INFORMATION
History of the Fountain Pen
A fountain pen is a writing instrument mainly with a metal body. It uses a hollow barrel to hold ink (mostly black or blue), and writes through gravity and capillary action via a nib similar to a duck's beak. The writing thickness varies with pressure, making it an ideal tool for Western calligraphy. Most fountain pens are refillable, usually using small eye-dropper style bottles or ink converters to fill ink. The earliest historical record of the reservoir fountain pen dates back to the 10th century, and this earliest type remained in use until the 18th century. Progress was slow, but in the early 19th century, a fountain pen with a stable accelerated flow was invented during production. Only three key inventions made fountain pens widely popular: the iridium-tipped gold nib, hard rubber, and free-flowing ink.
The first fountain pen incorporating the three key inventions mentioned above was manufactured around the 1850s. However, mass production did not begin until the 1880s. French companies Waterman and Wirt were the major producers at that time.
In the early 20th century, American fountain pens were introduced to China one after another, with sales outlets established in coastal cities. Subsequently, various brands including Conklin, Eversharp, Pelikan, Sheaffer, and Parker flooded into the Chinese market.
