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Original poster

When did felt tip become "Sharpie"?

143 replies

ChocChipHandbag · 25/05/2023 00:45

Just that really.

Printed by a thread in which the British OP said she'd write her phone number on her kids' arms "in sharpie" when they went to busy places.

OP posts:
MeinKraft · 25/05/2023 19:41

ChocChipHandbag · 25/05/2023 10:15

Yeah OK take your point, but agree with the poster who posted the pic of that massive multicoloured pack- who needs permanent marker in that many colours?

I'm old, Sharpies were not a thing when I was a kid (80s/early 90s) and I had never had a need for one as an adult either. The ubiquity of the brand has crept up on me.

Teachers?

I was born in the mid 80s too, Sharpies weren't about when I was a child but I use them as an adult and they're brilliant, much nicer to write with than an average marker pen. Treat yourself to one and maybe you'll be calling all marker pens Sharpies before long too.

tallsmallmum · 25/05/2023 20:17

it used to be "magic markers" children were influenced by American books ie Freckle Juice^ and their magic markers now is American YouTube and their sharpies

Original poster
ChocChipHandbag · 25/05/2023 22:55

LotsOfBalloons · 25/05/2023 19:39

Trigger- what do you call sharpies then? Permanent markers?

That's what I'd call one, yes.

OP posts:
SinnerBoy · 26/05/2023 04:45

I've still got a few CD markers, over 20 years old. Some still work.

otherusername · 26/05/2023 06:42

ChocChipHandbag · 25/05/2023 10:15

Yeah OK take your point, but agree with the poster who posted the pic of that massive multicoloured pack- who needs permanent marker in that many colours?

I'm old, Sharpies were not a thing when I was a kid (80s/early 90s) and I had never had a need for one as an adult either. The ubiquity of the brand has crept up on me.

What a weird thing to be annoyed about! People use them for all sorts of creative arts and crafts, if you don't approve of 'too many colours' you can buy just plain black.

Tots678 · 26/05/2023 07:02

I remember the first 'indelible markers'. They were metal with chisel shaped felt tips. Quite chunky. Smelt strongly of ?ink. ?1960s.

Sharpies were developed in the US.

LotsOfBalloons · 26/05/2023 07:17

Yes I think of markers as things I use for flipcharts etc.

Sharpies are genuinely their own thing. And I love them 😁

Original poster
ChocChipHandbag · 26/05/2023 14:31

I'm not annoyed about anything @otherusername!

This is chat. I was just chatting about pens.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 26/05/2023 14:34

When I say Sharpie I mean a Sharpie. I don't use other brands, they are rubbish. They are also totally different to felt tip pens as well.

As for all the different colours, the engineers where I work use a multitude of coloured sharpies in their drawings, different colours to represent different services eg, gas, air, water etc.

Needmorelego · 26/05/2023 14:42

@Comefromaway I've had multi packs of all sorts of exciting colours from B+M and Wilkos which are fairly decent quality. B+M ones were better out of the two.

powerrangers · 26/05/2023 16:16

sashh · 25/05/2023 04:26

They haven't.

Sharpie doesn't wash off easily and it doesn't smudge which is why magicians have used them for decades.

Magicians use sharpies? What for?

powerrangers · 26/05/2023 16:18

It's weird isn't it that even though by the first 5 replies we get confirmation and agreement yet people keep coming on to say exactly the same thing. I think that's weird anyway

RosaBaby2 · 26/05/2023 16:24

I only call Sharpies, Sharpies. They are a permanent marker. Felt tip pens are felt tip pens.

However, people call sticky tape, Sellotape. Vacuum cleaners, Hoovers etc etc.

Original poster
ChocChipHandbag · 27/05/2023 08:06

powerrangers · 26/05/2023 16:18

It's weird isn't it that even though by the first 5 replies we get confirmation and agreement yet people keep coming on to say exactly the same thing. I think that's weird anyway

Kinda how chatting works?

OP posts:
gogohmm · 27/05/2023 08:07

Sharpies are specific, felt tips are just for kids

gogohmm · 27/05/2023 08:11

@sanityisamyth

I would say the use of the word hoover has declined, more prevalent in the 80's and 80's when the brand was more dominant. It's just a vacuum in my house or Henrietta

Qilin · 27/05/2023 09:39

BillyNighysWife · 25/05/2023 19:33

@sashh

Sharpie doesn't wash off easily and it doesn't smudge which is why magicians have used them for decades

I don’t understand. What do magicians use them for?

Writing on playing cards, etc. when doing close up magic such as making cards reappear with the name still on.
They don't use other types of pens as they can be smudged or accused of being wiped off and changed.

Qilin · 27/05/2023 09:42

ChocChipHandbag · 25/05/2023 10:15

Yeah OK take your point, but agree with the poster who posted the pic of that massive multicoloured pack- who needs permanent marker in that many colours?

I'm old, Sharpies were not a thing when I was a kid (80s/early 90s) and I had never had a need for one as an adult either. The ubiquity of the brand has crept up on me.

I teach in infants. I used coloured sharpies regularly with them, when doing large paper based mind maps, story maps, etc.

JustJoinedRightNow · 27/05/2023 09:45

SinnerBoy · 25/05/2023 05:54

Cantwaitforsummertime · Today 04:50

In Australia felt tips are called textas

And Sellotape is Durex....

I am Australian and I’ve never heard sellotape be called durex - they’re condoms - was this a joke and it’s gone right over my head?

JustJoinedRightNow · 27/05/2023 09:45

I also am intrigued to know why a pp said magicians have been using sharpies for years…

Caramelsmadfuzzytail · 27/05/2023 10:36

My dad used to use Sharpies 40 years ago, waaay before they were known here. He used to work for an American company. You could get high on them then. You could get black, red, blue or green and they were truly permanent. Sharpies now are obviously not as toxic and are not truly permanent and you can get so many more colours.
So on some level they are felt tip pens. I don't see them as being lumped under one umbrella like vacuum cleaners etc though.

SinnerBoy · 27/05/2023 11:24

JustJoinedRightNow · Today 09:45

No, I was working there about 15 years ago and it was a brand of tape. Admittedly, I didn't see any when I was down a couple of months ago.

JustJoinedRightNow · 28/05/2023 00:55

Ah ok, we just call it sticky tape.

and felt tips here are indeed textas

Phos · 30/05/2023 14:32

isthismylifenow · 25/05/2023 17:11

😂 I was going to post the same thing.

Permanent koki
Or
Colour koki.

We had a visitor from UK recently and when we went to fetch a certain brand of pizza in which you get a free cool drink in the deal, the cashier asked 'which Coke do you want'? So visitor said Coke Zero or light. They didn't have those options, so I had to explain that she was asking which fizzy drink, ie Creme Soda, Fanta etc. But Stoney also falls into this general term. So, 'do you want a Stoney? Yes please I'll have a Lemon Twist' makes perfect sense here 😂

Also applies for toothpaste. Colgate doesn't just mean Colgate. It can be Aquafresh or Mentadent P.

I'm quite sure there are more that I can't think of right now.

Show quote history

My husband is South African and I’ve never heard him call them kokis. Maybe we’ve gone 11 years without ever needing to talk about them. I fully intend to brandish a felt tip in his face when I get home in a slightly deranged manner demanding “WHATS THIS?!”

One safferism that does get me is calling trainers takkies (probably spelt it wrong) I understand it doesn’t mean good trainers like sketchers or ASICS but your crappy non brand ones you just slob about in.

isthismylifenow · 30/05/2023 14:51

Phos · 30/05/2023 14:32

My husband is South African and I’ve never heard him call them kokis. Maybe we’ve gone 11 years without ever needing to talk about them. I fully intend to brandish a felt tip in his face when I get home in a slightly deranged manner demanding “WHATS THIS?!”

One safferism that does get me is calling trainers takkies (probably spelt it wrong) I understand it doesn’t mean good trainers like sketchers or ASICS but your crappy non brand ones you just slob about in.

Show quote history

😂 Please update us with what he says. I am 99.9% sure he will know it as a koki pen.

Takkies..... Yes these are for all brands, doesn't matter the make. What you call plimsoles are takkies. What everyone is wearing these days (new balance etc) are also takkies.

Right now I'm wearing my takkies. Which are platform Van's.

It's cold now, so not slops weather 😂

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