I am curious about the origin and introduction of the name “Pentel”. While the company’s official name was “Japan Stationery Co., Ltd.” until it was changed in 1971, I don’t recall seeing the old name on any pencils. You can find the old name on packaging, but does it appear on pencils? The |Y|echanica was released in 1968, if I recall correctly, and it has an old font version of “Pentel” on it. And the earlier models—including 100E, 350E—also note “Pentel”.
@nimrodd’s encyclopedia seems to indicate “Pentel” was on the earliest pencils.
So, was “Pentel” there from the very beginning of the company as an unofficial brand name?
2 Likes
Basically ‘PENTEL’ started as a product name before being adopted as the company name.
2 Likes
That kindof makes sense. But was it like a product category? Pencil writing tools, lead, and erasers? Were pencils their first product? Were pens also called Pentel?
I don’t know if they used it before1960, but the very first mechanical pencil, the “100” has on the side, “PENTEL” Pencil ぺんてる 100X, with X being the color code, although A at that point was a creme color. ぺんてる is Penteru or Pentel in Japanese, so Pentel was used on the pencil twice from the very beginning of their pencil line. I believe it was also for the pens.
Pentel came from a portmanteau of Pen and Tell.
5 Likes