Ballpoint pen
A retractable ballpoint pen assemblage (Schneider K15) | |
| Type | Pen |
|---|---|
| Inventor | John J. Loud (original) László Bíró (modern) |
| Inception | 1888 (original) 1938 (modern) |
| Manufacturer | Bic and others |
A ballpoint pen, also known as a biro (British English), ball pen (Hong Kong, Indian, Indonesian, Pakistani, and Philippine English), or dot pen (Nepali English and South Asian English), is a pen that dispenses ink (usually in paste form) over a metal ball at its point, i.e., over a "ball point". The metals commonly used are steel, brass, or tungsten carbide. The design was conceived and developed as a cleaner and more reliable alternative to dip pens and fountain pens, and it is now the world's most-used writing instrument; millions are manufactured and sold daily. It has influenced art and graphic design and spawned an artwork genre.