Educator who believes in power of the written word creates biggest ball point pen ever

An educator who believes in the power of the pen has made the biggest one to ever exist.

Yahya Hamdan (Iraq) unveiled the world’s largest ball point pen in front of a giant crowd of schoolchildren and fellow educators last September.

The massive writing implement measured 6.59 m (21 ft 7.5 in) long and weighed 94 kg (207 lb 3.75 oz).

That’s not far off the length of a London bus and heavier than an average male kangaroo.

Yahya, 20, who works as Executive Director of Al-Raqeia Schools in Baghdad, told us: “The reason I wanted to attempt this record is the powerful symbolism of the pen.

“To me, the pen is not only a writing tool; it is the instrument that brings ideas from imagination into reality. It is connected to knowledge, education, creativity and civilization.

“I have always loved pens and collected many of them, so this record was also connected to a personal passion. In addition, I come from Iraq, the land of Mesopotamia and Sumer, one of the birthplaces of writing. For me, creating the largest ball point pen was a way to connect this ancient history with a modern achievement.”

Yahya created his record-breaking pen using materials very similar to those used to make normal-sized pens.

It’s comprised of plastic and metal and has a ball mechanism so it can write like a normal pen and a special oil-based ink that Yahya made himself to suit a pen of that size.

He studied the shape and proportions of a normal pen so he could enlarge the design, keeping it as close as possible to the original.

He said: “After that, we prepared the main body, manufactured the metal cone and front section, built the internal writing mechanism, prepared the ink, assembled the parts, and tested the pen until it was able to write properly.

“The biggest difficulty was making the ink. A normal pen uses a very small amount of ink, but for a pen of this size the ink needed to have the correct thickness and flow so that the ball mechanism could work.

“Making the pen functional, not only large, was the most important challenge.”

Read about more records like this in our dedicated Hobbies and Skills section.

Of course, being passionate about education, Yahya was also keen to send a message through his impressive world record.

He said: “The pen also carries an educational message. The school is the place where a child first learns how to hold a pen, and that first moment is very important.

“I believe we need to think deeply about education today, because many young people around the world graduate while still facing difficulties in work, life skills and independence. The pen represents the beginning of learning, so I wanted this achievement to remind people of the importance of education.”

The pen is now displayed inside the Al-Raqeia School in Al-Karrada, Baghdad.

Yahya had never attempted a project like this before, but would love to take on more record-breaking challenges in the future.

He said: “I would love to attempt more records in the future, especially records connected with pens, writing and education, because I love pens very much and I believe they carry a deep meaning.

“One message I would like to share is that I hope one day a monument for the pen can be built in Baghdad. I believe there is no symbol higher than the pen, because it represents knowledge, learning and civilization.

“It would be wonderful if this pen could also be displayed in a public place in Baghdad as a symbol for students, young people and all lovers of knowledge.”