How did people write before fountain pens? They used to have a quill pen, whose edge was sharpened. This edge was dipped in ink and used to write on the surface.
Some of you might still be using these pens for calligraphy.
But the issue was that these pens could only write two-three words at a time.
A need was felt to have a reservoir of ink within the pen, which might release ink slowly to the nib (the pointed edge used to write is called the nib).
Before Waterman
The earliest mention of a pen with an ink reservoir is from 973 AD.
Arabia was one of the leading centers of writing. As the Arabs conquered various parts of the world, their scholars travelled to, or got the books of these parts, and translated them into Arabic. Many Indian books were also translated in the same way. This made Arabia a prime center for penmanship, manuscripting, and writing in ink. Scribes used to write at their desks for hours, laboriously creating copies of books by hand.
Ma’ād al-Mu’izz, the caliph (ruler) of the Maghreb, region of Northwest Africa, asked for a pen that would keep his hand clean and would not leave as much mess as standard quills. His wish was fulfilled with a pen that held ink inside and could be held upside-down without spilling but we don’t know exactly how this pen worked or what it looked like.
The next mention of a pen with inner reservoir comes from the 17th century when German inventor Daniel Schwenter invented a pen made from two quills. One quill was placed inside the other – it held the ink and was closed with a cork. Ink left the reservoir through a small hole which led to a nib.
There are mentions of different types of pens which had an ink reservoir being made and used
for the next couple of years – all these pens were filled with an eyedropper.
The first patent on a device like the fountain pen was filed by Frederick Fölsch in 1809 in England.
Waterman’s Fountain Pen
Lewis Waterman was an American insurance salesperson who wanted a better pen. So, he set to work and invented it. He called it the Ideal fountain pen.
He used capillary action to regulate the flow of ink from the reservoir to the nib. This resolved issues of ink overflow, interrupted ink supply, etc.
He was granted a patent on it in 1884. Today, he is officially recognised as the inventor of the fountain pen. But, like all inventions, his was a step on a long path of predecessors – both people and products.
A simple but unique feature of these modern fountain pens was the use of a metal nib.
Are fountain pens still in use?
Not only are they still in use, but also that the most expensive pens in the world are all fountain pens.
Many people prefer fountain pens for the exclusivity that they bring. It is also true that pen manufacturers have not really worked on the “look” of ball point pens, roller gel pens in the same way that they have worked on the look of the fountain pens.
The two drawbacks of a fountain pen are ink leakage and the fact that one has to refill ink periodically. Of these, ink leakage happens (rarely, but it does) in the other types of pens too.
While some calligraphers use brush pens for their work, most calligraphers still prefer fountain pens with their various nibs for calligraphy.