The ballpoint pen that became a brand thanks to pilots: Pilot

The birth of the Pilot brand dates back to 1918. At that time, Japan was heavily influenced by the West and wanted to increase its economic and political power by applying Western techniques in many areas. However, the traditional written language of the Japanese created some difficulties, especially during trade agreements. Various efforts were underway to bring the Japanese language, which has a history of hundreds of years and written with traditional writing tools, into a modern written language. Pen manufacturers of the period pioneered some attempts to replace traditional writing instruments such as brushes with modern instruments such as fountain pens.

Among these manufacturers, Namiki Manufacturing was founded in 1918 by Ryosuke Namiki and Masao Wada. In this period when fountain pens gained a rapid growth momentum in the Japanese market, the company launched the first fountain pens, all parts of which were produced in Japan. Having managed to overcome the technical difficulties experienced in this regard, the R&D team intensified its efforts to develop new products that could replace traditional Japanese writing instruments.

While this work was going on, a group of technicians noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dries much faster than fountain pen ink, and they wanted to try this ink on fountain pens as well. However, since the ink used in printing was much denser, it did not flow easily onto the paper. They tried changing the arrangement of the fountain pen and placing a ball on the nib to allow the ink to flow easily onto the paper. This way, the ball could rotate as it rubbed against the paper, and smoothly transfer a small amount of ink onto the paper with each turn.

The efforts of the R&D team yielded positive results and a new type of pen was developed that is easier to use and dries faster than fountain pens. One of the most important features of these pens was that they did not leak at high altitudes. This situation, until then, caused great interest among pilots who suffered from high-altitude leakage of fountain pens, and these pens began to be called "pilot pens". Thereupon, the company changed its name in 1938 and Pilot Pen Co. Ltd. was established.

In the 1950s, pilot pens started to attract attention in different countries around the world. Due to both the ease of use and the aesthetic features that they bring to the writing, these products were used during the Second World War. It provided a great advantage in the pen market to the Japanese, who were trying to heal the wounds of World War II. These products, which started to be used not only for daily writing experiences, but also for all kinds of drawing and cartography, became one of the most popular writing instruments of the period in parallel with the company's expansion abroad.

Pilot's product range began to increase rapidly from the second half of the 1950s. Launched in 1955, the Pilot Super has become one of the most sold items worldwide. In 1959, the company began producing oil-based inks. A year later, it decided to enter the mechanical pencil market and Mizuho Kiko Co. founded his subsidiary. In 1961, the production of Pilot Pen ballpoint pens, which applied the technologies used in luxury fountain pens to ballpoint pens, was started. A year later, the company completed the construction of the Hiratsuka Factory and continued its work in its modern production facilities.

In the 1960s, Pilot's product range continued to increase and its strength in the world market was consolidated. Launched in 1963, Capless was the world's first retractable fountain pen. These products received such great acclaim that they won the Most Recommended Product Award at the International Gift Fair held in Paris in 1964. On the same date, the production of stainless steel ballpoint pens with high wear resistance was started. The company also began the production and sale of ribbons for printers, which will enable the computer industry to flourish.

In 1965, the world's first 0.5 mm ultra-thin ballpoint pen was introduced to the consumer with the Pilot Pen label. A year later, it started producing blackboard markers for whiteboards to replace chalkboards. In 1968, he introduced the Elite S short fountain pens and the Super Ballpen ballpoint pens. It started to manufacture and sell blackboards in 1969, and the growth in educational materials continued.

In 1972, the company entered the American market by founding the Pilot Corporation of America. The strength it gained in the American market encouraged new investments in Europe. Founded in Germany in 1975, GmbH has become the engine of growth in the European market. The water-based roller pens that were introduced to the market a year later were quite light and robust. The new products that combine black and red ballpoint pens and versatile pens, which were introduced to the market in 1977, further increased their strength in the market.

In 1979, the company entered the British market with The Pilot Pen Company. A year later, Hi-TecPoint water-based roller pens with a stainless steel tip were introduced to the market. In 1991, Grip series ballpoint pens with oil-based ink were introduced to the market, increasing the practice of easy writing. In 1994, the company regained attention in the pen market with the Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm micro-thin ballpoint pens. It entered the Asian and African markets in the 2000s and continued to develop its product range according to the needs of the market.