In the 17th century a man named Galileo Galilei created a writing instrument similar to the ball point pen. However, the first patent was assigned to John J. Loud for creating the very first official ballpoint pen. Loud was a leather tanner and he created the ballpoint pen to write on his leathers. This ballpoint pen had a small metal ball that was held in place with a special socket and allowed the ball to rotate against the leather surface leaving the ink behind.
In May of 1945 the company known as Eversharp licensed the design of ballpoint pens in the United States. The very first ballpoint pens were available for the public to purchase at a department store called Gimbels, which was located in New York City, in October 1945. The ball point pens were $12.50 a piece and in the 1950s took on the nickname "The Rocket."
The two types of ballpoint pens are disposable and refillable. Disposable ballpoint pens are made of plastic and are thrown away when the ink runs out. Refillable pens are made of plastic and metal and are higher in price. You can purchase refills separately and replace the entire ink tube on the inside of the pen with the refill. Most ball point pens simply have a cap to cover the tip when you are not using the pen, but other types have a retractable tip. Retractable tip pens have a button to press and the ink tip pops in and out with the use of a spring.
Ballpoint pens are the most popular type of ink pens in most households. These ink pens are very cheap and convenient to use. Many people carry them in their handbags and purses. Some businesses create ballpoint pens with their logo and business information on them as a form of advertisement. This is very low cost and produces a high response to the advertising.
Ballpoint pens require more pressure to write with than roller ball and fountain pens due to a lack of free flowing ink but, the advantage is that ballpoint pens are less likely to leak than others. Ballpoint pens are also very durable and do not break as easily as other pens do. They are also much cheaper and come in a variety of colors.