Pen (rollerball)
Founded in 1949 as the Japan Stationery Co., Pentel is a privately held Japanese manufacturer of stationery products, credited for inventing the world’s first felt-tipped pen.
Office Equipment
Credit card
Founded in 1850 as an express mail business in Buffalo, the American Express Company is a multinational financial services corporation, best known for its credit cards.
Pen (fineliner)
Founded in 1855 as Grossberger & Kurz Bleistiftfabrik, Schwan-Stabilo is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of pens and highlighter pens.
Calculator
Designed in 1987 by Dieter Rams and Dietrich Lubs, the eight-digit ET66 calculator from Braun is a true icon of modern design.
Glue (stick)
Founded in 1876 by Fritz Henkel, Henkel AG & Company is a German chemical and consumer goods company, active both in the consumer and industrial sector.
Typeface (sans serif)
Designed in 1957 by Max Miedinger with help from Eduard Hoffmann, Helvetica is one of the most iconic typefaces of the 20th century.
Marker (permanent)
Founded in 1960 by Carl-Wilhelm Edding and Volker Detlef Ledermann, Edding is a manufacturer of writing and marking tools.
Marker (highlight)
Founded in 1855 as Grossberger & Kurz Bleistiftfabrik, Schwan-Stabilo is the world’s largest manufacturer of highlighter pens.
Pocket diary
Founded in 1887 by Frank Smythson, Smythson of Bond Street is a British manufacturer of luxury stationery and leather goods.
Clutch pencil sharpener
Invented and patented in 1939 by Georges Dessonnaz, and named after the first letters of its inventor’s name, the Gedess is the world’s first sharpener for clutch pencils.
Typewriter
Founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti as a typewriter manufacturer, Olivetti today is a manufacturer of computers, tablets and smartphones.
E-reader
First launched in 2007 and sold out in five-and-a-half hours, the Amazon Kindle is the world’s most iconic e-reader.
Pencil sharpener
Founded in 1908 Paul Möbius as T. Paul Möbius KG., DUX makes the most iconic pencil sharpeners in the world.
Paper cup
Founded in 1907 by Lawrence Luellen, Dixie Cup is the brand name for disposable paper cups. Luellen was concerned about germs being spread by people sharing glasses or dippers at public water dispensers.
Paper cutter
Founded in 1930 by Wilhem Dahle to market a pencil sharpening system, Dahle Bürotechnik GmbH is a manufacturer of quality office products.
Utility knife (office)
Founded by Yoshio Okada in 1956, Olfa Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of utility knives, especially known for inventing the snap-off blade.
Eraser
Founded in 1790 by Joseph Hardtmuth, Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth A.S. is a manufacturer of pencils and pens, and is considered the inventor of the modern graphite pencil.
Calendar
Designed in 1966 by Massimo Vignelli, the Stendig Calendar is the most iconic calendar in the world.
Stapler (hand)
Invented in 1954 by Fridolin Polzer, an Austrian-American, the Juwel Stapler is the most iconic hand stapler in the world.
Safe
Founded in 1818 by the Chubb brothers, who served apprenticeships as blacksmiths, Chubbs is a brand of safes and vaults, which offer certified burglary- and fire protection.
Clipboard
Founded in 1947 by Harry Saunders, Saunders is the leading manufacturer of aluminum form holders and clipboards.
Pencil sharpener (desktop)
Founded in Geneva in 1915, when Arnold Schweitzer purchased the Ecridor Pencil Factory, Caran d’Ache is a Swiss manufacturer of art and luxury writing instruments.
Sticky Notes
In 1968, working as a scientist at 3M, Spencer Silver wanted to develop the strongest glue in the world. Instead he invented the worst glue: an adhesive that was easily detachable, reusable and pressure-sensitive.
Radio (office)
Founded in 2000 by Tom DeVesto Tivoli Audio is an electronics company specialized in radios and other sound reproduction equipment.
Ring binder
Founded in 1871 by Johann Ludwig Leitz as a workshop for the manufacture of metal parts for office organizing materials, Leitz is a world-leader in premium office products and maker of the long-iconic Lever Arch File.
Scotch tape
In the 1920s American inventor Richard Drew invented masking tape and cellophane tape. Working at 3M, Drew learned that two-tone auto paintjobs were difficult to manage at the border between the two colors.
Pen (ballpoint)
Founded in 1945 by Baron Marcel Bich and Edouard Buffard, Société Bic is a company based in Clichy and is best known for making ballpoint pens.
Pen (technical)
The stylographic pen (a fountain pen with a narrow steel tube instead of a conventional nib) was common in America and in fact pre-dated the conventional fountain pen.
Personal organizer
Founded in 1921 as Norman & Hill but renamed in the 1980s after their most successful product, Filofax is a company based in the UK that produces a range of personal organizer wallets.
Fountain pen (budget)
Founded in 1883 by Heinrich Kock und Rudolph Weber as the Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik, KaWeCo (Koch, Weber & Co) is a manufacturer of writing instruments.
Staple puller
Founded in 1924 in Voghera, Italy, Balma Capoduri & C. is a manufacturer of office supplies, including the iconic Coccoina glue which is also featured on Wikiconic.
Pencil
Founded in 1790 by Joseph Hardtmuth, Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth A.S. is a manufacturer of pencils and pens, and is considered the inventor of the modern graphite pencil.
Fountain pen (modern)
Founded in 1930 by Josef Lamy, who was a sales representative for The Parker Pen Company in Germany, Lamy is a producer of writing instruments and a pioneer in the use of moulded synthetic plastics to make their product.
Flip clock
The first document that records the existence of the Fratelli Solari Company as an ‘old and prized tower clocking industry’ dates back to 1725.
Clutch pencil
Founded in Geneva in 1915, when Arnold Schweitzer purchased the Ecridor Pencil Factory, Caran d’Ache is a Swiss manufacturer of art and luxury writing instruments.
Stapler (desktop)
Established in 1920, El Casco is known as the manufacturer of the most distinguished desktop accessories available, unequalled in design and quality.
Fountain Pen (classic)
Founded in 1906 by Claus-Johannes Voss, Alfred Nehemias and August Eberstein as the Simplo Filler Pen company, Montblanc International GmbH is a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches, jewellery and leather goods.
Ink (Fountain pen)
Founded in 1670, J. Herbin was specialized in manufacturing sealing wax. From his many journeys to India, Herbin brought back a special lacquer formula which improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness.
Glue
Coccoina is a non-toxic glue paste made from natural ingredients with the reminiscent smell of sweet almonds…