ONISHI SEISAKUSHO
大西製作所
大阪、日本 OSAKA, JAPAN
Discover the brand of the legendary Mr. Kato Kiyoshi, affectionately known in the trade as "the father of pens".
Mr. Kato started making pens at the age of 19, after his father, who was also a pen maker, died shortly before the Second World War.
It is said that Mr. Kato kept a large quantity of celluloid buried in his garden, and at the end of the war he dug it up and started his own pen company, eponymously named the Kato Seisakusho Company.
伝説の万年筆
THE LEGENDARY
FOUNTAIN PEN
From tortoise shell to sakura, camo and marble, discover the whole collection on our website
Each Onishi Seisakusho pen is hand-turned by the man, the myth, the legend: Mr. Onishi himself.
独自のノウハウ
A UNIQUE KNOW-HOW THAT HAS BEEN PASSED ON SINCE 1920 IN OSAKA
Here are the last remnants of the once thriving industry of hand-turned celluloid pen makers in Osaka
Over the past few decades, Mr. Kato and his apprentice Mr. Onishi have been able to preserve this priceless craft all by themselves.
Although he has calipers in his workshop, Mr. Onishi makes a pen from scratch, he no longer uses them because he can simply tell if the pen has reached the perfect silhouette by the naked eye and feeling the weight of the material in his hand. A skill acquired after more than 10,000 hours of experience.
アン・アスペクト・ヴィンテージ
AN UNMISTAKABLE VINTAGE LOOK
Indeed, celluloid, one of the first thermoplastics, is disappearing, which is unfortunate because it has several rare characteristics such as high density, incredible gloss and perfect balance. Today, it is only used in a handful of industries, including luxury eyewear.
Unfortunately, due to the end of celluloid production in Japan, acetate had to replace this obsolete material. The vintage look is close to that of celluloid and continues to make us dream of a bygone fantasy era with a huge nostalgic appeal.
マスター加藤清史郎
MASTER KIYOSHI KATO
The many colourful tales of Mr. Kato's escapades to sell his pens around the world preceded his reputation. The master's incredible anecdotes of camel rides or bribing prison officers with fountain pens help write his name into the legend.
From the 1980s onwards, as one of the last expert celluloid turners, he was asked by pen brands such as Visconti and other luxury brands to produce small series of special editions in celluloid.
Since Mr. Kato passed away at the age of 85, Mr. Onishi (in the pictures) has inherited the company and the know-how of the master.
筆王
THE FATHER OF PENS
In the past, skills and knowledge were naturally passed on from one generation to the next.
*Original footage from "Modern History of Writing." 筆記の近代誌 produced by Prof. KOIKE Jun'ichi at the National Museum of Japanese History.
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