As I type this post on a computer “writing” out words and ideas, I’m going to take us back to a long time ago when there was an exciting new technology being invented that was to make it easier to write out words and ideas. I’m talking about the ballpoint pen!
HISTORY
The ballpoint pen was originally invented in 1888 when John J. Loud was given a patent for his design. But it was only good for writing on rough surfaces and not paper and wasn’t a successful tool. In the late 1930’s a better version was made by Laszlo Biro who was a Hungarian journalist. He was frustrated with the fountain pen which at that time was the main writing tool. It leaked and smudged and needed constant refilling. Since he was a journalist and needed a good and reliable writing tool, he worked with his brother Gyorgy who was a chemist to make a better option. Their pen was patented in 1938.
The key to their successful pen was a tiny ball bearing in the tip of the pen that would rotate as the pen moved. The ball bearing was made of steel, brass, or tungsten carbide. Ink would then go from the cartridge of the pen to the paper with no leaking. The ink was evenly transferred onto paper. The ink was thick and oil based so it didn’t leak but was smooth because of the ball rotating. Gravity and friction made the ball roll and the ink go out. This was a turning point in writing technology.
The ballpoint pen was first made and sold in Argentina then eventually copied by a manufacturer in the United States. The price of the pen started as very expensive but then dropped when it was mass produced. Over the years the pen has improved and changed. It doesn’t need refilling and most get thrown out when the ink is done.
IMPACT
The ballpoint pen changed communication in our world. This article explains that when the ballpoint pen first came out it was like when the smartphone first came out. Before the ballpoint pen any person that wanted to write had to be in a still place on a desk with tools that allowed you to write with the fountain pen and a bottle of ink. Just like before the invention of the smartphone, we could only use a phone inside and it was attached to an outlet. Now you could write anywhere and on different surfaces. This was a huge change in everyday life and communication for all people not just journalists. I think that even though today we consider it "just a pen", it was a form of early technology with the ball bearing concept.
The ballpoint pen was even a big product for the military because it could be used at any altitude compared to the fountain pen which would leak.
PROBLEM SOLVED!
People could now write quickly and anywhere and they didn’t have to wait for ink to dry. A writing tool like a fountain pen with its pen and separate ink which was a luxury item was no longer needed. The ballpoint pen took its place and at a lower price than fountain pens which made it accessible to masses of people. It was an easier writing tool to use and the writing that came out on paper was nice and smooth. Students, professionals and just everyday people loved this new portable technology. I can't imagine being limited to where I could write something and not being able to just grab a pen and quickly write.
NEGATIVE EFFECT
An issue however with the ballpoint pen is that the disposable ones are just as they are called “disposable”. People use the pens until they run out of ink and then throw them out. These are usually made of plastic and end up contributing to waste landfills. This has led manufacturers to now use recycled materials for their pens.
Another issue that some people think is bad about the ballpoint pen is that it contributed to the decline of people doing cursive writing and other artistic techniques that the fountain pen was known for. I agree with this-I never learned cursive and it wasn't that long ago it was required in schools.
FUN FACT
A person from India created the largest ballpoint pen in the world and it is 18 feet and weighs 82 pounds. And it really works!
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