Writing feels painful to most of us. If you are a student who has to write long assignments all the time or if you’re a professional who has to sign multiple documents throughout the day, you already have a good idea of how tough it must feel. But this isn’t as tough as it used to be. 

Today, with ballpoint bens, we can write whatever we want and wherever we want with complete ease. It’s just the kind of smooth writer experience that we now take for granted. However, did you know that these everyday ballpoint pens were once too rare? Can you imagine what the world must’ve been like before these best pens for writing were designed?

Ballpoint pens have an extremely rich and interesting history. We use these writing instruments every day, but only a few of us know about how these pens were developed, who developed them and how they gained popularity and worldwide acceptance. Well, all of this didn’t just happen in a decade. It practically to ballpoint pens a century before they gained global approval and acceptance. Let’s talk about this in more detail now. 

The Early Days of Ballpoint Pens

We didn’t always have ballpoint pens. They were only designed and invented in 1938. But even after the initial design, it took a huge amount of time before ballpoint pens became common in every household. We’ve always known ballpoint pens as the most effective, smooth, reliable and mess-free writing partners. 

However, before the introduction of ballpoints, people only knew about and used fountain pens. While fountain pens were used as a status symbol a century ago, they weren’t exactly practical. Fountain pen users and owners experienced annoying issues like ink overflow, leakage and the need to frequently refill the cartridges. They weren’t smudge-proof. 

In such a situation, everyone wanted a more quick-drying ink pen option that was immune to all the above problems. In 1938, László Bíró, who worked as a journalist in Hungary finally came up with the initial model of a ballpoint pen and got it patented. This model had a tiny ball at the tip. You might be wondering what the significance of the ball is. 

This ball helps to spread the ink evenly onto surfaces and regulate ink flow, something that fountain pens cannot do. Hence, this was more practical. However, it was only after the Second World War that ballpoint pens got greater approval. The British government saw their potential and licenced ballpoint pens for the royal air forces. 

The Post-War Boom

Bíró’s model wasn’t the only version. Over time, other updates came in as well. After Bíró, Milton Reynolds also introduced his Bíró-inspired model in the markets of the United States. This happened after the Second World War and the pen was named ‘Reynolds Rocket’. 

It was capable of writing underwater and could also be used upside-down and on every possible surface. Such innovative features of consistency and convenience attracted users and writers in large numbers. 

When the product was launched in the market, thousands of people wanted to buy these pens just in the first week of release. But again, there was still the issue of inconsistent flow and leaks to be dealt with. 

Later, Parker and Paper-mate also came up with their own models that were further updated to meet the customers’ needs. These pens were reliable, affordable and accessible. Finally, in the 1950s, people all over the world began using ballpoint pens as a preferred writing instrument. 

The Evolution of Ballpoint Pens

After all these major events, another breakthrough was the development of oil-based ink in the 1960s, just a decade after ballpoint pens had begun being manufactured in large quantities. The previous issues like clogging and smudging of earlier models had been causing a lot of irritation. 

This was tackled by the oil-based ink system. This reduced production costs and further encouraged mass manufacture. In the 1970s and 1980s, ball pens became household writing partners that were used by students, working individuals, and everyone else. 

At first, during the whole of the 19th century, ballpoint pens were just about affordability and convenience. However, as time passed and developers and businesses became more advanced, they also wanted to incorporate the elements of art and design into these regular writing instruments. 

This is when top brands like Montblanc and Parker stepped in and introduced their products that were both practical and stylish. This way, customers began seeing ballpoint pens as luxury pens and status symbols. This was now all about smooth flow with the added benefit of sophistication and luxury. 

Conclusion

Now that sustainability and green materials have become a must, brands are coming up with unique ideas to make ballpoint pens more attractive and appealing. The best pens are on the market now. Ballpoint pens that come with refillable cartridges and are made with sustainable materials ensure that you enjoy smooth flow without hurting the environment.