I've had my Nakaya kuro-tamenuri Piccalo for a year now, but it still seems to be as dark as the day I got it. While the little pen stand, also kuro-tamenuri, has lightened significantly and shows a nice depth of color from the layers, the "pool effect". Is it exposure to air or light that causes the lightening? My Piccalo spends most of its time inside the "kimono" that Nakaya provides. I would like to have it lighten up a bit.

[edit for grammer]

Light is what causes the change, I believe. Urushi pens which are stored will never show much... but if you used the pen every day, and kept it resting on a pen pillow on your desk when not in use, it would show the dramatic colour change illustrated on the Nakaya website in the year or so.

You should cuddle it .. and it will lighten!

I use my Piccolo every day at the office. It is always out in the open. I can't wait to see what color it turns.

Guess I'll start leaving it sit out in the open as often as I can. The pillow has formed a nice variation, the slight differences in the urushi layer thicknesses give it a beautiful mottled look. Wish I could take a good photo of this, I've tried but can't capture the depth.