We all have used the ballpoint pen. It is the most commonly used pen, with around 800 million pens sold yearly. It is one of the most revolutionary advancements in the history of writing. The first version of the ballpoint pen was created by John Loud in 1888. This pen used a small ball to distribute the ink more evenly. One problem with this pen: It worked well on rough surfaces but tore through softer surfaces like paper.
The solution came when László Bíró started experimenting with the ballpoint pen. He discovered that the problem with the pen was the ink and not the ball. László found that the ink in the first version would seep through the paper and tear it. So, he started developing a new ink style with his brother,
Györg, that was thicker and dried quicker. In 1938, László and his brother developed an ink that would stay on the top of the paper instead of bleeding through. After this, he patented his invention. They licensed their design for the pen, and it was a success. This was mainly because the pen would last longer than other pens at the time. Another reason people bought this pen was because you could refill the ink instead of buying a new pen.
Ballpoint pens were expensive, and the market slowed down because customers bought ink refills instead of new pens. These were all issues solved by Marcel Bich, who created the famous BIC company. Bich’s pens were significantly cheaper than other ballpoint pens at the time. The pens were made out of plastic and were easily mass-produced. These pens were also revolutionary because they allowed those who used them to write from almost anywhere, allowing more people to be able to write. As time went on, these pens became cheaper and cheaper. This design was so good that only minor changes have been made to this pen since 1960.
Related Stories:
https://www.theonlinepencompany.com/us/ballpoint-pens/history
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201028-history-of-the-ballpoint-pen
https://www.invent.org/inductees/laszlo-josef-biro
https://ipwatchdog.com/2014/12/10/the-evolution-of-modern-ballpoint-pen-a-patent-history/id=52550/
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