Custom Pilot Heritage 912: Urushi Raden

Today, my first custom pen arrived all the way from Japan! This is a Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with a Waverly nib. The pen has been customized with raden (abalone shells) and an urushi finish. The comission took around 8 weeks from the initial email to arriving on my doorstep.

I had seen pictures of Hiroko's (@Bokumondoh on Instagram) work and knew that she was the right artist for the job. She specializes in urushi work, which uses sap from the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree. This tree is specific to north eastern Asia. The lacquer is applied with a brush and left to cure. This process is repeated several times over a period of several weeks. The end result is a resilient shiny finish.

I asked Hiroko to give this pen a lot of raden, as I like seeing the pens sparkle in the sunlight. I chose the Waverly nib for its uniqueness and am quite pleased with the result!

This is a beautiful pen and the pictures do not do it justice. The pen gleams at every angle, and writes extremely well! This is a pleasant, smooth writer without much feedback. The line width is similar to my Lamy 2000 <F>. 

Overall, I highly recommend Bokumondoh. She is a gifted artist with beautiful work. I am already planning on another customization!