John Loud, an attorney, had a need for a writing instrument that he could use on rough material. He created what we now call a ballpoint pen. He was able to get a patent on his device in 1888. The only trouble was that it didn’t work well on paper, and there was limited interest in his new way of writing.
A journalist in Hungary, László Bíró, was frustrated with the leaking of ink from his fountain pen. He also had an idea for a ballpoint pen, but the fountain pen ink he used did not work because it was too slow to dry. His brother was able to produce a more viscous ink that spread easily but dried quickly.
László obtained a patent in 1938, but World War II delayed the introduction of the pen to the marketplace. László and his brother left Hungary when they saw what was happening to those who were of Jewish faith. They ended up in Argentina.
They introduced their pen to the market, and it gained quick interest from the RAF. Fountain pens didn’t work well as pressures changed while flying. The Bíró brothers tried to market the pen in North America, but a U.S. businessman was able to get around their patent and become the supplier for North America.
The pens were an immediate success but were very expensive (over $200 in today’s dollars). The pens came with a refillable tube of ink, and that became a problem. The market became quickly saturated, and the only sales were coming from the low-profit margin refillable tubes of ink.
Marcel Bich, a French industrial leader made the next breakthrough in ballpoint pens. He was able to reduce the costs of the pens to such a great extent that they became disposable. It was a marketing executive who suggested that Bich use his name for the pens but shorten it to Bic.
We know the rest of the story. The ballpoint pen is one of the most successful innovations of all time. It doesn’t require elaborate manufacturing nor expensive materials. No batteries are required. It works everywhere. Power shortages, no problem. It’s remarkable that the ballpoint pen is essentially the same product that was introduced by Marcel Bich. The only difference is that today’s pens are mostly made from recycled plastics.
In a world where products are becoming increasingly complex, it’s comforting to know that we have one product that hasn’t become a victim of useless feature creep.
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“I always write the same way. I always write with a yellow pad and a ballpoint pen on my bed. And then I go and type it up afterwards. I’ve always done that. Those things become habitual.” – Woody Allen