EOTO Reaction: The Ball Point Pen

 One presentation that I was interested in was about the ball point pen. The student obviously began with a the history of the ballpoint pen, which was originally patented by John J. Loud in 1888. His patent never took off due to the fact that the pen would not distribute ink evenly. The student then says that others discovered the ball point pen in 1938. It was discovered by Hungarian-Argentinean journalist Laszlo Biro.  I had not known that skip and spill fountain pens were the most common writing instrument prior to the creation of the ballpoint pen.  Biro's invention of putting a small ball bearing at the end to drop ink reliably and precisely was revolutionary.

The impact that the ballpoint pen left was actually what amazed me the most. Of course I know how beneficial pens are to society, but seeing how the creation of what we all see as a simple item, truly impacted the world left me amazed. The speaker discussed how it quickly became a global favorite and improved writing efficiency, speed, and neatness.  The way that Biro's original design was improved with the years through innovations like varying ink combinations and ergonomic handles to make one comfortable while gripping it was incredible.  It was pleasant. 

The student also mentioned a few negatives. One of the main disadvantages the speaker talked about was that the ballpoint pen, as convenient as it is over the fountain pens, does not always provide the most silky writing experience. The ink sometimes appears to be a bit dry, especially when the pen is nearly out, so the writing is not as smooth as with a fountain pen or gel pen. I never thought much about this issue, but it made me wonder if the design of ballpoint pens is not always such that there can be a silky smooth writing experience. Another point the speaker mentioned was that the ballpoint pen requires more pressure when you write, especially on certain types of paper.

This can be irritating when you are writing fast or for long periods of time as it tends to strain your hand. I think we've all experienced that when the pen is scribbling on the page, and it's discovered that this is because of the way the ink comes out. It was interesting to hear that this was one of the early problems with the design, though something that reduced in frequency over time as pens improved in quality.