| The name "pen" is derived from the Latin word | | | | end of a rod. Little by little the feather pen and its |
| "penna", which means feather. This is a writing | | | | variants inspired the invention of the modern fountain |
| instrument that, manually through capillary action applies | | | | pens, since people had to find a system that would no |
| ink to a surface, usually paper. Pens can be used with | | | | longer rely on repetitive dipping of the feather pen in |
| inks of many colors but commonly make use of inks in | | | | ink. The hardness level of the nibs we use today is |
| shades varying between black, blue, red, and | | | | definitely one hundred times higher than that of the |
| sometimes green. There are many different kinds of | | | | initial feather pen. |
| pens, some of which are listed here i.e. Reed pens, | | | | Though tradition has made us believe that the feather |
| Quills, Metal nibs, Fountain pens, Ballpoints, Felt tips, | | | | pen preserved the real feather as such, history proves |
| Roller balls and the Porous Point. All the pens of the | | | | otherwise; apparently all the hairs were removed and |
| world are made around these different. Pens are also | | | | the feather structure was cut at a comfortable size |
| classified depending on the type of tip that | | | | for the hand. Writing was definitely slower that we |
| accompanies the pen, there is the ballpoint pen, the | | | | know it today, not just because of the many feather |
| rollerball pen, the fountain pen, the felt-tip pen and also | | | | pen dippings in ink, but also because of the quality of |
| the gel pen. | | | | the materials on which people were writing. The |
| The first feather pen was used as a writing instrument | | | | capillary structure of natural feathers was the one to |
| around the year 500 BC; dried and well cleaned, | | | | have actually inspired the inventors of the first fountain |
| feathers were great in combination with ink made of | | | | pen. |
| herbal extracts. Swan, goose or turkey feathers were | | | | Presently, there are plenty of feather pen models, but |
| the only ones reliable for writing since their thicker | | | | they are distant imitations of the authentic items that |
| capillary system sucked more ink. The feather pen | | | | where used in parchment writing. Thus, you can find |
| was made by sharpening the tip of the feather and | | | | feather-shaped fountain pens and ballpoints that |
| splitting it in half so that the ink could spread evenly on | | | | school-age children usually enjoy. They are pretty |
| the writing material. During the last millennium BC, the | | | | cheap and often show special distinctive features such |
| Egyptians had invented an alternative to the feather | | | | as multicolor writing, and sparkling or even invisible ink |
| pen by using sharp sticks to apply soot to the papyrus. | | | | use. Considered great gifts for the Christmas holidays |
| Instead of a feather pen, the ancient Chinese used | | | | or special family celebrations, a modern feather pen |
| brushes made of camel and mouse fur that were | | | | preserves only the simulated image of the real writing |
| passed through clay. In case the material that had to | | | | tool that was so widely used not more than two |
| be written on was silk, very fine brushes were used, | | | | centuries ago. |
| and they simply consisted of a few hairs added at the | | | | |