View source for Uni-ball

{{Short description|Japanese pen and pencil brand}}
{{Infobox brand
| name           = Uni-ball
| logo           = Uni ball red logo.svg
| logo_size   =  200
| producttype    = [[Ballpoint pen]]s<br> [[mechanical pencil]]s<br> [[Marker pen]]s
| currentowner   = Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.<ref name=tm/><ref name=penguy/>
| producedby     =
| country        = [[Japan]]
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1979}} <ref name=vn/>
| discontinued   =
| markets        = Japan, Europe
| previousowners =
| trademarkregistrations = United States (Serial #73615530) <ref name=tm>[https://trademark.trademarkia.com/uniball-73615530.html Uni-ball, trademark of the Mitsubishi Pencil Co.] on Trademarkia</ref>
| ambassadors    =
| tagline        =
| website        = {{Official website}}
| module         = <!-- or: misc -->
| module1        = <!-- or: misc1 -->
}}
{{nihongo|'''Uni-ball'''|ユニボール|Yunibōru}} (stylized as '''uni-ball''') and {{nihongo|'''Uni'''|ユニ|Yuni}} are [[brand]]s of [[pen]]s and [[pencil]]s,<ref name=tm/> made by the {{nihongo|'''Mitsubishi Pencil Company Limited'''|三菱鉛筆株式会社|Mitsubishi Enpitsu Kabushiki Gaisha}} of [[Japan]]. The brand was introduced in 1979 as a [[rollerball pen]] model, then expanding to the rest of Mitsubishi Pencil products.<ref name=vn/>
Mitsubishi Pencil Company distributes over 3,000 core products in over 100 countries through subsidiaries, such as Mitsubishi Pencil Company UK. Distribution in the [[United States]], [[Canada]] and [[Mexico]] is by Uni-ball's North American Corporation in Wheaton, Illinois. In Germany they are sold by [[Faber-Castell]], in the [[Persian Gulf]] and the [[Middle East]] by Hoshan Pan Gulf,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hpgworld.com |title=Hoshan Pan Gulf}}</ref> in India by Linc Pen and Plastics Limited (LPPL),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lincpen.com |title=Linc Pen & Plastics Limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uniball.in |title=Uni-ball India}}</ref> and in the Philippines by Lupel Corporation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uniball.com.ph|title=Lupel Corporation}}</ref> Despite its naming and the nearly identical logomarks, Mitsubishi Pencil Company is unrelated to the [[Mitsubishi Group]],<ref>{{cite web|title=About Mitsubishi |url=http://www.mitsubishi.com/e/group/about.html |website=mitsubishi.com |access-date=8 May 2014}}</ref> and has never been a part of their [[keiretsu]].<ref name="NYT-Vanderbilt">{{cite news |last1=Vanderbilt |first1=Tom |title=Letter of Recommendation: Uni-ball Signo UM-151 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-uni-ball-signo-um-151.html |access-date=17 July 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=21 May 2015}}</ref>  The logo itself is a family crest, or [[Mon (emblem)|kamon]].
== History ==
{{Infobox company
| name             = Mitsubishi Pencil Company Ltd.
| former_names     = Masaki Pencil Manufacturing Company
| logo             = Uni Mitsubishi Pencil logo.svg
| logo_size        = 150
| logo_caption     =
| image            = Mitsubishi Pencil HQ Building March-2019.jpg
| image_size       =
| image_caption    = Mitsubishi Pencil Co. headquarters in Shinagawa, [[Tokyo]]
| native_name      = 三菱鉛筆株式会社
| romanized_name   = Mitsubishi Enpitsu Kabushiki Gaisha
| traded_as        = {{tyo|7976}}
| type             = [[Public company|Public]] [[Kabushiki gaisha|KK]]
| fate  =
| industry         = [[Stationery]]
| location_city    = [[Tokyo]]
| location_country = [[Japan]]
| founded          = {{start date and age|1887}}
| founder          = Niroku Masaki
| area_served      = Worldwide
| key_people       = Shigehiko Suhara<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mpuni.co.jp/en/company/outline.html |title = Company |accessdate=2024-03-10}}</ref> <small>([[President (corporate title)|President]])</small>
| products         = [[Ballpoint pen]]s<br> [[mechanical pencil]]s
| owner =
| subsid =
| brands  = Uni-ball <br> Posca <br> [[Lamy]]
}}
The Mitsubishi Pencil company was founded in [[Tokyo]] by Niroku Masaki in 1887<ref name=uk>[https://uniball.co.uk/who-we-are/ Who we are] on Uni-ball UK</ref> as the "Masaki Pencil Manufacturing Company".<ref name=penguy/> After [[World War II]], it was renamed "The Mitsubishi Pencil Company".<ref name=penguy>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepenguy.com/uniball.htm |title=Creating a Unique Advertising Tool with Uniball |website=ThePenGuy |access-date=8 May 2014}}</ref>
Masaki Pencil started to export its products, first to [[Mexico]] in 1927, then expanding to other markets including [[Belgium]], [[Egypt]], [[Portugal]], [[Argentina]], [[India]] and [[Netherlands]]. At the end of [[World War II]], the company introduced the "9800" pencil. In 1959, Mitsubishi released its first [[ballpoint pen]], while its first [[mechanical pencil]] was launched in 1961.<ref name=vn>[http://www.uni-ball.vn/en/about-us/ About us] on Uni Mitsubishi Pencil Vietnam</ref>
In 1966, they began creating performance pens and by 1979 they developed the first "Uniball" [[rollerball pen]],<ref name=uk/> which was the first ballpen with water-based ink and metallic tip. This pen would be a great success in Japan and North America. One year later, the company launched the "Paint", an oil-based [[marker pen|marker]].<ref name=vn/>
While mainly focused on making pens, in 2008 they developed a new [[mechanical pencil]] that rotated the graphite lead every time it is lifted from the page to sharpen it into an even cone shape. This line of pencils is named as ''Kuru Toga''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uniball-na.com/Pages/our-story.aspx |title=Our Story |website=Uni-ball |access-date=8 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405060701/http://www.uniball-na.com/pages/our-story.aspx |archive-date=5 April 2014 }}</ref>  The name ''Kuru Toga'' is a [[portmanteau]] of the two Japanese words 'kuru' (turning) and 'togaru' (to be sharpened).
In August 2020, Uni-ball announced a partnership with Starline.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Central|first=A. S. I.|date=2020-08-25|title=Starline Partners With uni-ball|url=https://www.asicentral.com/news/newsletters/promogram/august-2020/starline-partners-with-uni-ball/|website=www.asicentral.com|language=en}}</ref>  Beginning in January 2021, Starline became the exclusive supplier of the Uni-ball brand for the promotional products industry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Starline Announces Exclusive Partnership With uni-ball|url=https://pubs.ppai.org/ppb-newslink/starline-announces-exclusive-partnership-with-uni-ball/|website=PPAI Media|language=en}}</ref>
In February 2024, the company announced it was acquiring German fountain and ball point pen company [[Lamy]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Mitsubishi Pencil set to take over German fountain pen maker Lamy {{!}} The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15182945 |website=The Asahi Shimbun |language=en}}</ref>
== Products ==
Although Mitsubishi Pencil started as a [[graphite pencil|wooden pencil]] manufacturer, the company is no longer specialized in that product, focusing on [[mechanical pencil]]s instead.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innovative Writing Tools {{!}} High Quality Pens |url=https://uniballco.com/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=uni-ball}}</ref> Uni-ball's [[writing implement]]s brands include ''Jetstream'' (hybrid-ink [[ballpoint pen]]s); ''Air'', ''Eye'' (marketed as ''Vision'' in the U.S.A.) [[rollerball pen]]s, ''Signo'' (pigment ink [[gel pen]]s); ''Onyx'', ''Kuru Toga''  ([[mechanical pencil]]s);<ref>[https://uniballco.com/all-products/ All products] on Uni-ball USA</ref> ''Paint'', ''Posca'' (marker pens), ''Chalk'', and ''Prockey'' ([[marker pen]]s).<ref>[http://uniball.com.au/catalog/ Catalog] on Uni-ball Australia</ref>
Wood-cased pencil brands include ''Hi-Uni'', ''Uni'' and ''Mitsu-Bishi''.
Some other pen lines (mainly intended for the Japanese market) are ''Power Tank'' (pressurised ink-cartridge ballpoint pen), ''R:E'' (erasable ink pens), ''Laknock'', ''Clifter'' (ballpoints), ''One'' ([[gel pen]]s), ''Style Fit'' (multi-pen system), ''Shift'', ''M-552'' (mechanical pencils), and ''Propus'' (highlighters).<ref>[https://catalog.mpuni.co.jp/index_h5.html#90 Web Catalog] on Uni-ball Japan</ref>
Often listed best or one of the best pens in gel pen rankings<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Gel Pens {{!}} JetPens |url=https://www.jetpens.com/blog/The-Best-Gel-Pens/pt/459 |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=www.jetpens.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Gel Pens of 2022 {{!}} Unsharpen |url=https://unsharpen.com/the-best-gel-pens/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=unsharpen.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Editors |first=The ARTnews Recommends |date=2023-09-09 |title=The Best Gel Pens for Writers, Artists, and Students |url=https://www.artnews.com/art-news/product-recommendations/best-gel-pens-1234636917/ |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=ARTnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Uni-ball's range of products include:
{| class="wikitable" width=
|-
! width=150px| Category
! width=500px| Products
|-
| [[Writing instrument]]s || [[Ballpoint pen|Ballpoint]]s, [[gel pen|gel]], [[rollerball pen|rollerball]] pens, [[mechanical pencil]]s, woodcase pencils,  refills, [[marker pen|markers]], [[highlighter]]s
|-
| [[Office supplies]] || [[Correction tape]]s, [[eraser]]s
|}
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Uni M7-552 0.7.jpg|Uni M7-552 mechanical pencil
File:Uni Kuru Toga 0.7.jpg|Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencil
File:Kurutoga Benesse.jpg|Kuru Toga
File:Uni-ball Signo DX 0.38.jpg|uni signo DX 0.38
</gallery>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{commons cat}}
* {{Official website}}
{{Pen manufacturers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Companies|Japan}}
[[Category:Office supply companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1887]]
[[Category:1887 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Pen manufacturers]]
[[Category:Japanese brands]]
[[Category:Japanese stationery]]
[[Category:Pencil manufacturers]]