--- title: "Nakaya Cigar Portable: Urushi Pen, 150 mm, 14K Nib" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/nakaya-cigar-portable-fountain-pen/" description: "Nakaya Cigar Portable explained: 150 mm, 15 mm across and 20 g per Nakaya, urushi lacquer over ebonite, a 14K gold nib, eight finishes, made to order in Japan." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-11-02 updated: 2026-11-02 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 10 products: - name: "Nakaya Cigar Portable Fountain Pen" brand: "Nakaya" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Ebonite barrel finished in urushi lacquer, 14K gold nib made by Platinum Pen" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Nakaya Fountain Pen Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)" model: "Cigar Portable; product numbers such as 0214CP5-51-00 (Kikyo) and 0212CP5-30-00 (Shu)" url: "https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/info/36515/" --- # Nakaya Cigar Portable: Urushi Pen, 150 mm, 14K Nib > The Nakaya Cigar Portable is a made-to-order fountain pen: an ebonite barrel finished in urushi lacquer, 150 mm long, 15 mm across and 20 g per Nakaya, with a 14K gold nib made by Platinum and tuned to your writing chart. It comes in eight finishes and sits in our $$$$ band (over $75). - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/nakaya-cigar-portable-fountain-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-02 - Updated: 2026-11-02 ![Nakaya Cigar Portable fountain pen in vermilion urushi, capped and uncapped, 150 mm and 15 mm across, with an enlarged gold nib and eight finish dots](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/nakaya-cigar-portable-fountain-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=dca3813b) *The Cigar Portable in Shu, capped and uncapped, at the 150 mm and 15 mm Nakaya lists; cap, section and nib proportions are drawn by eye.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Nakaya Cigar Portable Fountain Pen | Nakaya (by Nakaya Fountain Pen Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)) | Japan | Japan | Ebonite barrel finished in urushi lacquer, 14K gold nib made by Platinum Pen | – | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Nakaya Cigar Portable Fountain Pen): Japan. Nakaya's English site is titled "Japanese handmade fountain pens" and its pages describe urushi craftsmen working in Japan, but its product pages carry no separate country-of-origin line. Source: https://www.nakaya.org/en/about/origin/ - Good for: Everyday writing, Office and signing. Skip it if you need a pen soon: it is built to order in 5 to 6 months and Nakaya takes no cancellations or returns after payment. ### Nakaya Cigar Portable Fountain Pen colors - Body colors (8 standard, 0 special edition): Kikyo (single-color urushi, Blue, named after bellflowers); Shu (single-color urushi, Vermilion); Midori (single-color urushi, Green, inspired by evergreen leaves); KuroRoiro (single-color urushi, Roiro black); Aka-tame (tame-nuri); Heki-tame (tame-nuri, Nakaya calls the color Heki-iro; in its photo the pen reads dark); Kuro-tame (tame-nuri); Toki-tame (tame-nuri, Pinkish base color, translucent amber look). - Per Nakaya (English) (https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/), checked 2026-11-02. Nakaya's Cigar Portable pages list these eight finishes. Tints are representative, sampled by eye from Nakaya's product photos; Nakaya says natural urushi varies a little from pen to pen, and its tame-nuri finishes are translucent, so they change with the light. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Nakaya lists the Cigar Portable at 150 mm (5.9 in) long, 15 mm (0.6 in) across and 20 g (0.7 oz), with an ebonite barrel. - On November 2, 2026 Nakaya's four single-color finishes were ¥85,000 (about US$538) and its four tame-nuri finishes ¥100,000 (about US$633). - Product pages give a 5-month lead time for single-color finishes and 6 months for tame-nuri; Nakaya's terms page says 6 to 8 months or longer for urushi pens. - Every nib is 14K gold made by Platinum Pen, in nine sizes from 0.18 mm to 1.0 mm, tuned from a writing chart you fill in. - Nakaya ships to the US by DHL for ¥15,000 (about US$95), and duties are the buyer's. ## What is the Nakaya Cigar Portable? **It is the mid-length pen of Nakaya's cigar-shaped range: a smooth torpedo of ebonite finished in urushi lacquer.** Nakaya Fountain Pen is a Tokyo maker that says it began in 1999 as a shop for custom urushi pens, staffed by craftsmen with more than 40 years at Platinum Pen; its company profile lists a July 1997 foundation, and we don't know why the dates differ. Nakaya took its name from Nakaya Manufacturing Company, the 1924 firm that preceded Platinum (see our [Platinum history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/platinum-pen-history/)). We read Nakaya's English pages on November 2, 2026. ## What are the Cigar Portable's specs? **Nakaya lists 150 mm, 15 mm across and 20 g, and it doesn't say whether 150 mm is capped or posted.** The nib is always 14K gold made by Platinum Pen. | Spec | Value (Nakaya) | |---|---| | Length | 150 mm (5.9 in) | | Diameter | 15 mm (0.6 in) | | Weight | 20 g (0.7 oz) | | Barrel | Ebonite, urushi finish | | Nib | 14K gold, nine sizes, tuned to your writing chart | | Thread | Four-start, so the cap closes in fewer turns | | Lead time | 5 months (single color), 6 months (tame-nuri) | | Made to order | Yes; no changes or refunds after payment | Nakaya doesn't give a weight with ink or a pen section length, and we haven't weighed one. ## Which finishes does it come in? **Eight, in two families.** Single-color urushi gives Kikyo (a blue Nakaya says took many trials), Shu (vermilion), Midori (evergreen green) and KuroRoiro (a deep roiro black). Tame-nuri, which Nakaya says gives a translucent amber look that shows how the lacquer builds up, gives Aka-tame, Heki-tame, Kuro-tame and Toki-tame. Nakaya warns that natural urushi varies slightly, so a finished pen may differ a little from the photo. | Family | List price (November 2, 2026) | Lead time | |---|---|---| | Single-color urushi | ¥85,000 (about US$538) | 5 months | | Tame-nuri | ¥100,000 (about US$633) | 6 months | ## How long are the Cigar models? **There are three lengths, all 15 mm across.** The Piccolo is 130 mm and 20 g, the Portable 150 mm and 20 g, and the Long 170 mm and 25 g, and the single-color price was ¥85,000 (about US$538) for all three. ![Three capped Nakaya Cigar pens stacked to one scale: Piccolo 130 mm, Portable 150 mm and Long 170 mm, each 15 mm across](https://stationerytimes.com/images/nakaya-cigar-portable-fountain-pen-lengths.svg?v=b8dba08d) *The three Cigar lengths at 1 mm = 5 px; the shapes are by eye, the lengths and 15 mm width are Nakaya's. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* Nakaya says the Portable balances portability and comfort, the Long suits letters and long sessions, and the Piccolo has a slightly pointed, roof-like tip for memo pads. For a fatter barrel see the [D-17 Portable](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/nakaya-d-17-portable-fountain-pen/), and for a fin-shaped roll stopper the [Dorsal Fin 2](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/nakaya-dorsal-fin-2-fountain-pen/). ## Who is the Cigar Portable for? **It suits someone who wants one made-to-measure daily pen and will wait for it.** - **Everyday writing:** Nakaya describes the 150 mm Portable length as balancing portability and writing comfort for everyday use. - **Office and signing:** Nakaya lists an Extra Broad nib of 0.66 to 0.86 mm that it calls suited to signatures, on an ebonite urushi barrel. Skip it if you need a pen soon: it is built to order in 5 to 6 months and Nakaya takes no cancellations or returns after payment. ## How is the nib chosen and tuned? **You pick a size, then fill in a writing chart, and Nakaya tunes the nib to it.** The sizes run from Ultra Extra Fine (0.18 to 0.24 mm) to Extra Broad (0.66 to 0.86 mm), including Soft Fine and Soft Medium; a Music nib (0.9 to 1.0 mm) is by request for an extra fee. Nakaya suggests new customers start with Medium (0.34 to 0.44 mm); for how these compare with other makers see [Japanese vs Western nib sizes](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/japanese-vs-western-nib-sizes/). Nakaya offers free nib tuning after purchase (you pay shipping and any fees), keeps your chart on file and says it has analyzed 50,000 pieces of customer handwriting data. It tunes only its own pens. ## How do you order one and look after it? **Order online, confirm by email, pay, and wait.** Nakaya sends a confirmation email that finalizes the order, takes credit card, wire transfer or PayPal, and starts building only after payment. Its pens come with a blue pouch. For care, Nakaya says to wipe ink off the lacquer at once with a soft damp cloth, avoid direct sun and very dry rooms, and use Platinum ink, since it can't support problems from other brands. Our [collector pen care guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-care-for-collector-pens/) compares it with other makers. ## Where is the Cigar Portable made, and what does it cost? **Nakaya calls its pens Japanese handmade fountain pens, and prices are in yen.** On November 2, 2026 the list prices were ¥85,000 (about US$538) and ¥100,000 (about US$633), without a tax note on the product pages we read, in our $$$$ band (over $75). Shipping to the US is ¥15,000 (about US$95) by DHL, other countries ¥8,000 (about US$51) by EMS, and customs duties are the buyer's. For other lacquer pens, see [most collectible pens](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/collectible-pens/). Danitrio makes a lacquered cartridge-converter pen too, the [Takumi](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/danitrio-takumi-maki-e-fountain-pen/) at 147 mm capped. ## Frequently asked questions ### How is the Cigar Portable different from the Piccolo and the Long? Only the length and weight change. Nakaya lists the Piccolo at 130 mm and 20 g, the Portable at 150 mm and 20 g and the Long at 170 mm and 25 g, all 15 mm across. ### Does the Nakaya Cigar Portable use cartridges or a converter? Nakaya's FAQ says the converter or cartridge insertion area sits outside the cap by design, so both fit. The pages we read don't say which one comes in the box, and Nakaya recommends Platinum ink. ### Can you add a clip to a Cigar Portable? Nakaya doesn't say on the Portable pages. Its FAQ says a roll stopper can't be fitted to a cigar model but a roll stopper pin can, which Nakaya fits by drilling the cap. ### Can a Nakaya fountain pen be turned into a ballpoint? Yes. Nakaya sells a ballpoint unit for the Portable, Piccolo, Decapod and Tsumugi models, with a Parker-size refill, and says the pen then weighs 12 to 14 g more. It can't convert a ballpoint into a fountain pen. ### How long does a Nakaya take to arrive? Nakaya's product pages show 5 months for single-color finishes and 6 for tame-nuri, while its terms page says 6 to 8 months or longer because lacquering depends on the season. Production starts after payment. ### Can you return or cancel a Nakaya? Not after payment, because each pen is made to order. Nakaya says returns are generally not accepted, but it handles initial defects if you write within one week of delivery. ### Is the Cigar Portable handmade in Japan? Nakaya calls its pens Japanese handmade fountain pens and describes urushi craftsmen in Japan, including one it brought to Tokyo after the January 2024 Noto earthquake. Its product pages print no origin line. ### Which Cigar Portable finishes does Nakaya list? Eight: Kikyo, Shu, Midori and KuroRoiro in single-color urushi, and Aka-tame, Heki-tame, Kuro-tame and Toki-tame in tame-nuri. ## Sources - [Nakaya (English): Cigar Portable Kikyo, spec table, price and lead time (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/info/36515/) - [Nakaya (English): Cigar Portable Shu, vermilion color text and product number (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/info/36567/) - [Nakaya (English): Cigar Portable Heki-tame, tame-nuri price and lead time (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/info/36521/) - [Nakaya (English): Cigar Piccolo Kikyo and Cigar Long Kikyo, lengths and weights (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/products/info/36512/) - [Nakaya (English): Pen Nibs, 14K nibs by Platinum, nine sizes and extra services (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/pen-nib/) - [Nakaya (English): FAQ, care, shipping, returns, converters and roll stoppers (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/faq/) - [Nakaya (English): For new customers, the order steps, writing chart and payment (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/guide/) - [Nakaya (English): Notice under the commercial transactions act, production period, cancellations and returns (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/laws/) - [Nakaya (English): Roll stopper pins and Ballpoint pens (read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/stopper-pin/) - [Nakaya (English): Origin of Nakaya (founded 1999; name from the 1924 Nakaya Manufacturing Company; read November 2, 2026)](https://www.nakaya.org/en/about/origin/)