(Please note that the red flame colour in the photo looks "smear". This is because of the compression of the high resolution photograph. In the process, the red colour looks "smeared" and "distorted". This is usually the case for red colour. Let me assure you that the red colour is perfect, no distortion and it is evenly lacquered throughout the barrel and cap ). In other words, it is PERFECT.  

The Lady Pen 

Whether a gift from a loved one or a purchase for personal use, you will be delighted that you have a Lady pen in your hands. One will appreciate the pleasure of using it as the craftsmanship and care that went into designing it. Like all objects made by S.T. Dupont, the Lady pen will be a faithful companion whose perfect blend of beauty and performance, simplicity and elegance, quality and comfort, will give the pleasure of owning it day after day.

S.T. DUPONT and Chinese Lacquer 

S.T. Dupont product of distinction of the several and various noble substances which were used to make it, there is one that is especially precious and dear to our heart : Chinese Lacquer. Let me share the fascination for this mysterious substance.  Here a few words about its origins and the craft of the master-lacquerers………………………… 

Authentic Chinese lacquer so silky to the touch and with the sheen of a pearl, gives each item its appearance of rare worth often copied but never equaled. 

To underline this unique characteristic, this authenticity, each S.T. Dupont object made with Chinese lacquer receives a " Chinese lacquer " hallmark as well as a logo representing a stylised leaf of the Rhus Vernicifera : the lacquer tree.

The Art of Lacquer 

The first use of lacquer is lost in the mists of time. However, in the second Millennium BC, there was mention of a painted lacquered screen and a sort of tambourin which dated from the time of the Emperor Yu. 

Whether the lacquer was painted, inlaid sculpted (Tiao Tsi) gold embossed (Ts'iang Kin), engraved, inlaid eggshell or mother of pearl, Coromandel or Ke-Hui, the variety of techniques used in the Orient was infinite, and the only thing the craftsmen had in common was the sap they used. 

The art of lacquering reached its peak in China in the XVII century under the Ming Dynasty, and its influence extended as far as Europe. But although the technique was undoubtedly invented in China, it was the Japanese, initiated by Chinese artists who developed the technique of lacquer to its most perfect level.

Lacquer 

The resinous sap of Rhus Vernicifera is collected during five months in small bamboo buckets. When it comes into contact with the air it darkens slightly and takes on the consistency of Latex. Conserved in a humid dust free atmosphere, it separates into different layers of which the best, the top one (" Son-mal-giau " in Chinese), will be used for the final coating of lacquer. 

At this stage the preparation of the lacquer begins. The craftsmen are extremely discreet about which additives they use whether it is Tong Yeau oil, iron sulphate or rice vinegar. The mystery is even deeper when it comes to colouring. 

A host of ingredients is used: wood oils and all sorts of cinnabarite powders whose names evoke the art of the apothecary or the alchemist. 

S.T. Dupont Master-Lacquer 

S.T. Dupont master lacquerers have studied with passion and forebearance the art of lacquer. Over the years they have tamed the sap of the lacquer tree rediscovering the ancient techniques of their Chinese and Japanese predecessors. 

All objects in Chinese lacquer from S.T. Dupont's lacquer workshops in Faverges are "dressed" in this fascinating substance. Only true lacquer gives surfaces this mystical transparence, this strange depth that no synthetic varnish can achieve. 

Past master in the art of single colour lacquers spaces of perfect calm from mirror-polished black to deep midnight blue S.T. Dupont has, through painstaking research, discovered and harnessed the secrets of those notoriously difficult lacquers tortoiseshell coral and gold dust….

High Quality Chinese Lacquer Pen 

Its qualities hardness and brilliance make Chinese lacquer ideal for use as a decorative and protective coating. 

Unusual resistance: once completely dried Chinese lacquer is virtually impervious to attack even from acid, indeed lacquered items have been recovered undamaged from the sea bed after lying there several centuries. 

Wear and tear: lacquer is exceptionally hard-wearing and highly resistant to knocks scuffs and scratches…