Sailor Urushi King of Pens Fountain pen, Ivory
Something of a pen urban myth, The King of Pens or KOP as it’s called by pen people, is more than just an expensive pen; it is the ultimate writing experience. While top-end pens are usually garish and overloaded with detail – urushi is very much the understated and quiet luxury one can expect from Japanese minimalism.
Urushi lacquer, first used in Japan around 300BC, has traditionally been as a symbol for status and prosperity used in furniture and decorative objects by court nobles and the upper-classes to demonstrate their discerning taste. Japanese pen makers sought to apply this domestic specialty finish to fountain pens since the 1920s and it has remained a marker for quality ever since. Beyond its aesthetic merit, urushi lacquer acts as a protective casing because it is acid–free, alkaline–free, and resistant to both heat and water. The process to layer the Urushi lacquer is time–consuming, and each pen crafted by named urushi artists can take up to 1 year to produce.
All the King of Pens colours are complex and difficult to grasp. The colour of this KOP, Ivory, is no exception – it is a dusty beige shade, very smart and stylish. Both the pen – measuring 15cm closed – and its nib are over-sized for maximum visual enhancement.
While Sailor already produces top of the range fountain pens as a baseline – KOP does represent another level of writing performance. The nib, in 21k gold, almost paintbrush–like, possesses natural, organic flexibility and softness under hand.  It offers a generous amount of line variation – an almost fude-like brush effect feel making it an excellent pairing for use with coloured inks where ‘shading effect’ is desired. Exceptional writing quality with amazing smoothness; no pressure needed for a very generous and reliable ink flow.
Details
Body material:Â Urushi lacquer resin over hard ebonite (a hard rubber)
Nib size: Medium
Nib material: 21k gold
Cap type: Threaded screw-on cap
Cartridge type: Takes Sailor cartridges which can be found here; supplied with a converter cartridge.Â
Dimensions: 15cm closed, 13cm without the cap, 16.5cm posted (please use posted with care as this may leave a ring mark where regular contact is made)
Included:Â an attractive wooden presentation box, refillable converter cartridge, and a bottle of ink, here pictured.
Made in Japan
