I have edited the marketing copy for the Platinum Maki-e Hannya Shingyo, part of the Platinum special materials collection.
“This Platinum fountain pen has the Buddhist Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyo in Japanese) written on the body. The Heart Sutra consists of 260 Chinese characters impressed on the cap and barrel of the fountain pen with the Maki-e lacquer technique.
It is believed that by reading or transcribing the Heart Sutra, you receive blessings and avoid hardship and misfortune. Most Japanese Buddhism sects use this scripture for chanting and also to practice hand copying the transcription. By chanting or hand copying the Hannya Shingyo, one is able to express his good will and be freed from suffering.”
There are two styles: screw cap and snap cap. The body is a single piece without an end cap. The section is black.
Rarity and Availability
This pen is not easy to find. It sometimes surfaces on eBay for $350 or more.
Both JP-Select and Izumi Pen purchase rare editions for resale. But if you buy from resellers, expect to pay at least $100 more than the original list price. A cheaper option is a proxy service like White Rabbit. A proxy buyer will purchase the Pen and mail it to you for a fee and shipping costs. Alternatively, set up a mail forwarding service like Blackship to purchase, and send the pen to a Japanese address. Blackship charges the buyer a percentage and forwarding costs to ship from Japan.