Silver pen photo with handwritten text on cross section paper in
the background Feel free to use the image however you like! All
I ask is a credit link to: More information about ballpoint
pens: A ballpoint pen is a writing instrument with an internal
ink reservoir and a sphere for a point. The internal chamber is
filled with a viscous ink that is dispensed at its tip during
use by the rolling action of a small sphere. The sphere, usually
from 0.5mm to 1.2 mm in diameter, may be made of brass, steel,
tungsten carbide, or any durable, hard (nondeformable) material.
There are two basic types of ball point pens: disposable and
Disposable pens are chiefly made of plastic throughout and
discarded when the ink is consumed; refillable pens are metal
and some plastic and tend to be much higher in price. The refill
replaces the entire internal ink reservoir and ball point unit
rather than actually refilling it with ink, as it takes special
high-speed centrifugation to properly fill a ball point
reservoir with the visc