Platinum Izumo Raden Galaxy Fountain pen

Platinum’s Izumo line is the pinnacle of traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The Galaxy edition of the voluminous Izumo pen is generously sprinkled with raden (mother-of-pearl), creating the universe in your hand.

The body of the pen gets its recognizable shape, after which urushi nuri (Japanese lacquer) is added, and finely the crushed mother-of-pearl particles are hand-placed for the optimal reflection of light. After about 6 months of lacquering, drying and polishing, a new Galaxy is born, where countless stars emerge in jet black.

Raden is a decorative technique commonly used for traditional crafts such as lacquer ware. The inside of the shell, the part of the nacre with iridescent luster, is cut out in a plate shape. The technique of sprinkling precious material on urushi lacquer or wood, fitting it on the carved surface, is called maki-e. This technique has been widely used for furnishings, accessories, and sword fittings since ancient times.

The fountain pen has an 18kt gold nib and uses a Platinum converter or Platinum ink cartridges, but with the special Ink Cartridge Adapter it is also possible to use the Standard International ink cartridges.

In 1919, Shunichi Nakata, started his fountain pen business that would later be known as Platinum Fountain Pen Co. The Japanese brand is closely related to the legendary Nakaya fountain pen brand, where some of the finest fountain pens in the world are created. This expertise also goes into Platinum's own line of fine writing instruments.