IkoStar

These are biros.

They were invented by a Russian or a Hungarian named Brian Bironovich (Bic to his friends) who was an officer in the 11th Hussars around the time of The Crimean War.

He was known in the parlance of the time as “a dashing blade”, which is to say he left a string of broken hearts in his wake… and alas, a long list of names tattood to his arm - most of them Olgas or Tattianas. And a Katherine.

Foreseeing a day when he would eventually run out of space, he set about inventing an alternative - and so was born the writey thing that is common-place today, except when you need one.

Brian was never to use his creation for its intended purpose however, falling instead for the love of his life Mabel Hodgekiss from Romford, which was then part of England. They lived a long and happy life together - eventually both dieing during childbirth in their late 80s - which came as something as a suprise to all concerned as it wasn’t actually their child who was being born at the time. A difficult birth though, if the number of casualties is anything to go by.

A further irony is that the only use Brian did see of his biro was gazing through 1/2 lidded eyes into the bathroom mirror the morning after a particularly heavy session in the officers mess - his mates had drunkenly drawn a picture of a biro, in biro on his forehead - where it was to remain for quite some time afterward due to the quality of Prussian ink used at the time. Historians have consistently failed to agree as to whether this was an example of early Russian drinking humour or something more ritualistic - a rite of passage perhaps.

Brian’s mates shortly before they drew a biro on his forehead

Still, whatever, here’s a picture of Csar (Czar, Tsar) Nicholas the nth who I’m probably named after.