Monami

Their slogan 'a pen readily available for anyone, anyplace, anytime' pretty much sums up their range. Ballpoints range from the simple and disposable 153 - Korea's best-selling pen - up to the metal-barrelled 153 ID, for which there is a matching mechanical pencil, and the wonderfully monochromatic black and white 153 Matte Metal editions. The Olika fountain pens, with fine and extra fine tips, are available in a great range of useful colours, and when you run out of ink there are international standard cartridges available too.

Korea may be best known on YouTube for Gangnam Style, with (at the time of writing) 3.1 billion views, but Monami have sold rather more than that of the 153 ballpoint since it first appeared in 1963 - an amazingly successful product by any standards. Though we suspect the residents of Gangnam would probably prefer the pretty and shiny 153 ID version.