Pilot Corporation ( 株式会社パイロットコーポレーション , Kabushiki Gaisha Pairotto Kōporēshon , TYO : 7846 ) is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Tokyo . It produces writing instruments, stationery and jewellery , but is best known for its pens .
17-595: It is the largest pen manufacturer in Japan, with competition globally from other pen companies like Japanese Pentel Co., Mitsubishi Pencil Co. ( Uni-ball ), French Bic and American Paper Mate . Pilot has many subsidiaries throughout the world, including in the Philippines , United Kingdom , Indonesia , Malaysia , India , Brazil , South Africa , Germany and France . Most Pilot pens are made in Japan , France and
34-589: A two or three digit number. "Custom" models are cigar-shaped, while "Custom Heritage" models have flat tops and bottoms. The number is based on the year of introduction (from the foundation of the company; the Custom 74 was introduced in 1992) for models with two digits, while the third digit on models with three digits represents a list price when multiplied by ¥10,000 (the Custom 823 was introduced in 2000 when it cost ¥30,000). Pilot Corporation published some ecological facts about its pens in 2015. The most eco-friendly
51-537: Is a brand of mechanical pencil made by Pilot Pens based in Japan . The Dr. Grip style also comes in a pen variety. It is well known for its "deflection-deflection/knock system." For its ergonomic features, the Dr. Grip pencil has been awarded the Arthritis Foundation's "Commendation for Ease-of-Use." The deflection-deflection system is a special form of lead advancement. A pencil using this system
68-525: Is a disposable fountain pen that is pre-loaded with ink, while the Prera is a smaller pocket pen. Other offerings include the Pilot Falcon , which has a semi-flexible gold nib. The Kakuno , is a beginner fountain pen meant for children, that is often sold in fun colors, and has a smiley face on the fountain pen's nib. Some of Pilot’s higher-end pens bear the name of "Custom" or "Custom Heritage" and
85-581: Is a slightly different model in that it's designed with a different weight distribution for more comfortable, balanced writing. It also has a wide double layer comfort grip to reduce writing stress. In the United States this pencil comes in a model using 0.7mm lead only. There is no knock system for the US model. In Japan the G-Spec Dr. Grip is available, which is the same pencil, but using 0.5mm lead with
102-425: Is also commonly known as a "shaker pencil". A small, metal weight lies around the core of the pencil, and when shaken, slides up and down; thus pushing the lead advancer down and advancing more lead. For ergonomics, the Dr. Grip pencil was designed with a wide barrel and cushioned grip to relieve writing stress and fatigue. The majority of Dr. Grip pencil models only differ in color. The "Center of Gravity" pencil
119-534: Is regarded as the inventor of the fibre-tipped (felt-tip) pen in 1963. Nowadays, Pentel produces a wide range of products that include writing implements , art materials and office goods. The company was founded in 1946 as "Japan Stationery Limited" ( Nihonbungu Kabushiki Gaisha ) in Tokyo by Yokio Horie, with the purpose of manufacturing crayons and pastels . The first products for sale were released in 1951, followed by pencils in 1960. In 1963 Pentel launched
136-745: Is set to enter the Indian market individually. In 1963, Pilot Corporation introduced the Capless . Unlike other fountain pens during its time, the Pilot Capless featured a fully retractable nib. The Capless was later reintroduced as the Vanishing Point in 1972. In 2012, the company released the Metropolitan (known as Cocoon in Japan), a popular entry-level fountain pen. The Varsity
153-1003: Is the Bottle-2-Pen (B2P) which is made of 90.4% recycled components. PET plastic from bottles are used for much of it, so it is sometimes nicknamed the 'PetPen' or 'PetBall'. The brand manufactures and commercialises a wide range of products under its own name and other brands, such as FriXion (erasable ink gel pens, highlighters, and stamps), Acroball (hybrid ink ballpoint pens); Pintor ; B2P and Begreen (both, products with recycled components). Sub-brands include Better , Rex-Grip , Super Grip G (oil-based ballpoint); Precise , Hi-Tecpoint (rollerballs); Hi-Tec-C , G-2 , Juice (or Pop'lol ) (gel pens); and Coleto (customizable multi-pen system); Mogulair , Dr. Grip series, Super Grip , Fure Fure (2020) series (mechanical pencils); Automac (mechanical pencil equipped with automatic function); S series: S3 , S5 , S10 , S20 , S30 (drafting pencils). The following table contains
170-509: The US . Namiki , Pilot's fountain pens with maki-e lacquering designs, are made in the Hiratsuka factory. In 1915, Ryōsuke Namiki (並木良輔), a professor from Tokyo Nautical College in Japan, left his job to found a small factory near Tokyo to produce gold pen nibs. In 1916, Namiki expanded his product line and became a full-fledged manufacturer of writing instruments. The Pilot Pen Corporation
187-611: The "Sign Pen", a fibre-type pen that was used by then President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson , who bought a dozen of them to sign photographs, apart from being adopted as the official writing instrument of NASA and going into space with a Gemini mission in 1966. Demand for a Sign Pen was so extraordinary that the Tokyo factories could not supply all requests. The Sign Pen was one of Pentel's most successful products with more than two billion units sold. In 1971
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#1732772861282204-746: The 4 Hours of Anderstorp and finished 12th at Le Mans. Pilot created the Aquadoodle drawing toy for children with disappearing hydrochromic ink. Aquadoodle was marketed through a partnership with Spin Master beginning in 2003, and won the American Toy of the Year award. In 2018 Pilot celebrated the company's 100th anniversary with a number of special pages to its website and special edition pens. In 2023, Pilot ended its forty-year-old partnership with Indian stationery company Luxor Writing Instruments, and
221-713: The Pilot product lines in Asia, Europe, and North and South America, as of December 2019: Pentel Pentel Co., Ltd. ( ぺんてる株式会社 , Penteru Kabushiki Gaisha ) is a privately-held Japanese manufacturing company of stationery products. The name comes from one of their first widely known products and is a portmanteau of the English words pen and pastel . Pentel is also the inventor of non-permanent marker technology. Most Pentel products are manufactured in Japan , Taiwan , Korea , Mexico , and France . The company
238-643: The company changed its name to "Pentel Co. Ltd." and one year later, the green rollerball pen with water-based ink, was launched. Horie remained as President of the company until his death in 2010. In the 2010s, Pentel launched the "Pocket Brush", a fudepen that used replaceable waterproof ink cartridges, like fountain pens (and unlike conventional brush pens, which are more like marker pens .) Brush pens (designed and recommended for calligraphy ) have also gained popularity among comic book artists, who choose them to ink their works instead of dip pens or traditional brushes . One of those artists using Pentel
255-526: The various branches, and the collective name for these is Pilot Corporation. More recently, Pilot began the BeGreen range of pens and pencils which are composed of mostly recycled content. In 1995 and 1996, they raced a Ferrari F40 LM at the 24 Hours Of Le Mans . The racing team that entered the F40 LM was at first named Pilot-Aldix Racing, but was soon named under Pilot Pen Racing and Pilot Racing. It won at
272-593: Was Neal Adams . Product lines include Sharp Kerry , Sharp P200 series , Graph 1000 , Graphgear ( 500, 800 and 1000 ), Smash , Orenz , OrenzNero (mechanical pencils or "sharps"); Ain and Hi-Polymer (mechanical pencil leads, erasers); Energel (gel ink pens); Vicuña (hybrid ink ballpoint pen); Pentel Pen (permanent marker), and Sign Pen (fine tip marker). Range of products manufactured by Pentel includes: Pentel produces and sells electronic devices and production equipment in addition to stationery. Dr. Grip Dr. Grip ( Dokutā Gurippu in Japan)
289-764: Was founded by Ryosuke Namiki with Masao Wada (和田正雄) in 1918 under the name of the Namiki Manufacturing Company. In 1926 it established overseas offices in Malaysia , Singapore , Boston , London and Shanghai . In 1938 the name of the company changed to the Pilot Pen Co., Ltd. It was again renamed in 1950 as the Pilot Ink Company, Ltd. In 1954 a branch was opened in Brazil. From 1972 to 1999 various sub-companies were formed to cover
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