Pilot
In 1918, Ryosuke Namiki and Masao Wada, two Japanese naval engineers who worked on a merchant ship and had realized that, with salt water, the nibs of fountain pens rusted and presented problems, they launched their first fountain pen with stainless steel nib on the market in Japan. As a tribute to their shared fascination with the sea, this fountain pen adopted the name Pilot in reference to the fleet's flagship.
From then until today, the Pilot fountain pen brand has grown to become a multinational that is a world leader in the manufacturing of writing instruments. A privileged position that is based on factors such as the precision and quality of its products, but also on a commendable desire for innovation that has milestones such as the launch, in 1964, of the first retractable fountain pen, the Pilot Capless, which dispensed with the cap and allowed the nib to be retracted, preventing deterioration and ink jams resulting from exposure to the elements. Such was the success of this technical solution, that today the Capless model continues in production in different versions and finishes and, even today, constitutes the main emblem of an extensive catalog of writing pens defined by its versatility, solid construction and efficiency.
