14 October 2010, 17:06

Scientists have found that You can write, on average, 50,000 words with one ballpoint pen. Now look carefully at your ballpoint pen: at the tip there is a small ball that transfers the ink paste from the can to the paper. At first glance, everything seems very simple. But is this really so? In reality, developing a comfortable ballpoint pen was not easy. In October 1888 John D. Loud from Massachusetts patented a "fountain pen with a rotating nib". He used a small ball that had ink on one side. Over the next thirty years, the US Patent Office issued 350 patents for similar ballpoint pens, but none of them became a commodity. Turning to this historical fact, we can conclude that the founder of the idea of ​​​​a ballpoint pen was John D. Loud. However, not so long ago, Armenian archaeologists discovered a scroll dated 1166, which depicted a strange writing instrument. They tried to recreate it using the means indicated in the drawing - a bamboo trunk, inside of which there was a hollow ball with a coloring liquid. When the experiment was completed, the researchers were surprised to find in their hands... an ancient ballpoint pen. In John D. Loud's time, the main obstacle was ink. Too liquid left blots on the paper and stained the pocket. Too thick ones froze on the ball. Sometimes it was possible to create the right controlled conditions, and then the ink worked as it should... as long as the air temperature did not change. The best that was created was a ballpoint pen, which, as a rule, wrote at an air temperature of 70 0F (21 0C), but below 64 0F (18 0C) it became clogged, and above 77 0F (25 0C) it leaked and left blots. Then they took on this problem Biro brothers(Biro). After the First World War, an 18-year-old Ladislav Biro After being demobilized from the Hungarian army, he tried a number of activities. He studied medicine, art, and was interested in hypnosis, but none of the professions interested him enough to become a specialty. He got into the newspaper business by accident. In 1935, Biro published a small local newspaper and often got angry with his fountain pen. The ink flowed out of the pen onto a sheet of newspaper, which absorbed the liquid like a sponge, and the end of the pen tore the paper in this place. In general, the result was not an inscription, but a purple swamp. Then Ladislav called his brother Georg, a chemist by profession, and the Biro brothers began to develop new fountain pens. After testing dozens of models, the brothers Ladislav and Georg, not knowing that 351 attempts had already been made before them, invented the ballpoint pen.
Ladislav Biro Once during a vacation, while on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the brothers started talking about their invention with a certain elderly gentleman. They showed him an excellent writing pen, which he liked. It turned out that this gentleman was at that time the President of Argentina, Augusto Justo. He invited the Biro brothers to build a ballpoint pen factory in his country. A few years later, the Second World War began and the brothers decided to leave Hungary. They remembered their old friend and turned their gaze towards South America. Justo recognized them, and soon, with the help of the president, they managed to enlist the support of several investors. In 1943, a new factory opened in the city. It would seem that their life's work was doomed to success. But contrary to all expectations, there was a huge failure. The Biro brothers made the same mistake as all their predecessors - they relied on gravity, under the influence of which the ink fell on the ball. This meant that the handle had to be held strictly vertically. Even then, the flow of ink was intermittent, leaving clots on the paper. Ladislav and Georg returned to the laboratory, and soon came up with a new design, capillary. Siphon pumping caused ink to move to the ball regardless of the position of the pen. A year later, the Biro brothers released a new model for sale in Argentine stores. However, the handles diverged sluggishly. Eventually, the brothers ran out of money and production had to stop. US Air Force pilots, who often visited Argentina during the war, came to the aid of the brothers; they made the discovery that Argentine pens can be written from bottom to top at any height and do not require frequent charging. The US State Department invited American manufacturers to produce the same pens. American company "Eberhard Faber" decided to try to monopolize the market and paid $500,000 for the rights to produce ballpoint pens; thus, for the first time, the brothers received a profit from their invention. But one problem still remained: despite the hype surrounding the new product, the pens did not work well. They either leaked, ruining many important documents and excellent shirts, or the ink in them dried out. The sales volume began to slowly creep down. The price also followed the sales volume – also down. Ballpoint pens, once considered a luxury item, began to sell for as little as nineteen cents. But once they bought a pen even for these pennies and tried to write, the buyers cursed at the world and vowed not to buy ballpoint pens for the rest of their lives. At that time in France there lived a famous manufacturer of fountain pens and writing instruments, whose name was Marcel Biche(Bich). It was he who forced buyers to renounce such vows. Marcel took a professional interest in ballpoint pens. At first he acted as an ordinary observer as their popularity soared, and then fell to the ground like a stone and crumbled into dust, then he decided that he could conquer the market if he could create a reliable ballpoint pen and reduce its cost - he liked the new product, but was outraged by it high price for such low quality. The Biro brothers sold the rights to the invention to Bish, and he got to work. For two years, Marcel Biche bought all the models of ballpoint pens that appeared on the market and meticulously tested them, identifying their positive and negative aspects. In 1952, Bish achieved a triumph: a cheap hexagonal pen made of transparent plastic wrote softly, without leaking or drying out. Billions of pens, the style of which remained almost unchanged, were sold, used, lost, taken apart, disappeared somewhere, or simply thrown away. Thus, the ballpoint pen achieved due and deserved success in the French market, and then throughout the world. Having studied the international market, Bish realized that with his name he could not get through in America. Then he changed the spelling of the name so that it could be correctly and easily pronounced wherever his new pen would be sold - Bic. Here are the models offered by pen manufacturers now:


and even pens with a voice recorder, a clock and a camera:

Before we dwell in more detail on each of these writing instruments, we would like to make a short excursion into the history of writing and those utensils that were used for writing.

Historical background

Writing

The history of writing is a separate scientific discipline, and it will be possible to fully cover it in more than one or two volumes of scientific research. However, a short excursion into history would be useful here.

The first traces of writing (in the form more or less familiar to us), discovered by modern researchers, are about 3000 years old. It was then that people first began to put words and sentences together from individual symbols. The method of writing used in these documents that have survived to this day was from right to left, as they have been preserved even now in some alphabets. The modern way of writing (from left to right) appeared later - in 400 BC. in Ancient Greece. The Greeks laid the foundation for modern alphabets, including the Cyrillic alphabet (the word “alphabet” itself is a fusion of the first two letters of the Greek letter - alpha and beta). The Latin alphabet, based on the older Greek, was formed in Ancient Rome, as a result of Roman expansion, quickly spread across many countries and has reached the present day in almost unchanged form. However, there are many modern variations of it - the style of the letters differs depending on the language.

In Perzhd, only large (capital) letters were used in writing and only from the 7th century AD. lowercase letters and combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters came into use, i.e. It is precisely this moment that can be considered the date of the final formation of modern writing.

Materials

Writing materials, i.e. We are especially interested in what people wrote and in what they wrote.

5000 BC- the inhabitants of Sumer, who lived on the Euphrates River, wrote with sticks on clay tablets.

3000 BC- the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt wrote with reed brushes on papyrus, using colored clay as paints.

200 BC- The Romans use a silver stylus and wax tablet, and the Greeks use reed feathers and parchment.

100th year AD- Chinese residents write with hair brushes and ink on paper.

6th century AD- monks copy texts from the Bible on parchment, using quills and pens, but for everyday writing, sharpened rods and wax tablets were still used, since parchment was very expensive.

15th century- pen and paper began to be widely used by European scientists.

Finally, in 1888, George S. Parker founded in America and since then kept all records and signed all documents with the first high-quality pen he personally developed.

So, for 7,000 years, humanity has been using writing instruments: starting with primitive sticks and clay, going through long centuries of development and making the industrial revolution of the 19th century, people had metal pens and paper at their disposal at prices affordable for everyone. Since then, progress in the production of writing instruments has advanced by leaps and bounds.

Quite quickly, simple metal nibs were replaced by the first fountain pens, and already at the end of the 19th century several very good models appeared. By this time, those who wished could purchase quite good ones. In the 20s of the XX century kit from feather pens and pencils, placed in beautiful packaging, was considered an excellent gift.

In the 40s, the technical capabilities of the industry made it possible to begin producing ballpoint pens. However, they became popular only ten years later, and this is due in no small part to the development of a new one that allowed them to be used for quite a long time without replacing the rod. This new rod, unlike its predecessors, not only did not stain the paper, but also made it possible to use different colors when writing.

Relatively recently, another writing instrument appeared -. It combines the advantages of both - water-based, like in, and a ball, like in, at the same time. You will read more about it below.

fountain pen

Today, like a hundred years ago, quality is primarily determined by the quality of the pen and the perfection of ink supply to the pen. Whether the ink is drawn into the pen from an inkwell or is used is not at all important. In the same way, the quality of writing is practically not affected by the material from which the pen is made and the external finishing of its body.

Basic parts of a fountain pen

1. Frame
2. Cap *
3. Cap tip
4. Front of the handle
5. Inner wall of the cap
6. Ink reservoir
7. Ink supply system (collector and pen pressure regulator)

Refilling from an inkwell

If you need to write on an airplane or high in the mountains (that is, in conditions of low atmospheric pressure), then you can do this. However, in this case, we recommend that you first insert a new one. Why is this necessary? The fact is that since air expands faster than liquid when pressure decreases, the less air there is in the ink reservoir, the better.

Feather

If ink supply system- the “heart” of a fountain pen, then feather- this is her “soul”. When beautiful feather glides perfectly across the paper, creating an incomparable appearance" pen feeling".

A quality fountain pen should have the most perfect pen. Making such a feather is very difficult. Even today, when the most advanced technologies exist, many stages pen production are performed manually.

Materials used to make feathers include: stainless steel And gold. The choice of material does not have a decisive influence on the elasticity and flexibility of the pen. More significant factors are the magnitude pen, its shape and design, the thoroughness of its grinding, special attention to processing pen points. Therefore, if the pen is not made from gold, and from stainless steel, then it can be as strong and at the same time flexible and elastic as gold.

Since and steel, And gold wear out quite quickly when writing, pen point made from a more expensive and harder metal (usually the platinum group). This allows the pen to serve for decades while remaining of the same quality.

Very important for pen quality has cut- longitudinal dissection of the front part of the feather into two halves. This incision is of primary functional importance, so it is performed with special tools and using special technology.

Final procedure for pen production- this is his sharpening. At sharpening the pen its tip receives a certain shape depending on the functions that this pen is designed to perform.

During production feathers for the number of manufacturing process operations reaches 30.

Stages of feather production

• Cutting out a template corresponding to the future pen size
• Stamping of a special pattern, company logo, etc.
• Cutting a hole to which a cut will later be made
• Curling (rolling), shaping and edging
• Soldering a tip that matches the width of the pen
• Grinding the tip (tip)
• Making a cut in the body of the pen
• Sanding and polishing
• Installing the Ink Supply System
• Examination

For more process feather making includes some additional steps such as metal engraving and appliqué platinum group ( rhodium, ruthenium). In addition, they are tested after each technological stage.

Types of feathers

Feathers there are straight, beveled - for calligraphy writing. The most common are straight nibs, the least common for calligraphy.

Width feathers are also divided into several groups. To make it easier for you to navigate the diversity feather shapes and sizes, we present here their most complete classification.

Now they are supplied to Russia with thin And medium feathers. You can also order feathers of other species if necessary.

Attention! Never write with ink!

Before we dwell on the technical features, let us remember the history of the development of these writing instruments.

Roller design

1. Frame
2. Cap
3. Front of the case
4. Cap tip
5. Inner part of the cap with snap fastening
6. Rollerball rod

There is no information about the history of the creation of ballpoint pens; it will not be difficult to find. Information about rods is also highlighted in a separate section.

But it will be useful to sort and classify the types of pens, as well as help with advice on its choice.

Anatomy of a regular and automatic ballpoint pen

1. Hollow body - there is a rod inside it, if we are talking about a simple pen, and an additional mechanism for returning the rod and a spring, if we are talking about a pen with a return mechanism (fountain pen).

2. Cap – serves to protect the ink from drying out, as well as to prevent the writing mechanism from staining clothing when worn. You probably noticed that the majority of the caps have holes at the base - they serve so that a person, in particular a child, if swallowed, can breathe through them until medical assistance is provided. The same applies to marker caps.

3. The tip - unscrews and is used to fix the return spring of the fountain pen and to change the refill. Cheap pens are made of plastic, while more expensive pens are made of metal, which significantly increases the service life of the pen. The plastic tip is one of the problems with fountain pens; it often cracks and breaks long before the refill runs out.

5. Grip, also known as the grip section, is a rest (often rubber) for the fingers at the base of the handle. Thanks to this small rubber ring, the ease of use of the pen has increased tenfold.

6. Mechanical pen refill feed and return device. Serves to hide the writing unit inside the pen body. The mechanisms are mainly spring and rotary. Sometimes they are sliding.

7. The pen core is a hollow tube filled with ink. As a rule, rods are made of plastic or metal. But we will return to the types of ink below.

8. The actual writing unit of the pen. We will also talk about its types and structure below.

Pen body

They are distinguished by the materials from which the body is made. Let's look at the main ones:

Plastic. The most common due to its simplicity and low cost. A handle made from this material is the lightest. Ideal for people who write a lot, for example, schoolchildren and students.

Metal. Traditionally, premium pens were made from different types of metals (steel, silver, gold, nickel, brass). However, now you can easily find a metal pen at a reasonable price (the Chinese are great =^_^=). It is distinguished not only by its greatest durability, but also by its weight.

Tree. As a rule, it is found as a decorative element of premium pens, but on the Internet you can find an incredible number of homemade pens, the body of which is made of wood.

Handles are also distinguished by types of sections; let’s consider only the main ones:

A circle is the most common cross-section of a pen body. It's unremarkable; the only thing that saves it is the grip installed at the base.

Hexagon - a pencil is taken as the basis of the body, the edges are applied to the body for ease of grip, and so that the handle does not roll off the table, similar to a hexagonal pencil.

The triangle is by far the most ergonomic cross-section of the handle, a finger grip. It is worth noting that some manufacturers took care of left-handers and made handles not only with a triangular cross-section, but also with special recesses on the grip of the handle, for convenience, with a reverse grip.

Let's combine the types of writing units and inks into one section, because... they are closely related.

Ballpoint writing unit

As a rule, the writing unit and the refill are a single unit (in cheap disposable pens, the pen refill is also the body) and are thrown away after use.

Design and principle of operation: the writing unit is a combination of a metal tube and a rolling bearing. Capillary effect is used to supply ink to the unit.

The ink falls through the tube onto the ball, and when we pass it across the paper, it rotates and transfers the ink from the tube to the paper. Thanks to the special properties of the ink and the small gap between the ball and the walls of the tube, a uniform supply of ink is ensured. Here it is necessary to make a small digression - there are two types of balls:

• metal
• ceramic

Ceramic is preferable, as it is covered with natural mini-craters, due to which it transfers ink more evenly to the paper. In addition, the ceramic ball is not subject to corrosion, although this, by and large, does not really matter.

Today, ballpoint pens are divided into three types based on the type of writing unit and ink.

Ballpoint pen / Ballpoint – classic ballpoint pen

Ink used:

1. Thickened ink/paste. The most common type.
2. Oil based ink. In this case, Semi-gel is indicated on the rod or handle; today this is one of the most progressive inventions in the line of writing instruments.

Ballpoint pens with low-viscosity, oil-based ink provide soft, easy writing with economical ink consumption. The disadvantage of ballpoint pens, no matter how expensive they are, is the so-called. “tight” writing, spoiling handwriting and straining the writer.

Gel pen / Gel / Gel rollerbal – this pen uses ink with a gel consistency.

Thanks to the new type of ink, it was possible to reduce the size of the ball, the pen began to write softer, this is subjective, in my opinion, the majority of gel pens seem to “scratch” the paper.

Ink used - ink tinted gel.

The purpose of inventing the gel pen was the desire to write richly, boldly and brightly. However, when using a regular pen for these purposes, there was a large consumption of ink. If you use regular ink and a larger gap between the ball and the walls of the tube, the pen will flow. Therefore, instead of ordinary ink, a gel tinted with them is used. Gel pens have gained wide popularity due to the incredible number of colors available.

Everyone has seen sets of 24 colors, and on top of that they also sell sets with glitter, neon and pastel colors. Many artists and designers use gel pens. The advantage of such pens is that they can write on almost any surface, unlike ballpoint pens and rollerballs.

The disadvantage of gel pens is the uncontrolled flow of ink, so there will certainly be streaks and stains, both on paper and on hands and clothes. For the same reason, we note the rapid consumption of ink. This pen is not very suitable for writing, although there are amateurs, but it is perfect for artists and designers.

Rollerball pen is the most advanced ballpoint pen model.

This type of writing pen uses a refill filled with liquid ink and a spring-loaded ball in a writing unit at the end.

Ink used

Unlike ballpoint pens, in which the writing material is a paste, rollerballs use a gel or other water-based coloring liquid. Due to its lower viscosity, the ink is better absorbed, which allows rollerballs to leave a more beautiful mark similar to that of a fountain pen. The writing ball typically measures 0.5 and 0.7 mm in diameter, with the refills marked “F” and “M” respectively.

It is also worth noting that the ink used in rollerballs is water-based, which means that they are not waterproof and if moisture gets on the text, there is a high probability of blurring (for example, raindrops). To avoid this, water-based pigment inks are used. That is, the ink contains an insoluble pigment, which, when dried on paper, forms a solid substance that is resistant to moisture. This ink also has a disadvantage - it dries out if not used for a long time. A significant disadvantage of such pens is their considerable cost in relation to other types of stationery pens, however, ease and softness of writing more than cover this shortcoming.

She has created unique pens with special ink that provide maximum smooth writing at a low price of the pen (Uniball Jetstream 217), I recommend trying it out if you have the opportunity.

Few people know and even less pay attention to such a seemingly small item as a stationery pen. However, a properly selected handle eliminates slipping and unnecessary stress on your fingers, relieves stress on your arms, shoulders, and even reduces neck tension!

0. Don't go for cheap. I don't advocate buying expensive pens. In addition to premium-class pens, there are mid-price pens, I won’t indicate the boundaries, everyone has their own. I just want to say that when buying a cheap pen, there is a high probability of damaging documents, ruining objects around you (for example, staining them with leaked ink), and even your health; the pen can simply be toxic. Due to the low-quality materials from which it is made, it can last a day, or even a couple of hours, which will ultimately lead to new expenses.

1. The pen should be the right weight for you, it should not be very light, otherwise you will press hard on the paper and your fingers will quickly get tired. The same thing will happen to the fingers, and the hand as a whole, after a handle that has too much weight.

2. A well-chosen body shape is the key to long-lasting writing. Of course, all this is not for everyone, but I recommend a triangular section with a finger grip.

3. It will be great if the pen is equipped with a rubber or rubber grip for the fingers; this will soften the pressure of the body on the fingers and make the grip comfortable and soft, which again will allow you to write longer.

4. Beware of pens with a strong smell! There is a high probability that these are homemade Chinese products; such pens can be toxic.

5. I have read many times recommendations to buy pens only made in Russia or Europe. In defense of the “made in China” inscription, I will say that many European manufacturers have located their factories in China, where they produce not only pens, but also many other things under quality control. If you happen to have a pen of a famous brand in your hands, but with the inscription “made in China”, 99% that this pen was made in China, but under quality control and there is no point in fearing for the material and health. Many manufacturers care about their reputation and do not allow counterfeits of their brands to appear on the shelves.

Afterword

These are not all types of stationery pens; of course, no one has canceled fountain pens, rapidographs, capillary pens, or as they are also called liners/liners.

Links

• reviews of quality ballpoint and gel pens in

Few people will think when buying an ordinary ballpoint pen when and who invented it. Even fewer people know that the second name for the pen is “biro”. Until the mid-70s of the last century, it was often found in everyday life in Western countries. To this day in Argentina, when talking about a writing medium, they pronounce the word “birome”. This name turns our gaze to history. During the war years, Laszlo Biro, the author and inventor of the ballpoint pen, found his refuge in this Spanish-speaking country. Let's try to figure out when and how this happened.

Who is the parent

To the question “In what year was the ballpoint pen invented?” there is no clear answer. Anyone who thinks that she comes from the last century is mistaken. Not long ago, scientists from Armenia examined a scroll dating from the second half of the 12th century. And according to the specified drawing, they recreated something similar to a modern ballpoint pen. The two-part bamboo stick had a hollow ball in the middle, which was obviously filled with some kind of ink or some other thick paint. Therefore, the issue of invention is very controversial and remains open.

It is known that many minds have been working on the working version of the pen for decades. The names on the labels of branded items tell us about the participants in the ball epic that lasted almost 100 years.

Laszlo Biro, a journalist from Hungary, is recognized as the father of the modern version of the ballpoint pen. But long before its development, similar inventions were patented more than 300 times in America alone.

First steps of invention

The history of the creation of a ballpoint pen takes us to the end of the 19th century, to 1888. An unknown inventor from Massachusetts, John Laud, patented his writing aid with a rotating nib. The simple mechanism was designed in such a way that at the end of a rod filled with ink there was a spinning ball. Some historians believe that Laud was the one who invented the ballpoint pen.

And when they began to test the invention, they were quickly disappointed: the design was unfinished, the ball either got stuck or fell off, and the ink produced nothing but blots.

Many inventors followed in the footsteps of John Laud in search of the “best pen”. Among them were George Parker (1904) and Van Vechten Reisberg (1916). These gentlemen managed to not only patent their brainchild, but also put it on a commercial basis. But their enterprises failed for the same reasons as Laud's.

I need to write

In theory, the ballpoint pen worked well, but in practice it barely wrote. If anything came out, it was puddles that spoiled the paper. As it turned out, the problem was in the ink, which reacted to changing air temperatures: it leaked, smeared, or froze. In order for them to give out anything more or less, the temperature had to be between 18-23 degrees Celsius. Otherwise there was no point in them.

It immediately became clear: we needed different ink. They puzzled over their invention for many years. The first who managed to create something suitable was Bruden Bureau. His employees could achieve special viscosity using water and oil as a basis. But this composition was also refined in proportions and ingredients for some time. Thus, it was found that the most effective ink for ballpoint pens is oil-based.

Biro Brothers

The Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro, due to his profession, constantly had problems with pens, which could so inopportunely and at the most crucial moment stop writing or leak ink, ruining the necessary notes. Biro once noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dries quickly on the paper and does not leave any streaks. The observation gave him some thoughts.

In 1938, inspired by an idea, he began to develop his dream pen, involving his brother George, a chemist by profession. They managed to improve the fountain pen by replacing its end with a rod containing ink, at the end of which a ball rotated. This year is the birth date of the ballpoint pen.

It was expected that the invention would bring profit and fame to its creators, but in reality the path turned out to be more thorny.

Idea Stealer

With the advent of World War II, the brothers were forced to emigrate to Argentina to escape the Third Reich. There they once again patented their invention and set up production, opening the Eterpen factory. Soon the pens hit store shelves. About 7 million units were sold annually. But the naive Biro, being in their triumph, had no idea what business sharks were swimming nearby. Their idea was stolen.

American businessman Milton Reynolds made inquiries about a new product he liked. And I learned that the journalist’s pens were patented in only two countries. That smelled like a lot of money, given that the biggest market - the US - remained open.

Reynolds presses his luck without wasting any time. In 1943, on June 10, he files a patent claiming that he is the one who invented the ballpoint pen. And when its mass production was launched, the subsequent success exceeded the businessman’s wildest expectations, making him a millionaire. In the press, he tirelessly commented that in his invention he relied on the work of his compatriot John Laud.

The Biro tried to win their right to an American patent, but lost in court.

Marcel Biche

This is a separate name that deserves attention in the history of the ballpoint pen. French businessman and writing stationery manufacturer Marcel Biche has been closely observing the rise and fall of the ballpoint pen in world markets for some time. His professional interest pushes him to take on the challenge and figure out all the disadvantages of this pen in order to create a better version. Marcel buys the right to the invention from the Biro brothers and begins to work.

The businessman spent about 2 years researching the pen, studying all the nuances of its positive and negative properties. He makes balls at the end of a refill with a diameter of just 1 millimeter, using a Swiss method of metal processing, which is why the ink no longer bleeds through the writing unit.

Victory came in 1952. An improved pen with a new design made of transparent plastic wrote much softer, without staining the paper and the people writing. But what’s more important is that it has become collapsible. Ballpoint pen refills are also available separately.

Later, Marcel changes his last name to Bic, making it easier to pronounce and conquering the world market. He made buyers take a fresh look at ballpoint pens and appreciate them.

Product of the bourgeoisie

In the Soviet Union, ballpoint pens appeared much later than in other countries. The planned deal with Parker after the surrender of Germany did not take place. It was an independent path of research and development. And for a long time nothing worked: the balls did not look like balls, and the ink did not give the desired effect.

In the 60s, supplies of ballpoint pens appeared from Europe. History remembers what active propaganda was carried out against the writing media of the bourgeoisie. Students' works were graded as "two" if they were not written in a domestic writing medium. But the people did not give up, appreciating the convenience of writing with them. Schoolchildren were delighted when colored ballpoint pens went on sale. A real boom began.

Only in 1965, after purchasing Swiss equipment, did the Soviet Union finally manage to establish its own mass production of ballpoint pens. Things went well.

Do you need a microphone or a camera?

Today, a ballpoint pen is not just a writing tool or a chic souvenir with a famous label. They managed to fit a microphone, radio, flashlight, watch, photo and video camera into it. The latest invention is the computer pen. And apparently, this is not the end of the fantasy. More serious models serve as an attribute of prestige, success and wealth. Everything is evaluated: material, design, functionality.

In business, a pen has long ceased to be a stationery item. Now this is one of the important details of a business image. When signing contracts, businessmen take not just any pen, but a brass ballpoint, which becomes an excellent conclusion to the deal. Or better yet, present it as a gift to your partners or dear clients.

• The first advertisement for the pen claimed that it could write underwater. The swimmer hired by the customer demonstrated this clearly.
• Originally, ballpoint pen refills were made like accordions to hold more ink.
• With one pen you can draw a continuous line 6 km long.
• Ballpoint pens are capable of writing at low temperatures; down to -35 degrees has been recorded.
• Once upon a time, pens were considered an item of luxury and wealth.
• Every year people die from ballpoint pens.
• The most popular pen is the Bic Crystal, with 14 million pieces produced daily.
• 92% of people on Earth use ballpoint pens.
• A platinum Montegrappa fountain pen worth 1 million euros was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Having suffered quite a bit with pens, the world breathed a sigh of relief when ballpoint pens were invented. And who can not appreciate this if everyday life cannot do without them?

In this article we will look at the technical characteristics of promotional pens: designs, materials, coatings and rods. Let's compare different methods of applying a logo. Let's find out which pens are better and for what purposes: which pen to buy if you are planning a mass promotional giveaway, and which one as a personal gift.

Ballpoint pen designs

Handles from the Topgifts range come apart, allowing you to replace the refill if necessary. The parts of most models are connected by thread and are easy to unscrew. The threaded connection can be located either in the middle of the body or at the end: some pens have a spout that can be unscrewed.

Models without threads - with a conical connection or with clamps of various designs - are more difficult to disassemble. At the attachment point, you need to forcefully pull or turn the part. We do not recommend disassembling such handles: putting them back together can be problematic.

There are also inconceivable exceptions: these are inexpensive ballpoint pens, the price of which is comparable to the price of a new refill. Such pens are optimal for promotional distribution; replacing the paste for them is simply impractical.

More than just a pen. The design of Construction pens from the German brand Troika includes a stylus, ruler, level and two screwdrivers.

Handle activation mechanisms: push and turn

There is an opinion that the number of parts is directly proportional to the frequency of breakdowns. This is a myth. The rotary and push mechanisms are equally reliable, and their use depends only on the designer’s ideas.

Housing material

Plastic ballpoint pens

Four types of coating are common: glossy opaque (solid), matte transparent (frost), glossy transparent (transparent) and matte opaque (matt solid). Each effect is achieved by cross-using two types of plastic (transparent and opaque) and two types of molds (polished for glossy and specially “sanded” for matte). In addition to the four main types, we also highlight plastic with a soft-touch coating and plastic with a metallic effect.

To obtain a “metallic” (satinized) effect, metallized powder coating is applied to white plastic.

A special, pleasant to the touch, “warm” soft-touch coating is achieved by applying a thin layer of elastic rubber-like material based on polyurethane to the plastic. If dark areas appear on such a pen, clean them with warm water and soap or simply erase them with an eraser.

The rule of contrast also applies to handles, which is why designers often combine different types of surfaces in one model.

Glossy clear clip and matte clear body

Gloss clear clip and gloss opaque body

Glossy transparent clip and soft-touch housing

Metal ballpoint pens

Aluminum, brass and stainless steel are used in the production of ballpoint pens. Metal is often coated with paint or varnish. Like plastic handles, it is common to combine different surfaces within one model. For example, soft-touch and corrugated metal coatings.

Each metal and type of coating has its own engraving features. Read about them below.

In addition to the usual materials, metal and plastic, wood can be used in the manufacture of handles. Handles in a body made of maple, walnut, rosewood, oak and beech, combined into a set, are an unusual status gift.

Rods

The catalog contains only the most popular ink pens - blue. To order, you can make rods that write in red, green or black.

Most manufacturers use standard rod lengths and diameters. Therefore, the rod of one brand will fit the handle of another. But the match may not be perfect: standardization does not concern the thickness of the rod nose. A new rod that is the right length may be thicker than the hole in the housing. And don't get in. Or, on the contrary, thinner - which looks ugly.

Metal pens last longer than plastic pens, so they come with larger capacity refills.

Letter line thickness

At the end of the ink rod there is a writing unit (tip). It consists of a metal tube and a small metal ball. Thanks to the small gap between them, the ball rotates easily and transfers ink to the paper. The diameter of the ball determines the thickness of the writing line.

As a rule, European manufacturers use a ball diameter of 1.0-1.2 mm, Asian manufacturers use 0.5-0.7 mm. But this rule is not always observed, and the manufacturer can change this parameter at its discretion. Even within the same pen model, the thickness varies from batch to batch. In addition, we all write differently: some write letters with pressure, while others write barely touching the paper.

Roller rods

Rollerball pens differ from regular pens by using ink of lower viscosity. The line left by the rollerball looks like a mark from a fountain pen. Ink is absorbed better by paper and dries faster.

The downside to rollerballs is the lack of standardization. Finding the perfect replacement for your old rod can be difficult. Another disadvantage is that the liquid paste dries quickly not only on the paper, but also in the refill itself, which significantly limits the shelf life of such pens.

The fountain pens themselves, the resemblance of which rollerbladers are chasing, have long become an element of image. And among them there are both bright, conventionally youthful models, and strict classic premium-class writing instruments. Which pens are better depends only on the purpose of the gift.

An alternative to pens and ink is pencils. Light and inexpensive, they seem to invite you to play. The application combined with simple yet creative packaging transforms the item and takes communication to the next level.

Package

Expensive pens always come with a case. Gift wrapping provides additional space for personalization, including when it is not possible or desirable to apply it to the item itself.

The packaging turns a mid-priced pen into a personalized gift.

Applying images to pens

Which pen to buy also depends on what design you want to print on it.

Common ways to apply a logo on plastic handles:

Pad printing,
- UV printing.

Methods for branding metal handles:

Pad printing,
- UV printing,
- laser engraving.

Aluminum handles are lightweight and inexpensive. The body is usually coated with paint, which can be easily engraved by any type of laser. When engraved, the light matte silver color of the metal appears. To add weight and “solidity” to aluminum handles, manufacturers can place weights inside the body.

Handles with a brass body are often coated with colored varnish. The varnish looks impressive and expensive, but is difficult to engrave. If you apply a logo with too small details to the handle, small, jagged chips may appear.

The “natural” color of brass is matte yellow, which appears when engraved; it matches perfectly with the golden details of the handle (clip, spout, rings, and other decorative elements). If the parts are chrome-plated, the brass body undergoes a special treatment before applying varnish or paint, which creates a durable silver coating. The laser “does not take it”, so the color of the case after engraving matches the color of the parts.

Stainless steel handles look impressive and brutal. As a rule, they are not coated with anything: steel does not take paint or varnish well. When engraved, it gives the natural color of the metal - dark gray with a small admixture of yellow.

The golden rule when preparing a pen design is: the fewer small details, the better! Large, laconic images are not only better printed or engraved, but they also look more impressive on a small object.

The recommended line thickness for pad printing is 0.3 mm or more, the minimum is 0.1 mm. On dark-colored pens, pad printing requires an additional backing layer. Otherwise, the dark color of the body will show through the light ink of the print.

Direct UV printing produces a bright full-color image with the finest lines (up to 0.05 mm). Printing is possible both on metal handles and on plastic, including those with soft-touch coating.

The recommended minimum thickness of lines for engraving differs for different materials: unpainted surfaces - 0.12 mm (for reverses - 0.25 mm), painted and varnished - 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm, respectively. Please remember that different equipment will produce different results, so we always recommend ordering a test unit.

Technical savvy and knowledge of the “materials” are a noticeable advantage if you choose a pen for your brand or help a customer make a choice. And although sometimes price and circulation come to the fore, design matters. Remember that the appearance and quality of a promotional pen sometimes speaks more about a brand than the slogan printed on it.