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The Point of Pens

We use them a lot and possibly take them for granted, but the humble ballpoint pen is an essential item. In honour of Ballpoint Pen Day on the 10th of June, let’s take a look at the world of the biro...

Ballpoints revolutionised writing

Gone is the frustration of a leaky fountain pen! The ballpoint pen is a cleaner alternative preventing ink spillages ruining written work. They are easily transported and don’t need to be refilled.

Ballpoints make art

Many artists use the medium of the ballpoint pen. Being cheap, mess free and convenient are just some of the advantages. A range of artistic styles are achievable, from photo-realistic pieces to dramatic geometric drawings. Mark Powell is a Yorkshire based artist who creates beautiful biro drawings on antique documents. He chose the biro as “it is the most simple and readily available tool to hand.” He inspires people to have a go at creating their own artwork; a pen and scrap of paper are all you need.

They break records

The largest ballpoint pen was made in India by Acharya Makunuri Srinivasa. It measures a whopping 5.5 metres and is decorated with scenes from Indian mythology. The only problem is it takes a small group of people to lift it, so it’s not the pen of choice for a quick shopping list.

Not useful for space travel

The ballpoint mechanism relies on gravity, so pack a pencil instead for your trip into orbit. Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, imagined “a planet entirely given over to ballpoint life forms” populated with unattended ballpoint pens. That’s why you can’t find that pen you used just the other day.

They WILL be ‘borrowed’

Biros appear to travel independently. You swear you left it on your desk, but next time you look it’s gone. This can be explained by the ‘can I borrow a pen?’ phenomenon. More accurately titled the ‘I’m taking this pen, you’ll never see it again’ phenomenon. I imagine we are all guilty of this crime; perhaps it is just part of a pen’s natural life-cycle?

Some biros are dangerous...

Banks and building societies are notoriously distrustful of their pen stocks. This must be the reason they chain them up. Not only does this prevent them from being stolen – or borrowed – they are unable to slip into a wormhole and end up on planet ballpoint.

Don’t forget to recycle them!

Belper Town Council provides a pen recycling point in the porch at Saint John’s Chapel. This is an eco friendly alternative to letting them wander into space.

By Jessica White

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