Namiki is a Japanese brand of writing implements, most specifically, fountain pens, owned by the Pilot Corporation. Namiki is mostly famous for its handmade maki-e (a Japanese lacquerware craft with a wide range of fine and decorative arts) designs on urushi-based lacquers.
"Namiki" is the surname of Ryosuke Namiki, the founder of the Pilot Corporation, 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.
History
Most of the fountain pens had been made of ebonite, a material that combines sulfur and rubber. However, ebonite changed color and lost its shine as the years went by. Being aware of this, the Namiki Co. Ltd. (current "Pilot Corporation") started to try different methods and materials to overcome the problem. After some attempts, they discovered that lacquer coating could tolerate deterioration and make pens more durable. They also tried painting designs on fountain bodies, using the maki-e technique, traveled to promote their maki-e pens in Western countries. In 1926, a Pilot Office was opened in London, England, and four years later a contract was signed with the Alfred Dunhill Ltd. to commercialize Namiki pens in the main European cities and the United States
See also
- Pilot Corp. – owner and manufacturer
- maki-e
- Japanese lacquerware