Ink for Fountain Pens

The ink used for fountain pens is the highest quality of ink that can be obtained for one's writing needs. They are usually available in a range of colors starting from the common blue, black, and red to green, pink and violet among others. Fountain pen ink is usually water-based with dyes and has a mix of other chemicals that are required for its proper function. Dyes are added to the basic ink to create specific colors. The blend of chemicals is usually decided upon by the manufacturer so that the ink has an appropriate amount of surface tension, flow and drying time. However, some companies use common inks and it is only the bottles which separate one manufacturer from the other.

Indian or drafting inks should be avoided to prevent damage to the pen. Good quality ink is extremely essential for maintaining the quality of the nib. Good quality ink usually prevents the nib from corroding as it ensures smooth writing. The chemical mix in inks usually creates the appropriate surface tension or viscosity which controls the nibs functioning.

Fountain pen ink usually flows smoothly without leaving any gaps, light spots or dark spots. Most of the good ink manufacturing companies produce quick drying and fade resistant ink that are also water resistant. The only problem is that the ink usually dries up even when not in use from the ink bottles as they have a quick drying agent in them. Antibacterial additions are usually included in most inks so that the ink does not muck up the interiors of the pen. Fountain pen inks are usually nominally priced.

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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.