Pen Industry

A pen (Latin pinna, feather) is a writing instrument used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper. There are several different types, including ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, felt-tip. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used. A ballpoint pen dispenses viscous oil-based ink by rolling a small hard sphere, usually 0.7–1.2 mm and made of brass, steel or tungsten carbide. It automatically sends ink out from a little ball.The ink dries almost immediately on contact with paper. This type of pen is generally inexpensive and reliable. It has replaced the fountain pen as the most popular tool for everyday writing.

A rollerball pen dispenses a water-based liquid or gel ink through a ball tip similar to that of a ballpoint pen. The less-viscous ink is more-easily absorbed by paper than oil-based ink, and the pen moves more easily across a writing surface. The rollerball pen was initially designed to combine the convenience of a ballpoint pen with the smooth "wet ink" effect of a fountain pen. Gel inks are available in a range of colors, including metallic paint colors and glitter effects.

Rollerball pens were introduced in the early 1980s. They make use of a mobile ball and liquid ink to produce a smoother line. Technological advances achieved during the late 1980s and early 1990s have improved the roller ball's overall performance. A porous point pen contains a point that is made of some porous material such as felt or ceramic. A high quality drafting pen will usually have a ceramic tip, since this wears well and does not broaden when pressure is applied while writing.

The quill pen was replaced by the metal dip pen in the early 19th century. The metal dip pen had a steel nib with various holes to hold the ink. The nib was attached to a wooden handle, and could be manufactured quite cheaply. John Mitchell of Birmingham started to mass produce the metal dip pen in 1822, and by 1850 they came into generalised use. The dip pen had to be constantly dipped in ink, and it wasn’t long before the people demanded a pen which contained a reservoir of ink (a fountain pen). Inventors came up with various forms of the reservoir pen, dating back to the first half of the 19th century. The first few attempts at a reservoir pen were pretty unsuccessful because the ink flow was very inconsistent. The problem with the early fountain pens was the feed system, which regulated the flow of ink to the nib. In the 1870’s Lewis Edson Waterman invented his ‘Three Fissue Feed’ system which used an intake of air to control the ink flow. This led to the widespread use of a reliable fountain pen, and made the portable pen a reality. In 1894 Parker Pens invented the lucky curve feed system which drained the ink back into the reservoir when not in use.