The Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar String-Rolled fountain pen in layered Heki-tamenuri finish is available exclusively from Nibs.com. The Naka-ai model was designed by John Mottishaw in collaboration with Nakaya master designer Shinichi Yoshida. Each hand-crafted pen requires six months or more to be completed.

Our complimentary nib tuning services ensure that your Nakaya pen will have writing qualities equal to its striking appearance and unique feel. Our optional nib customizations can add additional distinctiveness to your writing, and can also make this pen a valuable tool for the professional or amateur calligrapher.

Each Nakaya pen is hand-turned from natural ebonite hard rubber in the Nakaya workshops in Tokyo, then sent to Wajima on the west coast of Japan for hand-finishing by skilled Urushi and Maki-e artists. Each pen receives individual attention, and the string-roll process used on this pen requires particular skill and attention to detail - a Urushi artist not fully satisfied with work on an individual pen will often start all over again rather than produce an item not up to the most exacting standards.

Nakaya pens ship in a softwood shipping box decorated with Japanese Kanji script and lined with decorative rice paper. A fabric pen kimono and starter box of cartridges are also included, making this pen a lovely presentation item. Nakaya pens can fill using either Platinum brand cartridges or any bottled fountain pen ink when fitted with the provided converter.

We are proud to be the sole authorized retailer for Nakaya in the English-speaking world - each pen is carefully tested and examined by us prior to shipping, and we take pride in making sure that your Nakaya is individually tuned to your personal writing characteristics.