The Evolution of Pens

Pens are such commonplace items that most people often just take them for granted. However, these writing instruments have helped change the world by enabling men and women to communicate with one another through the ages. It is because of the pen that the greatest works of literature have been able to survive the tides of time so that people in the modern age can still read the words of Shakespeare and the great philosophers of centuries past.

One of the earliest writing instruments to ever exist was the reed pen. It was cut from a reed with a slit in its narrow tip. Ancient Egyptians used these reed pens to write on papyrus scrolls and they continued to be used well until the Middle Ages. Quills started to replace reed pens by the 7th century. These quills were made from the feathers of large birds such as geese. The shafts of the feathers contained the ink reservoirs, and capillary action allowed the ink to flow to the tip. Quill pens were used to write on paper and parchment until the 19th century. A dip pen, or a nib pen, has a metal nib with capillary channels. This nib is mounted on a holder or handle usually made of wood. This type of pen has no ink reservoir and must be constantly dipped in ink while writing or drawing. Dip pens are mainly used these days in making illustrations or in calligraphy.

When pens began to be mass produced, manufacturers found ways to make them more efficient. Nowadays, several kinds of modern pens exist. Ballpoint pens are currently the most popular tools used for everyday writing. These pens dispense oil-based ink by rolling a small ball made of steel, brass, or tungsten carbide. The ink then dries almost immediately once it comes into contact with paper, making less of a mess than older styles of pens. Rollerball pens, on the other hand, dispense water-based or gel ink through ball tips similar to those found in ballpoint pens. The ink used by this type of pen is more easily absorbed by paper compared to oil-based ink and the pen is able to move better across the writing surface. A fountain pen uses liquid, water-based ink that is delivered through a nib. Its ink reservoir can either be refillable or disposable, with the disposable ones having an ink cartridge. Lastly, a felt tip pen, also called a marker, has a tip made out of a fibrous material. The smallest of these pens are used to write on paper, medium-tips are used for colouring pens, while large markers are used to write on surfaces such as whiteboards and cardboard boxes.

With such a large variety of pens available, you can easily find one that would be best suited for your specific writing needs.

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