Beautiful Maki-e:  That Gorgeous Golden Glint

Beautiful Maki-e: That Gorgeous Golden Glint

You may have ever looked at a pen and thought, “Is that gold glitter? How did that get there?” The answer? Maki-e.  According to Encyclopedia Britannica, maki-e is: “lacquer ware...
Lucky God, Lucky Pen

Lucky God, Lucky Pen

Urushi and maki-e pens are often inspired by Japanese culture and mythology. The Danitrio Yokozuna series is especially suited for maki-e art. Because it’s quite a large pen, it provides...
Meet the Artisan: Yoko Sakata

Meet the Artisan: Yoko Sakata

We had the opportunity to interview maki-e artisan Yoko Sakata. She’s a brilliant young artisan with a lot of talent. Yoko-san painted the ShiZen Two Swimming Turtles pen, and we...
Meet the Artisan: Masaaki Sakaguchi

Meet the Artisan: Masaaki Sakaguchi

Masaaki Sakaguchi is an urushi artisan with decades of experience. He is a tame-nuri master and responsible for some gorgeous pens at ShiZen.  Masaaki-san was born in 1967. He always...
Tagged: artisans urushi
Wajima and the Artisans

Wajima and the Artisans

You love urushi and maki-e pens, but do you know where they began? You may never have heard of Wajima, but it’s an important place in urushi circles. Many pens...
A Tiger of a Pen

A Tiger of a Pen

Danitrio’s largest fountain pen line is the Yokozuna. It takes its name from the highest rank a sumo wrestler can achieve. The term means “horizontal rope” which is derived from...
The story behind the pen (inspired by Noh Theater)

The story behind the pen (inspired by Noh Theater)

Have you ever wondered where the Urushi artisans get their inspiration? Maki-e pens are often inspired by Japanese mythology or culture. The pen we’ll talk about today was inspired by...
Artisan spotlight: Koichiro Okazaki

Artisan spotlight: Koichiro Okazaki

Each Danitrio pen is handcrafted by an experienced Japanese artisan, but have you ever wondered about the people behind the pens?  Today we’ll tell you about Koichiro Okazaki, who has...
Ebonite and Urushi: Natural Materials, Natural Feel

Ebonite and Urushi: Natural Materials, Natural Feel

You may have heard of ebonite – it’s a tough, dark material that resembles ebony wood. But what is it, and why make pens out of it?  First, it’s helpful...
Urushi? What’s that? A Short Introduction

Urushi? What’s that? A Short Introduction

Ever wonder why our company is called “UrushiPen”? What’s in the name? What is urushi? Urushi is a natural lacquer secreted by urushi trees when they are injured. The urushi...
Tagged: farming urushi