Custom Urushi Fountain Pens
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Sometimes I may have finished products ready for sale. These will be posted on the product page when there are available.
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You can order custom urushi work based on a list of standard designs. This will be periodically updated as new designs are added to the catalogue.
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Custom designs that differ from existing works are available upon request, with prices quoted individually.
Urushi or 漆 is a natural material derived from the tree sap of the lacquer tree Toxicodendron vernicifluum.
The final product is entirely handcrafted and takes several months to complete. Given the handmade nature of this craft, no two items will be identical.
To get a better understanding of my current style you can refer to my past works shown on this website and on instagram. This will continue to evolve as I grow in the craft and explore more techniques.
Urushiol cures through an oxidative polymerisation reaction catalysed through an enzyme (laccase). While it cures dry to touch within several days, the trace amounts of urushiol can take several months after completion of a product to fully cure.
As such, those who are hypersensitive to urushiol may still have an allergic response when handling a recently completed urushi product.
Order Guidelines
1. I will not repeat existing designs from other artists. If the requested
design is too similar to one from another artist, an alternative design will
be suggested for you to consider.
2. There are certain designs that will be exclusive to other companies,
and will not be available to order through my own commissioned work. For
example, the Lost Planet design from Kyuseido, and other future works
through them.
3. There are certain urushi techniques that I may not be familiar enough
with to offer as custom work at this moment, and will inform you at the
beginning if the design may need to be adjusted.
4. I can work on pens sent to me (only if the clip can be removed), or help
to purchase a pen locally (in Hong Kong, 10% processing fee added) on your behalf. Pens can be
shipped to a forwarding address that will forward mail to HK, or directly
sent to me (sender bears shipping cost).
5. 50% of the total price will need to be paid as a non-refundable
deposit before orders are accepted. The remaining 50% plus shipping
will be paid after the urushi work is completed. During shipping, the full
price of the pen will be declared on the shipping label to satisfy custom
and duty regulations and also for insurance purposes.
6. Payment methods include Wise transfer, Bank transfer, or Credit Card invoice. Once
the order and design is confirmed, an invoice will be sent in HKD which
will require a 50% deposit within a week to confirm a spot on the
commission list. If the pen needs to be sent to me, please send it
approximately 3-4 weeks before the expected start date in order to give
it enough transit time.
7. For fully custom designs, please indicate if you wish this to be a one-off
design, or if it can be incorporated into future orders. One-off requests
will be subject to an additional fee.
Order Workflow
Pay 100 HKD deposit (non-refundable) and fill in the order form. This will be deducted from the 50% deposit when the order is confirmed.
Once order details and price is confirmed you will receive an invoice for 50% deposit (non-refundable) for payment within one week.
After payment, send your pen to the address provided, or arrange for purchase of pen locally.
I will confirm receipt of the pen and provide the first update after the design/inlay is applied. A second update will follow near completion at the polishing stage.
At the polishing stage it will take ~ 3-4 weeks for the pen to be completed including additional curing time.
After completion and additional curing time, you will receive an invoice for the remaining 50% plus shipping fee (payment due on receipt of invoice).
If payment is not received within a month of notification, your deposit will be forfeited and I reserve the right to sell the finished product.
Your pen will be sent out after receiving payment.
Forwarding addresses to HK are available in the US, CAN, UK, Europe, AUS (other locations pls ask)
Asia - can ship directly to me or forwarding address located in various Asian countries
Payment Methods
50% of the total price will need to be paid as a non-refundable deposit before orders are accepted.
The remaining 50% and shipping will need to be paid once the order is completed. You will be notified 3-4 weeks in advance as to when the pen will be completed to provide enough lead time for payment before sending the final invoice.
Finished orders are non-refundable. If final payment is not received within a month of notification, your deposit will be forfeited and I reserve the right to sell the finished product.
Payment methods include:
1. Wise Transfer - 4% discount on total price will be offered with Wise or Bank transfer
Please check Wise website for how to set up account details - https://www.wise.com
2. Credit Card Invoice (Issued through payment link)
3. Local HK FPS/ Bank Transfer
Shipping
Packages will be shipped using HK Post.
The estimated international shipping costs are as follows:
E-express - 50-150 HKD/ 7-20 USD depending on location. Added insurance covers up to but not exceeding 5000 HKD/ 640 USD
Speedpost/ EMS - 350-400 HKD/ 45-50 USD depending on location. Added insurance covers over 5000 HKD/ 640 USD
*Exact shipping fees will be calculated depending on location