If there is one pen that forever changed how we humans write in our day-to-day lives, it is the ball pen or the ballpoint pen. Originally designed and created as an alternative to the traditional fountain pen, the ball pen came a long way down the line and is considered an essential writing instrument for people from practically all walks of life.
The problem with the fountain pen was that it was often messy, and the fact that people had to directly handle the ink was something that did not sit well with many users. On the other hand, the ball pen has a range of advantages. These pens can deliver a smooth and clean writing experience at all times, and one need not handle the ink directly.
All you need to do is get a new refill of ink when the previous one has been exhausted, and you are good to go. Attempts at designing a ball pen were made for a long time, but it was through trial and error that the present model of the ball pen was created. In 1888, an American by the name of John J Loud got a patent for his unique ball pen design concept. This prototype of a ball pen could be used to write on rough surfaces like leather and wood, but its inherent roughness made it difficult for users to use it for writing on paper.
Eventually, its patent lapsed because this pen had little to no commercial value. Many other inventors tried to improve the nature of the ball pen with varying levels of success. However, it was László Bíró, a well-known Hungarian journalist who was finally able to come up with the modern ball pen that we so love and use these days all over the world.
The problem with the older ball pens was that even though most inventors tried to improve the nib through which the ink came out, they hardly did anything with the ink itself. However, the ink used for the fountain pens was in no way suitable for the ball pens.
László Bíró took the help of his brother Győrgy who was a dentist and a chemist who invented a viscous ink that dried up very quickly. It eventually led to the perfection of the ball pen and led its widespread commercial penetration. The ball pens have a circular nib through which steam of continuous ink flows so the writer can use it to write on a piece of paper.
Since the ink it self is thick, it does not get the writing surface dirty, and this is why the ball pen is preferred over other types of pens. Over the years, many companies have come up with variations of ball pens that improvise on this basic design of the pen. The ease of use ensured by the ball pen has made it popular among users of all ages. Ball pens are perfectly suitable for official and non-official writing purposes.
