Pilot fountain pen 18k-750 F H478 Antique, rare, JIS marked. . New ink fitted and test written. (Operation is normal). PILOT Pilot, the highest peak of Japan recognised by the world. In the middle of the Meiji 30s, Mr Ryosuke Namiki, who graduated from a merchant marine school, went on board as an engineer on a cargo ship that was responsible for overseas trade. As he came into contact with numerous imported goods, he dreamed of creating something from Japan that he could be proud of to the world. His desire and inquisitiveness bore fruit when Ryosuke Namiki, who became a professor, was granted a patent for ink storage. In 1918, Namiki Seisakusho was established and began manufacturing and selling fountain pens. This marked the beginning of Namiki's international expansion. After a tour of Europe, Namiki develops a method for manufacturing fountain pens using lacquer, which prevents the ebonite from deteriorating over time. The Kunimitsu Kai (国光会) is established with Gonroku Matsuda, later to become a Living National Treasure, at the helm. The NAMIKI brand is quickly recognised around the world, including a distributorship agreement in Europe with the world-famous Alfred Dunhill brand. It takes more than three months to complete a single maki-e fountain pen, and in many cases as many as 130 processes are required to complete a gem of a fountain pen. This was one of the moments when Japanese traditional techniques and perfection were recognised around the world. Pilot fountain pens have been the world's first cap-less fountain pens, and have been a world-acclaimed innovation. While more and more parts manufacturing is outsourced, Pilot Fountain Pens is one of the few manufacturers, including the three major Japanese manufacturers, who do everything from alloy casting to in-house production in Japan. The company also developed a rare technology to compound and weld iridosmin balls, the metal used for pen points, in-house. The company was the first in Japan to realise this in 1914 and has since developed and welded the material in-house, which is rare in the world, and handles a rare rare metal that is considered to be extremely hard and resistant to wear. The iridosmin sphere is so hard that it approaches diamond and is extremely difficult to mould. This is where Pilot's stable pen point, writing quality and durability come from. Pilot" means a "pilot" who leads the way at the head of a large ship. It expresses the spirit of "breaking through difficulties" and the "firm bond" of always standing at the forefront of the times and facing difficulties as one moves forward, The company emblem features a floating ring. After almost 100 years, Ryosuke Namiki's "world-class" and proudly produced products are now shining brightly. Please enjoy these gems of writing instruments that accompany their owners in their daily lives.