Pilot

Pilot Corporation(株式会社パイロットコーポレーション,Kabushiki Kaisha Pairotto Kōporēshon^?, TYO: 7846) is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan. It produces writing instruments, stationery, and jewelry but is most well known for its pens. It is the third largest pen manufacturer in the United States and the largest in Japan. It has a large number of subsidiaries located in countries throughout the world, including the Philippines, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, and France. Most Pilot pens are made in Japan, France, and the USA. Ryosuke Namiki founded the company in 1918.

Namiki, the fountain pens with maki-e lacquering designs, are made in the Hiratsuka factory.

The Pilot Pen Corporation was founded in 1918 under the name of the Namiki Manufacturing Company. In 1926 it established overseas offices in Malaysia, Singapore, New York, 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 The company opened a branch in Brazil. Between 1972- 1999 various sub companies were formed to cover the various branches. The collective name for these, decided in 2003, is Pilot Corporation. More recently, Pilot has began the BeGreen line, pens and pencils composed of mostly recycled content.