Two products that have had a major influence on our writing are Sign Pen and Ball Pentel. Although they’re well-established products they’re still hugely popular today, with fans all around the world.

Sign Pen was the world’s first felt-tipped, water-based ink pen and since its launch in 1963 it has been used by millions of people. The basic, award-winning design has changed very little in that time, with its unique looks and excellent quality. In Japan, where it’s manufactured, consumer trends experts predict that Sign Pen is set to remain in demand for the next 50 years!

Ball Pentel is known to many as ‘the green pen’. You see it frequently in the papers, on TV, in the office and everyone knows it for its smoothness. It’s no exaggeration to say that, since its introduction in 1972, Ball Pentel has become a style icon. It created a whole new way of writing, giving the water-based ink quality of a fountain pen, with a unique cushioned rollerball tip, for much smoother flowing writing than ever experienced before. Its popularity extends to various professionals including journalists, novelists and broadcasters, who say, quite simply, that Ball Pentel is the pen they choose to write with and they wouldn’t be without it.

In this, our 60th anniversary year, we’re celebrating the originality and enduring appeal of these two products, by bringing out miniature versions of them, with ballpoint tips. These cute ‘mascots’ can be attached to your mobile, digital camera, key ring or handbag. If you need a pen in an emergency, they’re ideal!