Wancher Sekai Saihi Urushi Murasaki-age Original Fountain Pen

The Wancher Sekai fountain pen is born from the aspiration to be connected and peaceful like the World Tree in many mythologies. This collection embraces the idea of connecting the world with the arts.

The base materials of the Wancher Sekai fountain pen have been carefully selected from natural precious woods from all over the world such as Ebony and Sandalwood. It is then crafted with traditional arts such as Urushi, Maki-e or decorated with high-quality Japanese Sterling Silver clip.

Saihi Urushi

Flourished in Huizhou (徽州), China since the Song Dynasty, Saihi Urushi was considered a royal art - a tribute only to the imperial that only a few common citizens can even lay hands upon. For many generations, the artisans of Huizhou guarded this technique so secretly that there were even times when rarely anyone practiced it during the 20th century.

Yet, fortunately, with the help of the passionate artisans in Fuzhou, Wancher have now managed to witness and bring this art to you in the shape of the Sekai fountain pens.

The art of Saihi Urushi

The key of Saihi-nuri not only lies in the treacherous and painstaking process but even more, in the distinctive material - Raw Natural Urushi. Saihi Urushi can only be made by Raw Natural Urushi, which is known for its rich color, bold texture, and semi-matt finish. With its distinct nature, Raw Urushi can enhance the durability of the natural wooden base, and create an extraordinary feel for the pen as well. As time goes by, the finish will grow even brighter and glossier with consistent use, resulting in a beautiful aging process that you can appreciate for many years to come.

The traditional Saihi-nuri technique on lacquerware is a sophisticated process. On fountain pens, even though adjusted, crucial steps and standards need to be followed:

• First, the sap is collected, filtered, and prepared for the lacquering process.
• After the base layer is applied, the ridges are formed. Since this step will define the frame of the final finish, each ridge is applied carefully one by one, creating a unique flow and pattern on each piece.
• Gold Leaf 金箔 is followed to add a shimmering effect for the gold pattern later on.
• Next, multiple layers of colored Urushi are applied until all ridges are covered fully, which can take up to 30 ~ 40 layers. Since each layer can only be added after the previous is completely dried, the process can take from 3~4 months of attentive work.
• Now, the pen is ready for the last and most crucial step – Sanding and Polishing. The final result lies in the artisan's skill, whether or not they might overwork it and lose the gold pattern in this step.

Wancher Sekai Saihi Urushi: A combination of traditional arts

On top of the traditional Saihi-nuri method, the skillful Fuzhou artisans has also been experimenting other arts during the crafting process as well. This time, Wancher is astounded by their Saihi-nuri artwork with the decoration of subtle Raden inlays. These two elements complements surprisingly well and unexpectedly creates a mesmerizing finish that we have rarely seen anywhere else.

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 Sekai Aizu uses a standard international cartridge or converter, and writes with a smooth #6 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.