Science: Pointless Pen

News of a sensationally successful new fountain pen called Stratopen, which uses a ball bearing instead of a pen point, came from Argentina last week. One of its advantages: it does not leak at high altitudes. In the past three months Argentines have bought up the entire output of 20,000, and last week the U.S. Army was reported dickering for the pen’s manufacture in the U.S.

Invented by a Hungarian newsman named L. J. Biro, the Stratopen works on the same principle as a printing press. Its inked ball bearing, fed by a fine coiled tube in the barrel, rolls (instead of pours) ink onto the paper. It uses a gelatinous, instant-drying ink. One filling lasts six months.