filled with bottled fountain pen ink using the provided converter and can also use Platinum brand ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available. We recommend Platinum Carbon Black ink as a particularly appropriate complement to this finish.
These 14k nibs are well-suited to customizations including Stub, Cursive Italic, and Left Oblique, as well as the modification for added flex.
Measurements & Specifications
| Cap Type | Threaded |
| Closed Length | 5.9" |
| Postable | Not Postable |
| Barrel Length | 4.5" |
| Section Diameter | 0.4" |
| Cartridge Capacity | 1.5 ml |
| Converter Capacity | 0.5 ml |
| Ink Capacity | 1.5 ml |
| Filling System | Cartridge-Converter |
| Pen Weight | 23.8 g |
| Barrel Diameter | 0.6 |
