Editing Mitsubishi Pencil Company

{{Infobox company
| name             = Uni-ball 
| logo             = [[File:Uni-ball logo.svg|220px]]
| founded       = 1887<ref name=aboutus/>
| founder = 
| products = 
| headquarters    = [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] 
| key_people       = Eiichiro Suhara (President)<ref name=aboutus>{{cite web |url=http://uniball.com/?mid=133&pid=10 |title=About Us |website=Uni-ball |accessdate=8 May 2014}}</ref>
| num_employees    = Non-consolidated: 603;<br />Consolidated: 2,575<ref name=aboutus/>
| website         = {{url|http://www.uniball.com}}
}}

'''uni-ball''' and '''uni''' are brands of [[pen]]s and [[pencil]]s, made by the {{nihongo|'''Mitsubishi Pencil Company Limited'''|三菱鉛筆株式会社|Mitsubishi Enpitsu Kabushiki Gaisha|{{tyo|7976}}}} of [[Japan]]. The brands currently have several lines of pens including uni Jetstream, Vision Elite, Eye  ([[rollerball pen]]s); PowerTank (pressurised ink cartridge pen); Signo ([[gel pen]]s); and POSCA (markers) among others.

Mitsubishi Pencil Company distributes products in over 100 countries through subsidiaries, such as Mitsubishi Pencil Company UK.  [[Sanford (writing products)|Sanford]] distributes uni-ball in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], [[Faber-Castell]] did so for [[Germany]] until 2017, and Linc Pen and Plastics Limited (LPPL) in India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uniball.in/shop/cms.php?id_cms=4 |title=Uni-ball India}}</ref> Despite its naming and the near 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 |accessdate=8 May 2014}}</ref> and has never been a part of their conglomerate.

== History ==
Founded in 1887 by Niroku Masaki, the company then known as Masaki Pencil Manufacturing Company began creating superior wooden pencils. It wasn't until after World War II that the company became The Mitsubishi Pencil Company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thepenguy.com/uniball.htm |title=Creating a Unique Advertising Tool with Uniball |website=ThePenGuy |accessdate=8 May 2014}}</ref>

In 1966, they began creating performance pens and by 1979 they developed the roller pen. This was the first Uniball pen as well as the world's first pen with water-based ink. While mainly focused on making pens, in 2008 they developed a new [[mechanical pencil]] that rotates 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 |accessdate=8 May 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405060701/http://www.uniball-na.com:80/pages/our-story.aspx |archivedate=5 April 2014 |df= }}</ref>

'''Rollerball:''' The standard system for the majority of their pens, including the Vision Elite which was built with an inside reservoir that can compensate for changes in pressure to prevent spills during flights.

The Jetstream line of rollerball pens uses a hybrid ink formulation whose viscosity is lower than that of standard ballpoint ink. The ink dries faster than a standard ballpoint to prevent smears when writing.

'''Gel:''' While they designed the world's first pen using water-based ink, they also have a line of [[gel pen]]s. The Mitsubishi Pencil Company incorporated a retractable tip to make the world's first retractable gel pen.

The Signo line of gel pens uses "uni Super-ink", an archival quality ink that is water-proof and fade-resistant. The ink also resists washing. The Signo refills comes in varied tip sizes, ranging from ultra-micro (0.38mm) to bold (1.0mm).

'''Ballpoint pens:''' Laknock broad and SA-R ballpoint pens.

'''Pencil:''' No longer specializing in wooden pencils, the Mitsubishi Pencil Company began creating [[mechanical pencil]]s. For example, the Kuru Toga mechanical pencil is one of the flagship mechanical pencils they make. However, the Mitsubishi Pencil Company still produces wooden pencils.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uniball-na.com/Pages/products.aspx |title=Products |website=Uni-ball |accessdate=8 May 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408081459/http://www.uniball-na.com:80/Pages/products.aspx |archivedate=8 April 2014 |df= }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Sanford]], the North American distributor for Uni-ball.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://uniball.com/home/index.html Uni-ball Japan]

[[Category:Japanese stationery]]