Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil

Tokuji invented a unique thrusting device for a pencil's lead and inserted it into an attractive and sturdy metallic shaft. He called this product the Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil. At first, stationers had a number of criticisms: the metallic outer shaft was cold to the touch in winter, and the design clashed with the kimonos that were still widely worn at the time in Japan. But popularity jumped after a large order came in from a trading firm in Yokohama exporting to the West, and soon stationers in Japan were placing a steady stream of orders for the Hayakawa Mechanical Pencil. Tokuji improved the product by developing ultra-thin lead and he named this newer version the Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil. It became known simply as the Sharp Pencil, and the name lives on in our company name today.