Hiroyuki Kawanishi's path to glassmaking began unexpectedly in Vancouver, Canada, where he first encountered the craft in 1995 and never looked back. He eventually settled in Niseko, Hokkaido, where he founded Kawanishi Glass and now works alone, shaping each pen by hand over an oxygen burner flame hot enough to melt borosilicate glass, a material far more resistant to heat than ordinary glass, and far more durable as a result. The pens it produces are light, hard, and extraordinarily transparent.
What distinguishes Kawanishi's work is a technique called fuming, in which pure gold or silver is blown onto the glass and sealed inside before the pen takes its final form. The colour that results is not painted on or applied to the surface. It lives within the glass itself, emerging softly when light passes through it. In sunlight, the effect is remarkable.
Glass dip pens: dip the tip into ink and write. The grooves cut into the nib draw ink up through capillary action and release it smoothly onto the page. These grooves are also the most demanding part of the pen to make, and Kawanishi shapes each one entirely by hand. Before any pen leaves the studio it is tested for writing performance.
Due to the handmade nature no two are the same.
Size: The Ginka has a thick and thin body and pen lengths vary.
Includes: Wooden storage box and small wooden pen stand
