In 1915, Ryosuki Namiki of Japan left his job as a professor and founded a small factory near Tokyo to produce gold pen nibs. Here, he expanded his product line and became a full-fledged manufacturer of superb writing instruments. In 1918, Masao Wada joined Namiki in business and formed the Namiki Manufacturing Company Ltd., and, to pay homage to the sea, their other shared interest, the two partners settled on Pilot as the trade name, a reference to ships captains. In 1925, Namiki Manufacturing patented a process to apply lacquer on the bodies of pens to protect them from scratching and fading. 1926 was a watershed year, with major developements occurring on two fronts: Part one, to expand its presence in Europe, Namiki introduced the ancient art of maki-e to the world of chirographic instruments crafting. Developed mainly throughout the Heian period (794–1185), to decorate screens, albums, inro, letter boxes, and ink-slab cases, maki-e is the technique of very lightly dusting or spraying wet lacquer with metallic powder, usually gold or silver, from a dusting tube, sprinkler canister (makizutsu), or hair-tipped paint brush (kebo). Secondly, Namiki Manufacturing opened branches in New York, London, Shanghai, and Singapore, and began making use of modern advertising mediums.

Key to successfully applying the maki-e process to scrivening instruments was a young, but already well-known artist, Gonroku Matsuda (1896-1986), and although only four hundred such pieces were completed between 1926 and 1949, he became known as the father of modern lacquer craftsmanship in Japan. His work gained swift international recognition, and by 1929 specialist in a different sort of art—that of business foresight, and marketing acumen—the esteemed and celebrated Alfred Dunhill, of London, entered into a collaborative agreement with Namiki. The resulting Dunhill Namiki pens continue to grow in value as collectors items, in every corner of the globe. In 1938, the corporate name was changed to Pilot Fountain Pen Co., Ltd, with their most lustrous pieces, the maki-e pens, retaining the designation Namiki.

For the Namiki collections, skilled artisans use only the finest materials to create a line of exquisite writing instruments that perform flawlessly. The Maki-e lacquering, and hand-painted designs richly interpret scenes of nature in precious metals and lavishly colored pigments. In 1996, the first luxury Namiki Limited Edition pen was released in the U.S., The White Tiger of Asia, with only 300 pens produced. With the enduring beauty of the Emperor Collection, the intricate designs of the Yukari Collection, and the clean, slim lines of the Nippon Art Collection, the now legendary Japanese pen maker provides a variety in which all pen lovers can satisfy their needs and desires.

Other products feature 18 karat gold, sterling silver (Sterling Silver Collection), lacquer or celluloid finishes, executed in styles ranging from the sleek Falcon, to the Bamboo, at once high-tech and ingeniously classic in appearance. However, rarefied art is just the beginning, for as beautiful as they are, Namiki writing instruments are designed to be used. A precision nib, and superior ink and lead delivery systems ensure an exceptionally smooth stroke and clean line. In every aspect, Namiki continuously redefines quality of design and craftsmanship in premium writing instruments.