The History Of Fountain Pens Part One-The Evolution Of The Pen-From Stone To Feather

The first primitive type of paper were clay tablets that were engraved with the help of a straw, the forerunner of the pen, cut diagonally in such a way to leave a mark on the soft, wet surface of the clay that in a second phase would then be dried so that the lines previously engraved would become imprinted.

Overlooking this interesting part of our past, the true history of the pen begins with the invention of the paper made from papyrus thanks to the skilled Egyptian people. This introduction generated a significant change which was dictated from the intrinsic characteristics of the papyrus paper that demanded ink in order to leave legible marks, and lines. The Egyptian scribes learned to fabricate red and black ink by mixing soot and oxidized iron with water and glue. In order to write with this tenacious, yet elementary ink, the scribe would submerge the point of a reed that by capillary action was able to absorb a small quantity of ink, enough to allow several characters to be written. This action was then repeated numerous times until the scribe completed his work: a task that followed writing through history until the end of the 19th century.

The evolution of the pen was a direct result of the development of the accessories of writing: from utilizing papyrus to parchment, and finally to the paper that we are familiar with today. The first writing instrument with a point similar to a nib, made from a papyrus stem, was created during the antique Greek civilization. This pen with a nib was constructed by first drying a papyrus stem and then cutting it on one side in such a way that the point (a flute?s mouth) results split in two from one opening so that the pen obtained had a better result in respect to that of the reed used by the Egyptians, even though it?s correct use required much practice with the instrument.

With the introduction of parchment paper, the goose feather pen surpassed that of the reed (straw) given it?s strength and flexibility. From the 16th century, this kind of writing instrument was commonly used thanks also to the introduction of paper. The feather that became individualized as the most suitable for writing was the most external one of the right wing of the bird, that is then naturally turned to embrace the hand of who holds it. The process of making the goose feather pen that was introduced by the Dutch was composed of two phases: during the first phase, the feather was buried for a short time under a layer of fine and very warm sand in order to dry it?s inner and external membrane; and then, it was immersed in a boiling solution of alum or nitric acid to strengthen the feather for future use.

Simone, a staff writer of http:http://www.penemporium.com , The Stipula pens direct online shop

Quality Fountain Pens

A fountain pen is often considered to be an extension of one's personality and as a result, is considered to be a very personal item. It is primarily because of this that for most fountain pen owners, the quality of the pen is of utmost importance. The quality of a fountain pen lies not just in its nib and how smoothly it writes on paper but also depends on the grip of the pen, its size and of course, the quality of materials used in manufacturing the exteriors of the pen.

The quality of a fountain pen is also reflective of its price. While most run off the mill ball point pens are cheaper and can be thrown away, a fountain pen inspite of not being very expensive is something that most people like to treasure. The price of a good quality fountain pen depends greatly on the quality of the nib. If the nib is made of gold or any other precious mineral, and is quite smooth to write, prices tend to be higher.

The other important features that determine the quality of a fountain pen are its size and ink capacity. Most buyers prefer pens of standard sizes that easily fit into their pockets but there are others who prefer to own pens of unique shapes, designs and sizes. While preference for a particular size varies from individual to individual, amount of ink that can be stored is of a particular amount which helps in maintaining standardization. Pens with plunger fillers or cartridges are considered to be of high quality as they have more ink storing capacity. Prices for quality fountain pens range between a few dollars to around $300 or more.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.

Italian Fountain Pens

Even though fountain pens are manufactured all over the world, Italian fountain pens are considered to be unique and special. This is primarily because of the manufacturing techniques used in Italy as well as the special designs carved in the exteriors of the Italian fountain pens. The variety of shapes, colors and designs available is seemingly endless. Another special feature of Italian fountain pens is that they have a distinct national character which allows buyers of any Italian pen to identify the pen with the country. Initially, Italian pen making companies only targeted Italian markets by adding the nationalistic aspect to the purchase of any Italian pen. This nationalistic feature was usually not seen in any of the other pen making companies who catered to the world market and not just the home market.

The specialty of Italian pens lie in their exquisite designs and high quality nibs which separate them from other fountain pens. Most of the Italian fountain pens have gold nibs which certainly add style and elegance to the pens. The other unique feature of Italian fountain pens is that they were among the first ones to be produced with gold and other high quality metal exteriors.

Many of the famous pen manufacturers come from Italy, perhaps the most famous amongst them is Aurora which was founded in 1919 and is located in Torino, Italy. Another Italian pen making giant is Elmo-Montegrappa, founded in 1912 at Bassano del Grappa, in Italy, by the union of a German engineer Heinrich Helm and a Veneto businessman Alessandro Marzotto. Their pens are renowned the world over for their unsurpassed quality. Nettuno which was another Italian specialty is now marketed under Giardino Italiano.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.

Making Fountain Pens

Fountain pens have been manufactured ever since the 18th century. However, with improvements in science and technology, the manufacturing techniques too have undergone significant changes.

There are many phases involved in the making of fountain pens. First, large bands of metal are fed into automated machines to stamp out small circles. These circles of brass are then shaped into the pen parts by compressing the metal into various moulds, to provide it strength and durability. This process produces each specific pen part. The parts are then cleaned properly so as to remove the excess oils used in this process called stamping.

The cleaned parts then go for cutting. In this stage, the stamped-out barrels and caps are cut to the exact measurements of each particular pen. Even though this is an automatic process, some pieces are cut by hand operated machines. From the cutting stage, the metal pen pieces next go on to the polishing stage. The barrels and caps are placed on spindles and pass under circular polishing brushes to remove oil used during polishing.

After this process, the top line pens go to receive gold or platinum plating on various parts, while the other pens go directly to the nib fitting stage. For the top line pens, nib making is a highly specialized, manual process while for normal pens it is usually automatic. The nib metal is fed into a presser that compresses the metal and this gives the nib a tapered thickness whilst developing the spring of the nib. The tip is then coated with a mixture of hard metals and the ball is manually welded into the nib. It is then cut to create the forks that are later calibrated after being engraved. Most pen makers even make the non metal parts of the pens in their factories along with the ink cartridge bodies.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.

Limited Edition Fountain Pens

Limited edition fountain pens are superior varieties of pens that are not commonly available. Only a specific number of such pens are produced in order to maintain exclusivity. These pens are usually collectibles and are commonly in the possession of pen collectors or pen museums. They are generally more expensive than the regular fountain pens, as the latter are produced for usage by common people. For limited edition pens, every aspect of the pen is carefully looked into. Starting from the outer covering of the pen to the high quality nibs and special ink reservoirs, every material used in the making is class apart.

To maintain their exclusivity, various big pen making companies have their own range of unique limited edition fountain pens. These pens are made of all sorts of unique materials, ranging from the seats of various ball stadiums to specially hand crafted gold, silver or platinum moulds. There is an authentication that comes with each pen so as to ensure that they are genuine.

If one was to buy a Yankee stadium pen, made from the seats of the stadium, it would cost around $125. Similarly, a pen from Polo grounds and Fenway Park would cost around $150. While pens made from the seats of Comiskey Park, Atlanta Fulton City and the Baltimore Memorial are priced at $95, pens made from the seats of the Milwaukee County stadium are approximately $80. This range of limited edition fountain pens is not manufactured by all pen makers but by only a few top notch pen making brands.

Limited edition fountain pens are for those people who like to use pens that have their own individual identity, are exclusive and give the joy of fine writing as well.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.

 

Platinum Fountain Pens

Platinum fountain pens have their exteriors made of platinum. Their cap and body are plated with platinum so that the pen and the nib do not tarnish. Certain platinum fountain pens also have platinum cases in which they are placed to provide them extra protection. The inner mechanisms of these platinum fountain pens however, are the same as the ordinary fountain pens. These pens are usually equipped with converters and fillers of international standards so that any ink or cartridge can be used.

The platinum fountain pen sets are excellent gift items, for they can also be personalized. The name of the person to whom it is being gifted, or a logo of the special occasion, is often engraved on them. Such engravings are usually available for a minimal additional cost. Apart from being gift items, platinum fountain pens are collectibles as well. Many people who collect pens have antique and vintage platinum fountain pens. As a result of their platinum bodies, these pens can withstand enormous pressures and are unaffected by weather changes and hence, remain intact for years to come.

Platinum plated fountain pens are made by all major pen producing companies but are somewhat limited in edition as they are more expensive than the regular fountain pens. Prices of these platinum fountain pens, not just depends on the amount and quality of platinum used for the outer body but also on the material of the nib. In case of gold nib, the price automatically shoots up. Prices also depend on the accessories which are sold along with the pen like pen stands that may also be made of platinum, platinum ink pots and platinum plated pen cases. These pens are not available freely in the market and are usually either auctioned or produced on demand.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.

History of Fountain Pens

The history of fountain pens is very fascinating and can be traced back to the 18th century. Even though, Lewis Waterman was the first man to patent the very first practical fountain pen in 1884, writing instruments designed to carry their own supply of ink had existed for over a 100 years. The oldest known fountain pen which has survived to this date was designed by a Frenchmen named M. Bion around 1702. Peregrin Williamson was the first American to receive the patent for fountain pens in 1809. It was John Jacob Parker who patented the first self-filling fountain pen in 1831. The main problem with the early fountain pen models was that they were plagued by ink spills and other such failures that impaired their sales.

Fountain pens were designed a 1000 years after the usage of quill pens. Its mechanism was composed of 3 parts- the nib, the feed or black part under the nib which controlled the flow of ink and the round barrel which was to hold the nib and feed together. It was Lewis Waterman's idea to add an air hole in the nib and three grooves inside the feed mechanism, to avoid ink spillage.

All pens have an internal reservoir for ink and even the mechanism to fill the ink also underwent a transformation along with the evolving fountain pen. Initially, eyedroppers were used for filling ink into the pens. By 1915, most pens had a self-filling soft and flexible rubber sac as an ink reservoir. To refill these pens, the reservoirs were squeezed flat by an internal plate and the pen's nib was inserted into a bottle of ink. When the pressure on the internal plate was released, the ink sac would fill up drawing in a fresh supply of ink. Eventually, several different patents were issued for the self-filling fountain pen design.

Fountain Pens provides detailed information on Fountain Pens, Fountain Pen Cases, Fountain Pen Refills, Fountain Pen History and more. Fountain Pens is affiliated with Fountain Pens.