History of Papermate Pens

The history of Papermate pens spans farther back than many people might imagine. Papermate pens have been on the market since the 1940s and have remained one of the leading products in their market.

History

Papermate pens started as a product of the Frawley Pen Company in the 1940s. Papermate pens got their name in 1949 when the company created an ink which dried instantly.

Ownership

Papermate has existed under three names in three companies. Frawely Pen had Papermate as a product. In 1955 Gillette purchased Frawley Pen and made Papermate a division. When Gillete bought up Liquid Paper and Waterman, Papermate became the Stationery Products Group. In 2000, Stationery Products was sold to Newell Rubbermaid.

Types

In 1966 Papermate added the Flair Pen, which later was known as Tempo and Nylon. In 1971, the Write Bros. Brand was created. Erasermate was added in 1979. Flexgrip was created in 1987, which was renamed the Flexgrip Ultra 9 years later. In 1994, the Lubriglide was created.

Firsts

Papermate under Frawley Pen was the first to have a multi-million dollar advertising budget for a pen product. Eraseable ink was brought to market in 1979. Flexgrip was one of the first rubberized pens on the market in 1987. Refillable pens were created in 1994 with the Lubriglide brand.

Other Markets

Papermate is also involved in the creation of mechanical pencils. Other products still in production are liquid paper and various other stationary products.