> 1949. The year that the retractable pen was first introduced. That's not precisely true. There were many retractible fountain pens, modern refinements of wh

> 1949. The year that the retractable pen was first introduced. That's not precisely true. There were many retractible fountain pens, modern refinements of which are still sold today. The Boston Safety Pen, for instance, requires the user to retract the nib into the body before it may be capped. It was made from about 1904 to 1917: http://www.vintagepens.com/safety_pens.shtml http://www.vintagepens.com/safety_pens.shtml It might have been the first capless retractable pen, though. I can't think of anything that came before it that didn't also have a cap.