“Kyokko” (Sunlight) and “Gekko” (Mo

“Kyokko” (Sunlight) and “Gekko” (Moonlight) are Raden fountain pens, handmade with mother of pearl particles. Raden is a traditional Japanese decorative craft used for lacquer ware and woodwork.Kyokko“Kyokko” translates as “sunlight” and is made with the abalone shell from Japan Sea. As the size of the abalone is small, the parts used for Raden is limited. It is one of the most colourful abalone parts that reflect rainbow colours.The abalone shell is placed on the ground and flattened with a hard stone into very thin sheets. These sheets are cut into narrow strips and then affixed to the coating of lacquer around the cap and the barrel of the M800 fountain pen.Once again, it is coated with lacquer, and then the surface is polished. The Pelikan logo is drawn with the famous Maki-e technique, surrounded by matching colours of particles of the abalone shell.Gekko“Gekko” means “moonlight” in Japanese. This fountain pen is made with the Australian abalone shell. Though the size of this abalone is big, the blue colour part of this abalone is small. So it is necessary to select the best blue colour parts. The abalone shell is placed on the ground and flattened with a hard stone into very thin sheets. These sheets are cut into narrow strips and then affixed to the coating of lacquer around the cap and the barrel of the M800 fountain pen. Once again, it is coated with lacquer, and then the surface is polished. The Pelikan logo is drawn with the famous Maki-e technique, surrounded by matching colours of particles of the abalone shell.In 1929, Pelikan registered the patent for the piston mechanism, a new fountain pen filling system. This technique, refined and updated, is still used today. The Pelikan models “Kyokko” and “Gekko” are masterpieces with finely-chased 18 carat gold nibs accentuated with a rhodium décor.Each fountain pen is encased in a traditional Japanese gift box which is made of Paulownia wood.The “Kyokko & Gekko” set, first released in the year 2005, was available in a limited edition of only 200 sets worldwide and is now sold out at Pelikan.