Pentel Co., Ltd.(ぺんてる chu thức hội xã,Penteru Kabushiki Gaisha)is a privately-held Japanesemanufacturing companyofstationeryproducts. The name comes from one of their first widely known products and is aportmanteauof theEnglish wordspenandpastel.[5][6]Pentel is also the inventor ofnon-permanent markertechnology. Most Pentel products are manufactured inJapan,Taiwan,Korea,Mexico,andFrance.
 | |
 Pentel headquarters inTokyo,May 2006 | |
| Formerly | Japan Stationery Co., Ltd. (1946–71) |
|---|---|
| Company type | PrivateK.K. |
| Industry | Stationery(primary) |
| Founded | 1946[1] |
| Founder | Yukio Horie[2](President 1946–2010)[3] |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide[4] |
Key people | Hiroyuki Ono (President and CEO) |
| Products | Writing implements,art materials,office products, electronic devices and production equipment |
Number of employees | 773 (March 2012) |
| Website | pentel.co.jp |
The company is regarded as the inventor of the fibre-tipped (felt-tip) pen in 1963.[7]Nowadays, Pentel produces a wide range of products that includewriting implements,art materialsand office goods.
History
editThe company was founded in 1946 as "Japan Stationery Limited" (Nihonbungu Kabushiki Gaisha) inTokyoby Yokio Horie, with the purpose of manufacturingcrayonsandpastels.The first products for sale were released in 1951, followed bypencilsin 1960.[2]
In 1963 Pentel launched the "Sign Pen", a fibre-type pen that was used by then President of the United StatesLyndon B. Johnson,who bought a dozen of them to sign photographs, apart from being adopted as the official writing instrument ofNASAand going into space with aGeminimission in 1966.[8]Demand for a Sign Pen was so extraordinary that the Tokyo factories could not supply all requests.[8]The Sign Pen was one of Pentel's most successful products with more than two billion units sold.[2]
In 1971 the company changed its name to "Pentel Co. Ltd." and one year later, the greenrollerball penwith water-based ink, was launched.[2]Horie remained as President of the company until his death in 2010.[7]
In the 2010s, Pentel launched the "Pocket Brush",[9][10]afudepenthat used replaceable waterproof[11]ink cartridges, likefountain pens(and unlike conventional brush pens, which are more likemarker pens.)
Brush pens (designed and recommended forcalligraphy) have also gained popularity amongcomic bookartists, who choose them to ink their works instead ofdip pensor traditionalbrushes.One of those artists using Pentel wasNeal Adams.[12]
Products
editStationery
editProduct lines includeSharp Kerry,Sharp P200 series,Graph 1000,Graphgear(500, 800 and 1000),Smash,Orenz,OrenzNero(mechanical pencils or "sharps" );AinandHi-Polymer(mechanical pencil leads, erasers);Energel(gel ink pens);Vicuña(hybrid ink ballpoint pen);Pentel Pen(permanent marker), andSign Pen(fine tip marker).
Range of products manufactured by Pentel includes:[13]
Other products
editPentel produces and sells electronic devices and production equipment in addition to stationery.
- Electronic equipment – Touch panel, digitizer (liquid crystal pen tablet), touch switch, electronic pen (airpen)
- Production equipment – for industrial robots, industrial automatic assembly machines, precision dies for injection molding, precision hand presses
- OEM supply (OEM Division) – Cosmetic parts, stationery, office supplies, medical equipment
References
edit- ^"Pentel Corporate Report"Archived2021-01-27 at theWayback Machine,Pentel Corporation, January 2014.
- ^abcd"Pentel celebrates 70 years of success".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-12-22.Retrieved2019-11-28.
- ^"Pentel Japanese site corporate information".Archived fromthe originalon May 14, 2011.
- ^"Pentel international locations".
- ^“ぺんてる” の xã danh の do lai とは?Archived2021-04-18 at theWayback MachinePentel Co., Ltd. history. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^"Chi siamo | Pentel Italia SpA".pentel.it.
- ^abHistory of pen and writing instrumentsAbout Inventors site. Retrieved March 11, 2007.
- ^abHistory of the Pentel Sign PenArchived2021-04-10 at theWayback Machineon Pen Cult website
- ^"Pentel Pocket Brush features".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-09-26.Retrieved2011-05-24.
- ^Pentel brushArchived2014-05-16 at theWayback Machineon Cult Pens website
- ^Review: Pentel Pocket Brush PenArchived2021-04-10 at theWayback Machineby Teoh Yi Chie, December 28, 2014
- ^Larry Hama interview in Comic Book ResourcesArchived2009-06-07 at theWayback MachineJune 3, 2009
- ^Pentel catalogArchived2010-09-26 at theWayback Machineon Pentel of America, Ltd. (archived), Sep 21, 2010
External links
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