A Brief History of the Ballpoint Pen

Working as I do, for a company that provides promotional pens, I tend to take ballpoint pens for granted. It wasn't until the other day when I came upon a fountain pen that my Mother had used to write letters to my Father during World War II, that I became curious about how the ubiquitous ballpoint pen came into being.

In 1888, an American leather tanner named John Loud patented a roller-ball pen for marking leather hides. It was never produced nor was any of the other pens based upon 350 patents over the next 30 years. The ink was the problem -either it was too thin and leaked or it was too thick and it clogged.

In 1935, two Hungarian brothers, Laszlo and George Biro, invented an improved version of the ballpoint pen. At the time, Laszlo was an editor at a small newspaper. He was very frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling his fountain pens and by the fact that the tip of his pens frequently scratched or tore the newsprint paper. George was a chemist, and together, they created new pen designs and ink formulations to be used in them.

While vacationing at the seashore shortly thereafter, the Biro brothers met Augustine Justo, the President of Argentina. He urged them to open a factory in Argentina. When World War II erupted in Europe a few years later, Laszlo and George fled to Argentina, but first stopped in Paris where they obtained a patent for their pen.

By 1943, the Biros had patented their pen in Argentina and set up a manufacturing facility, but the Biro Pen, as it came to be known, was a failure. Like other ballpoint pens before it, the pen relied on gravity to feed ink to the roller ball. That required that the pen be held in an upright position to write and the ink flow was still unreliable. The brothers went back to the drawing board and came up with a new design for the ink cartridge that used capillary action rather than gravity to deliver ink to the textured roller ball. The newly-designed pen went on the market a year later, and although the new design solved the problems, the pen was not a big commercial success and the Biros ran out of money.

It was, however, very popular with American and British fighter pilots who liked the pens because they would write at high altitudes and did not need refilling like fountain pens. The British Government licensed the pen for the RAF and the United States Department of State sent samples of the pen to a number of American pen manufacturers so they could develop a similar pen. In an attempt to corner the market, the Eberhard Faber Company paid the Biro brothers $500,000 for the U.S. rights to manufacture their ballpoint pen. Eberhard Faber sold the patent rights to the pen to the Eversharp Company, allegedly for $1,000,000, which began an extensive campaign to introduce the pen to America.

In a surprising end-run, a fifty-four year old salesman from Chicago, Milton Reynolds, became the first American manufacturer to successfully market the ballpoint pen. Reynolds had visited Argentina, where he had seen the Biro's pen in stores and thought that the pen would sell in America. Reynolds ignored the Biro patents, many of which had either expired or had never been properly filed in the U.S. and set up a factory. In a bold marketing move, he made a deal with Gimbels to be the first store to sell the pen. On the first day that the pen went on sale, 5,000 customers showed up at Gimbels and purchased the entire 10,000 pens that the store had in stock at over $10.00 per pen!

While Reynolds made millions of pens in the months that followed, ballpoint pens fell out of favor with the public as they discovered many of the same problems with the pens still existed. Somebody needed to invent a pen that was smooth writing, dried quickly, didn't skip or fade and, most important of all, didn't leak.

Two men, Patrick J. Frawley, Jr. and Fran Seech solved the problem. Seech was an unemployed chemist who lost his job when the pen company he worked for went out of business. Working in his own home laboratory, he finally developed the successful ballpoint pen ink. Frawley, was so impressed with Seech's ink, he purchased the formula and started the Frawley Pen Company in 1949. Frawley's pen not only had smear-proof ink, it also had a retractable point. An imaginative marketing campaign ensued and soon Frawley's pen, which he named Paper-Mate, took off. Other brands, such as Parker soon followed suit.

The other person to help revive the ballpoint pen was a French maker of penholders and cases, Marcel Bich. Not only was he appalled by the poor quality, but also by the high cost. He did, however, recognize that the ballpoint pen was a true innovation and resolved to create a low-priced, top-quality pen. Bich went to the Biro brothers and struck a deal to pay them a royalty on their patent and then spent two years studying every detail of every ballpoint pen on the market.

Finally, in 1952, Bich was ready to unveil his new pen. It was an inexpensive clear-barreled, smooth-writing, non-leaking pen called the Ballpoint Bic. The public accepted it with open arms. By the late 1950's, BIC had captured 70% of the European market.

Today, BIC dominates the market, with other manufacturers like Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman capturing the smaller market for upscale fountain pens and ballpoint pens. The modern version of Laszlo and George Biro's pen - the BIC Crystal - sells more than 14,000,000 pieces daily. Biro is still the generic name for the ballpoint pen in most of the world. And lastly, Parker black ink ballpoint pens will produce over 28,000 linear feet of writing - more than five miles - before running out of ink.

So the next time someone gives you a promotional pen or you buy one at the store, remember the amazing story of the Biro brothers and their gift to the world, the ballpoint pen.

ReThinking Pens As Effective Promotional Marketing Tools - Not Giveaways

Ever see them use a pen on TV to save someone's life? While you may never use a pen to create an emergency airway, pens are a great promotional marketing medium ... if they are backed up by an effective, creative idea.

First, a word of warning. There is a huge difference between a cheap pen and an inexpensive pen. Remember, even if you desire to simply hand out a pen to every Jill, John and Samantha that walks by your trade show booth, the quality of what you hand out is a reflection of you and your company.

We'll assume here that we're talking about promotional priced pens in the .30¢ to .50¢ per unit range and not expensive gift pens. Let's look at the different types.

The cheapest pen you can buy is the cap-off, stick type pen. A step above a pencil, these are, by and large, cheap. You can buy them for as little as 11¢ each. I believe they are a waste of money. People lose the cap, mark their clothing then throw the pen away. If a smooth writing pen and your image matter to you, you can do a lot better.

Twist-type pens are a step up from cap off. You can find twist-type that write decently. The downside is, they often require two hands to operate. For many, that's too much trouble, especially if they normally have something in their hand such as an order-taking pad. With a twist type pen in the lower price range, it's also difficult to find a pen that has a smooth twist action.

I believe you're best bet in a promotional pen is a retractable, also known as a click type pen. One-hand operation is the hallmark of this type of pen. You want one that has a strong, responsive click and of course is smooth writing.

Let's assume you desire a retractable pen to promote your business. Next, consider what you want to imprint on the pen. Different pens offer different imprinting options and sizes. You want to make sure that the pen you choose has an imprint area large enough to imprint your logo or other information legibly.

Another consideration is imprint colors. If you absolutely must have a multi color imprint then that will narrow your choices and increase your cost. A one color imprint will broaden your choices and lower your cost.

So you've chosen a pen that is appropriate for your need and your budget. Let's explore some ways to use that pen to promote. While not all of the following may be appropriate for your particular situation, I'm going to paint with a broad brush in an attempt to generate a number of possible ideas for you.

Lumpy Mail. A pen is lightweight yet causes a regular envelope enough distortion that it will usually get opened. If you're sending a letter to prospects and you want to increase the chance your letter will get opened, a pen will do it. Combine this idea with Prize Derby or Design Contest (explained later) and you could have a real promotion on your hands.

Targeted Placement. Where does your target audience hang out? Does your target audience frequent a local coffee shop? Maybe the hair salon is the best place to target your market. I often leave promotional items such as pens and note pads on the counter at the local chamber of commerce where I'm a member? How about your Gym or health club? Where ever your target hangs out or frequents, ask the owner or manager if you can leave a supply of your pens there.

 Quick-Draw McGraw. About four times a week I'm somewhere when someone asks, "Who's got a pen?" I am usually the first to hand over my imprinted pen. Key Point:A pen that is received at a time of need is more highly regarded than one that's simply given when no need is present.

Forget Your Pen. Use your pen and leave it every time you sign a credit card receipt. It doesn't matter if it's at the gas station, a restaurant or retail store. Leave your pen, ya know ... as a public service!

Permission Based Usage. Consider making friends with local sit-down restaurant owners whose clientele may be your prospects. Then get permission to supply the wait staff with your pen. Encourage them to allow patrons to "swipe" the pen. If you choose the right, low -cost retractable pen, they will want to.

Pen Design Contest. Have your clients and prospects supply you with ideas on a unique design for the imprint of your pen. Post the top designs on your website letting your clients and prospects know through e-mail or snail mail that the designs are up. Let them cast their vote for their favorite. Make sure you get their e-mail and other appropriate contact information as you are now building your database.

The winning design wins 50 of the pens. You can bet they'll show them to everyone they know. This whole tactic is designed to drive people to your website. Of course everyone who votes gets a pen.

Prize Derby. Pay extra, if possible, and have the pens sequentially numbered. Imprint the pens with "Go to www. _______.com." and if the number on this pen matches a number on the prize page you win!

Prizes can range from other promotional items or your product or service such as free samples or special package deals. Every couple of weeks you change the numbers on the web site so people have a reason to hang on to the pen and check back every couple of weeks.

Search, Explore and ASK! Look around. I go to tradeshows where a booth will want people to fill out a sign-up card with plain-Jane pens. Sometimes they let me replace their plain pens with mine. Every now and then the tube canister at the bank drive though doesn't have a pen. You bet I stuff one in there. Opportunities are everywhere, especially with non -profits. They can always use a few extra pens. Perhaps they'd agree to send your pen out with their next mailing asking for donations.

Pens can be a powerful promotional marketing medium when supported by an effective, appropriate and creative idea. Opportunities to promote yourself are all around. But if you don't look, you won't see. And if you don't ask, the answer will always be, "no".

A Comparison of Pens - Choosing a Ballpoint, Rollerball or Fountain Pen

Anybody who's spent any length of time actually hand-writing something has a favorite type of pen, and they all have discriminating preference. One person may only want to write with a retractable medium-point ballpoint pen with blue ink, whereas another can't go without her extra fine-point rollerball black ink pen with a cap.

There are three major kinds of pens: rollerball, ballpoint, and fountain. All three pens have advantages and disadvantages unique to their design, so the perfect pen for you really depends on what you want out of your pen. Here are the pros and cons for each type of pen, to help you in your decision of which to buy.

Ballpoint pens: The utilitarian

Ballpoint pens are everywhere. In 2005, Bic sold its hundred billionth ballpoint pen, to give you an idea of how many there are circling the globe. The ink ballpoint pens use also lasts a long time, doesn't bleed through paper, and dries quickly enough that it resists smudging. You also don't have to worry as much about a ballpoint pen leaking ink over your shirts or pants, unless you run it through the washing machine.

Though ballpoint pens are typically very simple and practical, it is possible to find some that are a little more sophisticated than average. Some major brands, like Graf von Faber Castell, create ballpoint and rollerball pens in the same lines as their fountain pens, so you can get elegance and utility in the same pen.

The cons of ballpoint pens are that there's a limit to the places they can write. They can't write on wet or oily surfaces, and neither can they write upside down or up against a wall. Ballpoints also have fewer ink colors available, as opposed to fountain pens and rollerballs, because of the consistency of the ink. They also require more pressure to write cleanly, so if you're going to be writing a lot, be prepared for hand strain.

Fountain pens: The classic

Smooth, elegant, timeless: all these are words to describe the simple, stylish fountain pen. While ballpoint pens are more widespread today, fountain pens have been around for centuries. The ink flow is smooth and even and requires almost no pressure in order to produce clean, legible writing. People who have arthritis or other hand problems may find fountain pens easier to use than ballpoint. Plus, a single fountain pen can use a variety of colors, and all you have to do is change out the ink.

Fountain pens also imply sophistication. They're very useful for professional art, penmanship and calligraphy, and their use associates them with class, status and elegance. Good quality fountain pens are built to last; if used correctly, they can outlive their owners several times over. Many major pen brands create pens that are virtually works of art themselves. For example, Graf von Faber Castell offers Classic Pernambuco, a line of pens that are made from the same wood used to craft violins.

For all their advantages, fountain pens are typically not suited for convenience and daily use. Many people may not want to deal with the hassle of changing out ink. Fountain pens require a little more care than ballpoint pens or rollerballs, and if something goes wrong with them, you usually have to spend some time figuring it out as opposed to tossing it and getting a new one.

Rollerball pens: The compromise

Rollerball pens combine the everyday practicality of a ballpoint with the smooth, even ink flow of a fountain pen. Like fountain pens, they have a greater variety of colors and require little pressure to write cleanly. Like ballpoint pens, they're convenient for everyday use.

Plus, rollerball pens come with either liquid ink or gel ink. The brighter colors of gel ink show up on darker paper, so if you've got an art or scrapbooking project, a rollerball pen may be the way to go.

The disadvantages of a rollerball are mostly ink-related. The ink is dispensed through the tip more quickly, meaning that it won't last as long as a ballpoint pen. Though the ink is easier to read, it also seeps through paper, making your writing illegible should you write on both sides of the sheet. Also, gel inks don't flow as readily as liquid inks, which means you could get a lot of blobs or skipping while you're writing with them.

Choose your pen wisely

With all the digital technology of today, it may seem that pens are merely a relic of the past. Why write it out when you have a computer to do the work for you?

But pens have an advantage that computers do not, beyond their sleek sophistication. They give you connection: both physical and personal connection to the words that you're writing, as well as a connection to all the writers in the past that scribed their works by hand.

Where everybody's "words" look the same on computers, with pens each letter is uniquely yours, committed to paper in your handwriting. Choose the pen that works for you, and enjoy a new level of connection with everything you write.

Collectible Fountain Pens

The dividing lines among custom, vintage and collectible fountain pens often get blurred. A vintage pen can be customized and added to a collection. Collectible fountain pens may include vintage, custom-made and customized vintage pens. Any fountain pen, new or vintage, customized or ordinary, qualifies for collection if it appeals to the fountain pen collector. A simple and plain look, a gaudy design or an ancient technique can enthuse a pen collector. There is no limit to the criteria for a fountain pen collection. The reasons could be as varying as the number of fountain pens. Costs do not deter fountain pen lovers from possessing their objects of desire.

Collecting new pens is easier, just like buying coke from the supermarket. Vintage pen collecting is a bit like hunting. Estate sales and flea markets are the places frequented by fountain collectors. Old jewelers and stationers come up with collectible fountain pens sometimes. The best way to buy collectible fountain pens is from a pen show, where hobbyists and collectors buy and sell pens to each other. These shows started as a place to swap pens. But now these shows are complete conventions with advertisements, sales and auctions. And, of course, one can buy collectible fountain pens on the Internet.

An online auction is a way of buying collectible fountain pens. This is different from the regular auction. In online auctions, a third person might come from nowhere and take away the object of desire. The chances of the same thing happening are also present regular auctions, but there it's a little more predictable. Buying collectible fountain pens online can be distressing as some facts or features of the pen may be misrepresented, and in the absence of testing, it may be difficult to vouchsafe the quality. Buying a collectible fountain pen from a dealer is the safest way.

Promotional Pens - The 7 Most Asked Questions About Corporate Plastic Pens

A lot has been written about promotional pens over the past few years. Most of the articles are nonsensical keyword stuffed gobbledygook which either state the obvious or don't really state anything at all. For a little fun, you should read a few of the articles from 2007 or earlier when quality was not as important as keywords. Thankfully, things are now changing.

I have been in the promotional pens industry for about fifteen years. In that time I have been asked a lot of the same questions. These are good questions that need to be answered and I shall do it here. Following is a list of the 7 most asked questions about promotional pens.

Will my logo and details fit on that pen? You might be surprised how often this question is asked. Pens are not big so they do not look like they can accommodate a lot of print. In some cases the answer is very little can be printed. If you are trying to print a lot of information, you will want to look for straight sided pens. A couple of brands to look out for are Senator Pens and Prodir Pens. These pens are made to be printed and offer print areas that are usually large enough for a logo and three lines of text such as a slogan, web address and telephone number. There are a lot of designer pens on the market that usually have a lot smaller print areas due to their more curvy designs. If you really have a lot to print, look into Lecce Pens which are manufactured in Italy but are sold all over Europe and the US. Lecce specializes in printing in digital full colour all over the barrel. Many pens offer an additional print area on the clip.

What is more popular blue or black ink refills?: Blue ink is the most popular refill colour. If your company requires black ink refills, it is best to state this from the beginning. Many pens are only available in one refill colour or the other so a lot of pens may be eliminated from the beginning. A lot of businesses, law firms and medical related industries require black ink refills. There are plenty of pens on the market with black ink and most good pen websites will let you know which colour refills are available for each pen. It is worth noting that Senator, Prodir, Bic and Lecce all supply pens with a choice of black or blue inks.

What is the origination charge?: The origination charge is an unfortunate but necessary part of printing promotional pens. It involves quite a few processes which are time consuming and labor intensive and result in a screen for screen printing. A different screen needs to be made for each print colour. For more information, James Cleere of The Pen Warehouse wrote a very informative article on the subject which was published on October 27 2009 by EzineArticles.

What is Mix-n-Match?: You have no doubt seen icons on websites and in printed media explaining that this or that pen can be mix-n-match made to order. There are now quite a few pen manufacturers that offer the service. When pens can be mix-n-matched, you have the option to choose from colored parts to make a truly corporate pen. You are able to choose the nib, barrel and clip colours. Some of the fancier designs allow you to choose the colors of special features as well such as ring colours. Please note that you will usually need to allow two to five weeks for this service depending on the manufacturer.

Are cheap plastic pens good promoters?: You get what you pay for. I am of the opinion that the cheapest pens can do more harm than good. People like to use pens that are nice to write with. This is important for eco reasons as well. It is no longer cool to give away thousands of cheap gifts that are just going to go straight in the bin adding to our already over burdened landfills. It does not cost a lot of money to order pens that have a lot of writing life. My recommendation is that you contact your supplier and ask for a few free samples. Write with them as much as you can for a few days. If you like writing with a pen, chances are your customer will. The most important thing to understand is that a pen that has been thrown away will no longer sell for you. A pen that is used regularly will promote your business or organization each time it is picked up to write.

I need pens in a hurry! What can I have? This will vary from country to county but for the most part you can expect a lot. Senator Pens and Lecce Pens both offer excellent rush order services in the UK, Europe and the UK. Of course, any supplier worth their salt will also have a nice list of quality generic pens that they can supply fast. It used to be that you could only print one color in five days. Manufacturers have begun to wake up to the fact that businesses require a lot better. That is why some manufactures are even printing full colour in as little as 24 hours.

What is the difference between digital full color wrap print and full color print?: Advances in digital printing have made it possible to print in full color much faster and cheaper than ever before. The print is applied and wrapped around the entire barrel of the pen and there is rarely an origination charge. Some manufacturers such as Senator Pens offer a full colour print service but it is not as good quality as digital print. Their older method of process printing is printed directly onto the pen in its normal print area. It does look fantastic but I personally prefer pens printed with the new full color digital wrap method.

Fountain Pen Cases

The love for fountain pens is not restricted to the pens alone. Along with the pens come the pen cases. Every fountain pen deserves a good home. Pen cases protect the pens from losing their sheen by rolling around on the desk or drawer. Designed to hold the pens in various ways, pen cases are a treat to watch. Exquisitely crafted pen cases are a statement of good taste. It makes sense to preserve precious vintage pens in cases and boxes.

Pen cases are available in the shape of an easel, upright-standing frames, cheroot box-like cases with transparent glass tops, cups and many more. While the closed cases primarily serve the purpose of preserving the pens from dust and abrasion, open cases highlight the beauty of the pens on display and make the pens available at one's fingertips. Triangular-shaped pen cases with smoked plastic covers are a variety seen in the market. Pen pillows, made from wood and Wajima urushi lacquer are also being manufactured by Japanese companies.

Pen cases are made of wood, leather, metal and glass with detailed attention to aesthetics. A designer pen case adds to the elegance of the study table or an office desk.

Some people make used coke cans their pen cases or stands. But not the fountain pen lover. A person who loves fountain pens would surely find a suitable case to preserve or showcase his pen collection. Personalized pen cases made of leather studded with precious metals and gems are found with the affluent pen lovers.

Pen cases are used not only for display or preserving purposes. Fountain pens in lovely cases are a wonderful gift item. Be it Christmastime or Hanukkah, fountain pens in a case are a perfect gift.

How to Start Your Own Band

Every once in awhile a guitar student will express a desire to be in a band someday.If this is your ambition too, then read on. Whether you're a guitar player or not doesn't really matter. If you are a talented singer or musician then the question is, do YOU want to be in a band? In this article you will find some helpful ideas on how to get started in that direction.

One of the first things you will need to do is gain EXPOSURE for yourself. This can be as easy as following three simple steps:

1. Tell everyone you know that you want to start a band.(Word of mouth advertising is one of the best advertising strategies)

2. Make a flyer to put up around town (in music stores, at schools, on bulletin boards, etc.)

3. Place a classified ad in all the local newspapers

Here is an example of something you might say in your advertising:

"Lead guitarist seeking individuals interested in starting a Christian Rock band. Looking for a lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, bass guitarist and drummer. The emphasis will be on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through music. If you have a desire to use your musical gifts in this way, please call (give your name and phone number) for an interview."

You can make the ad as detailed or generic as you need to.  The important thing is to have a clear idea in your own mind of who you want in your band. Do you need a bass player, singer, drummer...? What type of qualifications or experience will you expect? Is age a factor? Jot down a list of questions to ask and keep it by your phone. When someone does call, you will be ready to have the interview right on the spot. Try to make your questions require only a very short reply, or yes or no answer. That way, it will be easier for you to take notes. If someone looks like a good potential band mate, get their phone number and tell them you would like to call them back after you are through holding your interviews. Try not to keep people waiting too long (between 2-4 weeks) if possible. When you're ready, review your notes and decide who you want to call.  Set up a time that is convenient for everyone you've selected to meet at YOUR CHOSEN LOCATION.  This is important if you want to establish yourself as the originator of the band in order to maintain an influence on its direction. I should insert a word of caution here. You might want to "play it safe" by not inviting them to your home until after you get to know them a little better. After all, they are strangers, but it's your call of course.

You may want to keep the first meeting with your new band members very low key. Use the time to make introductions, share past experiences, set goals, discuss ideas, etc. This will give you the opportunity to gauge whether you think each personality is going to be able to work together and get along.  Avoid egocentric people like the plague as they will just create friction with other members of the band. Assess everyone fairly, but realistically.  It's better to get rid of a bad apple right away, rather than allow them to spoil the enthusiasm for the rest of the group.

After your first band meeting, you can aim for the next one to be an informal "jam" session. At this time you will be able to get a feel for whether the group is going to gel or not. But don't be too hasty in your decisions! I remember one time "auditioning" for a band and being so self-conscious that I just couldn't relax and enjoy the experience. It was a local band that I had known of for some years and often desired to be a part of. Even though I had already acquired quite a bit of experience performing on my own, this was different. It was someone else's "thing". Nothing seemed to go right! After I got home that evening, I was sure they would never call me back. The surprise was, they did! However, the second time wasn't much better, but they decided to give me another chance and invited me to come back one more time. It's a good thing for me, because the third time was the charm. Our voices and music blended so perfectly that I just knew I was in. I share this story so that you might give your new fledgling band some time to get off the ground.  If nothing seems to ignite a spark after giving it a fair amount of time, then you might want to reconsider your options. That's something only you will be able to determine.

Well, that's about all there is to it really. Once you've got your band members picked, you're ready to start making music! If you have some original tunes, be sure to share them with the others. See if anyone else in the group has written any songs too. Be open, honest and ready for almost anything. If you establish your own priorities first, it will help you to stay focused through whatever ups and downs may come along.  And always remember, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."