Nakaya Personalization Options
Guide To Nakaya Personalization Options
Most Nakaya pens can be special-ordered with personalized options including custom roll-stoppers, zogan inlays, and hand-painted kanji calligraphy. Click here for a guide to the nib options available on all Nakaya pens, both standard and personalized, and here for a guide to clip plating options.
Personalized Nakaya pens generally require a minimum of four months to be produced and often much longer. A 60% non-refundable deposit is required for all Nakaya personalized pens. Orders for personalized pens are final and cannot be changed after the order has been placed.
Rolling Stoppers
Nakaya Rolling Stoppers are created in cast silver and made available in eight different finishes and platings: Polished Silver, Unpolished Silver, Fumigated Silver, Vermeil Gold, Matte Gold, Pink Gold, Rhodium, and Ruthenium. Gemstone eyes (pictured below) in Emerald, Peridot, Ruby, and Sapphire are available for many Stoppers at an additional cost.
Pens ordered with Rolling Stoppers are considered special order items - minimum production time is three to six months. Rolling Stoppers can only be sold on a pen - due to Nakaya policies, we are not allowed to sell loose Rolling Stoppers under any circumstances. A non-refundable 60% deposit payment is required.
Nakaya Rolling Stoppers are specially created for each different pen model, and it may not be possible to swap an existing roll stopper between different pens.
Rolling Stopper Finishes and Plating
Polished Silver: The cast silver is polished to a bright gleam, but can tarnish over time - we recommend purchasing a polishing cloth to renew the shine. For a similar appearance but not as subject to tarnish, choose Rhodium plating instead. Best matched with rhodium-plated or two-tone nibs.
Unpolished Silver: The cast silver is left unpolished, resulting in a matte finish. Like the Polished Silver, this finish will tarnish over time, and we suggest regular use of a polishing cloth. Best matched with rhodium-plated, ruthenium-plated, or two-tone nibs.
Fumigated Silver: Cast silver is treated with a liquid which stabilizes the surface and adds a smoky patina. The result closely resembles Ruthenium plating and is also less subject to tarnish than the Polished Silver and Unpolished Silver finishes. Best with ruthenium-plated nibs.
Vermeil Gold: A thin layer of gold is plated over the cast silver, providing a glossy yellow gold surface and protecting the stopper from tarnish. This is a particularly appropriate finish for pens furnished with a single-tone yellow gold nib or with a two-tone nib.
Matte Gold: Like the Vermeil Gold, but with a matte unpolished surface for a subtler effect. Appropriate with single-tone yellow gold and with two-tone nibs.
Pink Gold: Pink or rose gold plating over cast silver, this luxurious plating clearly pairs with pink gold plated nibs.
Rhodium: Rhodium plating over the cast silver, this plating protects against tarnish and pairs with rhodium-plated and two-tone nibs.
Ruthenium: Similar to fumigated finish, ruthenium plating makes a great match when choosing a ruthenium-plated nib.
Zogan inlays are diamond-shaped and created either from 24k yellow gold or 18k white gold. Placement is on the gripping section in line with the nib. Zogan inlays are available for any Nakaya pen with an ebonite body, but are not available for the small number of Briarwood or acrylic-body pens.
Any Nakaya ebonite pen can also be special ordered with personalized Kanji calligraphy on the barrel end. Nakaya prefers that kanji only be used for personal names, not for words or phrases. All decisions about whether to accept a customer's specific request for kanji are at Nakaya's sole discretion.
Available colors are silver, black, red, and gold. The usual location for kanji calligraphy is on the bottom of the the barrel end, opposite from the nib side of the pen. Kanji lettering in other areas of the pen body can sometimes be accomodated, but is again at the sole discretion of Nakaya. For Decapod and Decapod Twist pens only, kanji cannot be placed on the barrel, and can only be placed on the gripping section, on the side opposite the nib face.
A maximum of four characters is allowed. Maki-e painting of this kind is only done by Nakaya in kanji, and not in the English alphabet or other languages.
Nakaya prefers that you submit in standard English lettering the name you would like to have realized in kanji. Nakaya will then select the kanji characters for you, based either on a translation or phonetic transliteration. We will always send a final sample of the kanji for your approval before production begins on your pen. Kanji lettering adds a small premium to the cost of your Nakaya pen, and also adds to the wait time - pens ordered with kanji calligraphy will almost always require a minimum of four to six months to be completed.
Please note that kanji characters are created in calligraphic script utilizing the creative judgement of the Maki-e artist - Nakaya cannot guarantee that a particular style or form will be given to the characters. Samples provided by Nakaya designate the characters to be used, but not necessarily the style in which those characters will be realized on the pen itself.
Other Personalizations - Ishime Kanshitsu Gripping Sections and Gold or Silver Gradation
Please note that personalizations for Ishime Kanshitsu gripping sections or gold or silver gradation are very rare and must be ordered by contacting us directly at [email protected] or (323) 655-2641 - these personalizations cannot be ordered through our cart system.
Nakaya can also provide custom personalizations such as unique motifs, use of precious materials, and other unusual techniques - if you have an idea for a personalized Nakaya that goes beyond the choices shown here, please contact us to begin the process of planning your pen order.
Gold or Silver Gradation
Gold or Silver Gradation is a time-intensive technique in which gold or silver powder is carefully hand-applied to the pen cap or barrel. Consult the chart below for current esimates on pricing - Nakaya frequently adjusts these prices based on current values and exchange rates.
Gold Silver
1 $2,220 $1,500
2 $2,220 $1,500
3 $2,220 $1,500
4 $2,220 $1,500
5 $2,220 $1,500
6 $2,220 $1,500
7 $200 $100
8 $200 $100
Entire grip section: $250 $150
Entire pen: $3,700 $2,000
Please note that pricing is cumulative for each gradation section - for example, a pen with gold gradation in patterns 3 and 7 would add a total of $2,420 to the base cost of the pen. A pen personalized with gradation technique generally requires a minimum of four to six months to be completed and will often take much longer.
Ishime Kanshitsu Gripping Sections
Ishime-Kashitsu finish is achieved through a time-intensive process in which layers of dried Urushi powder are sprinkled on top of underlying layers of smooth Urushi to provide a natural stone texture surface. Ishime gripping sections are available for any Nakaya pen with an ebonite body, but are not available for Briarwood or acrylic-body pens.
Current prices for Ishime-Kanshitsu gripping sections are $250 for most finishes, but as with gold gradation, these prices change frequently and will have to be confirmed at the time you place your order.