Mini Curiosity: National Ballpoint Pen Day

Current Curiosities

[Reading] Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid 

[Listening] Houseplant Houseparty Double LP

[Watching] Spider-Noir 


Today is National Ballpoint Pen Day! While I mostly write with demonstrator fountain pens, Sharpies, and occasionally wood pencils, I do marvel at the ingenuity and engineering of ballpoint pens.

Prior to the development of ballpoints, folks used messy fountain pens or dusty graphite pencils. (Offices must've been a mess! I mean, they still are, but in the contemporary sense of messy. Just kidding - kinda.) 

The first ballpoint patent was submitted on October 30, 1888, by American John J. Loud. Instead of using the capillary action of fountain pens, Loud's invention used a small ball bearing, drawing ink out of the reservoir as it rolled across the page. This first model was scratchy and unreliable and often clogged, but with curiosity and experimentation over the next fifty years from inventors around the world, the modern ballpoint pen came to prominence. 

Hungarian László Bíró, a newspaper editor who moved to Argentina to escape the Nazis (original recipe), made the next significant improvement to ballpoints by incorporating thicker newsprint ink instead of runny fountain pen ink. Bíró applied for a British patent on June 15, 1938. (Outside of the United States, you will still hear ballpoint called biros.)

World War II spurred the next round of innovations and patents. Marcel Bich began manufacturing Bíró's ballpoint pens under the name Bic (yes, that Bic) in partnership with a Spanish firm.  

Then, in a shrewd move, America firm Reynolds International Pen Company altered Bíró's design, bypassing his patent. In 1945, Reynolds launched its ballpoint at legendary department store Gimbels for $12.50 (over $200 today), kicking off a short-lived moment when ballpoints were luxury items. But by the mid 1950s, the market was oversaturated and prices plummeted.

Ballpoints became an everyday tool and their contemporary ubiquity underscores the importance of these little marvels, the significance of curiosity and ingenuity. So the next time you pick up a ballpoint, consider the rich history of this commonplace tool. 

My Favorite Ballpoint Pens 
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• I love a clicky pen. So when I found Scout Leather Co.'s Metal Bic, I was thrilled. This pen repurposes the clip, tip, and refill of a Bic Clic Stic in a machined brass or copper body. 

 

• Similarly, I'm a huge fan of Baux Pen Co., which use the tip, cap, and refill of Bic Round Stics with customizable metal grip sections, bodies, and end caps.

 

• Bic even makes a metal and refillable version of their popular Bic Cristal.

Clearly, I love the ink (blue obvi) and writing experience of Bic pens, but want the extra weight of a metal body.

I'm curious, what is your favorite ballpoint pen? And what are you writing with it? Journaling? Drafting essays? Jotting down to-do lists? Doodling? ​Regardless how you use your ballpoint pens, happy writing and happy National Ballpoint Pen Day! 

Thank you very much for your time. If you have recommendations or curiosities, please fill out this nifty contact form.

Sending y’all supportive, well-caffeinated vibes,

Creighton 

Today’s Pen(cil): Caran d'Ache 849 [Ballpoint Pen]