on saleNamiki Emperor Maki-e Fountain Pen - Murasaki-Shikibu

Product Code PN60732

In Stock

out of stock

on saleNamiki Emperor Maki-e Fountain Pen - Murasaki-Shikibu

Product Code PN60732

In Stock

out of stock

$7,000.00
Nib Guide

Not sure which size nib is best for you?

Try our Nib Nook tool to view and compare nib widths using our writing samples. Learn more ›

This Namiki Emperor maki-e fountain pen was created by maki-e artisan Shinsai in Japan. It features the Togidashi-Taka Maki-e technique (burnished-raised maki-e), depicting the Japanese author Murasaki Shikibu. This fountain pen has a 18k gold nib in the massive #50 size. The large capacity barrel fills with ink via eyedropper, and the pen comes packaged in a wooden box with a bottle of ink. Each pen takes months to create.

The Emperor Collection is Namiki's highest ranking series. The body is shaped with ebonite, featuring the "Togidashi-Taka Maki-e (Burnished-Raised Maki-e)" technique, where high skills are necessary. As these pens are truly one-of-a-kind pieces of art, they are warrantied for life by Namiki.

Please allow us up to several extra days for shipping of this pen. Please also note we are unable to accept a return of this pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.
Condition
New
Brand
Namiki
Type
Fountain Pens
Color
Black
Demonstrator

Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.

No
Body Material
Ebonite, Urushi lacquer
Cap Type

How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).

Screw-cap
Compatible inks & refills

Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.

Bottled ink
Filling Mechanism

How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.

Eyedropper
Grip Material
Ebonite
Nib Size
Fine Medium, Medium, Broad
Nib Color
Two-Tone
Nib Material
18k Gold
Postable

Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.

Yes
Retractable

Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).

No
Diameter - Body
17.2mm (0.7in)
Diameter - Cap (without clip)
20mm (0.8in)
Diameter - Cap (with clip)
24.6mm (1in)
Diameter - Grip (mm)

Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.

13.2mm
Length - Body

The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.

157.2mm (6.2in)
Length - Cap
87.4mm (3.4in)
Length - Nib

The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.

31.7mm (1.2in)
Length - Overall (Closed)
174.1mm (6.9in)
Weight - Body

If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.

31g (1.1oz)
Weight - Cap
16.7g (0.6oz)
Weight - Overall (g)
47.7g

Customer Reviews

Based on 1 review
100%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
B
Brian B.
A Place Beyond the Extraordinary

Stop reading now unless you are prepared to fall irreversibly in love with pens that cost more than mortgages. I know of nothing like an Emperor. Emperors are from an alternative Universe of audacious design and of psychotic devotion to perfection. Using them is a daily ecstasy for me. I go back to my other beloved pens to remind myself there is a place beyond even the extraordinary.Despite the price, I give them five stars for value, because I can't estimate the value. Emperors exceeds my every dream about them. I think to myself: The artist Shinsai summons Murasaki-Shikibu in her garden 1000 years ago, about to write 'Tale of Genji' on her little table, curtains and wisteria rustling in the breeze. With colored lacquer, gold flecks---is there a hint of raden on the curtain edges? his proud yet humble signature channels her: 'write more, write better.' Maki-e art on a legendary writing instrument about a legendary writer? Could anything be more suitable?Emperors are big, bigger than big, gigantic. The flange on the section holds your fingers a more-than-respectful distance from the paper. Like the warning on an electric fence, it says danger! keep off that nib and feeder! I have big, slow hands, and these pens fit me like no other. But if you have small or medium-sized hands, or you like to work a nib fast and close to the paper, try an Emperor out first at a show, a shop, a club meetup, or a friend's: the form factor might not appeal to you. Of course, these pens are worthy if all you ever do is look at them. Under the cold spotlight of a shadowbox, the kind that jewelers use to show off diamonds, the blue of the curtain-pulls, the purple of the wisteria, the oranges and indigos of the curtains, the reds and greens of her kimono really pop. Ignore all my comments about size and writing if you're just going to admire your Emperor, and I wouldn't blame you for doing just that.First, the mechanisms. The cap thread is smooth and satisfying. The cap spins until the threads reach their end, then, with gentle finger pressure, snug up one or two more frictional hops that feel like haptics on your smart phone: tactile feedback that you've got the cap on just right. At the other end, when the plunger is tightened one or two frictional hops, the artwork on the barrel aligns with the artwork on the twist-**** for additional visual feedback that you've tightened it just right. The section threads are perfectly smooth but more tight. There is an o-ring to compress when tightening the section, sealing the ink chamber. The ink capacity is three eyedroppers full; I haven't measured it in milliliters, but it won't run out in a full day of non-stop writing. The twist-**** at the back adjusts the plunger and thus the flow from dry to wet. The medium nib gives a little feedback from the paper when adjusted to dry, much less on full wet. The feel on paper throughout the flow spectrum is total confidence. It won't skip or fail a start even after ten minutes sitting open. I have Emperors in medium and broad; I find the medium to be a medium medium, not on the fine side. I find the broads to be very broad, like a double broad in a European or American pen. I don't have a fine-point and probably will never buy one. Fine-point pens, in general, are not for me. The mediums and broads are flawless in performance and spectacularly intimidating in appearance.Of course, I keep the Emperors away from irreverent inks (like shimmering) and I don't take them out when I don't have time to pack and unpack them carefully. I am still learning how to care for them; I keep them wrapped in the polishing cloths that come with them or inside soft cotton XL jewelers' gloves. The barrel fits in the middle finger of a glove and the thumb of the glove stretches snugly over the cap, so the pen cannot fall out of the glove without deliberate action. A daub of ink on the hem of the glove reminds me which pen is inside. I then further pack them in an improvised, tough, ugly case so as not to attract too much idle attention. Emperors at 175 mm or 7 inch don't fit in any ordinary case I own, and I wouldn't put them in contact with nylon, acrylic, polyester, or the hard side of leather. I might try the soft side of leather or a non-artificial suede, but only after asking an expert. For now, I have an adequate solution for carrying them.

FAQs about Fountain Pens

How do I fill a fountain pen with ink? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above. 

Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:

  • Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
  • Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
  • Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
  • Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
  • Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.

Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.

How do I clean a fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck. 

It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:

How often do I need to clean my fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors. 

Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.

My pen won’t write! What do I do? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.

We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.

If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed. 

If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help! 

What's your return policy? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.

To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.

Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.