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A '''fountain pen''' is a [[writing]] instrument, more specifically a [[pen]], that contains a reservoir of water-based [[ink]] that is fed to a nib through a "feed" via a combination of [[gravity]] and [[capillary action]]. Refilling ink either involves replacing an ink cartridge, filling the pen with an [[eyedropper]], or using one of a variety of internal mechanisms to [[Sucking|suck]] ink from a [[bottle]]. |
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A '''fountain pen''' is a [[writing]] instrument, more specifically a [[pen]], that contains a reservoir of liquid [[ink]] composed primarily of water. The ink is held in the reservoir by [[air pressure]] until needed, at which time it is fed to a nib through a "feed" via a combination of [[gravity]] and [[capillary action]]. Refilling the fountain pen reservoir with ink involves replacing an ink cartridge, or filling the pen with an [[eyedropper]], or using one of a variety of internal mechanisms, which creates suction, to draw ink from a [[bottle]]. The ink is drawn through the nib and held in the pen's reservoir. Older pens squeezed and released an internal rubber sack to create the suction needed. Most modern pens use a removable internal converter, comprising a screw or piston mechanism, to create the suction and draw ink into the fountain pen. |
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[[Image:ParkerPens.jpg|thumb|350px|These [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] [[Duofold]]s from the [[1920s]] used the ''Lucky Curve'' feed system and self-filled using a "button filler". They were quite long; nearly 7 inches long when posted.]] |
[[Image:ParkerPens.jpg|thumb|350px|These [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] [[Duofold]]s from the [[1920s]] used the ''Lucky Curve'' feed system and self-filled using a "button filler". They were quite long; nearly 7 inches long when posted.]] |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The earliest historical record of a reservoir pen dates to the [[10th century]]. The sultan of Egypt in 953 demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a resevoir and delivered it to the nib via gravity and capillary action. It is likely, however that attempts at a fountain pen go back much further into the past. |
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In his ''Delicia Physic-Mathematicae'' ([[1636]]), [[Daniel Schwenter]] described a pen made from two [[quill|quills]]. One quill served as a reservoir for [[ink]] inside the other quill. The ink was sealed inside the quill with [[cork (material)|cork]]. Ink was squeezed through a small hole to the writing point. The earliest surviving reservoir pens date to the [[18th century]]. Progress in developing a reliable pen was slow, however, into the mid-[[19th century]]. That slow pace of progress was due to a very imperfect understanding of the role that air pressure played in the operation of the pens and because most inks were highly corrosive and full of sedimentary inclusions. Starting in the 1850s there was a steadily accelerating stream of fountain pen [[patent]]s and pens in production. It was only after three key inventions were in place, however, that the fountain pen became a widely popular writing instrument. Those inventions were the [[iridium]]-tipped [[gold]] nib, hard [[rubber]], and free-flowing ink. |
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[[Image:US68445.png|left|thumb|222px|M. Klein and Henry W. Wynne received US [[patent]] #68445 in [[1867]] for an ink chamber and delivery system in the handle of the fountain pen.]] |
[[Image:US68445.png|left|thumb|222px|M. Klein and Henry W. Wynne received US [[patent]] #68445 in [[1867]] for an ink chamber and delivery system in the handle of the fountain pen.]] |
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The first fountain pens making use of all these key ingredients |
The first fountain pens making use of all these key ingredients appeared in the [[1850s]]. While a student in Paris, [[Romanian]] [[Petrache Poenaru]] invented the fountain pen; an invention which the [[French Government]] patented in May [[1827]]. In the [[1870s]] Duncan MacKinnon, a Canadian living in New York City, and Alonzo T. Cross of Providence, Rhode Island created stylographic pens with a hollow, tubular nib and a wire acting as a valve. Stylographic pens are now used mostly for drafting and technical drawing but were very popular in the decade beginning in 1875. it was in the [[1880s]] that the era of the [[mass production|mass-produced]] fountain pen finally began. The dominant American producers in this pioneer era were [[Lewis Edson Waterman|Waterman]] and Wirt, based in [[New York City]] and [[Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania|Bloomsburg]], [[Pennsylvania]], respectively. Waterman soon outstripped Wirt, along with the many companies that sprang up to fill the new and growing fountain pen market, and remained the market leader up until the early [[1920s]]. |
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At this time fountain pens were almost all filled by unscrewing a portion of the hollow barrel or holder and inserting the ink by means of an eyedropper. This was a slow and messy system. Additionally, fountain pens tended to leak inside their caps and at the joint where the barrel opened for filling. Now that the materials problems had been overcome and the flow of ink while writing had been regulated, the next problems to be solved were the creation of a simple, convenient self-filler and the problem of leakage. Self-fillers began to come into their own around the turn of the century; the most successful of these was probably the Conklin crescent-filler, followed by A. A. Waterman's twist-filler. The tipping point, however, was the runaway success of Walter A. Sheaffer's lever-filler, introduced in 1912, paralleled by Parker's roughly contemporary button-filler. |
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In Europe, [[Germany|German]] [[Günther Wagner]]'s office supplies production started in [[1871]], and "[[Pelikan]]" became a major producer of fountain pens in the [[1890s]]. They acquired patents for the solid-ink fountain pens from the factory of [[Slavoljub Penkala]] from [[Croatia]] (patented [[1907]], in mass production since [[1911]]), and the patent of the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[Theodor Kovacs]] for the modern piston filler by [[1925]]. |
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[[Image:Caw_moore_waterman_RJJ_PD.jpg|thumb|350px|From top to bottom: Caw, Moore, Waterman Safety pens.]] |
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The decades that followed saw many technological innovations in the manufacture of fountain pens. [[Celluloid]] gradually replaced vulcanized "hard" [[rubber]], which enabled production in a much wider range of colors and designs. At the same time, manufacturers experimented with new filling systems. The inter-war period saw the introduction of some of the most notable models, such as the [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] [[Duofold]] and [[Parker Vacumatic|Vacumatic]], Sheaffer's Lifetime Balance series, and the Pelikan 100. |
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[[Image:SafetyDemoRJJ_PD.jpg|thumb|350px|Details of Waterman 42 Safety Pen showing variation in materials (red and black hard rubber) and retracting nib.]] |
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Meanwhile many inventors turned their attention to the problem of leakage. Some of the earliest solutions to this problem came in the form of a "safety" pen with a retractable point that allowed the ink reservoir to be stoppered like a bottle. The most successful of these came from F.C. Brown of the Caw's Pen and Ink Co. and from Morris W. Moore of Boston. In 1907 Waterman began marketing a safety pen of its own that soon became the most widely distributed such pen. For pens with nonretractible nibs, the adoption of screw-on caps with inner caps that sealed around the nib by bearing against the front of the section effectively solved the leakage problem (such pens were also marketed as "safety pens", as with the Parker Jack Knife Safety and the Swan Safety Screw-Cap). |
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In Europe, [[Germany|German]] [[Günther Wagner]]'s office supplies house (started in [[1871]]), introduced the [[Pelikan]] pen in 1929, based upon the acquisition of patents for solid-ink fountain pens from the factory of [[Slavoljub Penkala]] from [[Croatia]] (patented [[1907]], in mass production since [[1911]]), and the patent of the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[Theodor Kovacs]] for the modern piston filler by [[1925]]. |
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The decades that followed saw many technological innovations in the manufacture of fountain pens. [[Celluloid]] gradually replaced hard [[rubber]], which enabled production in a much wider range of colors and designs. At the same time, manufacturers experimented with new filling systems. The inter-war period saw the introduction of some of the most notable models, such as the [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] [[Duofold]] and [[Parker Vacumatic|Vacumatic]], Sheaffer's Lifetime Balance series, and the Pelikan 100. |
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During the [[1940s]] and [[1950s]], fountain pens retained their dominance: early [[ballpoint pen|ballpoint pens]] were expensive, prone to leaks and had irregular inkflow, while the fountain pen continued to benefit from the combination of mass production and craftsmanship. This period saw the launch of innovative models such as the [[Parker 51]], the Sheaffer Snorkel and the Eversharp Skyline, while the Esterbrook J series of lever-fill models with interchangeable steel nibs offered inexpensive reliability to the masses. |
During the [[1940s]] and [[1950s]], fountain pens retained their dominance: early [[ballpoint pen|ballpoint pens]] were expensive, prone to leaks and had irregular inkflow, while the fountain pen continued to benefit from the combination of mass production and craftsmanship. This period saw the launch of innovative models such as the [[Parker 51]], the Sheaffer Snorkel and the Eversharp Skyline, while the Esterbrook J series of lever-fill models with interchangeable steel nibs offered inexpensive reliability to the masses. |
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By the [[1960s]], refinements in |
By the [[1960s]], refinements in ballpoint pen production gradually ensured its dominance over the fountain pen for casual use. Although cartridge-filler fountain pens are still in common use in [[France]], [[Germany]] and the [[United Kingdom]], particularly among schoolchildren, modern manufacturers (especially [[Montblanc (pens)|Montblanc]]) now market the fountain pen as a collectible or a [[status symbol]], rather than an everyday writer. |
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During current times in the [[2000s]], trends have shown a new outcropping of colorful, disposable fountain pens. Whereas before these specialty pens were mainly the instruments of adults who could afford such crafts, now there is a revival of fountain pens among younger adults and teenagers. Most notably, the [[Pilot]] "Petit1" paved the way for high school and college students to enter the world of fountain pens. Such new pens provided by Pilot, Ohto as well as other Japanese pen manufacturers cost less than $10. Moreover their refills no longer required a manual refilling of ink, but had "pop in" refill cartridges. |
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Current fountain pens manufacturers include Cross, Montblanc, [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]], Pelikan, Rotring, Sheaffer, and [[Waterman Pens|Waterman]]. Companies who manufacture high quality ink include Aurora, Cross, Montblanc, [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]], Pelikan, Private Reserve, Nathan Tardiff's Noodlers, Sheaffer, and the [[France|French]] company Herbin. Pilot is one of only a few companies that make disposable fountain pens.. |
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[[Image:Petit1.jpg|left|thumb|222px|Picture of modern day disposable fountain pen, Pilot Petit1. Comes in 12 different colors, is refillable with a cartridge and costs less than $5 each.]] |
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==Using fountain pens== |
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Current fountain pen manufacturers include Cross, Montblanc, [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]], Pelikan, [[Namiki]]/Pilot, [[Caran d'Ache]], Rotring, Sheaffer, Hero (from China) and [[Waterman Pens|Waterman]]. Practically all fountain pen companies offer ink alongside their pens, but companies exclusively producing inks (mostly for fountain pens) exist, including Private Reserve, Nathan Tardif's Noodler's Ink, Diamine and J. Herbin. Sometimes a manufacturer of fountain pens sells another manufacturer's ink under their brand name - for example the fountain pen ink of A.T. Cross is actually made by Pelikan, Bexley's by Private Reserve and Yard-o-Led's by Diamine. Pilot is one of only a few companies making disposable fountain pens (under model name Varsity and Vpen). Pilot also makes higher-end pens under brand name [[Namiki]], including the "Vanishing Point", where the nib retracts like a that of a [[ballpoint]]. |
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==Using fountain pens== |
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Together with the mass-manufactured [[pencil]] and the introduction of cheap wood-based [[paper]], the fountain pen was responsible for a major transformation in [[writing]] and in the nature of paperwork during the 19th century. They gave birth to the precursor of the modern [[office]], which would only come about at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th with the gradual introduction of the [[typewriter]] and early [[duplicating machines]]. |
Together with the mass-manufactured [[pencil]] and the introduction of cheap wood-based [[paper]], the fountain pen was responsible for a major transformation in [[writing]] and in the nature of paperwork during the 19th century. They gave birth to the precursor of the modern [[office]], which would only come about at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th with the gradual introduction of the [[typewriter]] and early [[duplicating machines]]. |
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The fountain pen, and, to a lesser extent, the pencil, replaced the relatively hard-to-use combination of the [[dip pen]], blotter, and sand tray employed till then for [[writing]]. Using a dip pen was in fact a complex and often frustrating exercise due to the irregular flow of ink from the nib and other factors |
The fountain pen, and, to a lesser extent, the pencil, replaced the relatively hard-to-use combination of the [[dip pen]], blotter, and sand tray employed till then for [[writing]]. Using a dip pen was in fact a complex and often frustrating exercise due to the irregular flow of ink from the nib and other factors. |
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Fountain pens are |
Fountain pens are regarded by many serious writers to be the best tools for writing or drawing with ink on paper. However, they can be more expensive, harder to maintain, and more fragile than a [[ballpoint pen]]. In addition, they cannot be used with the various [[oil]]- and particle-based inks (such as [[India ink]]) prized by artists, as can a [[dip pen]], [[reed (plant)|reed]], or [[quill]]. |
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That said, fountain pens require less hand pressure when writing than either ballpoint or rollerball pens. This allows for longer, more comfortable writing sessions with less hand fatigue. Additionally, fountain pen inks come in a far wider selection of colors than those available for ballpoint or rollerball pens, providing a nearly unlimited choice of colors for writing. |
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==Nibs== |
==Nibs== |
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[[Image:Fountain-pen-nib.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Fountain pen nib labeled "IRIDIUM POINT GERMANY"]] |
[[Image:Fountain-pen-nib.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Fountain pen nib labeled "IRIDIUM POINT GERMANY"]] |
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The nib of the fountain pen is usually made of [[stainless steel]] or gold. Gold nibs are tipped with a hard, wear-resistant alloy that typically utilizes metals from the [[platinum group]]. Tipping material is often called "[[iridium]]", even though hardly any penmakers still use that metal in their tipping alloys. Steel nibs may also have harder tips; those with steel points will wear more rapidly due to abrasion by the paper. |
The nib of the fountain pen is usually made of [[stainless steel]] or gold. Gold nibs are tipped with a hard, wear-resistant alloy that typically utilizes metals from the [[platinum group]]. Tipping material is often called "[[iridium]]", even though hardly any penmakers still use that metal in their tipping alloys. Steel nibs may also have harder tips; those with un-tipped steel points will wear more rapidly due to abrasion by the paper. The nib will adjust itself more readily to the user's style the more rapidly the nib wears down. |
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The nib usually has one slit cut down its center, to convey the ink down the nib. The whole nib narrows to a point where the ink is transferred to the paper. Broad [[Western calligraphy|calligraphy]] pens may have several slits in the nib to increase ink flow and help distribute it evenly across the broad point. Nibs divided into three 'tines' are commonly known as 'music' nibs, as their broad line is suited for writing musical scores. |
The nib usually has one slit cut down its center, to convey the ink down the nib by capillary action, as well as a "breather hole" of varying shape to promote the exchange of air for ink in the pen's reservoir. The whole nib narrows to a point where the ink is transferred to the paper. Broad [[Western calligraphy|calligraphy]] pens may have several slits in the nib to increase ink flow and help distribute it evenly across the broad point. Nibs divided into three 'tines' are commonly known as 'music' nibs, as their broad line is suited for writing musical scores. |
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Although the most common nibs end in a point of various sizes (fine, medium, broad), other nib shapes are available. Examples of this are oblique, reverse oblique, stub and italic. |
Although the most common nibs end in a round point of various sizes (fine, medium, broad), other nib shapes are available. Examples of this are oblique, reverse oblique, stub and italic. |
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Fountain pens dating from the first half of the [[20th century]] are more likely to have flexible nibs, suited to the favored handwriting styles of the period. By the [[1940s]], writing preferences had shifted towards stiffer nibs that could withstand the greater pressure required for writing through copy paper to create duplicate documents. |
Fountain pens dating from the first half of the [[20th century]] are more likely to have flexible nibs, suited to the favored handwriting styles of the period. By the [[1940s]], writing preferences had shifted towards stiffer nibs that could withstand the greater pressure required for writing through copy paper to create duplicate documents. These more closely emulate the ballpoint pens modern users are experienced with, but are often described as feeling like "writing with a nail" by those who prefer the feel of a more flexible nib. |
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==Filling mechanisms== |
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The earliest fountain pens were mostly [[eyedropper]] fillers - that is, the pen was essentially an empty reservoir which one would fill with an eyedropper. This was a relatively awkward and messy process, though the absence of complicated mechanisms meant that an eyedropper-filler could hold much more ink than could a self-filling pen of comparable size. As a result, eyedropper-filling pens constitute only a tiny fraction of pens made today. |
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After the eyedropper-filler era came the first generation of mass produced self-fillers, almost all using a rubber sac to hold the ink. By various mechanisms, the sac could be compressed and then released in order to empty and fill the pen. |
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The Conklin crescent filler, introduced c. 1901, was one of the first mass-produced self-filling pen designs. The crescent filling system employs an arch-shaped crescent attached to a rigid metal pressure bar, with the crescent portion protruding from the pen through a slot and the pressure bar inside the barrel. A second component, a C-shaped hard rubber ring, is located between the crescent and the barrel. Ordinarily, the ring blocks the crescent from pushing down. However, when it comes time to fill the pen, one simply turns the ring around the barrel until the crescent matches up to the hole in the ring, allowing one to push down the crescent and squeeze the internal pen sac. |
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Following the crescent filler came a series of systems of increasing complexity, reaching their apogee in the Sheaffer Touchdown and Snorkel systems. With the introduction of cartridge pens by Waterman-Jif, though, many of these systems were phased out in favour of convenience (but reduced capacity). Today, most pens either utilise piston-fillers or cartridges, although the latter can usually be converted to piston-fill with the use of a converter. |
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The piston filler, first introduced in the original Pelikan of 1929 (although the concept was from Croatia), was somewhat of an anomaly in an age of sac-filling pens. The idea was a simple one: merely twist a knob at the end of the pen, and an internal piston will drive up and down the barrel, forcing ink out or in. While the capacity of these pens was not comparable to some of the better sac systems, and certainly not the eyedropper pen, they offered convenience only second to the cartridge. The reason for their lacklustre capacities is the size of the piston unit. In order to effectively drive the whole way down the barrel, some of the earlier models had to devote as much as half of the pen length to a complicated system. The advent of telescoping pistons has in some respects remedied this, but piston fillers are still sometimes foregone today in favour of older methods. |
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The Touchdown Filler was introduced by [[Sheaffer]] in 1949. It was advertised as an “Exclusive Pneumatic Down-stroke Filler.” To fill it, the cap is unscrewed at the top of the barrel and the plunger is drawn out to its full length. The nib of the pen is immersed in bottled ink, and the plunger is pushed in briskly, and the cap is screwed on. The nib is kept in the ink for approximately 10 seconds to allow the reservoir to fill with ink. Some of Sheaffer's pens are exclusively Touchdown Fill, but some have the option of cartridge or Touchdown Fill, such as the Legacy 2. |
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==Cartridges== |
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Most European fountain pen brands (for example [[Caran d'Ache]], [[Faber-Castell]], [[Dupont]], [[Montegrappa]], [[Stipula]], [[Yard-O-Led]], [[Pelikan]], [[Waterman]], [[Montblanc]], [[Monteverde]], [[Delta (brand)]] and [[Rotring]]) and some pen brands of other continents (for example [[Bexley]], [[Retro51]], [[Tombow]] and [[Acura]]) use so called "international cartridges" (AKA "european cartridges" or "standard cartridges" or "universal cartridges"), in short or long sizes, or both. It is to some extent a standard, so international cartridges of any manufacturer can be used in most fountain pens that accepts international cartridges. Also, converters that are meant to replace international cartridges can be used in most fountain pens that accept international cartridges. Some very compact fountain pens (for example Waterman Ici et La and Monteverde Diva) accept only short international cartridges. Converters can not be used in them (except for so-called mini-converters by Monteverde). |
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Many fountain pen manufacturers have at various times developed their own proprietary cartridges, for example [[Parker]], [[Lamy]], [[Sheaffer]], [[Cross]], and [[Namiki]]. Fountain pens from Aurora, Hero, Duke and Uranus accept the same cartridges and converters that Parker uses and vice versa. Cartridges of Aurora are slightly different from cartridges Parker. Hero, Duke and Uranus have made few fountain pens that take international cartridges. Corresponding converters to be used instead of such proprietary cartridges are usually made by the same company that made the fountain pen itself. Some very compact fountain pens accept only proprietary cartridges made by the same company that made that pen, for example Sheaffer Agio Compact and Sheaffer Prelude Compact. It is not possible to use converter in them at all. In such pens the only practical way to use another brand of ink is to fill empty cartridges with bottled ink using a [[syringe]]. |
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==Fountain pens as works of art== |
==Fountain pens as works of art== |
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Fountain pens are often prized as works of art. Ornate pens are sometimes made of [[precious metal]]s and [[Gemstone|jewel]]s; others are inlaid with lacquer designs in a process known as [[maki-e]]. An avid community of pen enthusiasts collect and use [[antiques|antique]] and modern pens and also collect and exchange information about old and modern [[ink]]s, ink [[bottle]]s, and [[inkwell]]s. Collectors often tend to prize being able to actually use the antiques, instead of merely placing them under glass for show. |
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This is not to say that all fountain pens are so called "expensive collectors' items" (you can, of course, collect anything), however; good quality steel pens are available cheaply, particularly in Europe, and there are even some "disposable" fountain pens available. |
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Fountain pens are often prized as works of art. Ornate pens are sometimes made of [[precious metal]]s and [[Gemstone|jewel]]s; others are inlaid with lacquer designs in a process known as ''maki-e''. An avid community of pen enthusiasts collect and use [[antique]] and modern pens and also collect and exchange information about old and modern [[ink]]s, ink [[bottle]]s, and [[inkwell]]s. Collectors often tend to prize being able to actually use the antiques, instead of merely placing them under glass for show. |
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== List of fountain pen manufacturers == |
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This is not to say that all fountain pens are collectors' items, however; good quality steel pens are available cheaply, and there are even some "disposable" fountain pens available. |
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* [[Aurora]] |
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* [[BIC Corporation|BIC]] (through the acquisition of Stypen) |
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* [[Caran d'Ache]] |
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* [[Cartier SA|Cartier]] |
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* [[Conklin]] |
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* [[Esterbrook]] [http://www.esterbrook.com] |
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* [[A. T. Cross Company]] [http://www.cross.com/] |
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* [[Dani Trio]] [http://www.danitrio.com/] |
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* [[Dunhill]] (primarily a tobacco company; many of their pens are really made by other manufacturers) |
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* [[Hero]] |
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* [[Krone]] [http://www.kronepen.com] |
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* [[Lamy]] |
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* [[Montblanc (pens)|Montblanc]] |
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* [[Montegrappa]] |
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* [[Nakaya]] [http://www.nakaya.org] |
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* [[Namiki]] |
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* [[Ohto]] |
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* [[OMAS]] (Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni) [http://www.omas.com] |
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* [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] |
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* [[Pelikan]] |
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* [[Pilot Pens|Pilot]] |
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* [[Rotring]] |
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* [[Sailor Pens|Sailor]] [http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/] |
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* [[Sheaffer]] |
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* [[Waterman pens|Waterman]] |
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== List of famous fountain pen inks == |
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* [[Diamine]] |
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* [[The Parker Pen Company|Parker]] [[Quink]] |
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* [[J. Herbin]] |
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* [[Noodler's Ink]][http://www.noodlersink.com/] |
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* [[Pelikan]] [[Pelikan 4001|4001]] |
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* [[Private Reserve]] |
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* [[Sheaffer]] [[Sheaffer Skrip|Skrip]] |
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* [[Waterman pens|Waterman]] |
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* [[Aurora]] |
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* [[Parker]] |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* [http://www.penemporium.com/ Pen Emporium] Online shop of fountain pens, ink, nibs, refill and writing instruments. |
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* [http://www.vintagepens.com/ The Vintage Pens Website] |
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* [http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/acatalog/writing_equipment.html/ Anything Left-Handed] Suppliers of left-handed pens (and everything else). |
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* [http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/index.html Penoply - A Fountain Pen Site] |
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* [http://www.nibs.com/ Classic Fountain Pens] (Commercial site but happens to have much information.) |
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* [http://www.richardspens.com Richard Binder's Pen Site] |
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* [http://www.jetpens.com/ Jetpens] Japanese pen and stationary online store but they have a great forum for Japanese pen lovers and lots of reviews. |
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* [http://www.nibs.com John Mottishaw's Pen Site] |
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* [http://www.kamakurapens.com/ Kamakura Pens] Extensive Information about Japanese and early American Fountain Pens. |
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* [http://www.vintagepens.com David Nishimura's Pen Site] |
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* [http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/ Penoply] Fountain pen history and tips on choosing, using and maintaining fountain pens. |
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* [http://www.pentrace.com Pentrace: Pen information and Message Board] |
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* [http://www. |
* [http://www.billspens.com/ Bill's Pens] (Commercial site but happens to have much information) |
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** [http://www.billspens.com/billlink.htm Bill's Fountain Pen Links] |
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* [http://www.freewebs.com/euroshows/ European Pen Shows] |
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* [http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/ Fountain Pen Network] (an established and lively forum for discussing fountain pens) |
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* [http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/ Glenn's Pen Page] (By Glenn Marcus. Includes reviews of pen shops and fountain pen inks, both own and reader-submitted.) |
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* [http://www.hisnibs.com/ His Nibs] (Writing instruments, especially Asian. Commercial site.) |
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* [http://www.jimgaston.com/ Jim's Fountain Pen Site] (Jim Gaston) |
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* [http://kamakurapens.invisionzone.com/ Lion & Pen] (Pen discussion forums run by veteran pen collectors and repairers) |
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* [http://www.penboutiqueonweb.com/ Pen Boutique ] Information about Pen individually. Also a Commerical site. |
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* [http://www.pencollectors.com/ Pen Collectors of America] |
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* [http://www.pendemonium.com/ Pendemonium] (Commercial site but happens to have much information.) |
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** [http://www.pendemonium.com/ink_facts.htm Ink Facts] (Many reviews on inks and list of cartridge type used by different fountain pens.) |
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* [http://www.penexchange.de/ Penexchange] (Information and forum for pen collectors. Hosted and maintained by [[Pelikan]]) |
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* [http://www.penhero.com/ PenHero.com] (Many columns and reviews of (fountain) pens and other stuff. Now also commercial site.) |
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** [http://www.penhero.com/PenBookmarks.htm PenBookmarks] (Probably the best linklist about pens) |
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* [http://www.penlovers.com/ Pen Lovers] (Articles about pens and big pen galleries.) |
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* [http://www.penpassion.com PenPassion.com] (A place to share your passion about pens and home of the PenPassion Podcast) |
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* [http://l.webring.com/hub?ring=penring Pen Ring] |
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* [http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/ Penspotters] (Information site about fountain pens) |
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* [http://www.pentrace.com Pentrace] (Pen information and Message Board) |
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* [http://www.ramblingsnail.net/ Rambling Snail] (a warm international community of pen enthusiasts) |
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* [http://www.richardspens.com/ Richard Binder: Fountain Pens] (Commercial site but happens to have much information.) |
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** [http://www.richardspens.com/?page=othertxt.htm Other Pen Sites] |
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* [http://www.starfountainpen.com.br StarFountainPen] (A place for buying and selling fountain pens in Brazil) |
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* [http://www.stylophilesonline.com/ Stylophiles Online] (online magazine) |
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* [http://pw1.netcom.com/~swirth/2000.htm US Pen Shows] |
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* [http://www.vintagepens.com/ The Vintage Pens Website] (Commercial site but happens to have much information.) |
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** [http://www.vintagepens.com/FAQhistory/pen_myths.shtml Myths & Misconceptions] (there's a lot of bad information in circulation about pen and pencil history; these are some of the most common and egregious) |
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** [http://www.vintagepens.com/resources.htm Resources for Pen Collectors] |
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* [http://www.wesonline.org.uk/ Writing Equipment Society (UK)] |
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* [http://www.zoss.com/pens/ The Zoss Pens List] (Homepage of [[mailing list]]) |
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[[Category:Writing instruments]] |
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[[it:Penna stilografica]] |
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Revision as of 22:49, 13 March 2006
A fountain pen is a writing instrument, more specifically a pen, that contains a reservoir of liquid ink composed primarily of water. The ink is held in the reservoir by air pressure until needed, at which time it is fed to a nib through a "feed" via a combination of gravity and capillary action. Refilling the fountain pen reservoir with ink involves replacing an ink cartridge, or filling the pen with an eyedropper, or using one of a variety of internal mechanisms, which creates suction, to draw ink from a bottle. The ink is drawn through the nib and held in the pen's reservoir. Older pens squeezed and released an internal rubber sack to create the suction needed. Most modern pens use a removable internal converter, comprising a screw or piston mechanism, to create the suction and draw ink into the fountain pen.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/ParkerPens.jpg/350px-ParkerPens.jpg)
History
The earliest historical record of a reservoir pen dates to the 10th century. The sultan of Egypt in 953 demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a resevoir and delivered it to the nib via gravity and capillary action. It is likely, however that attempts at a fountain pen go back much further into the past.
In his Delicia Physic-Mathematicae (1636), Daniel Schwenter described a pen made from two quills. One quill served as a reservoir for ink inside the other quill. The ink was sealed inside the quill with cork. Ink was squeezed through a small hole to the writing point. The earliest surviving reservoir pens date to the 18th century. Progress in developing a reliable pen was slow, however, into the mid-19th century. That slow pace of progress was due to a very imperfect understanding of the role that air pressure played in the operation of the pens and because most inks were highly corrosive and full of sedimentary inclusions. Starting in the 1850s there was a steadily accelerating stream of fountain pen patents and pens in production. It was only after three key inventions were in place, however, that the fountain pen became a widely popular writing instrument. Those inventions were the iridium-tipped gold nib, hard rubber, and free-flowing ink.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/US68445.png/222px-US68445.png)
The first fountain pens making use of all these key ingredients appeared in the 1850s. While a student in Paris, Romanian Petrache Poenaru invented the fountain pen; an invention which the French Government patented in May 1827. In the 1870s Duncan MacKinnon, a Canadian living in New York City, and Alonzo T. Cross of Providence, Rhode Island created stylographic pens with a hollow, tubular nib and a wire acting as a valve. Stylographic pens are now used mostly for drafting and technical drawing but were very popular in the decade beginning in 1875. it was in the 1880s that the era of the mass-produced fountain pen finally began. The dominant American producers in this pioneer era were Waterman and Wirt, based in New York City and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, respectively. Waterman soon outstripped Wirt, along with the many companies that sprang up to fill the new and growing fountain pen market, and remained the market leader up until the early 1920s.
At this time fountain pens were almost all filled by unscrewing a portion of the hollow barrel or holder and inserting the ink by means of an eyedropper. This was a slow and messy system. Additionally, fountain pens tended to leak inside their caps and at the joint where the barrel opened for filling. Now that the materials problems had been overcome and the flow of ink while writing had been regulated, the next problems to be solved were the creation of a simple, convenient self-filler and the problem of leakage. Self-fillers began to come into their own around the turn of the century; the most successful of these was probably the Conklin crescent-filler, followed by A. A. Waterman's twist-filler. The tipping point, however, was the runaway success of Walter A. Sheaffer's lever-filler, introduced in 1912, paralleled by Parker's roughly contemporary button-filler.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/46/SafetyDemoRJJ_PD.jpg/350px-SafetyDemoRJJ_PD.jpg)
Meanwhile many inventors turned their attention to the problem of leakage. Some of the earliest solutions to this problem came in the form of a "safety" pen with a retractable point that allowed the ink reservoir to be stoppered like a bottle. The most successful of these came from F.C. Brown of the Caw's Pen and Ink Co. and from Morris W. Moore of Boston. In 1907 Waterman began marketing a safety pen of its own that soon became the most widely distributed such pen. For pens with nonretractible nibs, the adoption of screw-on caps with inner caps that sealed around the nib by bearing against the front of the section effectively solved the leakage problem (such pens were also marketed as "safety pens", as with the Parker Jack Knife Safety and the Swan Safety Screw-Cap).
In Europe, German Günther Wagner's office supplies house (started in 1871), introduced the Pelikan pen in 1929, based upon the acquisition of patents for solid-ink fountain pens from the factory of Slavoljub Penkala from Croatia (patented 1907, in mass production since 1911), and the patent of the Hungarian Theodor Kovacs for the modern piston filler by 1925.
The decades that followed saw many technological innovations in the manufacture of fountain pens. Celluloid gradually replaced hard rubber, which enabled production in a much wider range of colors and designs. At the same time, manufacturers experimented with new filling systems. The inter-war period saw the introduction of some of the most notable models, such as the Parker Duofold and Vacumatic, Sheaffer's Lifetime Balance series, and the Pelikan 100.
During the 1940s and 1950s, fountain pens retained their dominance: early ballpoint pens were expensive, prone to leaks and had irregular inkflow, while the fountain pen continued to benefit from the combination of mass production and craftsmanship. This period saw the launch of innovative models such as the Parker 51, the Sheaffer Snorkel and the Eversharp Skyline, while the Esterbrook J series of lever-fill models with interchangeable steel nibs offered inexpensive reliability to the masses.
By the 1960s, refinements in ballpoint pen production gradually ensured its dominance over the fountain pen for casual use. Although cartridge-filler fountain pens are still in common use in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, particularly among schoolchildren, modern manufacturers (especially Montblanc) now market the fountain pen as a collectible or a status symbol, rather than an everyday writer.
During current times in the 2000s, trends have shown a new outcropping of colorful, disposable fountain pens. Whereas before these specialty pens were mainly the instruments of adults who could afford such crafts, now there is a revival of fountain pens among younger adults and teenagers. Most notably, the Pilot "Petit1" paved the way for high school and college students to enter the world of fountain pens. Such new pens provided by Pilot, Ohto as well as other Japanese pen manufacturers cost less than $10. Moreover their refills no longer required a manual refilling of ink, but had "pop in" refill cartridges.
Current fountain pen manufacturers include Cross, Montblanc, Parker, Pelikan, Namiki/Pilot, Caran d'Ache, Rotring, Sheaffer, Hero (from China) and Waterman. Practically all fountain pen companies offer ink alongside their pens, but companies exclusively producing inks (mostly for fountain pens) exist, including Private Reserve, Nathan Tardif's Noodler's Ink, Diamine and J. Herbin. Sometimes a manufacturer of fountain pens sells another manufacturer's ink under their brand name - for example the fountain pen ink of A.T. Cross is actually made by Pelikan, Bexley's by Private Reserve and Yard-o-Led's by Diamine. Pilot is one of only a few companies making disposable fountain pens (under model name Varsity and Vpen). Pilot also makes higher-end pens under brand name Namiki, including the "Vanishing Point", where the nib retracts like a that of a ballpoint.
Using fountain pens
Together with the mass-manufactured pencil and the introduction of cheap wood-based paper, the fountain pen was responsible for a major transformation in writing and in the nature of paperwork during the 19th century. They gave birth to the precursor of the modern office, which would only come about at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th with the gradual introduction of the typewriter and early duplicating machines.
The fountain pen, and, to a lesser extent, the pencil, replaced the relatively hard-to-use combination of the dip pen, blotter, and sand tray employed till then for writing. Using a dip pen was in fact a complex and often frustrating exercise due to the irregular flow of ink from the nib and other factors.
Fountain pens are regarded by many serious writers to be the best tools for writing or drawing with ink on paper. However, they can be more expensive, harder to maintain, and more fragile than a ballpoint pen. In addition, they cannot be used with the various oil- and particle-based inks (such as India ink) prized by artists, as can a dip pen, reed, or quill.
That said, fountain pens require less hand pressure when writing than either ballpoint or rollerball pens. This allows for longer, more comfortable writing sessions with less hand fatigue. Additionally, fountain pen inks come in a far wider selection of colors than those available for ballpoint or rollerball pens, providing a nearly unlimited choice of colors for writing.
Nibs
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Fountain-pen-nib.jpg/300px-Fountain-pen-nib.jpg)
The nib of the fountain pen is usually made of stainless steel or gold. Gold nibs are tipped with a hard, wear-resistant alloy that typically utilizes metals from the platinum group. Tipping material is often called "iridium", even though hardly any penmakers still use that metal in their tipping alloys. Steel nibs may also have harder tips; those with un-tipped steel points will wear more rapidly due to abrasion by the paper. The nib will adjust itself more readily to the user's style the more rapidly the nib wears down.
The nib usually has one slit cut down its center, to convey the ink down the nib by capillary action, as well as a "breather hole" of varying shape to promote the exchange of air for ink in the pen's reservoir. The whole nib narrows to a point where the ink is transferred to the paper. Broad calligraphy pens may have several slits in the nib to increase ink flow and help distribute it evenly across the broad point. Nibs divided into three 'tines' are commonly known as 'music' nibs, as their broad line is suited for writing musical scores.
Although the most common nibs end in a round point of various sizes (fine, medium, broad), other nib shapes are available. Examples of this are oblique, reverse oblique, stub and italic.
Fountain pens dating from the first half of the 20th century are more likely to have flexible nibs, suited to the favored handwriting styles of the period. By the 1940s, writing preferences had shifted towards stiffer nibs that could withstand the greater pressure required for writing through copy paper to create duplicate documents. These more closely emulate the ballpoint pens modern users are experienced with, but are often described as feeling like "writing with a nail" by those who prefer the feel of a more flexible nib.
Filling mechanisms
The earliest fountain pens were mostly eyedropper fillers - that is, the pen was essentially an empty reservoir which one would fill with an eyedropper. This was a relatively awkward and messy process, though the absence of complicated mechanisms meant that an eyedropper-filler could hold much more ink than could a self-filling pen of comparable size. As a result, eyedropper-filling pens constitute only a tiny fraction of pens made today.
After the eyedropper-filler era came the first generation of mass produced self-fillers, almost all using a rubber sac to hold the ink. By various mechanisms, the sac could be compressed and then released in order to empty and fill the pen.
The Conklin crescent filler, introduced c. 1901, was one of the first mass-produced self-filling pen designs. The crescent filling system employs an arch-shaped crescent attached to a rigid metal pressure bar, with the crescent portion protruding from the pen through a slot and the pressure bar inside the barrel. A second component, a C-shaped hard rubber ring, is located between the crescent and the barrel. Ordinarily, the ring blocks the crescent from pushing down. However, when it comes time to fill the pen, one simply turns the ring around the barrel until the crescent matches up to the hole in the ring, allowing one to push down the crescent and squeeze the internal pen sac.
Following the crescent filler came a series of systems of increasing complexity, reaching their apogee in the Sheaffer Touchdown and Snorkel systems. With the introduction of cartridge pens by Waterman-Jif, though, many of these systems were phased out in favour of convenience (but reduced capacity). Today, most pens either utilise piston-fillers or cartridges, although the latter can usually be converted to piston-fill with the use of a converter.
The piston filler, first introduced in the original Pelikan of 1929 (although the concept was from Croatia), was somewhat of an anomaly in an age of sac-filling pens. The idea was a simple one: merely twist a knob at the end of the pen, and an internal piston will drive up and down the barrel, forcing ink out or in. While the capacity of these pens was not comparable to some of the better sac systems, and certainly not the eyedropper pen, they offered convenience only second to the cartridge. The reason for their lacklustre capacities is the size of the piston unit. In order to effectively drive the whole way down the barrel, some of the earlier models had to devote as much as half of the pen length to a complicated system. The advent of telescoping pistons has in some respects remedied this, but piston fillers are still sometimes foregone today in favour of older methods.
The Touchdown Filler was introduced by Sheaffer in 1949. It was advertised as an “Exclusive Pneumatic Down-stroke Filler.” To fill it, the cap is unscrewed at the top of the barrel and the plunger is drawn out to its full length. The nib of the pen is immersed in bottled ink, and the plunger is pushed in briskly, and the cap is screwed on. The nib is kept in the ink for approximately 10 seconds to allow the reservoir to fill with ink. Some of Sheaffer's pens are exclusively Touchdown Fill, but some have the option of cartridge or Touchdown Fill, such as the Legacy 2.
Cartridges
Most European fountain pen brands (for example Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell, Dupont, Montegrappa, Stipula, Yard-O-Led, Pelikan, Waterman, Montblanc, Monteverde, Delta (brand) and Rotring) and some pen brands of other continents (for example Bexley, Retro51, Tombow and Acura) use so called "international cartridges" (AKA "european cartridges" or "standard cartridges" or "universal cartridges"), in short or long sizes, or both. It is to some extent a standard, so international cartridges of any manufacturer can be used in most fountain pens that accepts international cartridges. Also, converters that are meant to replace international cartridges can be used in most fountain pens that accept international cartridges. Some very compact fountain pens (for example Waterman Ici et La and Monteverde Diva) accept only short international cartridges. Converters can not be used in them (except for so-called mini-converters by Monteverde).
Many fountain pen manufacturers have at various times developed their own proprietary cartridges, for example Parker, Lamy, Sheaffer, Cross, and Namiki. Fountain pens from Aurora, Hero, Duke and Uranus accept the same cartridges and converters that Parker uses and vice versa. Cartridges of Aurora are slightly different from cartridges Parker. Hero, Duke and Uranus have made few fountain pens that take international cartridges. Corresponding converters to be used instead of such proprietary cartridges are usually made by the same company that made the fountain pen itself. Some very compact fountain pens accept only proprietary cartridges made by the same company that made that pen, for example Sheaffer Agio Compact and Sheaffer Prelude Compact. It is not possible to use converter in them at all. In such pens the only practical way to use another brand of ink is to fill empty cartridges with bottled ink using a syringe.
Fountain pens as works of art
Fountain pens are often prized as works of art. Ornate pens are sometimes made of precious metals and jewels; others are inlaid with lacquer designs in a process known as maki-e. An avid community of pen enthusiasts collect and use antique and modern pens and also collect and exchange information about old and modern inks, ink bottles, and inkwells. Collectors often tend to prize being able to actually use the antiques, instead of merely placing them under glass for show.
This is not to say that all fountain pens are so called "expensive collectors' items" (you can, of course, collect anything), however; good quality steel pens are available cheaply, particularly in Europe, and there are even some "disposable" fountain pens available.
List of fountain pen manufacturers
- Aurora
- BIC (through the acquisition of Stypen)
- Caran d'Ache
- Cartier
- Conklin
- Esterbrook [1]
- A. T. Cross Company [2]
- Dani Trio [3]
- Dunhill (primarily a tobacco company; many of their pens are really made by other manufacturers)
- Hero
- Krone [4]
- Lamy
- Montblanc
- Montegrappa
- Nakaya [5]
- Namiki
- Ohto
- OMAS (Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni) [6]
- Parker
- Pelikan
- Pilot
- Rotring
- Sailor [7]
- Sheaffer
- Waterman
List of famous fountain pen inks
- Diamine
- Parker Quink
- J. Herbin
- Noodler's Ink[8]
- Pelikan 4001
- Private Reserve
- Sheaffer Skrip
- Waterman
- Aurora
- Parker
External links
- Pen Emporium Online shop of fountain pens, ink, nibs, refill and writing instruments.
- Anything Left-Handed Suppliers of left-handed pens (and everything else).
- Classic Fountain Pens (Commercial site but happens to have much information.)
- Jetpens Japanese pen and stationary online store but they have a great forum for Japanese pen lovers and lots of reviews.
- Kamakura Pens Extensive Information about Japanese and early American Fountain Pens.
- Penoply Fountain pen history and tips on choosing, using and maintaining fountain pens.
- Bill's Pens (Commercial site but happens to have much information)
- European Pen Shows
- Fountain Pen Network (an established and lively forum for discussing fountain pens)
- Glenn's Pen Page (By Glenn Marcus. Includes reviews of pen shops and fountain pen inks, both own and reader-submitted.)
- His Nibs (Writing instruments, especially Asian. Commercial site.)
- Jim's Fountain Pen Site (Jim Gaston)
- Lion & Pen (Pen discussion forums run by veteran pen collectors and repairers)
- Pen Boutique Information about Pen individually. Also a Commerical site.
- Pen Collectors of America
- Pendemonium (Commercial site but happens to have much information.)
- Ink Facts (Many reviews on inks and list of cartridge type used by different fountain pens.)
- Penexchange (Information and forum for pen collectors. Hosted and maintained by Pelikan)
- PenHero.com (Many columns and reviews of (fountain) pens and other stuff. Now also commercial site.)
- PenBookmarks (Probably the best linklist about pens)
- Pen Lovers (Articles about pens and big pen galleries.)
- PenPassion.com (A place to share your passion about pens and home of the PenPassion Podcast)
- Pen Ring
- Penspotters (Information site about fountain pens)
- Pentrace (Pen information and Message Board)
- Rambling Snail (a warm international community of pen enthusiasts)
- Richard Binder: Fountain Pens (Commercial site but happens to have much information.)
- StarFountainPen (A place for buying and selling fountain pens in Brazil)
- Stylophiles Online (online magazine)
- US Pen Shows
- The Vintage Pens Website (Commercial site but happens to have much information.)
- Myths & Misconceptions (there's a lot of bad information in circulation about pen and pencil history; these are some of the most common and egregious)
- Resources for Pen Collectors
- Writing Equipment Society (UK)
- The Zoss Pens List (Homepage of mailing list)