Pilot pens

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.

Namiki is the surname of Ryosuke Namiki, the founder of the Pilot, named Namiki Manufacturing Company until 1938 when it became Pilot Pen Co., Ltd.. The brand name Namiki came to fame in the early 20th Century when Dunhill retailed in the west the Maki-e pens produced by Pilot under the brand Dunhill-Namiki. This partnership has continued to the present day (occasionally Namiki makes a Limited Edition for Dunhill) although Namiki has always been owned by Pilot.

Namiki's higher ranges include the Emperor, Yukari Royale, and Yukari, and this is the brand used by Pilot to sell their the high valued Maki-e pens all over the world.

Namiki fountain pens and non-disposable Pilot fountain pens share the Pilot/Namiki proprietary ink refill cartridge, with inks available in several colors. Converters of both the piston type and squeeze type are also available to allow Namiki and Pilot fountain pens to be filled from ink bottles.

The curve-sided Namiki ink bottle has an inner inkwell to keep the nib steady during filling and also to allow almost the last few drops of ink to be taken from the bottle into a pen.

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