Est. 2026 · Price: FreeEditor-at-large: The Hedgehog

Stationery Times

Brand: Namiki

Namiki Emperor Collection: No.50 Maki-e Pens, 6 Designs

Compiled from 7 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

The Namiki Emperor Collection is the highest-ranking series of Pilot's maki-e brand: six ebonite fountain pens with an 18K No.50 Jumbo nib and an ink-stopping function, decorated in Togidashi-Taka maki-e. Yoseka lists them at 6.8 in (17.3 cm) with an eyedropper filler, in our $$$$ band (over $75). Namiki itself publishes no sizes or prices.

On this page10 sections
A Namiki Emperor pen at 173 mm beside a Pilot Custom Urushi at 155 mm, lengths to scale
Lengths to scale; diameters are drawn by eye because neither maker publishes them. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Product facts

Product
Namiki Emperor Collection Owl Fountain Pen (FNF-70M-OW)
Brand
Namiki
Brand origin
Japan
Made in
Not stated*
Material
Ebonite body with urushi lacquer and maki-e, 18K gold nib (No.50)
Price range
$$$$over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
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Notes on these facts
  • Made by Pilot Corporation (Namiki is Pilot's maki-e brand). Country of manufacture not stated: Namiki's pages name the Japanese artisan for each design but print no country of manufacture. Check the box or the pen. Source. Price: example listing.
  • How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
  • Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Namiki calls the Emperor Collection its highest-ranking series: a No.50 (Jumbo) pen nib, an ebonite body and an ink-stopping function.
  • Six designs: Gold fish, Dragon, Owl, Rakucho Birds and Weeping Cherry Blossom, Kirin and Treasure, each with a Namiki article number.
  • Namiki makes a version without a clip, so the design wraps the whole pen, and one with a clip.
  • Yoseka lists 6.8 in (17.3 cm), an eyedropper filler with a shut-off valve, and all designs we checked in our $$$$ band (over $75).
  • Gold fish uses Shishiai-Togidashi-Taka, which Namiki calls the highest level of maki-e.

What is the Namiki Emperor Collection?

It is the top series of Namiki, Pilot’s maki-e fountain pen brand. Namiki says it uses a No.50 (Jumbo) nib, the size of the large maki-e pens made about 100 years ago, an ink-stopping function and an ebonite body shaped to take Togidashi-Taka maki-e. Namiki Manufacturing began in 1918; see Pilot’s history.

Which six designs does it include?

Gold fish, Dragon, Owl, Rakucho Birds and Weeping Cherry Blossom, Kirin and Treasure.

Design Technique Article number
Gold fish Shishiai-Togidashi-Taka FNFV-80M-KG
Dragon Togidashi-Taka FNFV-80M-R
Owl Rankaku, Togidashi-Taka FNF-70M-OW
Rakucho Birds and Weeping Cherry Blossom Togidashi-Taka FNF-70M-SRT
Kirin Togidashi-Taka FNF-70M-KRN
Treasure Togidashi-Taka FNF-50M-TA

Each is listed with the nib size No.50 (18K) and nib types FM, M and B, and each is credited to a named artisan.

What are the techniques?

Almost all use Togidashi-Taka, with one step up and one with eggshell. Namiki’s technique page says Togidashi-Taka builds the main design in relief over a burnished scene. Shishiai-Togidashi-Taka, used on Gold fish, is “the highest level of maki-e”. Rankaku, on the Owl, inlays quail-eggshell pieces. Namiki says a maki-e pen takes more than three months and some pass through the lacquer-draw-sprinkle-polish cycle 130 times.

How big is it, and how does it fill?

Yoseka lists 6.8 in (17.3 cm) and an eyedropper filler with a shut-off valve. Namiki publishes no dimensions, so the length is a retailer’s figure. It is about 18 mm longer than the 155 mm Pilot Japan lists for the regular Custom Urushi. We found no diameter or weight, so the drawing shows length only. Namiki says there is a no-clip type and a clip type, but its pages do not say which designs come in which. The Owl and Rakucho pages we read from Yoseka both list the same 6.8 in length.

Is it a pen to write with?

Namiki describes a working fountain pen: an 18K Jumbo nib, FM, M or B, and an ink-stopping function. It gives no flex or feel notes, and we haven’t handled one. Yoseka’s pages include a polishing cloth, a bottle of Namiki Blue ink, a velvet-lined wooden box and a lifetime warranty under Pilot.

What does it cost?

Namiki lists no prices; Yoseka listed Owl and Rakucho Birds at US$10,600 and Gold fish at US$19,000 on October 31, 2026. That is our $$$$ band (over $75). Most of those pages showed only one nib size in stock, so check availability. We read three of the six designs’ prices.

Where is it made?

Namiki doesn’t say. Its pages name an artisan for each design but print no country of manufacture, so we list the origin as not stated. For a shorter route into the brand, see the Namiki Urushi Collection. For Namiki’s carved gold-inlay pens, which also come with a No.50 nib, see the Chinkin Collection.

Frequently asked questions

What makes the Emperor the top Namiki series?

Namiki's highest-ranking series: No.50 (Jumbo) nib, ebonite body, ink-stopping function and Togidashi-Taka maki-e, in six designs on its English site.

Which designs are in it?

Gold fish, Dragon, Owl, Rakucho Birds and Weeping Cherry Blossom, Kirin and Treasure.

Is there a clip?

Namiki makes two types, one with no clip so the design wraps the whole pen and one with a clip. Its pages don't say which design comes in which type.

How long is an Emperor pen?

Namiki gives no dimensions. Yoseka lists 6.8 in (17.3 cm) on its Emperor pages, which is longer than the 155 mm Pilot Japan lists for the Custom Urushi.

How does it fill?

Namiki says it has an ink-stopping function. Yoseka describes an eyedropper filler with a shut-off valve and an eyedropper in the box.

How much is an Emperor pen?

Namiki lists no prices. The three designs we checked at a US dealer all sit in our $$$$ band (over $75), with Gold fish the highest of them.

What is Shishiai-Togidashi-Taka?

Namiki's technique page calls it the highest level of maki-e: raised (Taka) and burnished (Togidashi) elements combined, with lacquer and charcoal powder building the main design in high relief.

Sources (7)

  1. Namiki: Emperor Collection (series description, six designs; read October 31, 2026)
  2. Namiki: Owl (technique, article number, nib, artisan; read October 31, 2026)
  3. Namiki: Gold fish (technique and article number; read October 31, 2026)
  4. Namiki: Techniques supporting Namiki (read October 31, 2026)
  5. Yoseka Stationery: Namiki Emperor Owl (US price, length, filler; read October 31, 2026)
  6. Yoseka Stationery: Namiki Emperor Goldfish (US price; read October 31, 2026)
  7. Yoseka Stationery: Namiki Emperor Rakucho Birds and Weeping Cherry Blossom (US price; read October 31, 2026)

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