Facts About the Ballpoint Pen

In 2000, the world's largest manufacturer of writing instruments, Newell Rubbermaid, acquired Paper Mate, Parker and Waterman, three of the most famous names in the evolution of the pen, and the ballpoint pen. Through an international path of designs, companies and patents, the ballpoint pen underwent several incarnations before reaching its pinnacle as a writing instrument that did not leak.

Inventor

Laszlo Jozsef Biro (1899 to 1985) is credited as the inventor of the ballpoint pen. He was a journalist in Budapest, Hungary, and was familiar with the use of newspaper ink. In 1938, he produced a ballpoint pen with a ball bearing attached to the tip to rotate the ink from the cartridge onto the paper.

In Airplanes

Subsequently, Biro emigrated to Argentina where, by the early 1940s, he was the leading producer of ballpoint pens. Because the ballpoint pen could function at high altitudes, the British government bought the patent for use by airplane navigators. In 1944, the Biro brand of ballpoint pens was manufactured for the British Royal Air Force.

Frawley, BIC

In 1949, Patrick J. Frawley Jr., launched the Frawley Pen Company and the mega-hit Paper Mate, the first, smudge-free ballpoint pen with a retractable tip that used a special formula, quick-drying ink. George Burns, Gracie Allen and Zsa Zsa Gabor posed for advertisements holding Paper Mate pens. About one year later, Baron Marcel Bich, a Frenchman, established the BIC company, whose ballpoint pen sales boomed during the 1950s. In the 1960s, he bought the Waterman company.

Parker

In 1954, The Parker Pen Company created the Jotter, which was the first ballpoint pen sold by the company. Parker has achieved worldwide sales of over 750 million Jotter ballpoint pens. Parker was established in 1888. Within a year, the company produced and patented its first pen.

In Space

Beginning with the 1968 Apollo 7 Mission, the Paul C. Fisher ballpoint pen became the exclusive writing instrument used on space missions. The Fisher AG-7 Space Pen and cartridge did not require gravity to work, and functioned in space under weightless conditions, in extreme temperatures, underwater and upside-down. The original AG-7 Anti-Gravity Pen was patented in 1965.

Tiffany & Co.

Elegant ballpoint pens are popular gifts for birthdays, graduations and other special events. Tiffany & Co. is a leading maker of high-quality ballpoint gift ware. Tiffany & Co. was established in New York City in 1837, as a stationery and fancy good store, which added jewelry in 1902. Among the company's range of accessories is the Tiffany T-Clip retractable pen and pencil set, in ruthenium with gold-plated accents.

Cartier

In Paris, Louis-Francois Cartier established his own workshop in 1847. Subsequently, ballpoint pens, such as the 1904 Santos de Cartier Limited Edition were among the fine writing instruments produced at Cartier. Its Pens with Charm ballpoints feature a double C de Cartier logo charm or a heart-shaped charm.

Resources

• Tiffany T-Clip Pen
• Cartier Ballpoints