Collectables -> Pens-and-Writing-Instruments -> Pens
You can walk into almost any store today and purchase a fountain pen. Technically, the modern ballpoint pen is a fountain pen, at least by definition. But the type of fountain pen most people think of is a vintage pen that’s refillable and has a distinctively shaped nib or tip that deposits the ink onto the paper through gravity. Historically, pens that contained their own ink can be traced to 10th century Egypt. And in the 17th century, description of a pen that contained its own ink was found in the notes of an inventor, describing a quill pen with another ink-filled quill inside.
Quill pens were feathers in which the quill was shaped to a point, and dipped into an ink pot in order to use it as a writing instrument. This was the common method of writing for a number of years, even though it’s inconvenient because the quill must be dipped continually, and it’s messy because of the potential for dripping ink each time the quill was dipped.
In the early 19th century, a Romanian inventor patented the first refillable fountain pen design, but only after other inventions that improved the quality and writing ability of the fountain pen, did these writing instruments become popular and widely used. These pens didn’t appear until the 1850s, but instantly people recognized the convenience and the fountain pen became a poplar writing instrument. Stylographic pens were made popular in the late 19th century, and are actually still used today for some technical drawings.
Fountain pen production became mass-production in the 1880s, with one pen manufacturer, Waterman, quickly becoming a leader in the industry, overtaking Wirt in both terms of production and sales. Other companies that also produced innovative fountain pens during the early 20th century include Conklin, Sheaffer and Parker. Any of these pens in good condition are highly collectible today, because they ‘re often the first fountain pen that used an innovate design.
The fountain pen was the most popular ink writing instrument even up through the 1950s because the new creation, the ballpoint pen, was much more troublesome to use. Ballpoint pens were more expensive than fountain pens, yet they often leaked or blotted, making fountain pens still the superior choice. It wasn’t until the 1960s when the use of fountain pens was overtaken by newer ballpoint pens that were improving all the time and becoming the more reliable, and less expensive, writing instrument.
Some things that make vintage fountain pens more desirable are the types of nibs. If you can find an iridium point nib, you’re looking at a pen that was probably one of the first to use this patented nib which made ink flow much better and helped popular fountain pens. A vintage pen with a good nib, even if it’s over 100 years old, will still work very well today. Be sure to ask about the condition of the nib when considering a fountain pen purchase, especially if you’re about to purchase the pen through an online auction.
Originally posted 2008-11-15 05:00:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Japanese Art Collectibles -> Cultures-Ethnicities -> Asian Japanese art is a type of art that has a very distinctive look. If a painting, a vase, a sculpture or some other type of art is Japanese, particularly if it’s antique art, it usually only takes a quick look for you to recognize the...... -
Perfume Bottles Collectibles -> Vanity-Perfume-and-Shaving -> Perfumes Perfume bottles are a highly collectible item, not just because of their uniqueness and beauty, but because they’re easy to store and display. They’re small, smaller than many other types of collectible items, so even those with limited space can enjoy collecting at least a...... -
Tapestries Collectibles -> Linens, Fabric & Textiles -> Tapestries Tapestries are more than just beautiful wall hangings, they're woven art that served to tell stories in ancient times. The Odyssey and the Iliad were both “told” in woven form as large, rich tapestries. Every period in history has had major events...... -
1920 Flapper Dress Collectables -> Textiles, Linens The 1920 flapper dress is commonly referred to as just a flapper, but the word flapper actually refers to much more than the garment itself, it refers to the entire sensibility of the era in the 1920s. Flapper actually referred to the women themselves, with their...... -
Grand Piano Dealers -> Musical Instruments -> Keyboard The first pianos to be called “grand” were manufactured in 1777, and soon became status symbols that the wealthy and affluent all wanted to own. A grand piano can command a room. Usually, it's the largest piece of “furniture” in a room, and......
Related Websites - Buying Guide for Fiddlers Because fiddles are a less popular instrument than something like an electric guitar, it's hard to find a quality fiddle at a good price, and it's just as hard to find a good buying guide for fiddles to help you figure out which of these acoustic musical instruments is best.......
-
A Look at the Recorder The recorder is a musical instrument that falls into the woodwind family of musical instruments, and falls into the family of instruments known as internal duct flutes or fipple flutes. These are whistle-like instruments including the ocarina and the tin whistle for example. The recorder is a type of end...... -
The Trombone - a Jazz Instrument that Slides A member of the brass family, the trombone is a wind instrument that is played much in the same way as other brass instruments. The lips are pursed and the musician blows into the mouthpiece in order to create sound. The trombone is unique in that it features a slide...... -
Metal Instruments 101 There are a range of different metal percussion instruments that can be found in the modern western orchestra, even though many of them have origins that are not only ancient in nature, but also global as well. The Anvil - The Anvil is a specific type of sound effect that...... -
Hammered and Lap Dulcimer Instruments The Hammered Dulcimer What the dulcimer is, is a stringed instrument that has perceived to be an ancestor to the modern piano. It possesses a number of courses of between two and five strings for each note, and they are stretched across a shallow trapezoid shaped box that is made......
- With Bracing Vintage Acoustic Guitar Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Letter Openers Desktop Items Pens & Writing Instruments Collectibles
- Trumpet Vintage (Pre-1980) Brass Musical Instruments
- Design Bat & Butterfly Houses Bird & Wildlife Accessories Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- 12 Fountain With Light Gazing Balls Garden Dcor Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
