Longevity Of Urushi Pen

[jskywalker]

I wanted to get an Urushi pen, but is concern about their longevity. Reliability, discolouration, scratches etc.

 

I would like to appeal for pictures of your urushi pens, especially those old ones and those whih you use it daily.

 

There's rumours that urushi pens are brittle and prone to cracks. Is this true ?

[Kelly G]

Urushi lacquer is quite hard and durable. It will discolor with extended exposure to UV radiation; don’t leave an urushi pen lying in sunlight.

I’ve not heard of urushi pens being prone to cracks. I have three with a fourth on the way. No problems thus far.

[my63]

Urushi has been used in Japan for thousands of years rather than cutting and pasting someone else's words and trying to look clever I thought I would just post a link.

 

https://www.toki.tokyo/blogt/2016/12/8/urushi-lacquer-9000-years-of-beauty-and-durability

[jar]

Yup. One feature of some Japanese shrines is that every 60 years they get torn down and rebuilt. The urushi decorations at those shrines have a life of 60 years. But when I was much younger my first exposure to urushi objects was at the Walter's Art Gallery where they had many urishi coated objects dating back to before the creation of the United States. Many of the objects were common household items; tea services and cabinets and paper boxes and bowls. If it will only last a century or three I can accept it.

[dapprman]

Urushi lacquer itself will last centuries, with lightening over time. It is also very strong and should resist minor scratches, hence it's use. The brittle part is down to what it's applied to. Commonly ebonite and very thin strips of wood. It's been used for cups, sword scabbards, trays, jugs, sazuki, tokuri, etc for centuries, if not millennia.

 

The 60 years at a shrine (which I strongly suspect differs in different regions of Japan) is down to being reminded nothing is permanent in life, or life itself. Not down to the construction methods of the decorations.

 

In the context of the OP though, high chances are it will be an ebonite pen, which can be brittle, and should never be posted. Sun light will cause some fading, but not that much, and some of us welcome it as the outer layers will fade slightly over time allowing the under coats to come through - really only applicable if several colours have been used. The lacquer should be able to resist scratch worthy events, but in reality, with the amount the pen will cost you, you are more likely to keep it safe anyway and most of us probably use the silk kimono that's seems to be commonly supplied with pens of this type (well with Nakayas anyhow).

[Flounder]

Urushi has been used in Japan for thousands of years rather than cutting and pasting someone else's words and trying to look clever I thought I would just post a link.

 

https://www.toki.tokyo/blogt/2016/12/8/urushi-lacquer-9000-years-of-beauty-and-durability

 

It is said that lacquerware techniques appeared in Japan approximately 9,000 years ago, and sources say that people living in the Japanese archipelago during the stone-age discovered the durability and beauty of urushi and started using it to coat wood, pottery, baskets and bone objects, as well as repair broken pottery.

[EMQG]

Urushi lacquer itself will last centuries, with lightening over time. It is also very strong and should resist minor scratches, hence it's use. The brittle part is down to what it's applied to. Commonly ebonite and very thin strips of wood. It's been used for cups, sword scabbards, trays, jugs, sazuki, tokuri, etc for centuries, if not millennia.

 

The 60 years at a shrine (which I strongly suspect differs in different regions of Japan) is down to being reminded nothing is permanent in life, or life itself. Not down to the construction methods of the decorations.

 

In the context of the OP though, high chances are it will be an ebonite pen, which can be brittle, and should never be posted. Sun light will cause some fading, but not that much, and some of us welcome it as the outer layers will fade slightly over time allowing the under coats to come through - really only applicable if several colours have been used. The lacquer should be able to resist scratch worthy events, but in reality, with the amount the pen will cost you, you are more likely to keep it safe anyway and most of us probably use the silk kimono that's seems to be commonly supplied with pens of this type (well with Nakayas anyhow).

Since when should ebonite pens not be posted?

[dapprman]

A lot of the Japanese manufacturers take advantage of the strength of lacquer and , so as to keep the cap inline with the body, create a very thin cap. The result is there's not really enough thickness of ebonite to take the stress of being pushed against the barrel and so crackign becomes a risk - Nakaya actually warn you not to post. I know some people have suggested it could be down to the risk of scratching as well, but I would have thought the urushi layers would be fine.

[jar]

Since when should ebonite pens not be posted?

It depends on the thickness of the cap and the age of the pen.

[Arkanabar]

If ever I become so fabulously wealthy that I might afford a Nakaya, and there was nothing more pressing on which to spend the money, I will have to bear in mind the importance of not posting the pen.

[Mech-for-i]

Typically natural lacquer like urushi last but they are indeed sensitive to UV high temp and high humidity which would cause the material to debond from its cured state. It is hard but not as hard as enamelled paint or modern lacquer ( usually with a baked on process )。Asian and not just Japan had used lacquer wares for literally thousands of years but they also know to keep them in proper care. Just as any other fine crafted wares.

[Mew]

More than your lifetime if handled carefully. But it will get microscratches from use, that's unavoidable.

[jskywalker]

Can urushi be polished like resin ?

[jar]

Can urushi be polished like resin ?

Probably not.

[MichalK]

Can urushi be polished like resin ?

 

Nope. Final layers of urushi are very thing, and any polishing might easily destroy them. Its is easy to cut through such layers even with finest abrasives. Removing scratches from urushi pens is more of an additive the subtracting process - I did it several times but only on pens lacquered by me, never on my Nakayas.

[Tseg]

I’ve had a Namiki Vermillion #20 for a about 1.75 years. It is a daily user for me at home when I’m not traveling. I don’t treat it with kid gloves. On one hand the surface remains beautiful juicy wet looking... except I frequently set my pen down on my leather blotter. My pen rolls one way or another until stopped by the pocket clip. So now on my cap I have 2 scuff lines that have emerged where the cap rests on the blotter. I’d rather that was not the case, but it is what it is and it remains one of my favorite pens to write with and is more or less always inked. In hind sight I still probably would not do anything differently.

[Addertooth]

I have several Katana which the Saya (sheath) is Urushi Painted/Coated. Although the finish is hard and glossy, use does scratch and wear the finish. I would compare the wear resistance similar to a good quality Enamel paint. My favorite Katana, which gets handled several times a week, has clear wear on the finish.

[Marcwithac]

I have nearly a dozen Japanese urushi fountain pens. I keep them out of direct sunlight and don’t post the caps. Otherwise, I handle them no differently than I do any of my other pens. Each of the pens looks as beautiful as the day I bought it. In some, the color has changed slightly from the natural oils from my hand, but this is consistent with the pen’s advertising. As far as durability and scratches, I believe urushi is tougher than a lot of other materials. My oldest urushi pen is my first Nakaya, which I acquired in 2007. A few years ago, the pen slipped out of my shirt pocket (I had neglected to clip it to the outer part of the pocket) and fell onto pavement. I was devastated until I got the pen home and examined it with a loupe. There were a few small scratches on the 18K gold clip, but not a mark on the urushi surface of the pen. I don’t think a resin pen would have fared as well.

[Honeybadgers]

I wanted to get an Urushi pen, but is concern about their longevity. Reliability, discolouration, scratches etc.

 

I would like to appeal for pictures of your urushi pens, especially those old ones and those whih you use it daily.

 

There's rumours that urushi pens are brittle and prone to cracks. Is this true ?

 

I have an urushi pen that spent 35 years underwater in the ocean on a sunken WWII japanese transport and 35 more years in a box in a boiling hot arizona shed.

 

And large portions of the urushi are still intact. None has actually flaked off, only just been slowly pitted by the ocean

 

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Edited April 10, 2020 by Honeybadgers