Early history of Chinese fountain pen makers, Venus, Kin Sin, Golden Star, Jinxing (1) before 1936.

Updated 20210218. I got some of the achieves about Venus and Kin Sin

It is a series about famous fountain pen makers in China. I choose Venus as the first one. Because I need to translate the reference to English, It will be slow.

The Chinese characters here:

Traditional: historical brand/ factories' historical name/ historical magazine or book or newspapers' name

Simplified: people's name/ organization's name

Venus founded by Korean brothers(Kim Sung Kŏn金星建 (Kim U San金右山 1893-?)/ Kim Sung Moon金星文/ Kim Sung Bin金星斌) in Shanghai French Concession about 1931-1932

Mr. Kim Sung Kŏn

From Modern Enterpriser 現代實業家 in 1935

Some documents after 1970s said that it founded in 1932 while some earlier said in 1931. 

In fact, Kim's brothers assembled fountain pens at home.

Before Kim Sung Kŏn came to Shanghai, he studied in Japan for 14 years. He graduated from Tokyo Koutou Kougei Gakkou, which is Faculty of Engineering of Chiba University now.

Zhou Zibai周子柏 met Venus in Autumn, 1932, from his friend Feng Shaozhou. They thought Venus had a not bad quality and it would be a good chance to sell domestic stationery. 

In 1933, Venus did not sell well. Kim's brothers advise to found a company so that distributors  became the shareholders. Venus was formally founded in 1933.4. 

The Chinese name of Venus is "金星水筆廠" (Venus Pen Company).

He Judao贺聚道 as General Manager, Zhou Zibai as Manager, Kim Sung Kŏn as Director.

Mr. He Judao in 1950s-1960s

From Chronicle of Xuhui District 徐汇区志

The trademarks (Venus金星 and Ay-kou愛國) were applied by Kim Sung Kŏn.

Kim's brothers sold shares to Chinese shareholders in late 1933. Yao Keng姚铿 joined Venus in late 1933.

Mr. Yao Keng

From his nephew's son. The family photo taken in about 1937 before he bombed by Japanese.

Kim Sung Kŏn and Kim Sung Bin became Chinese this year.

Venus restructured in 1934. The Chinese name turned to "(華商)金星自來水筆製造廠（股份有限公司）".

According to document, the founders were Kim Sung Kŏn, Feng Shaozhou冯绍周(aka. Feng Wen冯文), Yao Keng, Yang Qingyuan杨清源,Zhou Shangming周尚明, Pan Jiabin潘嘉宾, Zhang Xicheng章希成(aka. Zhang Daren章达人), Kim Sung Bin, Zhou Jinwu周锦梧, Kim Sung Moon, Wang Yaxian王亚贤, Fang Yifan方轶凡(maybe Fang Shanxing方善兴), Xu Yu徐裕. 

 Kim Sung Kŏn and Kim Sung Moon were selected as members of the board in 1934.10.12, so were Feng Shaozhou, He Judao and Yao Keng. 

Guo Peiji郭培基 and Zhu Jifu祝吉甫 did not pay the shareholders' equity, so they were not considered as founders.

Kim's brothers were considered as three brothers, but according to the shareholders' list, they are three of at least ten silibings.Their others are Kim Sung U金星友, Kim Sung Hǔi金星憙, Kim Sung Yung金星融, Kim Sung Phyŏng金星平, Kim Sung Chǒl金星哲, Kim Sung Hye金星惠, Kim Sung Un金星恩.

Yao Keng's elder brother Yao Zhenxin姚振新 has been one of the shareholders of Venus.

Zhou Zibai was 颖源號Yinyuan Firm's mamager, which was the distributor of Venus, and he was not the shareholder in 1934.

 

Xinwen Bao 1934. 9. 21 -2

Shi Bao 1934. 10. 14-4

The inscriptions were from Pan Kung-chan, Niu Yung-chien, Wu Tieh-cheng, Chu Minyi, Chu Fucheng, Wang Shih-chieh, Hsieh Tu-pi and so on.
 

Xinwen Bao 1934. 11. 18-16

Kim Sung Kŏn invented his vacumatic filling and got patent in 1935. 3. He left Venus to found Camel 金駝 (Brand was Camel 駱駝. Notice: there were a Camel made in the US on market in about 1938) with investment from Wang Shiyu王时雨 and so on later.

Kim's brothers left Venus in 1935.5. The Venus brand which was registered by Kim Sung Kŏn were turned to the Venus company.

Yao Keng became the second director after restructuring. He went to Japan to learn how to produce fountain pen and invite engineer with Korean workers Choi's brothers.

Venus faced a lawsuit with American Lead Pencil Company about invading Venus Pencil's trademark.

Kim Sung Moon and his family became Chinese this year.

Venus started to produce gold nib in a branch in Shanghai International Settlement.

 

 

Shi Bao 1935. 10. 18-8

Modern Enterpriser 

In 1936, because of domestic violence, Kim Sung Kŏn sold Camel and patent to Kim Sung Bin in March and finally Camel and patent were sold to Yang Chonggao杨崇皋, an officer of Personnel Management Society of China(lit. 中国人事管理学会). The factory owned by Yang Chonggao was named Darwin"大文" which stopped in about 1938. Notice: there were Darwin made in the US in about 1938.

 

Camel  

Shen Bao 1936. 4. 11  

Darwin

Shen Bao 1936. 8. 26
 

Venus lost in the lawsuit in late 1936. Chiang Kai-shek ordered that Venus should change its name into Kin Sin, the translation by pronunciation.

 Fake Russian pen Made in Japan

Shi Bao 1934. 5. 26-3

Grew in the cracks: Shanghai Kin Sin Pen Company 在夹缝中成长的上海金星金笔厂 by Shanghai Political Consultative Conference. Incomplete version: http://zx.xh.sh.cn/StaticFile/2016-10-28/ce0873ed-f27a-4b14-9443-cfd95d6ee41a.html, Zhou Zibai met Venus in Autumn 1932

Mr. Kim Sung Kŏn invented Vacumatic Fountain Pen. Shishi Yuebao 時事月報 1935 March or April, Kim Sung Kŏn founded Venus in 1931.

Shao Linsheng, An Interview with Mr. Kim Sung Kŏn, Gospel Light, 1935, No. 5, Vol. 11. Venus founded in 1933 while Kim had studied fountain pen since 1931 when he came to Shanghai. 

Shanghai Municipal Government Bulletin 上海市政府公報 No.129 p115.

Shanghai Municipal Government Bulletin 上海市政府公報 No.145 p45.

Trademark Bulletin, 1933, No. 76, p111.

Lu Qiuping, a Visiting to Kin Sin Pen Company. Ta Kung Pao (Shanghai) 1937. 6. 25-13

Investigation Record of Domestic Goods國貨調查錄 by Shanghai Municipal Government, 1934 p103 and p106

Mr. Kim Sung Kŏn invented Vacumatic Fountain Pen. Shen Bao, 1935. 3. 27-13

The Camel Pen pay commission for helping with disaster relief. Shen Bao, 1935. 9. 16-12

Zhu Yakui, Attorney Zhu Yakui's Appointment as the Perennial Legal Counsel of The Camel Pen's Mr. Kim Sung Bin. Shen Bao, 1936. 3. 19-2

Korean Kim U San send his wife to Madhouse by force. Shen Bao, 1936. 3. 24-11

Yang Chonggao takes over the Camel Pen Company, Vacumatic Pen get improved. Shen Bao, 1936. 7. 18-13

Chiang Kai-shek, Decision litigation No.81, Executive Yuan Bulletin 行政院公報, 1936, No.12, Vol.1 p218-220