In 1915, Hayakawa Tokuji created the Hayakawa-style propelling pencil. The propelling pencils of the time were made of celluloid and broke easily. Hayakawa rebuilt the inner metal parts, which had combined many pieces, from a single sheet of brass and made them strong.
He was advised to call it the Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil. It became a hit for its function and its beauty, and it later gave the company Sharp its name.