--- title: "Danitrio Mikado: 163 mm Eyedropper Maki-e Pen, #8 Nib" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-mikado-maki-e-fountain-pen/" description: "Danitrio Mikado explained: a large eyedropper ebonite pen, 163 mm capped, #8 18k gold nib, hand-painted maki-e; listed from US$4,800 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 Mikado 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: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Danitrio" model: "Mikado (B-2E/C)" url: "https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Mikado.html" --- # Danitrio Mikado: 163 mm Eyedropper Maki-e Pen, #8 Nib > The Danitrio Mikado is a large eyedropper-filled fountain pen in Japanese ebonite with hand-painted urushi and maki-e designs. Danitrio's table lists it at 163 mm capped, with a size #8 18k gold nib in fine, medium, broad or stub. A US dealer listed two Mikados at US$4,800 and US$7,200 on November 2, 2026, in our $$$$ band. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-mikado-maki-e-fountain-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-02 - Updated: 2026-11-02 ![Danitrio Mikado pen in plain black urushi drawn to scale at 163 mm capped, then cap and barrel apart with a gold nib and an enlarged nib circle](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/danitrio-mikado-maki-e-fountain-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=676ccf23) *Capped and apart, to Danitrio's sizes; plain black urushi because every Danitrio pen carries a different maki-e design.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Danitrio Mikado Maki-e Fountain Pen | Danitrio | United States | Taiwan, Japan and Germany | Japanese ebonite barrel, genuine urushi and maki-e, gold- or silver-plated brass clip, size #8 18k gold nib (Danitrio) | – | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Danitrio Mikado Maki-e Fountain Pen): Taiwan, Japan and Germany. Retailer Nibs USA says the ebonite bodies are made in Taiwan, the urushi finishing is done in Japan and the nibs come from Germany, with the company based in California. Danitrio's own site says only that its barrels are 100% Japanese ebonite and that its maki-e artists work in Japan, so we show the dealer's statement as a claim we could not confirm with the maker. Source: https://nibs-usa.com/products/danitrio-mikado-flat-top-without-clip-sakura-chirashi - Good for: Office and signing. Skip it if you want a cartridge pen or a small one: the Mikado is eyedropper-only and Danitrio calls it large and heavy. ## Key takeaways - Danitrio built the Mikado as a larger canvas for more complex maki-e than its medium-size pens allowed; it fills by eyedropper. - Danitrio's Our Pens table gives 163 mm capped, a 73 mm cap, a 140 mm barrel and a 20 mm cap, and its text calls the barrel heavy. - The nib is size #8 in 18k gold, offered in F, M, B and Stub. - Two Mikados at the US dealer Nibs USA cost US$4,800 (sunflower) and US$7,200 (cherry blossom) on November 2, 2026, so the pen is in our $$$$ band (over $75). - Danitrio itself says its maki-e artists need two to six months for a piece, so the price follows labor, not size. ## What is the Danitrio Mikado? **It is Danitrio's large eyedropper pen, made to give maki-e artists more room.** Danitrio says that when it only had medium-size maki-e pens it felt it needed larger ones for more complex designs, so it made the Mikado. Maki-e is Japanese lacquerware decoration in which gold or silver powder is set in urushi lacquer. Danitrio's site describes the work and the pen; it does not date the model beyond "several years ago". We read its pages and one US dealer's on November 2, 2026. ## What are the Mikado's specs? **Danitrio lists 163 mm capped, an eyedropper filler and a size #8 18k gold nib.** | Spec | Value (Danitrio) | |---|---| | Length, capped | 163 mm (6-3/8 in) | | Cap | 73 mm long, 20 mm across | | Barrel | 140 mm long, 19 mm across (its text says 13/16 in) | | Weight | 42.5 g empty, 50 g filled with ink (the Genkai row shows the same 42.5 g) | | Filling | Eyedropper | | Nib | Size #8, 18k gold; F, M, B or Stub | | Barrel material | Japanese ebonite | | Clip | Gold-plated, rhodium-plated or sterling silver; urushi-painted clip costs US$100 MSRP extra | Danitrio's table and text disagree on the barrel diameter (19 mm against 13/16 in, about 21 mm), so treat 19 to 21 mm as the range. ![Danitrio Mikado capped in plain black urushi at 163 mm long and 20 mm across, with the cap seam 73 mm from the end](https://stationerytimes.com/images/danitrio-mikado-maki-e-fountain-pen-cap-and-barrel.svg?v=215c1021) *The capped Mikado at 1 mm = 5.4 px; sizes are Danitrio's, the end shapes are by eye. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## Who is the Mikado for? **It suits a writer who wants a big, heavy-handed signing pen and accepts eyedropper filling.** - **Office and signing:** Danitrio lists an ebonite and urushi pen 163 mm capped with a size #8 18k gold nib, filled by eyedropper, and the dealer prices start at US$4,800. Skip it if you want a cartridge pen or a small one: the Mikado is eyedropper-only and Danitrio calls it large and heavy. ## How do you fill a Mikado? **Unscrew the front section, fill the barrel with an eyedropper and refit it.** Danitrio says to fill up to the lower edge of the stopper, screw the section back tightly, then unscrew the tail 1 to 2 mm so ink reaches the nib. Opening the tail too far can overflow, and after use you hold the pen upright and tighten the tail again. Danitrio says you may leave it lying flat with the nib and tail open, but never nib down with the tail open. For general filling see [how to fill a fountain pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-fill-a-fountain-pen/) and [collector pen care](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-care-for-collector-pens/). ## What designs does the Mikado come in? **Each pen carries a hand-painted design, and Danitrio names its artists.** Mayumi Kumano's designs include MK-26, "Aoinoue", from a Noh play in "The Tale of Genji", where clothing and flames use Taka maki-e (raised lacquer). Minoru Oohata's series draws on Hokusai's Mount Fuji views and Hiroshige's Tokaido road, seven designs in Taka and Togidashi maki-e with gold and silver powders. The US dealer shows a sunflower on a round-top Mikado and falling cherry blossoms on a flat-top one. Danitrio says maki-e cost follows the volume of labor, and that artists need two to six months for a piece, so two Mikados can differ widely in price. ## Where is the Mikado made, and what does it cost? **Danitrio says its barrels are 100% Japanese ebonite; a US dealer adds that the bodies are made in Taiwan.** That dealer says urushi finishing is done in Japan and nibs come from Germany; Danitrio doesn't say this, so we show it as the dealer's claim. Danitrio publishes no prices. On November 2, 2026 Nibs USA listed a sunflower Mikado without clip at US$4,800 and a cherry blossom one at US$7,200, in our $$$$ band (over $75). For the pen's relatives see the [Genkai](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-genkai-maki-e-fountain-pen/) and the smaller [Takumi](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-takumi-maki-e-fountain-pen/), and for other lacquer pens the [Nakaya D-17 Portable](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/nakaya-d-17-portable-fountain-pen/). ## Frequently asked questions ### How does the Danitrio Mikado fill with ink? By eyedropper. Danitrio says to unscrew the front section, fill with an eyedropper up to the lower edge of the ink stopper, screw the section back and open the tail 1 to 2 mm to let ink flow. ### What nib does the Danitrio Mikado have? A size #8 18k gold nib. Danitrio lists fine, medium, broad and stub for the Mikado, Genkai and Sho-Genkai pens. ### How long and heavy is the Danitrio Mikado? Danitrio's table gives 163 mm with the cap on and 42.5 g empty, 50 g with ink. Its text says 6-3/8 inches closed, which matches the table. ### Why do the barrel diameters differ on Danitrio's pages? The Mikado page says 13/16 inch (about 21 mm) while the table says 19 mm. Danitrio doesn't explain the difference, so measure a pen if the fit matters. ### How much does a Danitrio Mikado cost? Danitrio doesn't publish prices. On November 2, 2026 Nibs USA listed a sunflower Mikado without clip at US$4,800 and a cherry blossom one at US$7,200, both in our $$$$ band (over $75). ### Does the Mikado come with a clip? Danitrio says clips are gold-plated, rhodium-plated or sterling silver, and that an urushi-painted clip adds US$100 MSRP (its notice dates from March 31, 2014). The dealer sells some Mikados without a clip. ### Who paints the Mikado designs? Danitrio names Mayumi Kumano and Minoru Oohata for its Mikado collection, with a Mount Fuji and Tokaido highway series by Oohata. ### How long does a maki-e design take? Danitrio says even an experienced artist needs two to six months for a piece, and the dealer says a flat-top cherry blossom Mikado takes up to a year. ## Sources - [Danitrio: Mikado collection (size, eyedropper, nib, artists, designs; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Mikado.html) - [Danitrio: Our Pens (fill instructions, size table, nibs, clips; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/Our_pens.html) - [Danitrio: The Value of Maki-e (labor, two to six months per piece; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.danitrio.com/htmlPages/value.html) - [Nibs USA: Danitrio Mikado Flat Top Without Clip Sakura-Chirashi (US$7,200, made-in claims; read November 2, 2026)](https://nibs-usa.com/products/danitrio-mikado-flat-top-without-clip-sakura-chirashi) - [Nibs USA: Danitrio Mikado Round Top Without Clip Sunflower (US$4,800; read November 2, 2026)](https://nibs-usa.com/products/danitrio-mikado-round-top-without-clip-sunflower)