Designed by Nakaya master pen designer Shinichi Yoshida in collaboration with Classic Fountain Pen's John Mottishaw, the Naka-ai, with its peaked ends and tapered body, combines many of Nakaya’s most distinctive design features in a single model. "Naka-ai" has the meaning of middle or in-between, and brings to mind the Middle Way of Buddhist practice with its emphasis on balance, integrity, and centeredness. Appropriately enough, the Naka-ai occupies a midway position between Nakaya's smaller Piccolo series pens and the longer Desk pen - this is a pen that will be a very comfortable fit for most pen users. And the cat motif reinforces this attitude. 

Nakaya Naka-ai pens are hand-turned from ebonite hard rubber at the Nakaya workshop in Tokyo and then painstakingly hand-finished with Urushi lacquer in the Wajima region of Japan. Motifs are hand-painted using traditional methods by skilled Maki-e artists.

 

The Nakaya Tame-sukashi Cat can be filled with bottled fountain pen ink using the provided converter. Nakaya pens can also use Platinum brand ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available.

Unless requested otherwise, each pen or nib you purchase from us will be carefully examined, tested, and optimized for your personal writing characteristics before we send it to you.