44 / 108
T ITS MOST BASIC LEVEL, the writing instru-
ment does what it claims to do—it writes. But
as communication delivery systems have
moved from clay and papyrus to paper tablets
and now to digital, writing instruments have
been dipped in the innovation inkwell time and again to keep
up with the changes.
Pens now come with USB drives. They also come with
ergonomic barrels, LED lights and, if one forward-thinking
design comes to fruition, color-scanning technology to change
the shade of ink. And speaking of ink, the options available
today include custom color, erasable ink and even laser ‘ink.’ In
all, pens attract attention for their futuristic functionality as well
as for their morphing aesthetics.
Pencils, on the other hand, offer users the same firm grip
on nostalgia and reliability as they have for decades. The hum-
ble pencil receives rapt attention from Indianapolis, Indiana-
based supplier The Bentcil Company (UPIC: BENTCIL), which
manufactures its shapely pencils entirely in the U.S.
The company has developed coatings that accommodate
the unique heat-bending process, says President Tom Killion.
“We require a paint that will stretch … we also have perfected
paints in metallic finishes and color finishes.”
The process of shaping pencils with graphite inside is
proprietary, adds Killion, but in summary it allows the
lead core to bend without breaking during the
process.
Of course, pens have overtaken pencils in the
supplier’s sales corner, says Killion. “In the begin-
ning—30 years ago—it was all pencils,” he says.
Today Bentcil produces 90 percent more pens
than pencils.
It has responded to the demand by creating
and patenting a unique process to help its partic-
ular styles stand out over others.
The process of creating the “billboard” style
top of an Inkbend pen reflects advancements in
plastics, adhesions, laminates and printing
technology, all of which have added to the
complexity of the pen’s manufacture.
Writing instruments remain the second largest promotional
products distributor sales category, according to research from
PPAI. Pens, pencils, markers and highlighters are the stars of
this segment, which made up 10.42 percent of total product
sales that reached $19.8 billion in 2013, the most recent year
for which data has been collected.
A
WRITING INSTRUMENTS CRAFT AND CARRY MESSAGES WITH EQUAL EASE.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Scripted For Success
40 •
PPB
• DECEMBER 2014
By Jen Alexander
GROW
201412_Editor's Picks_PPB 2013 11/13/14 12:16 PM Page 40