Lamy dialog urushi bright leaves fountain pen

The fascination of urushi

The Japanese term “urushi” describes the material – often also called Japanese lacquer or Chinese lacquer – as well as the technique with which it is processed and applied. Urushi has a millennia-old tradition in the East Asian region, in particular in Japan, China and Korea, and has been preserved as part of the countrys’ cultural heritage to the present day. This natural raw material – the sap of the east Asian lacquer tree – is exceptionally precious as its extraction is only possible by hand and in very small amounts.

Traditionally, exclusive daily objects, in particular, are finished with urushi, for example bowls, plates, chopsticks or caskets whereby the lacquer has a protective as well as representative role. It is usually applied to materials such as wood, bamboo and metal although it can also be applied to textiles and leather.

The application of the lacquer to an object often occurs over long periods of time, sometimes even years or across generations: several base layers are followed by many, very thin layers of lacquer of which each one has to harden and be polished. Once the lacquer has hardened, which is usually triggered by humidity, urushi is more or less “indestructible”. In Japanese mythology the material is therefore often also associated with immortality and regarded as an elixir of life.

The edition has been designed and artistically realised by urushi master Norihiko Ogura from Japan (summer) and Manfred Schmid from Germany (spring, autumn and winter). Hereby urushi is, as a traditional craft and material, reinterpreted: with an innovative combination with stainless steel as well as processing methods which the participating artists developed themselves and used for the first time with the LAMY dialog 3.

The LAMY dialog 3 is the first cap-free fountain pen with a retractable nib and clip. Its reduced design and innovative, unique twist mechanism has made it a modern icon. Now Lamy is launching a new generation of this successful model with two sophisticated high-gloss finishes.

Introduced in 2009, the LAMY dialog 3 is the first pen which features nib and clip which both elegantly retract with a simple twist. Once inside the case, a ball valve protects the nib from dirt and drying out. The side clip lifts or retracts with each twist – so it is never in the way when writing and can be used to attach to a jacket or notebook.

In addition to this unique technology, the exceptional quality of the LAMY dialog 3 lies in the exclusivity of the materials used – for example its partially platinized 14 carat gold nib. The combination of fascinating functionality, reduction of form and high quality standards has already led to the LAMY dialog 3 winning numerous design awards – the renowned Good Design Award, the Red Dot and the iF Award to name just a few.

Lamy is putting a new shine on this next generation of the LAMY dialog 3 – quite literally: This innovative pen will be available in glossy black (LAMY dialog 3 pianoblack Pt) as well as in glossy white (LAMY dialog 3 pianowhite Pt). Thanks to a highly polished layer of clear varnish, each model outshines the competition with its sophisticated high gloss appearance, which stylishly accentuates the high value of the writing instrument. The clip and valve ball are polished and rhodium-plated, the decor lines and the LAMY logo have been subtly lasered into the finish and refined. One handy detail: An indicator window in the pen’s body now facilitates an easy checking of the ink level in the cartridge or converter.

The nib assembly for each and every Lamy dialog 3 is precisely hand-calibrated so that the nib and clip are in perfect alignment. This ensures that the core of every fountain pen is exactly adjusted to its body, combining individuality with the highest possible degree of technical perfection.

About Lamy
Lamy is an independent family business founded by C. Josef Lamy in Heidelberg in 1930. The LAMY brand was established in 1952 and even in their first year proved its innovative potential with the introduction of the unprecedented LAMY 27 fountain pen series. 1966 was the year that witnessed the birth of the distinctive product form by Lamy, the Lamy Design, through the LAMY 2000. An annual production of more than 7 million writing instruments and a turnover of more than 72 million euros not only make Lamy market leader in Germany but set them apart as one of the German design brands whose products are distinguished worldwide.