Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Matte Black Hairline
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 - this is a pen that will be a very comfortable fit for most pen users.
Matte Black Hairline, in which a light layer of clear Urushi lacquer is applied over ebonite hard rubber, is one of the most appealing and subtly modernistic finishes created by Nakaya. When paired with the tapered lines of the clipless Naka-ai Cigar, this is a pen both timeless and contemporary at the same time.
Like all Nakaya Urushi pens, each Naka-ai pen is made of naturally harvested, hand-turned ebonite hard rubber, then sent to the Wajima region in western Japan for finishing with Urushi lacquer. Final assembly is then accomplished in Nakaya's offices in Tokyo and at the Classic Fountain Pens workshop in Los Angeles, where each nib is hand-tuned for the writing characteristics of the individual user.
Nakaya pens can be filled with bottled fountain pen ink using the provided converter and can also use Platinum brand ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available.
Measurements & Specifications
| 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 | 23.8 g |
| Barrel Diameter | 0.6 |
