Platinum
Platinum is one of the three major historic Japanese fountain pen manufacturers (with Pilot and Sailor), and although it is perhaps less famous than the other two brands, it is still always remained on the market until today as an independent company.
While not know on his history for particular technical or stylistic innovations, the Platinum pens have always been of excellent quality, and the company was still the first to introduce in the Japanese industry the manufacturing with plastic injection, since the first post-war period.
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History
Platinum was born in 1919 in Okayama Prefecture where Syunichi Nakata had created a workshop for the production of pens. In 1924, he moved to Tokyo, and founded the Nakaya Seisakusho that after four years it was renamed as Platinum Pen Company, in this period the company adopted his traditional trademark logo illustrating a world globe with written with the central initials of the founder separated by a star. Has been reported (according to Lambrou) the export of pens with the name 555.
About half of the '30s the company, following the style created by Pilot, launched in the production of pens Maki-e, but to differentiate its production resorted to other traditional Japanese techniques such as the Kanshitsu, with the use of mother of pearl inlays, and decorative wicker rattan.
In the 60s, the company introduced the Honest-60 model, one of the first in Japan to be equipped with a practical and functional cartridge. Other pens in the same period were built with a special sheepskin coating. To compete with the Pilot Capless was created the Platinum Knock model which however had limited success and very short life. Other luxury models, called Platinum Platinum were made with platinum nibs and silver body works to weave.
Fra gli anni '60 e '70 è poi da segnalare una particolare produzione di penne rivestite in pelle di una particolare specie di rospo (Pipa pipa) originario del Suriname.
Cronologia
| Anno | Avvenimento |
|---|---|
| 1919 | l'azienda viene fondata da Syunichi Nakata a Tokyo come Nakaya Seisakusho |
| 1924 | Syunichi Nakata si trasferisce a Tokyo e fonda la Nakaya Seisakusho Pen Co. |
| 1928 | la Nakaya Seisakusho Pen Co. viene rinominata in Platinum Fountain Pen Co. |
| 1931 | l'azienda inizia una vendita per corrispondenza |
| 1935 | l'azienda inizia la produzione di penne Maki-e, introducendo le lavorazioni in stile Kanshitsu e con inserti in perla |
| 1938 | i produttori giapponesi sono forzati ad usare pennini in acciaio (detti shiro nib) |
| 1948 | l'azienda introduce delle penne a sfera con inchiostro ad acqua, precursori dei roller |
| 1952 | l'azienda è il primo produttore giapponese a realizzare penne in plastica a stampo |
| 1954 | sui pennini prodotti in Giappone viene stampigliato il marchio JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) |
| 1957 | l'azienda introduce i modelli con caricamento a cartuccia |