Personalized Pens

Statistics on hieroglyphics instruments (including pencils) from WIMA (the U.S. Hieroglyphics Gizmo Manufacturers Association) show that in 2005, retractable ball locality pens were by far the most caught on in the United States (26%), followed by standard ball points (14%). Other categories represented very miniature fractions (3% or less). There is however also a thriving industry in luxury pens, often fountain pens, sometimes priced at $1000 or more.

In the 1960s the fibre, or felt-tipped pen was invented by Yukio Horie of the Tokyo Stationery Company, Japan. Papermate's Flair was among Personalized Pens the first felt-tip pens to hit the U.S. fair in the 1960s, and it has been the leader ever since. Marker pens and highlighters, both coincident to felt pens, have become big man in recent years.