WANCHER ZOGAN PEARL INLAY ENGRAVED Sakura &River of Time Black Fountain Pen

WANCHER

Zogan - Pearl Inlay Engraved Series

Sakura and River of Time Edition

Black Body Iridium Point Nib

Medium Nib Size

Fountain Pen

Zogan - Handmade Pearl Inlay Engraving Process

Zogan (in Japanese), or also known as Damascene, a metal inlaid manufacturing process, is a traditional Japanese Handcraft with a long history.

Originally developed from Ishikawa prefecture, Zogan  is the art of inlaying different metals into one another—typically, gold or silver into a darkly oxidized steel background—to produce intricate patterns similar to niello. The English term comes from a perceived resemblance to the rich tapestry patterns of damask silk.

Throughout the long history, Zogan was used to decorate Katana fittings and many other high class weapons.

However, the history has seen a blow to the Zogan industry. In the ninth year of the Meiji Restoration, that was the introduction of laws forbidding the ownership of weapons, especially katanas. Instead of halting their manufacturing wayof-life, the Zogan refocused their energy and skills to produce fine personal ornamentation, including fountain pen.

1200 year-history of Inlay Tradition-  the Proud of Kyoto

Types of Zogan - Japanese Inlay Engraving

Line Inlay (Referred to thread inlay, also with wire inlay)	The oldest technique, lower-carved grooves in the flea on the surface of the iron and copper, and flatten fit by hitting a line of gold and silver in the groove. The large blade of a burial mound excavated, collar, saddle bridge and pommel in (saddle tree), and etc.
Flat inlay	Lower-carved flat surface such as copper, is fitted Taira-kin of the gold and silver thin (Hiragane), and a plane with less edge.
Grain inlay	The craftsmen put the muscle of fine grain horizontally and vertically using a chisel to the surface such as iron, copper, fitting the line and Taira-kin of gold and silver.  Technique that is used in Japan and Spain currently. Entered the 13th century, grain inlay is transmitted to Spain via Egypt database from Damascus, and remains in the Toledo City today, Japanese tourists have been come to buy well as a souvenir.  Toledo City is where Toledo kingdom, flourished as the capital of Spain until the 16th century and then to the 11th century - 8th century.
High meat inlay (referred as installation text inlay)	Technique to make out from the convex surface of the metal in the high meat gold and silver crowded house.  It is not made with little manufacturing costs because of expensive material.

Steps of making Zogan - Japanese Pearl Inlay

(1) Grain cutting (Nunomekiri)

Is fixed to the bench of the dough soft iron, ticks away groove (about 200 Jo in one mm square) finely vertically and horizontally as grain on the surface of the dough iron chisel.

There is some mechanization in recent years)

(2) Into the block (nyugan)

The Ategai on top of the grain across with tweezers (0.07 mm 0.15 mm position ~) line pure gold, sterling silver, and Yuki draw a pattern while driving with a small hammer. Also placed on top of the grain (0.02 mm 0.04 mm position-thickness) Taira-kin pure gold, sterling silver, and Yuki devoted with a hammer while cutting the shape of the pattern in the cut chisel. When finished put the pattern, ensure that it makes good contact without disturbing the gold and silver in bites in the groove completely without hitting ten thousand side at the corner of deer.

(3) Corrosion
You corrode the surface of iron by immersion in sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which is washed with soda iron cloth which Nyuhama, you diluted. Only the portion of the pattern is left slightly higher gold and silver because not aggression in acid.

(4) Take out, rust, rust

Fine rust appears on the surface of the iron and repeat the step of applying with a brush chloride ammonia is taken out in about two hours each were placed in a rust box was increased humidity iron fabric finished Nyuhama, corrosion, to dry out by heating . To the rust by tannins when the rust came out moderately, boiled and soaked in green tea are included. Lacquer ware the following adhere well by this process, The craftsman brings out the luster of gold and silver lacquer becomes matte.

(5) Lacquer ware (Urushiyaki) 
Baked and painted with a brush the Roiro lacquer or lacquer to iron cloth that was rust, it will be black graceful lofty inlay peculiar that does not peel off easily twice, and repeat three times.

(6) Scraped
Pattern appears clearly Bokusumi If you (Ho-zumi) decodes the corrosion on it by the previous step, part of the gold and silver put a pattern because it becomes a little higher. Gold and silver shines brilliantly when polish by rubbing with a spatula of strong carbon steel further.

(7) Hair carving (Kebori) 
You can subjected to fine hair carved in the surface of the chisel Taira-kin of gold and silver polished, and finish by issuing a three-dimensional impression in the part matte.

Features of Zogan - Japanese Pearl Inlay Damascening

With Japanese Pearl Inlay Zogan techniques, skillful craftsmen use a special fine tip of engraving. This makes the Japanese engraving very fine and able to make very minor detail of inlay engraving.

This technique also gives the engraving the durability and stability. Engraving with low-quality techniques may have some disappointing results, as the engraved pieces may fall off after some time or strong impacts. With Zogan - Japanese Inlay, it is very vey hard and almost impossible to peel off the engraved pieces from the background thanks to the very fine tip of engraving the craftsmen used. All engraved pearl pieces are positioned very tight and strong in the background.

Sakura and River of Time

Do you know Sakura - Cherry Blossom only comes once a year; and the sakura "season" only last for one week in each location.

Sakura comes and leaves so fast that if you a change to see sakura, don't miss it.

After each Sakura season, it leaves behind the feeling of a new start, a better future and optimism.

People just want time to fly faster and faster so that they can see the next Sakura. The lines on the body of the pens symbolize the River of Time where we are all looking forward to the next Sakura with patience and tolerance.

That is why Sakura is the symbol for a precious and memorial beauty.

 And thinking of Sakura, WANCHER has made this Sakura and River of Time Edition

Vintage Nib Material – Iridium Point Nib

The nib material is specially made from Iridium.

German Iridium Point Nib Technology is famous worldwide and has been adapted by WANCHER to apply on the WANCHER Ebonite Black body Sakura and River of Time design。

All the nibs are carefully hand made by nib experts and artist from WANCHER.
A very long and hard process has been done in order to produce this special nib.

You will be definitely satisfied with the smooth writing lines the pen produce.
A limited fountain pen with a vintage beauty!!!

SPECIFICATION

Manufacturer: WANCHER

Model Number: WA-ZOU-FP-M

Body: Ebonite Black body Sakura and River of Time design

Features: Zogan - Pearl Inlay Engraving Art Sakura and River of Time Design

Nib material: Iridium point nib

Nib size: M (Medium) nib

Filling system: Converter and Cartridge

Only from Engeika: Cartridge and Converter included

Barrel: 13.0mm (max diameter)

Length: 146 mm (cap closed)

Weight: 20.3g

Shipping weight: 200g

MADE IN JAPAN