Taccia Fossils in the Sky: Raiden Shadow and Sunset Peacock Fountain Pen Review

Introduction

The Fossils in the Sky collection from Taccia is built around rankaku, the traditional Japanese technique of inlaid quail eggshell, and it shows. Two of the five models in the series also incorporate Raiden maki-e: the Raiden Shadow and the Sunset Peacock. Both are large, oversized pens roughly based on the Sailor King of Pen model, slightly larger all around, and built on Taccia’s Empress base in Ebonite.

These are attention-grabbing luxury pens. The hand-laid eggshell and maki-e work takes several months to complete per pen, and after spending time with both on loan, it is easy to see where the time went. Here is a close look at what each pen offers, what works, and what to consider before spending around three thousand dollars.

Raiden Shadow: Eggshell and Maki-e in Detail

The Raiden Shadow pairs black urushi with white quail eggshell and Raiden maki-e, producing a strong contrast between the dark lacquer and the pale shell fragments. The design flows continuously across the pen, with two thin lines of eggshell merging into a diminishing end at the top of the rounded cap. The clip is the highlight: a fairly traditional shape, but with the eggshell tapering down while the Raiden expands further down the clip, combining both materials in a way that feels genuinely original.

There is no cap band or external branding, and the cap tapers up, straightening out only very close to the end. A single cap thread means the cap and barrel design always match up, and the spring-loaded inner cap has adequate tension that does not require excessive force when capping. The cap twists off in just over two rotations.

The base material is Ebonite, and the pen feels substantive and luxurious in the hand. Each pen in the series is a limited edition of 88 units, signed by the artist on the underside of the section with the pen’s individual number. The pens shown here are artist proofs, so the final product may differ slightly.

Sunset Peacock: Gold Trim and Rainbow Maki-e

The Sunset Peacock shares much of the same design language but adds Raiden maki-e with gold lacquer accents. The gold trim is very glittery, vibrant without being overdone, and it reads as extremely classy against the urushi black and the rainbow Raiden. The overall effect suggests a peacock feather, and the section carries a subtle textured gradient into the lacquer.

Like its sibling, the Sunset Peacock is oversized and Ebonite-based, capped with a two-tone 18 karat gold nib. It is arguably the more flamboyant of the two, and a good pick if you want the maki-e work front and center rather than a monochrome contrast.

Nib and Writing Performance

Both pens carry a two-tone 18 karat gold Sailor King of Pen nib stamped with Taccia’s logo, available in medium or broad. The King of Pen nib is an outstanding performer: generous ink flow, a decent amount of line variation, and an extra fine line when writing in reverse (though the reverse edge is a little sharp). It keeps up fine with fast writing too.

The section is rather thick, with a slight flare at the start that angles up gently before the threads. The eggshell extends about halfway down the section, so the front of your grip rests on the smooth portion while the back of the grip feels the texture. The bumps are smooth and not uncomfortable at all; feeling that texture on the grip is a quiet reminder that a skilled artisan spent months creating this piece of functional art.

The pen is a cartridge-converter filler. There is a small oval ink window that does a good job of showing your ink level, and the converter sits deeply in an extended housing. The main drawback is converter capacity: a wet King of Pen nib goes through that smaller amount of ink rather quickly, quicker than ideal. The pen is also not designed to post, which is fine given its size and the risk of marking up urushi and eggshell.

Measurements and Size Comparisons

The Raiden Shadow is slightly larger all around than the Sailor King of Pen in Ebonite, closer in length to a Classic Pens LB5, and sits alongside a Montblanc 149 and a Pilot Custom Urushi as a comparable oversized pen. Uncapped, it again runs just larger than the King of Pen.

The final packaging is expected to include a soft wood box, a pen wrap, and a bottle of matching ink.

Pricing and Buying Advice

At authorized Taccia retailers, the Raiden Shadow and Sunset Peacock run right around three thousand dollars, while the three eggshell-only models without the Raiden work sit just under twenty four hundred dollars. In this price range, some pens feel exorbitant for what they bring to the table, but these do not. Both are priced appropriately for the craftsmanship involved, and both are extraordinary additions to Taccia’s lineup. If you are in the market for a pen at this level, these are outstanding choices, with the Raiden Shadow suiting a more restrained taste and the Sunset Peacock rewarding those who want bolder gold and rainbow maki-e.

Conclusion

The Raiden Shadow and Sunset Peacock justify their price through months of hand-laid eggshell and maki-e work, superb King of Pen nibs, and a size and presence that feel genuinely luxurious. The small converter and its modest ink capacity are the only real gripes. For collectors of Japanese urushi and maki-e pens, this collection deserves a close look.