7.
The first ballpoint pens were unreliable because the ink was too thick. Sometimes the ink gushed out. At other times it would not flow at all. These early ballpoints were also expensive. Manufacturers went to work to improve the pens. Beginning in the early 1950s, ballpoint pen sales began to climb. Today they outsell fountain pens four to one. Inks used in ballpoint pens today are quick-drying so that they will not smear, and each maker has his own secret ink recipe. Ball pens no longer skip or allow the release of excess ink from the ball.