Sailor Susudake Maki-e Limited Edition Fountain Pen | Sato Kiyoteru

Sailor Susudake Maki-e Limited Edition Fountain Pen

A pen that carries centuries of Japanese craft within its grain. The barrel of this extraordinary Sailor limited edition is fashioned from susudake — smoked bamboo harvested from the rooftops of century-old Kyoto machiya townhouses, where decades of hearth smoke have transformed the bamboo into a deep, lustrous tobacco-brown unique to each piece. No two barrels are alike.

The cap and barrel ends are fitted with ebony (kokutan) inlaid with mother-of-pearl (raden), framing the warm bamboo with a jewel-like contrast of dark wood and iridescent shell.

Maki-e Artistry by Sato Kiyoteru

The maki-e lacquer decoration is the work of Sato Kiyoteru (佐藤清照), the dedicated maki-e artist of the legendary Nagahara pen shop. Kiyoteru's work combines hira maki-e (flat lacquer painting) with raden mother-of-pearl inlay, creating a surface that shimmers and breathes with light. Each piece bears his personal seal — the character 「照」 — a mark of authenticity and mastery found on every work he signs.

Key Features

• Susudake Bamboo Barrel — Kyoto century-old smoked bamboo, naturally darkened to a rich deep brown; each barrel is one-of-a-kind
• Ebony & Mother-of-Pearl Fittings — Cap and barrel ends in ebony inlaid with raden shell
• Hira Maki-e + Raden Decoration — Hand-painted lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay by master artist Sato Kiyoteru
• 「照」 Seal — Kiyoteru's personal artist mark, guaranteeing authenticity
• Cross Emperor Nib — Fitted with Sailor's Cross Emperor nib featuring a dual-layer ink feed system for exceptionally smooth and consistent ink flow
• 5 Designs in Series — Part of a production series of 5 distinct maki-e designs
• International Edition — Overseas version limited to 50 numbered pieces

Specifications

• Barrel Material: Susudake (smoked bamboo), century-old Kyoto origin
• Fittings: Ebony with raden (mother-of-pearl) inlay
• Decoration: Hira maki-e + raden, by Sato Kiyoteru
• Nib: Cross Emperor 
• Edition: International limited edition — 50 numbered pieces
• Series: 1 of 5 designs in the Susudake Maki-e collection

To hold a Sailor Susudake Maki-e is to hold Kyoto itself — the smoke of old hearths, the patience of a lacquer master, and the quiet permanence of bamboo that has outlasted generations.