Wancher Densho 6 Facets Tsugaru Aka-age Raden Fountain Pen

The Wancher Densho is a rare and meticulously crafted solid wood fountain pen, shaped with soft edges and rounded corners for a refined, comfortable finish. The Tsugaru-nuri edition of Densho Pen is one of the masterpieces of modern Urushi lacquer and is a work where you can feel the fascination of the technique. 

Faceted Shape

Wancher created a shape that not only fits comfortably in your hand but also offers a secure, natural grip through its elegant yet functional design. Hold it in your hand and gently roll it in your palm. Unlike traditional round or square shapes, its soft edges and curves make it feel like a seamless extension of your hand. The rich density and texture of the wood, combined with the perfect weight, add to the pen's inherent charm.

Magnetic Cap Mechanism

From the moment you remove the cap, you’ll be captivated by the smooth, satisfying sensation of opening and closing it. The source of this unique comfort is Wancher’s innovative magnetic system.

Initially, Wancher considered replacing the threaded cap with a mortise and tenon system. However, they realized this would eventually wear out, rendering the pen unusable. More importantly, it would not align with their vision of creating fountain pens that could last for a century or more. Instead, Wancher adopted a magnetic cap mechanism, which includes an additional structure inside the cap that prevents ink from drying out on the nib—a common issue with traditional magnetic caps. This thoughtful design ensures you can quickly pick up the pen and continue writing without interruption, allowing you to capture your thoughts or share ideas effortlessly.

Kara-nuri

This Urushi technique is from Tsugaru and it stands out with its colorful speckled design. It features different color mixes, with four to six layers of lacquer applied unevenly. The final touch highlights the cross-section by sharpening the edges.

Tsugaru-nuri

Tsugaru-nuri or Tsugaru Urushi refers to lacquerware made in Tsugaru - a city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Being known as one of the most skill-intensive Urushi technique, Tsugaru-nuri is sophisticated yet stunningly beautiful with its unusual finish.

The Sekai Tsugaru fountain pen is crafted with Kara-nuri - a high-quality Tsugaru-nuri technique that illustrates distinctive speckled patterns created by four to six different Urushi color lacquers. With this technique, many layers of different Urushi are applied unevenly to wooden or ebonite surface. After a long period of 3-4 months when Urushi lacquer is dry, artisans will start polishing to even the surface. The final finish will then become smoothly glossy and show the mottled patterns. The whole process takes 6-7 months and is totally done by hands.

The "age" in Aka-age refers to the effect of the main color that is finally raised over other complementary colors.

The Story

The Wancher team visited Chiang Mai, Thailand, and began to communicate with local craftsmen. They were increasingly fascinated by this story, and started the "KINMA-edition" project, a time-travel series to explore the roots of the Kinma art.

One of the Urushi techniques of Kagawa Prefecture is called Kinma-nuri. In this process, a delicate pattern is carved into the lacquer base with a carving tool and then make the carved grooves are filled with colored Urushi, and finally the surface is polished repeatedly to express the intended pattern. This Kinma-nuri technique actually has its roots in Thailand, where it was introduced to the Sanuki region at the end of the Muromachi period (1333-1573) through China.

Furthermore, "Kinma" means "carving onto the flat surfaces offer more design possibilities than curved surfaces," which led to the creation of the Sekai "Densho" fountain pen (four and six facets). 

Each Wancher fountain pen comes with a wooden giftbox which includes a Japanese Kimono pen wrap, an international standard converter to use bottled ink and some standard ink cartridges.  

The Wancher Densho uses a standard international cartridge or converter, and writes with a smooth #5 Jowo stainless steel nib.

Wancher, from the Land of the Rising Sun has a long history of writing and fountain pens. Each Wancher fountain pen embodies the essence of art and are designed and created for the best writing experience. The Wancher pen company began in the 90s where Taizo Okagaki was conducting "Desert Greening" research for ODA in Egypt. He wanted a pen that would hold up in the harsh conditions and Wancher was born. Each Wancher product is authentic, unique and created with traditional values. Each piece is created by artisans and craftsmen and the result is the highest precision writing instruments.