How an ēnsso Urushi Ebonite fountain pen is handmade in Japan.

PIUMA minimalist fountain pen in Urushi Ebonite. Limited to 50 pieces and available at https://www.ensso.com/collections/fro...

This special edition is handmade in Japan using the ancient Urushi techniques. The pens are made from Nikko Ebonite and lacquered in Urushi layers for several months. Ebonite is a hard rubber obtained by vulcanizing natural rubber from gum trees with sulfur and linseed oil. Urushi is a traditional Japanese lacquering technique using natural wood resin. The pens are lacquered in ‘Kuro Tame-nuri’, which means that there are multiple vermillion layers at the bottom, followed by more translucent black layers on top. The result is a rich glossy black with hints of the vermillion layers at the edges and threads. Each pen takes many months to complete as the Urushi layers take several days to air dry in specific natural conditions.