Hightide: the Japanese stationery house that takes small daily things seriously

Founded in 1994 in Fukuoka, in the south of Japan, by two friends - a surfer and a design obsessive - Hightide was built on a slightly unusual idea for a stationery company: that the small things you use every day deserve to be done well.

The name comes from the rising tide and the sense of possibility it brings. The look comes from somewhere else entirely: American and European vintage nostalgia, filtered through Japanese precision and a love of things that simply work.

It runs several lines - including the playful Penco and the travel-minded Nahe. A solid brass bullet pen that's compact capped and full-size posted. See-through pouches that mean you actually find the cable. Retro caddies that stack the desk clutter into something tidy.

Nothing here is trying to be clever. It's just made with care, down to the last detail.

That care extends beyond the product: Hightide is a member of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of annual sales to environmental protection, a quiet commitment that suits the brand perfectly.