Nakaya Naka-ai Writer Matte Black Hairline
With its subdued black hairline finish and tapered lines, the Nakaya Naka-ai Writer in Matte Black evokes a timeless yet modern style.
Nakaya pens ship in a solid softwood shipping box decorated with Japanese Kanji script and lined with decorative rice paper. A fabric pen "kimono" and starter box of Platinum brand cartridges are also included, making this pen a lovely presentation item. Sensible and elegant packaging has long been a hallmark of the Nakaya brand.
Nakaya pens are individually handcrafted in a process that requires a minimum of three to six months and often much longer.
Unless requested otherwise, each pen or nib you purchase from us will be carefully examined, tested, and optimized for your personal writing characteristics before it ships. See our nib set-up and optimization page for more details.
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 Deskpen.
Though all standard platings are made available, the ruthenium plating on the nib and clip pictured here complements the stealthy matte black finish.
Layers of black Urushi lacquer are applied over ebonite hard rubber to create the matte coating. Then the surface is lightly scarified to produce minute parallel hairlines. The result is felt between the fingers, giving traction to ones grip.
Nakaya pens can be filled with bottled fountain pen ink using the provided converter and can also use Platinum brand high quality ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available.
A ruthenium-plated clip adds to the sleek, stealthy look of the Naka-ai Writer in Matte Black. It also serves as a built-in rolling stopper, playing the practical function of preventing the pen from rolling off of a flat surface.
The Nakaya Naka-ai Writer Matte Black fountain pen is handcrafted from ebonite and Urushi lacquer, and comes standard with 
your choice of solid gold 14k single-tone nib in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Extra Broad,with Fine Soft, Medium Soft, and Super Extra Fine nibs also available. The double slit music nib is also available for those who want a very broad and wet "stubbish" writing point.
14k nibs are well-suited to customizations including Stub, Cursive Italic, and Left Oblique, as well as the modification for added flex.
Measurements & Specifications
| Clip | With Clip |
| Cap Type | Threaded |
| Closed Length | 5.9" |
| Postable | Not Postable |
| Barrel Length | 4.5" |
| Section Diameter | 0.4" |
| Cartridge Capacity | 1.5 ml |
| Converter Capacity | 0.5 ml |
| Ink Capacity | 1.5 ml |
| Filling System | Cartridge-Converter |
| Pen Weight | 26.4 g |
| Barrel Diameter | 0.6 |