Ballpoint Pens

Most of us can't imagine leaving home without awho began manufacturing it in Argentina under the
ballpoint pen tucked into our bag or briefcase; somename 'Eterpen'. In May 1945, patents for American
of us even carry them in all colors. Convenient,production were licensed to Eversharp, Inc. and
easy-to-use and inexpensive, this writing instrumentEberhard Faber but they did not go into production
has allowed millions of people the world over to doimmediately, to their loss. A shrewd businessman
away with fussy fountain pens.called Reynolds beat them to it. He patented a
The idea of a pen that did not run out ink for a veryslightly different version of the ballpoint pen and
long period is attributed to one John J. Load of thepromptly introduced it to the American and overseas
United States, who patented the first ballpoint pen inmarkets. In the first three months, he sold two million
1888, but never went into production. Hungarianpens.
brothers Laszlo and George Biro, who came along inThe ballpoint pen was refined over the years and
1938, made some changes to Load's original idea,several other famous players entered the fray. While
applied for patents, and arranged to put the pen onParker, Sheaffer and Waterman manufacture
the market. Their leak-proof ballpoint pen didn't havehigh-priced upscale varieties, the modern version of
to be refilled for a year, and naturally, it was anthe Biro, the BIC Crystal, reportedly sells 14 million
instant hit. Today Biro is the generic name forpieces across the world every day. Obviously, this is
ballpoint pens in most parts of the world.one invention that will never run out of steam - or
The Biro brothers sold the rights to their ballpoint penink.
to a British promoter called Henry George Martin,