Though the Nakaya Neo Standard in Kuro-tamenuri may appear black at first glance, upon closer inspection the red under-painted lacquer can be seen where the dark color ""breaks"" on the edges. As time goes by, the red color becomes more prominent. These pens age well and become more colorful as the years goes by. This is the opposite of planned obsolesence - an object that improves rather than has to be replaced.

The response to this design has been highly enthusiastic. One of our customers says, ""This is the best shape that Nakaya has ever made.""

Notice the long tapered tail of the barrel. The is a subtle and considered shape that is hand crafted from solid hard rubber. This is a full-sized pen that fits perfectly at the back of the hand with no need to post this cap on the end of the barrel.

This Neo-standard Kuro-tamenuri fountain pen is made of hard rubber or ebonite that is meticulously coated with Urushi, a material made from the sap of a Japanese lacquer tree. The process of collecting the Urushi and applying many layers of lacquer to this fountain pen takes three months to complete. These close-ups give a sense of the subtle color shift that occurs on a new tamenuri pen. The Kuro-tamenuri shows the most dramatic color shift of any of the colors as the contrast between the black outer color is slowly becomes more transparent revealing the deep red lacquer underneath.

The Neo Standard only comes in the Writer model with a clip, which allows the pen to be easily affixed to a shirt pocket.
The Nakaya Neo Standard Araishu fountain pen is available with your choice of solid gold 14k single-tone nib in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Extra Broad, with Fine Soft, Medium Soft, and Super Extra Fine nibs also available. The double slit Music nib is available at an added premium, as are plated nibs in Pink Gold, Rhodium, Ruthenium, or Two-Tone. Nakaya 14k nibs are well-suited to customizations including Stub, Cursive Italic, and Left Oblique, as well as the modification for added flex on the soft nibs.
Decorative rice paper, a simple solid softwood shipping box decorated with Japanese Kanji script, and a fabric pen ""kimono"" are all included with this pen, making it a lovely presentation item. Sensible and elegant packaging has long been a hallmark of the Nakaya brand.
The flat-top design showcases the bright red underlayers peeking through.
Nakaya pens are individually handcrafted in a process that requires a minimum of three to six months and often much longer.

Unless requested otherwise, each pen or nib you purchase from us will be carefully examined, tested, and optimized for your personal writing characteristics before it ships.