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