Pilot means a pathfinder who proceeds at the head of a large ship. A ring buoy, the company emblem, stands for the spirit of overcoming difficulties to be unsinkable in a rough sea and the strong ties of friendship. In succeeding years, Pilot's products, such as fountain pens, mechanical pencils, roller ball pens, and marking pens, evolved to be widely used in foreign markets. Thereby, the corporate brand of Pilot became famous as high-quality Pilot and regarded as a synonym for writing instruments. However, their voyage up to the present date was never easy and overcame thousands of wild waves.

In 1961, Pilot began manufacturing ballpoint pens and continued making maki-e pens. In 1964, Pilot revolutionized the fountain pen by inventing the Capless, a fountain pen whose nib retracts completely into the barrel. Pilot then later established its American branch and reintroduced its retractable fountain pen, renaming it Vanishing Point for the American market. In 1985, Pilot introduced advanced liquid ink technology with its Precise V5 and V7 products. PV5 soon led the market as America's #1 Selling Roller.

In 1989, due to their strategy of business diversification, the corporate name was changed to Pilot Corporation. In January 2002, Pilot Group Holdings Corporation was established by stock transfer, jointly from Pilot Corporation, The Pilot Ink Co., Ltd., and The Pilot Precision Co., Ltd., for business restructuring of the group. As a part of the restructuring, the corporate name was changed to PILOT CORPORATION after the merger of Pilot Group Holdings Corporation and Pilot Corporation in July 2003. The merger was a source of an operating holding company with functions of mobile sales, product planning, and production, in addition to the original function of management strategies for group companies. By the full use of strong brands, high technical and product capabilities, as well as excellent manpower, PILOT CORPORATION seeks to grow largely as a leader of the Pilot Group.

Not content to allow the Pilot brand to reside solely upon the Vanishing Point fountain pen, the Knight and Ageless collections serve as a mainstay to the high-quality line of writing instruments, distinct from the mass-market pens so recognisable and proverbial in office supply stores. Eagerly awaited with much anticipation is the soon to be released ballpoint version of the Vanishing Point. This new iteration will add a sense of vitality and depth to a venerable old brand that has magnificently weathered the onslaught of the technology naysayers who gleefully predicted the demise of the handwritten word.