In 1888, American inventor John Loud created the first ballpoint pen. It worked well on leather and wood and the like, but absolutely shredded paper, making it almost useless. One problem was that ...

In 1888, American inventor John Loud created the first ballpoint pen. It worked well on leather and wood and the like, but absolutely shredded paper, making it almost useless. One problem was that ...

This was the Reynolds Rocket, the first ballpoint pen in the United States. Retailing at a steep $12.95 (about $200 today), it sold out by the end of the day, raking in a whopping $100,000 (about ...