Kokuyo Ink

Kokuyo stationery products are ubiquitous in Japan. Nothing seems to be easier than buying any of its notebooks or erasers or filing folders... However, for the fountain pen aficionado, Kokuyo did not seem to have much to offer save a collection of notebooks with very good quality paper.

But that was not the case at some point. And that makes a lot of sense as the company now named Kokuyo S&T Co. had been founded in Osaka in 1905. Along its more than 100 years of history, the fountain pen has been a primary tool for a very good part of it. So, catering that marker was only natural.

The picture shows one such example—a bottle of Kokuyo kk55 ink for fountain pen. According to the price, JPY 24.00, it should have been in the marker in the 1950s.

The Campus notebook shown together with the bottle is one of the most poular products of Kokuyo. It was first marketed in 1965 as spiral-wire bound notebooks, and in 1975 there changed to adhesive bound, as we know them today. The paper of these notebooks works very well with fountain pens, regardless of their inkflow, for a very affordable price. But very fancy they are not.

コクヨkk５５インキ. Kokuyo kk55 Ink.

In 2011, Kokuyo S&T Co. acquired 51% of the share of the Indian company Camlin, since then renamed as Kokuyo Camlin Ltd. This Indian company does produce fountain pens and fountain pen inks, under the brand name Camel.

NOTE added on May 30th, 2013: More pictures of Kokuyo ink on the blog by Kamisama-samama (aka Paper): http://ameblo.jp/kamisama-samasama/entry-11541093085.html

Sailor Ballerie pocket pen – Platinum Black

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, May 27th, 2013
etiquetas: Kokuyo, tinta, India, Camlin, papelería