A History of the Fountain Pen

An Introduction Since the dawn of history, man has possessed an insatiable need to document his odyssey in this world both as a measure of achievement and a platform for education. To achieve this we needed two things: an instrument to make a legible mark and a place to put that mark. In prehistory the first instruments to meet these ends were charred segments of wood. The Sumerians were the first to record history on clay tablets. This system, known as cuneiform, dates back 3000 years. The first "pen" and paper system rose out of the great civilization of ancient Egypt. The scribes of the pharaohs and high priests used reeds with the ends chewed into filaments capable of holding pigment. Scribes then painted hieroglyphics on walls or papyrus. The reeds, as pigments improved, developed into sharpened instruments with slits cut into the end which paved the way to feather quills. Developed in the 16th Century, the quill greatly improved writing instruments; the tip was easier to sharpen, more flexible, and broke less frequently under the writer's hand pressure. In the mid 19th century, metals were used to create the point of the pen because they took less time to bring to perfection and had even greater durability. The writer still needed to dip the pen into an inkwell to write, making transportation difficult. In 1884 Insurance broker Lewis Waterman, fed up with the inconvenience of the pen and ink well, revolutionized the world of pens. The problem with other pens was the regulation of ink flow, which is why no self contained ink reservoir had successfully been incorporated into a pen. Mr. Waterman had training in neither science nor engineering yet figured out what hundreds of intellects could not; the answer was relatively simple. Waterman discovered that the capillary attraction (the attraction between a liquid and a solid that allows the liquid to remain elevated or depressed as when a drop of water adheres to the outside of a cool glass of lemonade) had an important and dynamic relationship with atmospheric pressure. How was one to contain a volume of ink and regulate the flow to only go when written with? The simple answer: in the feed, which guides the ink down the backside of the nib (pen point) and eventually to the paper, Waterman created two or three conduits or channels which allow the simultaneous movement of air and fluid; the air displaces the used ink. THUS THE REVOLUTION BEGAN. MECHANICS OF THE FOUNTAIN PEN THE RESERVOIR The mechanics of a fountain pen may be broken down into three general function categories: the reservoir, the feed system and the nib. The reservoir or ink storage mechanism of most modern fountain pens stores ink two ways. One way

THE EARLY NIB SYSTEM Dipping pen nibs captured ink on the underside of the nib

THE FEED
The feed system regulates the flow of ink to the nib by means of a series of canals and grooves. This system ensures the least possible incidence of leakage with the greatest amount of even flow. The feed, in conjunction with the nib, plays the vital role balancing the effects of gravity with atmospheric pressure and capillary action. Capillary action pivots in its role, making sure the ink in the pen holds in position against any changes in air pressure where the ambient air pressure becomes lower than that of the ink reservoir or heat from the writers hand increases the internal pressure above that of the ambient air pressure. Most pens have a series of secondary canals to handle any surplus of ink due to these atmospheric imbalances. Varying the size of the canals and conduits achieves the perfect balance necessary. Mold injected synthetic resins, and in finer pens ebonite make up the materials of feeds (these materials suitably resist the corrosive agents present in inks).

THE NIB
The fountain pen nib not only carries a unique look to itself but it does something no other writing instrument does, feeds information to the writer during the process of writing. This tactile response, the "feel" of the pen on the paper, compares with the way a race car driver feels and reads the road through the steering wheel. In ball-point pens and rollerballs the contact point on the paper is symmetrical (the sphere of the ball in the point) thereby always creating a line of unvarying width regardless of changes in angle. A fountain pen creates lines of varying thickness relative to changes in the writer's hand pressure, angle of the pen to the paper, and rotations on the nibs axis. The effect is an elegant line with an almost calligraphic appearance, rendering any penmanship beautiful. Precious metals play an important role in construction of the nib relative to the nibs performance and longevity. The least expensive fountain pens tend to have stainless steel or gold plated stainless steel nibs.
The absence of precious metals in significant quantities or at all make a fountain pen easily affordable but a trade off exists. Stainless steel is a rigid and unforgiving material, a quality that may take away from the overall experience, isolating the writer from the subtle nuances of tactile responses between paper and nib.
Gold maintains a position of dominance as the metal of choice for several reasons. For one, gold resists the effect of corrosion due to contact with inks. Gold's malleability perfectly suits the function of providing the nib with flexibility. Gold in its pure form would not serve the other priority of resilience, for this purpose gold alloys serve best. Most commonly used are 14 karat and 18 karat.
The very tip of the nib, the point, cannot be gold because it would wear down in a matter of weeks. For this area nib crafters solder a hard substance for the point of contact, most commonly iridium or rhodium. This provides the writer with a lifetime of writing. In time the nib wears just enough to the way the writer holds the pen relative to the paper to create a custom point unique to the individual owner. This explains why the recommendation not to lend out one 's fountain pen prevails.

Most pen manufacturers offer a reasonable selection of nibs available in the metals discussed earlier and point sizes to fit any writer's preferences. Pen companies offer the two most popular sizes, fine and medium as well as the obscure sizes of extra fine, broad, oblique angled nibs (for left handers and script writer out for a change), and occasionally calligraphy nibs. (NOTE: Nib manufacture 1. Rolling of an ingot 10 to 20 mm thick, annealing to ensure flexibility to thickness of .3 to .6 mm cold bench pressing to assure flexibility and resilience. 2. cutting of the first dies. 3. Soldering the iridium onto the gold. 4. Sanding the gold iridium connection. 5. Rolling the form between two grooved cylinders. thinning of the body improves flexibility and tail down to .1 mm ensures tight fit with body of pen. 6. Cutting of the other parts of the nib on a bench press. 7. Drilling the eye. 8. Impressing curvature on the nib. 9. Splitting the nib up to the eye with a cutting disk. 10. Repeat sanding of the nib grading it for f, m, b. 11. Polish the upper part of nib to jewelry quality and the underside dulled to regulate ink flow.)

MATERIALS
Most pens bodies consist of some hard durable material that produces a lasting effect in the life of the pen. Early fountain pens had hard vulcanized rubber bodies. Today manufacturers craft pens from traditional yet more advanced materials. The Italian pen manufacturers hold a reverence for celluloid, frequently using it in their more expensive pens. This material has a high impact resistance and can be cured into beautiful, natural, elegant aesthetics. New celluloid pens smell of camphor because of its use in curing nitrocellulose. Acetate, acrylic, and resins both synthetic and vegetal lend themselves as beautiful and durable options. A popular presentation for pen bodies, the solid brass body covered with lacquer, gives a pen good balance because of the metal and a sharp look in a manageable price range. These later materialsd up the color pallet of pen makers into the bright spectrum. In the lofty price ranges materials like sterling silver, vermeil (gold plated sterling silver), solid gold, and even platinum appear.

ROLLERBALLS AND BALL-POINTS
Rollerballs and ball-points differ from fountain pens more than appears to the eye. Any graduate of secondary school or beyond has written a BIC or PAPERMATE pen, these are ball point pens. A ball-point pen functions by directing ink towards gravity's pull (to the paper when held point down), and rolling the viscous ink onto the paper via the ball contained in the point end of the tube reservoir of ink, much in the same way a paint roller rolls paint onto a wall. This ink dries immediately. A rollerball, while it looks very similar to the ball-point when examined at the tip, differs. The first and most noticeable difference is the cap that a rollerball requires to prevent its more liquid ink from drying (some pen companies now offer a retractable rollerball, similar in appearance to a "click" pen). Secondly, the rollerball's liquid ink differentiates it from a ball-point. When point is put to paper with a rollerball the paper draws the ink out of the pen via capillary action, the ball in this case being more of an ink regulator and a friction reducer than an applicator. The ink is not as liquid as that of the fountain pen, but creates a similar line except for the variations in line width discussed above. The advantage for some of a rollerball exists in the pen's relative low maintenance as compared to that of the fountain pen.

INKS
The first inks used date back approximately 2500 years. Carbon black and a glue or a binding agent made up the principle ingredients. The next phase of ink in popular use appeared in 210 BC and remained center stage for about the next 2000 years. The materials of composition lent to the name, the blue-black acid iron gall inks. As a result of chemical testing, scientists and historians concluded that certain sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls were written in iron gall inks. The last development in the ink chronology came to be in the 1800's when aniline dyes developed. The fabric and leather industry employ aniline heavily in the dying process. For a while ink chemists added acids to their formulas to bring out the truest intensity of color of certain dyes. These acidic inks can still be found. Modern inks are very simple containing water and dye with an additive to prevent bacteria growth. These inks at most contain seven ingredients in the formula. The pigments, colorants, and additives account for about 2% of the solution, the remaining 98% being water. The new formulas are sometimes customized to optimize performance of a given manufacturers fountain pen. Just about every modern ink boosts pen performance: by adding a lubricant, having detergents that self clean, drying quickly on paper while staying wet on the nib, having intense color, and resisting fading. The modern innovations of ink are available in a spectrum of colors.

CHOOSING A WRITING INSTRUMENT
Choosing the proper writing instrument plays as important a role in pen purchasing as choosing quality. Purpose and use of the writing instrument also bear weight in the matter. A writing instrument must feel comfortable in the hand, just as you would test drive a car before a purchase, so too with a pen purchase (Gift purchasing has of course its inherent limitations, however recalling the recipients hand size and writing style and tailoring the buying to suit those factors results in a tremendous success rate. Here are a few guidelines: 1. hand size- narrow or shorter pens for small hands and broad barreled, longer pens for large hands. 2. If the person's handwriting is small and slow, fine point suits and for big and fast, a medium point).
Fountain Pen- No other writing instrument can create so unique a relationship between writer, pen, and paper. The fountain pen possesses the unique ability to create elegant variations in the width of the line relative to variations in the writer's applied pressure. The line on the paper is the most clear and consistent of all types of writing instruments. The fountain pen performs best on bonded and acid free papers yet is remarkably adaptable. Fountain pens have a wide range of nib sizes available to custom fit the writer's style (discussed below). Rollerball- The roller ball is a wonderful halfway point between the fountain pen and the ball point,. The roller ball creates a similar line to the fountain pen with respect to the purity and intensity of color. This mode of writing instrument has the same convenience as the ball-point. The refill is simple to change and the pen can be used on carbon copy forms. The ink in a roller ball shares the same affinity for paper types as the fountain pen with even greater adaptability.

Ball-point pen- No other writing instrument can match the universality of the ball-point pen (except perhaps, the wooden pencil and the crayon).

The ball-point pen remains functionally flexible by being well suited to carbon copies, photocopy and fax originals. A quality ball-point creates a consistent line neither skipping nor blobbing on the paper.

Mechanical Pencil- An ideal mate for a beautiful ball-point, the mechanical pencil offers a convenience wooden pencils cannot, the ability to replenish a broken or worn down lead without a sharpener and the resulting shavings. The mechanical pencil lends itself well to computation needs, technical drawing and artistic endeavors..

HOW TO CHOOSE A FOUNTAIN PEN
No matter how much a pen costs or how much quality exists in the construction of the pen, if it was not chosen properly the pen will never perform to its true potential. A few factors to consider: Writing Style- The speed with which a writer moves a pen across the paper's surface plays a significant role in making choices about the fountain pen to purchase (see gift purchasing above).
Nib Widths- A wide selection of pen nib widths and grades exist (from one company or another) that custom fit the writer's style and desired look on paper. Broken down, the four major categories are as follows:
1. Standard Nibs- Standard nibs are crafted with symmetrical points that create a consistent line with subtle variations in line thickness. Best suited for standard correspondence and every day use, it enjoys the greatest popularity. Pen buyers choose point size for reasons mentioned above but mostly based on personal preference.
2. Oblique Nibs- These nibs are manufactured as other nibs but are rather than symmetrical, cut on an angle (when viewed from the top as in the illustration ascending from left to right). This design results a line produced such that the upstrokes are thinner than the down strokes. The oblique nibs still have the pellets (the irriium or rhodium balls soldered to the end of the nib tines that provide the smooth feel on the paper). Reverse oblique nibs are available and provide a preferred point for left handed writers.
3. Italic Nibs- These are pelted straight cut nibs used for precise slow writing when an italic script is appropriate. Also available are oblique italic nibs and for the left handed crowd reverse oblique italic nibs.
4. Calligraphy nibs- This grade of nib has a broader than usual straight cut nib without a pellet for creating calligraphic fonts. Calligraphy nibs are often available with a range of widths relative to the size or height of character desired. Direction of the nib's motion on the writing surface has the effect of creating many thickness.
Nib Materials- The amount of gold in the pen nibs construction determines the flexibility or scale of softness. A fountain pen requires a great deal less pressure to write with than ball-point, however, the transition may not always go smoothly as old habits die hard. In this situation gold plated stainless steel nibs may be preferable.
Weight and Balance- Pens fall into two general weight categories based on the materials of the body (see materials above). Personal preference determines whether a heavy pen (brass covered lacquer, sterling silver, and precious metals) or a light pen (molded resins, celluloid, acrylic) is appropriate. The weight distribution or balance of the pen may only be decided by holding and writing with the pen. Manufacturers balance the pens to be written with the cap placed on the tail of the pen.
Reservoir (filling method)- Most new pens on the market provide the owner with a choice of whether to siphon ink out of a bottle or to use cartridges (see reservoir above). Some new pens on the market are closed system siphoning pens only. Measure the relative convenience of each to choose a pen.

HOW TO FILL A FOUNTAIN PEN
1. Unscrew the barrel from the section block (grip section)
2. Place the narrow end of the ink cartridge into the back of the grip section (opposite the nib) applying enough pressure to seat the cartridge snugly into the section (a pin inside the back of the grip section will puncture the cartridge allowing ink to flow freely).
3. Screw the barrel on over the cartridge and into the grip section.
4. If the initial ink flow is slow to appear, take a lint free cloth cover the nib (so as not to splatter ink on anything) and gently shake the ink down into the nib. (WARNING: Never tap or bang the nib of the pen, the fountain pen is a precision instrument not a throwing dart!)
Converter or Closed System Siphon Pens-
1. A piston converter is inserted into a pen the same way a cartridge.
2. Twist the knob that moves the piston head so the head is in the position closest to the grip section.
3. Insert the nib into the bottle of ink so that the ink level covers the lower portion of the grip section.
4. Twist the knob so that the piston draws ink into the reservoir until the knob stops turning.
5. Remove the nib from the ink bottle (straight up) and into the bottle return three drops of ink by slowly turning the knob (you will see the drops build on the end of the nib and fall into the bottle)
6. Invert the pen so the nib points to the ceiling and turn the knob so that the pen draws in air to replace the three drops.
7. In the case of pens with piston converters screw on the barrel
8. With a lint free soft cloth, carefully and gently wipe away any excess ink on the nib or grip section. (WARNING: The smallest fiber or particle can interrupt the flow of ink to the paper, try not to ever directly contact the slit with any cloth)

HOW TO STORE, CLEAN AND MAINTAIN A FOUNTAIN PEN
STORAGE
• pens containing ink should be stored in an upright position when not being used
• if a pen will be out of use for two weeks or more, drain any ink in the pen, rinse the pen thoroughly and cap tightly.

CLEANING
• Remove any cartridge or piston converter
• Rinse with cold water through the grip section in the same direction ink would flow (WARNING: Never use hot or warm water to rinse, soak, or clean a fountain pen nib as the temperature will warp the precious metals in the nib enough to interrupt the flow of ink permanently or damage the nib's ability to control ink flow!)
• for more serious clogs or flow problems soak the pen overnight or for a few days
• dry the nib with a clean, soft, lint free cloth, heeding warnings in How to Fill a Fountain Pen.

MAINTENANCE
• clean a fountain pen each time a fresh supply of ink is needed, regardless whether or not color is changed
• always use fresh ink, ink that has beend for more than a year is not suitable
• cap and uncap the pen by holding the nib oriented so it points toward the ceiling and carefully placing or removing the cap so as not to contact the nib.
• do not lend your pen out to others as a fountain pen nib breaks in to the unique writing style of its owner and every writer holds pens differently with respect to the paper.
• protect your pens precious finish by storing or transporting pens in leather cases, shirt pockets do very well also.

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