The Evolution of the Pen - Ballpoints Take Over!

In 1938, the world was just getting close to inventingof patents for the ballpoint pen across the globe.
a fountain pen that met its needs for utility andHere's an interesting time line to describe it:
neatness. In that same year, a Hungarian journalist1884: First working fountain pen patented by L.E.
named Laszlo Biro introduced the world's first ballpointWaterman, a New York City insurance salesman.
pen. This started a war between the hard-fought andThe fountain pen becomes the world's chosen writing
established reputation of fountain pens as theinstrument for the next 60 years.
accepted writing utensil and these new-fangled1938: The Eterpen Company in Argentina
ballpoint pens that seemed too good to possibly becommercializes the ballpoint pen invented by Biro.
true.The press loves the ballpoint pen. It can write for a
Biro appreciated the fact that the ink used at theyear without refilling!
printing press dried quickly, eliminating the need forJune, 1945: Milton Reynolds, a Chicago businessman
time-consuming drying processes. He also noticedvisits Buenos Aires. He buys a Biro pen and loves it.
that this thicker ink was smudge-free. Slow dryingHe returns to America and begins the Reynolds
times and smudging were the two most significantInternational Pen Company - ignoring International
problems experienced by people using fountain pens.patent rights.
The fountain variety also was in the middle of a longOctober, 1945: Reynold's product, the Reynold's
bout of research and development for an inkRocket, is an immediate success. It sells $100,000
reservoir that didn't need to be filled constantly. Biroworth on its first day at market. The price was
wanted to create a pen that used this printing press$12.50 per unit!
ink and have no need for continuous refilling.1950: A Frenchman, Baron Bich begins selling Bic
Since this thicker ink would not flow from the nibsballpoint pens.
(tips) of fountain pens, Biro needed a new type of1951: Reynolds folds. His pens were not living up to
point for his pen. He experimented with a tiny balltheir advertising claims. Fountain pens regain favor.
bearing. He placed it in the tip of his pen. When the1954: Parker introduces the "Jotter". It works well.
pen was moved on paper, the ink was rolled out byParker sells three and a half million Jotters at $8.75 in
the rotating action of this ball bearing. He had knownless than a year.
of a similar invention by John J Loud in 1888 used forLate 1950s: Bic captures 70% of the European
marking leather. Loud's invention never flew due tomarket for ballpoints.
commercial exploitation of his desired patent. In turn,1960: Bic dominates the ballpoint market and begins
Biro obtained a copyright for the world's first ballpointselling his pens to the US market for 29 - 69 cents
pen in 1938.per pen.
The British government bought the licensing rightsToday: The equivalent of Biro's pen, the Bic Crystal,
from Biro because they needed a pen that wouldsells 14,000,000 pens worldwide on a daily basis! They
work for their Air Force at higher altitudes than acan write the equivalent of a five-mile-long line before
fountain pen was capable of. They would use therunning out of ink. The ballpoint pen continues to be
sales of these new pens to fuel the war effort. (It'sthe world's first choice for their writing needs.
funny to note that flight was so much furtherThe world of pens has certainly come a long way
advanced than ink pens!) Biro had neglected to obtainsince the times of quill pens and quill pens were the
an American patent for his pen and he and hisonly choice for writing for over 1000 years!
brother emigrated to Argentina. Thus began the war