 Headquarters in Kure, Hiroshima | |
| Company type | Public (K.K) |
|---|---|
| TYO: 79920 | |
| Industry | Stationery |
| Founded | 1911 as "Sakata-Manufactory" |
| Founder | Kyugoro Sakata |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Writing implements |
| Website | pilotpen |
The Sailor Pen Company is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Kure, Hiroshima. It is famous for producing the first fountain pen in Japan with a gold nib, and the first in Japan for producing ballpoint pens.
It was founded by Kyugoro Sakata and his brother in 1911 in Hiroshima as the Sakata Manufactory producing gold pen nibs. Mr Sakata had been introduced to the fountain pen by a visiting British sailor, and this became the inspiration for the company name adopted a few years later. [1]
The factory moved in 1917 to Hamadacho and changed its name to the “Sailor Pen Sakata-Manufactory Co., Ltd.”. Here it began the production of fountain pens.
The first ballpoint pens were produced in 1948. The first ink cartridges were invented by the firm in 1954 made available to the public in 1958. [2]
In the 1960s Sailor launched a pen with 21 gold nibs, a world first. [3] In 1963, the company introduced a handy, small pen with a cap clip that allowed the pen to be carried in a breast pocket or shirt pocket. The company also launched the first brush pen, a type of writing instrument derived from Japanese calligraphy brushes. In the 1970s, the pen market was in crisis. The company responded by launching a series of colourful pens for children called Candy in 1976, which turned out to be a success, as 15 million of this series were sold worldwide in 4 years. The Chalana series of pens also enjoyed large sales.
In 1981, Sailor launched the 1911 series of pens (known as Profit in Japan) the name of which referred to the year in which the company's history began.
In 1952 the head office moved from Kure, Hiroshima to Tokyo, but in April 2021 it was returned to Kure.
The range of fountain pens includes:
The range of ballpoint pens includes:
Sailor produce Dipton bottled ink in various colours with Sheen and Shimmer finish.
A fountain pen is a writing instrument that uses a metal nib to apply water-based ink, or special pigment ink—suitable for fountain pens—to paper. It is distinguished from earlier dip pens by using an internal reservoir to hold ink, eliminating the need to repeatedly dip the pen in an inkwell during use. The pen draws ink from the reservoir through a feed to the nib and deposits the ink on paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action. Filling the reservoir with ink may be achieved manually, via the use of an eyedropper or syringe, or via an internal filling mechanism that creates suction or a vacuum to transfer ink directly through the nib into the reservoir. Some pens employ removable reservoirs in the form of pre-filled ink cartridges.
A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity that had to be periodically recharged by dipping the tip of the pen into an inkwell. Today, such pens find only a small number of specialized uses, such as in illustration and calligraphy. Reed pens, quill pens and dip pens, which were used for writing, have been replaced by ballpoint pens, rollerball pens, fountain pens and felt or ceramic tip pens. Ruling pens, which were used for technical drawing and cartography, have been replaced by technical pens such as the Rapidograph. All of these modern pens contain internal ink reservoirs, such that they do not need to be dipped in ink while writing.
Stationery refers to writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand or by equipment such as computer printers.
A dip pen is a writing instrument used to apply ink to paper. It usually consists of a metal nib with a central slit that acts as a capillary channel like those of fountain pen nibs, mounted in a handle or holder, often made of wood. Other materials can be used for the holder, including bone, metal and plastic; some pens are made entirely of glass.
Pentel Co., Ltd. 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.
A writing implement or writing instrument is an object used to produce writing. Writing consists of different figures, lines, and or forms. Most of these items can be also used for other functions such as painting, drawing and technical drawing, but writing instruments generally have the ordinary requirement to create a smooth, controllable line.
Rotring is a manufacturer of technical drawing tools and writing implements. Established in Germany in 1928 as a fountain pen manufacturer, Rotring went on to be acquired by Newell Brands in 1998. The name "Rotring" directly translates to "red ring", which refers to the company's signature: a red band placed around the barrel of the pen. The company's name was changed to Rotring in the early 1970s to match the trademark.
Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. is a private Japanese manufacturing company of stationery products. The company was founded in 1913 as Messrs "Tombow" and has since grown into an international business. Based in Tokyo with 397 employees.
Lamy is a German pen manufacturing company founded in 1930 by Josef Lamy, a former sales representative for Parker Pen. The company acquired the Orthos pen manufacturer to begin production. Lamy offers a variety of writing products, including fountain pens.
Pilot Corporation is a Japanese pen manufacturer based in Tokyo. It produces writing instruments, stationery and jewellery, but is best known for its pens.
Zebra Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of writing instruments, established in 1914 by Tokumatsu Ishikawa.
A nib is the part of a quill, dip pen, fountain pen, ball point, or stylus which comes into contact with the writing surface in order to deposit ink. Different types of nibs vary in their purpose, shape and size, as well as the material from which they are made.
The Esterbrook Pen Company is a former American manufacturing company founded by English immigrant Richard Esterbrook and based in Camden, New Jersey. It was the largest pen manufacturer in the United States, having reached a record of producing 216,000,000 pens a year. The company produced dip pens, then concentrating on fountain pens until it was acquired by Venus Pencils in 1967, ceasing activities in 1971.
Speedball is a US manufacturing company of stationery and art products, based in Statesville, North Carolina. The company was originally established as the "C. Howard Hunt Pen Company" in 1899, to manufacture dip pens.
The Sheaffer Prelude fountain pens, rollerball pens and ballpoints are a line of writing instruments made by the Sheaffer Pen Company.
Leonardt Ltd. is an English manufacturing company that specializes in finishing of metal components, manufacturing products such as corners for stationery such as leathergoods, photograph albums, menu covers, pattern and carpet books, binders and portfolios.
Kuretake Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturing company of writing implements. The firm began its activities manufacturing sumi ink and brushes and then expanded its range of products, producing mainly pens.
Graf von Faber-Castell is a brand of fine writing instruments from the German stationery manufacturer Faber-Castell. It includes a line of pencils, mechanical pencils, fountain pens, and rollerball pens. Currently, the Graf von Faber-Castell line includes high end writing instruments made with luxury materials such as ebony, resin, and ivory.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
