I work next to a factory that makes pens. In the UK, they are a household name. 
Abroad ... I don't know. Anyway, I have been told by a guy who used to work 
there that they had a production failure and they discovered the pens they were 
making, the ends would break off too easily.

Then someone had a bright idea - sell them to a niche market - for writing on CDs. 
If the pressure applied is too great - the tip collapses. Hey presto! - Manufacturing 
disaster + marketing bright-idea = problem solved.

To what extent the pens on the market today are *designed* around the needs of 
CD-R pens - who knows? The question of chemical attack of the CD surface is 
largely unspoken.

Alasdair



On 6 Feb 2002 at 20:34, Peter Braverman wrote:

This topic has been discussed to death on e-tree in the past, though I
recognize that newbies may not have seen it.

Synopsis: some people think Sharpies will damage your discs (if I'm
not mistaken, Sharpies are water-based), though nobody has any kind of
real proof. Sorry, one damaged disc is not real proof in my book. My
collection of well over 1,000 SHN discs shows no problems after a few
years, and that includes the ones without a protective coating on the
top, like the Fujis. I use the blue Sharpies, so maybe the black and
red ones are the real problems. (It's a joke, folks.) The consensus is
that the "CD markers" are really just Sharpies with a different label
and a higher price.

Nobody thinks that writing on the clear inner hub does any damage.
Well, nobody who's not sharing quarters with John Hinckley, anyway.

pb


> I think that TDK makes a CD safe marker also, something about it
> being acid free. The things are a little pricey, however.   I have
> used some in the past, but find it safer to just leave it blank.
> What is the consensus on writing on the inner hubs?
> 
> Chris Jones
> 
> WOB: two people ick one show each from my list SHN ONLY (freebie
> style)
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of feeweasel Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 5:09 PM To:
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [etrade] cd markers
> 
> 
> there has been alot of questions about cd markers here of late, and
> from what i have read it is not wise to use sharpies to mark your
> cd's.
> 
> just wanted to let everyone know that just today i found actual cd
> markers (even labeled that way) at office depot here in wisconsin.
> the markers are made by staedtler and called "lumocolor" cd/dvd
> marker.
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