Kuretake (art products)

Kuretake is a Japanese manufacturing company of writing implements. The firm began its activities manufacturing sumi ink and brushes and then expanded its range of products, producing mainly pens.[3]

Kuretake Co., Ltd.
TypePrivate
IndustryStationery
Founded1902 (1902)
FounderNarakichi Watatani
Headquarters
Nara
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Masanori Watatani, President [1]
ProductsMarkers, brush pens, inks, watercolors
Brands
  • Zig
  • ScrapBooking
Number of employees
252 [2]
Websitekuretake.co.jp

Current range of products manufactured by Kuretake includes markers, brush pens, inks, watercolors

History

Founded under the name of "Kuretake Sumi" in 1902, the company began to produce the sumi, a brush similar in style to certain watercolor brushes,[3] also with a generally thick wooden or bamboo handle and a broad soft hair brush that when wetted should form a fine tip. Oriental brushes were created for the traditional painting techniques of Japan and the Far East, such as sumi painting. Both the techniques themselves and the brushes have become popular in western countries.[4]

Bamboo and sumi brushes have become popular with watercolor artists for detailing and fine lines, while the hake brush is used much like a square wash.[4]

In 1965 Kuretake Industries Co., Ltd. was established as a plant specializing in the production of writing instruments while Tokyo office was established.[3] In 1986 a subsidiary, "Kuretake U.K. Ltd." was established in the West Midlands, England.[3] In 2014 another subsidiary, "Kuretake ZIG Corporation" was established in Sacramento, United States.

Products

Kuretake (and its subsidiary brand, "Zig") manufactures a wide variety of markers, such as highlighters and watercolor markers.

The firm also gained reputation for its "brush pen",[5] similar to a marker pen with a brush-shapered flexible tip but refillable, using replaceable ink cartridges like fountain pens do.[6] The brush pen by Kuretake was the first using cartridges (although Pentel would later launched a brush model that used cartridges also).[7]

Brush pens (designed and recommended for calligraphy) have also gained popularity among comic book artists, who choose them to ink their works instead of dip pens or traditional brushes.

Through its brand "ScrapBooking", Kuretake produces other stationery items such as papers, templates, corner punches, color selectors, and photo tapes.[8][9]

References
  1. "Kuretake statement as of 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  2. "Company profile". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  3. "Kuretake history - official site". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  4. Oriental brushes description in DickBlick art site
  5. Kuretake brush pen description
  6. Kuretake brush pen review on Parkablogs, 19 Nov 2012
  7. "Pentel pocket brush pen". Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
  8. Kuretake UK - Products
  9. "Kuretake products in CraftIndustry site". Archived from the original on 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
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