Pilot Pen of America is one of the most renowned pen brands. From pens for everyday use to extremely luxurious special editions, they have provided the world with an array of writing tools since 1972. Based in the United States, they are the third largest American writing instrument company and technically the fastest growing of them all (the American branch is following the great strides made by their parent company, Pilot Corporation in Tokyo, established all the way back in 1918!).

One of our favorite lines produced by Pilot is the Nippon Art Collection. The maki-e technique of intricate lacquered designs with gold and silver overtones is something that is hard for any other brand to duplicate. Taking the basic outline of the design and filling it with specially colored sprinkled powders is something that takes the craftsmen months or even years to perfect. Something that sets Namiki apart is that they also produce nibs in house.

Curious how Urushi lacquer pens are created? Check out our last blog on this exact topic! If the style of these pens interests you, you have several options to choose from. Outside of limited editions, Namiki has produced 6 collections for your unique taste: the Emperor Collection (featuring a jumbo pen nib); the Yukari Royale Collection (focused on a more graceful design involving nature); the regular Yukari Collection (an everyday carry size with designs involving the four seasons, plus mother of pearl and raised features); the Chinkin Collection (gold inlayed); the Urushi Collection (another jumbo pen, this time with non-oil lacquer and solid colors without designs), and of course the Nippon Art Collection.

The Nippon Art Collection

The Nippon Art fountain pens feature black lacquer with traditional Japanese designs that could be recognized anywhere. Featuring designs such as toys, animals, fish, dragons, mountains, flowers, and origami, this set is surely inspired by how the rest of the world views Asian culture. Featuring a flat maki-e design, some of our favorites from this series are highlighted below.

The Nippon Art Crane & Turtle: Did you know all Namikis are warrantied for life?

The Nippon Art Dragon & Cumulus: Did you know this series of Namikis fills via cartridge/converter and comes with a CON-70 included?

The Nippon Art Chinese Golden Phoenix: Did you know each Namiki comes not just in any normal case, but a velvet-lined wooden box?

The Nippon Art Golden Pheasant: Did you know all pens in the Nippon Art Collection come with a 14K gold nib?

Take Your Collection to New Heights

If you haven’t experienced a luxury Pilot Pen, owning a Namiki is a great place to start. While many luxury pen brands start in the $1,000+ range, Namikis can be owned from as low as half of that. In fact, our current stock of Namikis is on sale for $600, down from $750. Be sure to shop our collection of Namiki pens here. You will not be disappointed by these rare and unique pens!