--- title: "Danitrio Genkai: 173 mm Straight Eyedropper Maki-e Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-genkai-maki-e-fountain-pen/" description: "Danitrio Genkai explained: a straight-barrel eyedropper maki-e pen, 173 mm capped, #8 18k gold nib; one US dealer listed US$11,500 on November 2, 2026." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-11-02 updated: 2026-11-02 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 5 products: - name: "Danitrio Genkai Maki-e Fountain Pen" brand: "Danitrio" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "Taiwan, Japan and Germany" material: "Japanese ebonite barrel, genuine urushi and maki-e, gold- or silver-plated brass clip, size #8 18k gold nib (Danitrio)" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Danitrio" model: "Genkai (B-21)" url: "https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Genkai.html" --- # Danitrio Genkai: 173 mm Straight Eyedropper Maki-e Pen > The Danitrio Genkai is a straight-barrel, eyedropper-filled maki-e fountain pen that Danitrio says it made as large as a hand can hold. Its table lists 173 mm capped and a size #8 18k gold nib in fine, medium, broad or stub. A US dealer listed one Genkai at US$11,500 on November 2, 2026, in our $$$$ band. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-genkai-maki-e-fountain-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-02 - Updated: 2026-11-02 ![Danitrio Genkai pen in plain black urushi drawn to scale at 173 mm capped, then cap and barrel apart with a gold nib and an enlarged nib circle](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/danitrio-genkai-maki-e-fountain-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=2a07b95a) *Capped and apart, to Danitrio's sizes; plain black urushi because every Danitrio pen carries a different maki-e design.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Danitrio Genkai Maki-e Fountain Pen | Danitrio | United States | Taiwan, Japan and Germany | Japanese ebonite barrel, genuine urushi and maki-e, gold- or silver-plated brass clip, size #8 18k gold nib (Danitrio) | – | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Danitrio Genkai Maki-e Fountain Pen): Taiwan, Japan and Germany. Retailer Nibs USA says the ebonite bodies are made in Taiwan, the urushi finishing is done in Japan and the nibs come from Germany, with the company based in California. Danitrio's own site says only that its barrels are 100% Japanese ebonite. Source: https://nibs-usa.com/products/danitrio-genkai-mariko - Good for: Office and signing. Skip it if you want a pocket-size or cartridge pen: Danitrio made the Genkai as large as a hand can hold, and it fills only by eyedropper. ## Key takeaways - Danitrio made the Genkai right after the Mikado, deliberately as large as possible for a hand to hold, with a straight barrel and eyedropper filling. - Danitrio's Our Pens table lists 173 mm capped, with a 75 mm cap and a 152 mm barrel, against 163 mm for the Mikado. - The nib is a size #8 18k gold in F, M, B or Stub, the same as the Mikado. - A Genkai called Mariko, with spring on the cap and winter on the barrel, was US$11,500 at the US dealer Nibs USA on November 2, 2026. - Danitrio sells a shorter version, the Sho-Genkai, at 155 mm capped, also by eyedropper. ## What is the Danitrio Genkai? **It is Danitrio's biggest straight-barrel pen, made as large as a hand can hold.** Danitrio says that as soon as it finished the Mikado it made another large pen with a straight barrel, deliberately at the largest size a hand can manage, and called it Genkai. Like the Mikado it fills by eyedropper and uses a size #8 nib. Danitrio's pen pages and one US dealer were read on November 2, 2026. Danitrio says Genkai pens are very popular with its collectors, which is the maker's own comment and not a sales figure. ## What are the Genkai's specs? **Danitrio's table lists 173 mm capped and a 152 mm barrel.** | Spec | Value (Danitrio) | |---|---| | Length, capped | 173 mm (6-13/16 in) | | Cap | 75 mm long, 20 mm across | | Barrel | 152 mm long, 18 mm across | | Weight | Table says 42.5 g empty, 53 g filled (see below) | | Filling | Eyedropper | | Nib | Size #8, 18k gold; F, M, B or Stub | | Barrel material | Japanese ebonite | The weights are doubtful: the Genkai and Sho-Genkai rows print the same figures although the Sho-Genkai is 18 mm shorter, and 1.25 oz is not 42.5 g. We haven't weighed one. ![Danitrio Genkai capped at 173 mm above the shorter Sho-Genkai at 155 mm, both 20 mm across the cap, in plain black urushi](https://stationerytimes.com/images/danitrio-genkai-maki-e-fountain-pen-sho-genkai-lengths.svg?v=6fdb51a7) *Genkai above, Sho-Genkai below, both at 1 mm = 4.8 px; sizes are Danitrio's, the end shapes are by eye. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## Who is the Genkai for? **It suits someone who wants the largest pen Danitrio makes in a straight barrel and accepts eyedropper filling.** - **Office and signing:** Danitrio lists an ebonite and urushi pen 173 mm capped with a size #8 18k gold nib filled by eyedropper, and the one dealer price we found was US$11,500. Skip it if you want a pocket-size or cartridge pen: Danitrio made the Genkai as large as a hand can hold, and it fills only by eyedropper. ## How is the Genkai different from the Mikado? **It is 10 mm longer in Danitrio's table and has a straight barrel.** Both use eyedropper filling and the same #8 nib, and both are made of Japanese ebonite. Danitrio's Mikado text mentions a heavy barrel; its Genkai text talks about the largest size a hand can hold. See the [Mikado guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-mikado-maki-e-fountain-pen/) for its specs. ## What designs does the Genkai come in? **Hand-painted ones, by named artists.** Danitrio's long-serving artist Kogaku painted GK-1001, a red-faced demon from Japanese legend built up with different sizes of gold powder on raised red urushi, and GK-1003, which Danitrio says took almost a whole year. The maker also shows a four-seasons set and Tokaido road designs by another artist. The US dealer's Mariko has spring on the cap and winter on the barrel. Danitrio says cost follows the volume of labor. ## How do you look after a Genkai? **Danitrio's care advice centers on the tail and the cap.** It says to keep the cap and tail screwed on tightly when the pen is not in use, and that you may leave the pen lying flat with the nib and tail open but never with the nib down and the tail open. Its value page adds that genuine urushi is a hard, durable film, though Danitrio also warns that urushi suffers in strong sunlight, so keep the pen out of direct light. Because the Genkai holds a whole barrel of ink, it is worth emptying and rinsing it before a long break; our [collector pen care guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-care-for-collector-pens/) covers storage. ## Where is the Genkai made, and what does it cost? **Danitrio says its barrels are 100% Japanese ebonite; a US dealer adds that bodies are made in Taiwan.** The dealer says urushi finishing is in Japan and nibs come from Germany; we show that as the dealer's claim, not Danitrio's. Danitrio publishes no prices. On November 2, 2026 Nibs USA listed the Genkai Mariko at US$11,500, in our $$$$ band (over $75). For other collectors' pens see [most collectible pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/collectible-pens/) and [how to care for collector pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-care-for-collector-pens/). ## Frequently asked questions ### How does the Danitrio Genkai fill with ink? By eyedropper, like the Mikado. Danitrio says to fill up to the lower edge of the ink stopper and open the tail 1 to 2 mm to let ink flow. ### What nib does the Danitrio Genkai have? A size #8 18k gold nib, in fine, medium, broad or stub. ### How long is the Genkai? 173 mm with the cap on, according to Danitrio's table (6-13/16 in). The cap is 75 mm long and 20 mm across and the barrel 152 mm long and 18 mm across. ### How heavy is the Genkai? Danitrio's table lists 42.5 g empty and 53 g filled, but it prints the same weights for the shorter Sho-Genkai and its ounce figure (1.25 oz) doesn't match 42.5 g, so we don't rely on it. ### What is the difference between the Genkai and the Sho-Genkai? Length. The Sho-Genkai is 155 mm capped (115 mm barrel, 65 mm cap) against 173 mm, and both are eyedropper pens with a #8 nib. ### How much does a Genkai cost? Danitrio publishes no prices. Nibs USA listed a Genkai called Mariko at US$11,500 on November 2, 2026, in our $$$$ band (over $75). ### What is on a Genkai? A hand-painted maki-e design, different on each pen. Danitrio shows designs such as GK-1001, a demon from Japanese legend, and a four-seasons set; the dealer's Mariko has spring on the cap and winter on the barrel. ### How long does a Genkai design take? Danitrio says its Sakura Beauties design took the artist almost a year, and that maki-e pieces take two to six months. ## Sources - [Danitrio: Genkai collection (size intent, eyedropper, #8 nib, artists, designs; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Genkai.html) - [Danitrio: Sho-Genkai collection (shorter eyedropper version; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Sho-Genkai.html) - [Danitrio: Our Pens (size table, fill instructions, nibs; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Our_pens.html) - [Danitrio: The Value of Maki-e (two to six months per piece; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/value.html) - [Nibs USA: Danitrio Genkai Mariko (US$11,500, spring and winter design, made-in claims; read November 2, 2026)](https://nibs-usa.com/products/danitrio-genkai-mariko)