Sơn Mài - Lotus - First Bloom (Breath of Summer)

Important Note: Son Mai is an extremely complicated and painstaking process where every single step, from scratch to finish, is handled by hands. Therefore, distinctive traces such as dots, brush traits, or uneven surfaces, can be observed in the final product. This unique characteristic is an aesthetic factor of Son Mai, making each pen an one-of-a-kind artwork of your own.

About Son Mai

Son Mai (Sơn Mài) painting is made with lacquer created from resin of Cay Son (Cây Sơn) tree (known as Rhus succedanea) grown in Phu Tho, Vietnam. In this technique, many layers of lacquer are applied, left to dry, and polished over many months or even a year. Precious decoration materials such as gold, silver, seashells, or eggshells are also used together in the application process.

However, what makes this technique so different from others is the Mài - grounding step. In Son Mai, the final image is fully revealed only after the lacquer layers are ground back. Therefore, the work of making Son Mai is unpredictable, arduous yet rewarding if the artist is persistent until the end.

About Master PHAM Chinh Trung

Each fountain pen carries the signature style of Master Pham Chinh Trung, where the familiar scenery from the countryside of Vietnam is illustrated using only the main colors of Son Mai such as Black, Red, and Green in combination with gold powder.

Every single fountain pen in this collection is crafted with the original idea and imagination of Master Pham Chinh Trung. Most of the designs here are limited to only 1 piece each and might never come back in the future.

Collection "A Breath of Summer"

Using the three signature elements of landscape portrait: flower, bird, and tree/field, Master Pham Chinh Trung has brought us a new collection: A Breath of Summer. Ten distinguished pens - each with a one-of-a-kind look - are Master Pham Chinh Trung's dedication to delivering the distinctive and beautiful scenery of Vietnam's summer through the art of Son Mai.

Product Care

Some models of Son Mai is crafted and decorated with real gold leaf and gold powder. Please handle with extra care to avoid damage to the surface. Please refrain from exposing your Son Mai pen to strong impacts, sharp objects, or objects that can peel off the finish such as sticky tape.

Specifications

Base material: Ebonite

Art: Son Mai

Filling mechanism: Converter or Cartridge (European International Standard)

Nib: #6 Jowo stainless steel, Wancher 18K gold

Feed: Plastic, ebonite black, ebonite red

Compact air-tight cap: Preven dried-out ink problem

Size & Shape

Length: 154.8 mm (with cap), 135.5 mm (without cap)

Diameter: 15.5 mm (max)

Weight: 28 g (with cap), 19 g (without cap)

Packaging

Traditional Japanese Wooden Box + Pen Kimono + Instructional Materials + Converter + Cartridge