Fountain Pen Review: Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age

It's the New Year and Rants of The Archer welcomes 2023 with a brand new fountain pen review! To start the year here's another "fountain pen first" for me and this blog, an Urushi fountain pen from Japan's Wancher Inc., the Oita-based company led by Taizo Okagaki and his team. Last year, I collaborated with Wancher in my first-ever review of their flagship fountain pen model, the Dream Pen in True Ebonite. Following the success of the first review, Wancher sent two beautiful fountain pens from their Sekai Collection, together with a leather pen case and a discount code for everyone who buys a Sekai fountain pen! (Details at the end of this review.)

I've been using fountain pens for almost 15 years now, and I've seen many pens from other fountain pen collectors. But the pens from Wancher are so unique that using them becomes an unforgettable experience. The fountain pen in this review is a Sekai Tsugaru Urushi in Midori-Age finish. I'm not a fan of green pens or inks, but this green and red Urushi fountain pen is beautiful, it's exquisite, and it's like no other pen I've seen or used before! 

Wancher's packaging of their fountain pens is in traditional Japanese presentation boxes.

I love this traditional Japanese wooden box that Wancher sends their pens in. A monoprint of a fountain pen and sakura are printed on the cover, together with Japanese Kanji that says "special writing instrument." Inside the box, the Sekai fountain pen is safely tucked inside a pen kimono, together with a pack of ink cartridges, a guarantee certificate, an instruction manual, and a certificate of authenticity of the Sekai fountain pen. These traditional Japanese wooden boxes remind me of the wooden box that my father made for my class project when I was a young school kid, which I later filled with stationery, bookmarks, stickers, clippings, and other ephemera. 

The Wancher traditional wooden presentation box includes the Sekai fountain pen in the pen kimono, a pack of ink cartridges, a guarantee certificate, an instruction manual, and a certificate of authenticity.

The Sekai fountain pen collection embraces the idea of connecting the world with the arts, inspired by the World Tree in many mythologies. Sekai fountain pens are made from precious woods such as ebony and sandalwood, and then crafted with Urushi, Maki-e, or simply decorated with a high-quality Japanese Sterling Silver clip. I am new to Urushi and how it's done, but Wancher provides an excellent description of the process. According to Wancher, Tsugaru Urushi refers to lacquerware made in the city of Tsugaru in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Known as one of the most skill-intensive Urushi techniques, Tsugaru-nuri is sophisticated yet stunningly beautiful with its unusual finish.

Sekai Tsugaru fountain pens are crafted with Kara-nuri, a high-quality Tsugaru-nuri technique that shows distinctive speckled patterns created by four to six different Urushi color lacquers. With this technique, many layers of different Urushi are applied to wooden or ebonite surfaces using a spatula-like tool, called a shikake-bera. Urushi lacquer is then allowed to dry for three to four months, after which artisans will start polishing to even the surface. The final finish becomes smooth and glossy, showing mottled patterns. It's amazing to know that the whole process takes several months and is totally done by hand.

Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age

I had a hard time choosing pens from Sekai Collection because all the pens are beautiful! I chose Midori-Age for its unique green and red colors, and I am happy with my pen choice. It is a medium-sized pen, measuring 5.52 inches while capped and 5.02 inches uncapped, weighs 23g, is well-balanced, and is comfortable to use for writing. 

This green and red fountain pen is a perfect starter for the year!

This Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age pen has the following specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.52 in | 14 cm
• Length, uncapped (nib tip to barrel's end): 5.02 in | 12.7 cm
• Full pen weight: 23 g | 0.81 oz
• Body material: Base materials are natural precious woods such as ebony and sandalwood. 
• Trim: None
• Cap: Ebonite, screw-on, can be posted
• Clip: None, but Wancher offers a selection of roll stoppers
• Nib: No. 6 Jowo stainless steel in Fine, also available in Extra Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub 1.1, or Stub 1.5. Wancher also offers other nibs, including a Jowo gold-plated stainless steel, Wancher 18k rhodium-plated, and Wancher 18k solid gold.
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter, both supplied with each pen
• Color: Green, with visible streaks of red, black, and gold; also available in Karashi-Age, Ro-Age, Kuru-Age, Aka-Age, and Ao-age

Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen can be filled with ink using a converter or standard international ink cartridges, both are included in the box.  

Wancher notes that this Urushi fountain pen is made using the Kara-nuri technique, where many different lacquers were applied using the shikake-bera, a spatula-like tool. Some traces of this tool can be seen on the pen's surface. These are not defects but a unique charm and artistic trait of the pen itself. 

Midori-Age up close. The Urushi on this pen is bright and vivid.

The Urushi lacquer is so smooth and glossy that I could not get this image without the fabric's pattern's reflection on the pen's cap and barrel ends.

I'm glad that Wancher sent this fountain pen with a Fine nib. The stainless steel Jowo nib bears the Wancher logo and the nib width (F). It is wet and writes smoothly the first time I inked it. It wrote so well out of the box without any modification or priming prior to use. This nib is one of the smoothest Fine nibs that I have ever tried.

Wancher also offers other nibs for their fountain pens, including stainless steel (SS) and SS gold-plated Jowo (Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1, and 1.5), Wancher SS and gold-plated SS nibs, rhodium-plated 18k gold (Medium or Broad), and 18k solid gold (Medium or Broad). They are even offering Christmas nibs in Extra Fine and Medium with bells and snowman designs.

This western Fine nib is wet and smooth! One of the smoothest Fine nibs I've ever tried.

Here is the Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen with the Dream Pen True Ebonite.

The Sekai Midori-Age is a medium-sized fountain pen, and it has almost the same length as a Leonardo Furore. It is shorter than the Tibaldi Bononia, Wancher Dream Pen, and Esterbrook Estie Oversize. The section (grip) is also more slender than most of the pens in this line-up, but it is very comfortable to hold when writing.

From the top: Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Arancio, Tibaldi Bononia Seashell Mist, Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age, Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red, and Esterbrook Estie Rocky Top OS.

These pens all have No. 6 nibs.

To test how the Fine nib in Midori-Age writes, I filled it with matching green ink, Robert Oster Mistletoe, a Truphae exclusive. It was my first time using this green ink, and RO Signature Mistletoe looked so good in Midori-Age's wet Fine nib. I chose a quote from one of my favorite books written by a Japanese author, The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa. 

I'm pleased that the stainless steel Fine nib wrote smoothly out of the box, without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The pen wrote smoothly, and I had a fuss-free writing experience with a well-balanced fountain pen.

A combination of firsts — first time to use this green ink in this green pen, writing my first page of book quotes in this Apica notebook. A perfect triple match!

Wancher provides each pen with its own pen kimono. The thick kimono protects the Sekai Midori-Age fountain pen.

I know I said this in my Dream Pen review last year, but in experience as a fountain pen collector and reviewer, I did not imagine being able to try an Urushi pen from Japan. I have seen Urushi pens in other people's collections and they are truly beautiful. The Midori-Age is a wonderful and amazing pen and sometimes I spend minutes just looking at it, enjoying its beauty and thinking of how long it took for this pen to get this beautiful. I am very happy and pleased with the Wancher Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age fountain pen, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand and its fountain pens. Wancher has been making unique fountain pens since 2011, with the commitment to use the finest materials and craftsmanship in their products. So what are you waiting for? Get a Wancher Sekai fountain pen in your collection! 

Yes, you want to get one! Our friends at Wancher have kindly offered a discount code for everyone who reads and follows Rants of The Archer! Use the code ARCHER10 at checkout and get 10% off on any Sekai fountain pens that you will purchase! That's an amazing discount for you! Go get a Sekai now!

Rants of The Archer thanks Taizo Okagaki and Wancher Inc. for providing the Sekai Tsugaru Urushi Midori-Age in this review. This pen is available at Wancher starting at US$450. 

To learn more about Wancher Inc. and its offerings, visit its website at https://www.wancherpen.com/. For updates, promos, and giveaways, follow Wancher on social:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wancher_official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WancherGlobal/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wancher_global
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-0nR5YYuh17DGVVYT4Mlw

Fountain Pen Review: Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red

I have been using fountain pens since 2008. I have used and owned many fountain pens, many of them made from acrylic, special resin, and ABS plastic — tough, durable, and made to last the tumble and stumble of daily use. Last February, an offer to review a fountain pen added a new material and pen to my collection and brought a new product to Rants of The Archer. Wancher Inc., the Oita-based company that Taizo Okagaki built in 1987 sent me one from their flagship fountain pen model, the Dream Pen in True Ebonite. 

The Dream Pen is Wancher's first flagship fountain pen model. I still remember the frenzy during Wancher's launch of their Kickstarter campaign for the Dream Pen in 2018. Back then, they offered three models: True Ebonite, True Urushi, and True Maki-e. The launch was a huge success, and now the Dream Pen has 14 models, including several types of urushi, a Titanium, and the highly-coveted Raden.

Wancher's traditional Japanese presentation box. 

Sand Red is my very first Wancher fountain pen, and I love its packaging in a traditional Japanese wooden box. The box has a nice monoprint of a fountain pen and sakura tied together by a deep red elastic band with tassels on both ends. Inside the box, the Sand Red fountain pen is safely tucked inside a pen kimono, together with ink cartridges, an instruction manual, a postcard, and a guarantee certificate. The Wancher box reminds me of the box that my father made for me when I was a young school kid, which I filled with stationery, bookmarks, stickers, clippings, and other ephemera.

The Wancher traditional wooden presentation box includes the Sand Red fountain pen and pen kimono, a Tsugaru Urushi pen pillow, ink cartridges, an instruction manual, a postcard, and a guarantee certificate.

This Wancher pen is also my first ebonite fountain pen. I am glad that Wancher recommended the Dream Pen because I like the traditional and minimalist cigar-shaped design of the pen. The Dream Pen's simple design speaks elegance and I had a hard time choosing one from the eight pens in the True Ebonite series because all the pens are beautiful! I chose Sand Red for its unique and uncommon red color, and I am happy with my pen choice. It is a large pen, measuring 6.05 inches while capped, and 5.24 inches uncapped, but it is well-balanced and comfortable to use for writing.

Sand Red is a very unique pen. Made from ebonite, an excellent material from natural rubber that is durable and has a warm feel for handwriting. Ebonite has been used in making fountain pens since the early 20th century, but its complex production process turned manufacturers to other materials that are easier to work with. Wancher is now using the finest ebonite from Japan as an homage to traditional fountain pen manufacturing, combining vintage materials and minimalist design.

Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red

I noticed that the color of Sand Red changes according to the intensity of light. In bright light, it appears almost like dark pink to pale red. However, in low light, Sand Red looks like a dark cherry red. 

The Wancher Dream Pen Sand Red fountain pen has a unique red color.

My Sand Red fountain pen has the following specifications:

• Length, capped: 6.05 in | 15.36 cm
• Length, uncapped (nib tip to barrel's end): 5.24 in | 13.30 cm
• Full pen weight: 26 g | 0.92 oz
• Body material: Ebonite
• Trim: None
• Cap: Ebonite, screw-on, cannot be posted
• Clip: None, but Wancher offers a selection of roll stoppers
• Nib: No. 6 Jowo stainless steel in Medium, also available in Extra Fine, Fine, Broad, Stub 1.1, or Stub 1.5. Wancher also offers other nibs, including Jowo gold plated stainless steel, Wancher 18k rhodium-plated, and Wancher 18k solid gold.
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter, both supplied with each pen purchase.
• Color: Sand Red; also available in Marble Red, Marble Blue, Marble Purple Gray, Marble Green, Marble Brown, Matt Black, and Silk Black. 

Sand Red can be filled with ink using a converter or standard international ink cartridges, both are included in the box.  

Another key feature of the Dream Pen series is its compact air-tight caps to prevent ink from drying out in the nib and avoid hard starts. The mechanism also ensures a secure cap closure. However, this cap doesn't have a finial, and the screw-on cap cannot be posted, but this is not a problem for me as I rarely post my pens.

Ebonite up close. Sand Red ebonite is smooth and polished to a high gloss.

I chose a medium steel nib for Sand Red, for my current writing preference. The stainless steel Jowo nib bears the Wancher logo and the nib width (M). It is wet and wrote smoothly the first time I inked it. It wrote so well out of the box and did not need any modification or priming prior to use. 

Wancher also offers other nibs for their fountain pens, including gold-plated stainless steel Jowo (Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1, and 1.5), rhodium-plated 18k gold (Medium or Broad), and 18k solid gold (Medium or Broad).

This western Medium nib on a Japanese fountain pen is a gusher! It's wet and writes smoothly.

The Sand Red is a large fountain pen, and it has almost the same length as the Esterbrook Oversize and Edison Collier. It is also longer than the Montegrappa Miya 450 and Leonardo Furore. The Sand Red's section (grip) is slender than most of the pens in this line-up, but it is very comfortable to hold when writing.

From the top: Esterbrook Estie Rocky Top Oversize, Montegrappa Miya 450, Wancher Sand Red, Leonardo Furore Zenzero (Ginger), and Edison Collier Antique Marble.

No. 6 nibs fit all these wonderful fountain pens.

To test how the Sand Red's nib writes, I filled it with new red ink from Robert Oster. RO Signature Direct Sun looks so good in Sand Red's wet medium nib. I'm pleased that the stainless steel nib wrote smoothly out of the box, without the need for any adjustments or tuning. I did not experience any hard starts or skipping. The pen wrote smoothly, and I had a fuss-free writing experience with a well-balanced fountain pen.

New red ink for my new red fountain pen. Robert Oster Signature Direct Sun is a perfect match for Sand Red.

Sand Red's Medium nib writes like a Broad! But I'm not complaining, as it writes so smoothly. I am rereading Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and I love this part of the book's first chapter.

Aside from watches and fountain pens, Wancher also offers different accessories, including leather cases, wooden cases, and pen pillows. Wancher has kindly offered to include a pen pillow for Sand Red and I chose the Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow. It is crafted with Kara-nuri, a high-quality Tsugaru-nuri technique that illustrates distinctive speckled patterns created by four to six different Urushi color lacquers. I have yet to save up for my first Urushi fountain pen, but the Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow will fill my Urushi wish for now. This Pen Pillow is a nice addition to a pen collector's set of accessories.

Wancher's Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow - Aka-age

In my time and experience as a fountain pen collector and reviewer, I did not imagine that I will try an ebonite pen from Japan, or even own one. I have always dreamed of getting an ebonite and an urushi fountain pen, and Sand Red came along. It's a wonderful and amazing pen and sometimes I spend minutes staring at it, just enjoying its beauty. I am very happy and pleased with the Wancher Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red fountain pen, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the brand and its fountain pens. Wancher has been making unique fountain pens since 2011, with the commitment to use the finest materials and craftsmanship in their products. What are you waiting for? Get a Wancher fountain pen in your collection!

Wancher provides each pen with its own pen kimono. My pen's kimono is thick and protects my Sand Red fountain pen.

Rants of The Archer thanks Taizo Okagaki and Wancher Inc. for providing the Dream Pen True Ebonite Sand Red and Tsugaru Urushi Pen Pillow in this review. Sand Red is available at Wancher starting at US$200, while the pen pillow retails for US$80. 

To learn more about Wancher Inc. and its offerings, visit its website at https://www.wancherpen.com/. For updates, promos, and giveaways, follow Wancher on social:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wancher_official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WancherGlobal/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wancher_global
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-0nR5YYuh17DGVVYT4Mlw