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Ink is employed in a myriad of differing and diverse situations, yet it has a singular task – that of conveying information from entity to another without the need for either to meet. Ink has to have a wide range of attributes, modified to suit the circumstances, but for use has to be liquid or semi liquid enabling marks to be transferred to a surface. Ink has probably contributed more to the growth of civilisations across the globe than any other single thing. So, why is there such an astonishing breadth of prices for this humble liquid? Let us have a rummage around history to look for ink’s origins and development. We have to go back a long way, to around 400,000 BC suggested by the discovery of pigments and mixing tools in Zambia, although no images have come to light as yet. The oldest known images so far are cave paintings dated about 35000 BC using charcoal in the form of burnt sticks from the edges of their fires, and crushed twigs to use as primitive brushes for the clays and soils gathered from their surroundings. Ink, in a form we would recognise, probably originates from the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Abyssinians and Mesopotamians when the first alphabets were created to replace pictorial images and collections of triangular marks in wax or clay tablets, which could be laid on papyrus rolls made by interweaving the flattened stalks of the papyrus reeds – the origin of the word ‘paper’.

As Civilisations developed, alphabets and languages expanded and increasing demands were made to keep track of businesses, shippers, the law and a myriad of other activities and at the forefront was the need for ink. There were many and varying mentions and recipes documented and recorded over the last two millennia, especially from the Mediaeval period and involve ingredients such as oak galls – for tannic acid, vitriol, sulphuric acid and iron sulphate to help create the pigment and wine or vinegar to speed the process.

Ink continued to be made in this complex way for centuries, right up to the middle of the 19th Century. In 1855 an 18 year old called William Henry Perkin was experimenting with a compound extracted from coal-tar called Aniline whilst trying to find a synthetic form of the anti-malarial drug, Quinine, vital for the survival of the traders across the British Empire where often malaria was rife. The precipitate he isolated dyed fabrics a rich deep purple which was far more resistant to fading than any other then known. These ‘Aniline’ dyes were the result of experiments with aniline to create a huge range of colours and hues, with the experience being transferred to ink makers. With the explosion in communications and more efficient transportation increases in literacy were Important to assist in the growth of commerce and the more efficient, and convenient fountain pen lead to the need for dye based inks which were non-clogging and free-flowing leading to major pen makers developing their own inks, with the urging of customers to use the inks supplied by pen makers.

With the increasing expertise in manufacturing, the bettering of engineering tolerances and sophistication of materials, greater demands fell on the ink makers to ensure there were no particulates present that could compromise ink-flow, to give the ink lubricating properties especially for the pen nib, as paper is a particularly abrasive substance, give the ink high resistance to fading in the presence of bright light (e.g. sunlight), to make the ink washable from clothes and fabrics, or to be a permanent as possible on paper, fabrics or vellum and parchment

Any one ink is unlikely to fulfil this brief list of properties, but Ink makers search for that unique ‘something’ that ink users search for. It can take several years to develop new ink, such as Diamine Shimmering ink, only time and customers will have the last word but the efforts involved in producing something special can be very demanding. I am an ink lover; I buy inks for a particular role, for an everyday use, for the sheer joy of the ink and the whisper of pen on paper and the creation that emerges on the paper. I love ink for its sheer diversity and the way it can communicate over and above just the words. Cost is secondary (my wife would probably disagree). As with many things, and pens and inks are no exception, purchases are often made on the basis of logo and are a triumph of marketing over substance, but, if you like the pen (yes, you…) then that is your decision.

So, why does Ink cost so much? Probably because we are prepared (not willing) to pay for it, or there is no alternative (see Printer makers and printer cartridges)

If you are a dip-pen user then the only limit is your ability to innovate. As for me, a fountain pen user, I’m happy my writing costs less than ball pens

Put pen to paper

Penn’orth

Poking around on the internet recently, searching for some information about an obscure pen, I was not surprised to read some questionable statements, but was surprised at how many there were! I don’t confess to being the all-seeing oracle when it comes to fountain pens, but I have got some highly authoritative and weighty reference books to peruse, along with a fair few auction catalogues from a decade and more ago to help. I regularly cross reference with the net to help verify the information as best I can, but despite the widespread belief that everything is ‘on the net’ I can assure them that everything most certainly is not.

I think that the most unexpected discovery was the remarkable diversity of ‘authoritative’ statements about who it was that invented the Fountain pen. Before I cast my opinion into the cyber-world we need a definitive description of what exactly a Fountain pen is. I feel that the following simple and basic description should suffice.

“A tube fitted with a split nib that carries within itself a container to supply ink using a feed to control the flow to the nib which enables the user to write continuously for many pages without the need to recharge the pen.”

Using this description, the earliest known record of what sounds very much like a fountain pen is this: –

“The earliest historical record of a reservoir pen dates back to the 10th century. In 953, Ma’ād al-Mu’izz, the caliph of Egypt, demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a reservoir and delivered it to the nib, and could be held upside-down without leaking, as recorded by Qadi al-Nu’man al-Tamimi (d. 974) in his Kitab al-Majalis wa ‘l-musayardt. No details of the construction or mechanism of operation of this pen are known and no examples have survived.

One thousand years ago, the unknown inventor said:

“We wish to construct a pen which can be used for writing without having recourse to an ink-holder and whose ink will be contained inside it. A person can fill it with ink and write whatever he likes. The writer can put it in his sleeve or anywhere he wishes and it will not stain nor will any drop of ink leak out of it. The ink will flow only when there is an intention to write. We are unaware of anyone previously ever constructing (a pen such as this) and an indication of ‘penetrating wisdom’ to whoever contemplates it and realises its exact significance and purpose’. I exclaimed, ‘Is this possible?’ He replied, ‘It is possible if God so wills’.”

From: Bosworth, C. E. (Autumn 1981). “A Mediaeval Islamic Prototype of the Fountain Pen”. Journal of Semitic Studies XXVl (i).

Sadly no details of the pen or an example are known.

Skip forward in time to the 17th Century, the time of the Restoration, the Plague, the Great Fire of London. Documented in coded detail, the great diarist, Samuel Pepys is introduced to a silver pen that would “write for a quire of paper” by a Mr Coventry, its is thought that it was possibly made in Paris, where a number of ‘instrument makers’ were making pens at that time, often credited to M. Nicholas Bion, who had no patents to his name – and was actually around some 50 years later!

A problem for pen makers was the ink of the time was very corrosive and destroyed ordinary metals on contact. Nibs were cut from quills taken from swans and geese, but they were subject to wear and had to be replaced often. Gold offered a part solution – gold is highly resistant to acids, the drawback being the gold would wear quickly on the very abrasive paper surface. Before the advent of the fountain pen, and up to the latter half of the 19th Century, the part that we now call the nib was called the pen, and it was inserted into a penholder for use. The nibs were the tips of the tines, and particularly high-quality pens had small flakes of ruby welded to their nibs for smoothness and wear resistance.

Discovered in 1803 by British scientist Smithson Tennant, the element Iridium, a very hard and corrosion resistant metal of the Platinum group of metals was used in alloy with osmium, ruthenium and other platinum group metals. Iridium is so resistant to corrosion that it has been used to provide the standard Meter measurement bar in Paris. By the latter half of the 19th Century, the alloy, by now containing very little Iridium was becoming the material of choice to tip nibs. Its hardness enabled an ultra smooth surface to the tip whilst the act of writing polished the microscopic imperfections to give the ultra smooth experience we love from our pens

The search for a reliable, trustworthy fountain pen continued, one that would start as soon as nib touched paper, write without skipping or missing and wouldn’t leak or blot

In 1883 an insurance salesman was filling in a contract with a customer, when his pen leaked, discharging a blot, ruining the contract. By the time he returned with a new contract the customer had signed a contract with a competitor. The salesman was Lewis Edson Waterman who went on to create a pen that didn’t leak or blot, gave controlled flow and reliable results. This was the first reliable fountain pen – more than can be said for the story of its creation!

This ushered in the golden age of fountain pens, with many companies being created, especially in the United States, many disappearing as fast as they appeared. In 1900 there were 144 pen makers just on Manhattan Island alone. Across the globe pen-makers exercised their art and produced a stunning array of pens

So, back to the original question – who did invent the fountain pen?

In my opinion, from the time early man first picked up a piece of burnt wood and made a mark on the cave wall the curiosity and inventiveness of Man has worked and refined over the centuries. Caps off to them all!

Put pen to paper!

Penn’orth

It has been said by students that physically writing down content makes it easier for the mind to remember simple details. For example, address, telephone numbers, names or even notes. Due to the amount of technology that is available to us nowadays (laptops, tablets and smartphones to name a few) less people use the simpler techniques. You are now expected to type or swipe rather than write or mark.

In the 21st century, we are extremely privileged to be able to access such advanced technology. What is considered a basic device, smartphones, uses more computing power than NASA used to land on the moon in the 1960s. On most smartphones there is a pre-installed note taking feature allowing you to type what you want. As you can imagine, this will save both time and effort, although, some say it is not as satisfying as writing down content on a paper pad with a pen.

An experiment was recently carried out by the University of New York on the best way to revise for an exam. The test had both Maths and English language questions. 100 students were to sit the exam, however, they could only use a certain method of revision. 50 where assigned to tablets and the others used pen’s and paper. 50% of the students with tablets had easy access to the internet to find relevant resources. The other 50% of students only had access to books in the library. You would think this automatically gave the technology students the advantage due to having a massive range of information and them being able to find it in a matter of clicks. Additionally you’d think the note takers were restricted with the information they could find due to it taking more time to research the relevant information.

The results were unusual, in the technology group, only 15/50 people passed the test. However the note takers had a whopping 40/50 people pass the test. This is what a student from the technology group said, “I did not feel as though I worked hard enough, not being able to physically press down on the pad had an impact on the outcome of this result”. Another student from the note takers group said this, “I felt as though reading and writing on a blank piece of paper makes it clearer for the mind to process large amounts of information rather than looking at a LED screen stressing your eyes”. Additionally, the students that had access to only notepads said the divider lines on paper gave them a strategic advantage due to the lines separating each sentence making the information clear and easy to understand.

Some people think that the simplicity of using a pen and notepad is the most effective and enjoyable way of taking notes. Others think the speediness of using technology is far superior.

In my opinion, I find physically writing something down is much more satisfying than typing. Feeling the smooth pen navigate from line to line. The movement of my hand and pen helps me to remember information. The pain from my hands after a long session of writing reminds me what I have written.

Even though writing down information is proven to be better than typing, writing in notepads still brings lots of distractions. This might sound funny but it is a known fact that when people use notepads, they waste up to 3 pages of doodling and writing their own signatures.

Who’s side are you one? Comment below

Nothing quite says I love you like a hand crafted letter declaring your love, straight from the heart. With the rise of technology, proclaiming your love in the form of a love letter is now somewhat deemed old fashioned. Besotted lovers now announce their romance via Social Media and now, with the convenience of mobile phones, a simple text message stating “I love you” before bed or in the morning seems to make more sense than the preposterous idea of sending a letter in the mail. At Pens Etc, we feel there is still a place in the modern world for romantic elegantly crafted love letters and so we’ve scoured the internet for what we feel are the ten most touching and beautiful handwritten love letters by both celebrities and famous people.

Ludwig van Beethoven to his “Immortal Beloved”

Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, Be calm — love me — today — yesterday — what tearful longings for you — you — you — my life — my all — farewell. Oh continue to love me — never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. Ever thine. Ever mine. Ever ours.

Elizabeth Barrett to Richard Burton

I wish I could tell you of my love for you, of my fear, my pure animal pleasure of you, my jealousy, my anger at you.

Most of all my love for you and whatever love you can dole out to me. I wish I could write about it but I can only boil and bubble inside and hope you understand how I really feel.

Winston Churchill to Clementine Churchill

Wurzburg My darling, We have been out all day watching these great manoeuvres. . . . I have a very nice horse from the Emperor’s stable, & am able to ride about wherever I chose with a suitable retinue. As I am supposed to be an ‘Excellency’ I get a vy good place. Freddie on the other hand is ill-used. These people are so amazingly routinière that anything the least out of the ordinary – anything they have not considered officially & for months—upsets them dreadfully….I saw the Emperor today & had a few mintues’ talk with him. He is vy sallow—but otherwise looks quite well. . . . . We have had a banquet tonight at the Bavarian palace. A crowd of princes & princelets & the foreign officers of various countries. It began at 6 p.m. & was extremely dull. . . .

This army is a terrible engine. It marches sometimes 35 miles in a day. It is in number as the sands of the sea—& with all the modern conveniences. There is a complete divorce between the two sides of German life—the Imperialists & Socialist. Nothing unites them. They are two different nations. With us there are so many shades. Here it is all black & white (the Prussian colours). I think another 50 years will see a wiser & gentler world. But we shall not be spectators of it. Only the P.K. will glitter in a happier scene. How easily men could make things much better than they are—if only all tried together! Much as was attracts me & fascinates my mind with its tremendous situation—I feel more deeply every year—& can measure the feeling here in the midst of arms—what vile & wicked folly & barbarism it all is.

Sweet cat—I kiss your vision as it rises before my mind. Your dear heart throbs often in my own. God bless you darling keep you safe & sound. Kiss the P.K. for me all over With fondest love W.

Johnny Cash to June Carter Cash

Happy Birthday Princess

We get old and get used to each other. We think alike. We read each other’s minds. We know what the other one wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes take each other for granted. But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 earthly reason for my existence. I love you very much.

John

Michael Jordan to his Then-Girlfriend “Laquette”

My Dearest Laquette

How are you and your family doing, fine I hope. I am in my Adv. Chemistry class writing you a letter, so that tell you how much I care for you. I’d decide to write you because I felt that I made you look pretty rotten after the last night. I want to tell you that I am sorry, and hope that you except my apologie. I know that you feelings was hurt whenever I loss my necklace or had it stolen.

I was really happy when you gave me my honest coin money that I won off the bet. I want to thank you for letting me hold your annual. We show it to everyone at school. Everyone think you are a very pretty young lady and I had to agree because it is very true. Please don’t let this go to your head. (smile) I sorry to say that I can’t go to the game on my birthday because my father is taking the whole basketball team out to eat on my birthday. Please don’t be mad because I am trying get down there a week from Feb. 14. If I do get the chance to come please have some activity for us to do together.

I want you to know that my feeling for you has not change yet. ← (joke) I’m finally getting use to going with a girl much smaller than I. I hope you my hint. Well I have spent my time very wisely by write to you. I hope you write back soon. Well I must go, the period is almost over. See you next time around, which I hope comes soon.

With my Best Love

Michael J. Jordan

Jimi Hendix to an Unknown Woman

little girl… Happiness is within you…. So unlock the chains from your heart and let yourself grow like the sweet flower you are… I know the answer — Just spread your wings and set yourself FREE

Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn

The demonstrations of your affection are such, and the beautiful words of your letter are so cordially phrased, that they really oblige me to honour, love, and serve you for ever….

For my part, I will out-do you, if this be possible, rather than reciprocate, in loyalty of heart and my desire to please you.

Beseeching you also that if I have in any way offended you, you will give me the same absolution for which you ask, assuring you that henceforth my heart will be dedicated to you alone, and wishing greatly that my body was so too.

H seeks A.B, No Other Rex

Oscar Wilde to Lord Alfred Douglas

My Own Boy,

Your sonnet is quite lovely, and it is a marvel that those red rose-leaf lips of yours should be made no less for the madness of music and song than for the madness of kissing. Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry. I know Hyacinthus, whom Apollo loved so madly, was you in Greek days.

Why are you alone in London, and when do you go to Salisbury? Do go there to cool your hands in the grey twilight of Gothic things, and come here whenever you like. It is a lovely place and lacks only you; but go to Salisbury first.

Always, with undying love, yours,

Oscar

Mozart to his wife Constanze

By 1772 he had composed 25 symphonies and two string quartets. He was appointed honorary concert master to the court in Salzburg in 1774, and after more tours–to Italy, Manneheim, and Paris–and a spell as court organist in Salzburg (1778-80), he moved to Vienna in 1781. Mozart wrote most of his best work in the years that followed: 12 piano concertos (1784-86); six quartets; and the operas The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Cosi Fan Tutte (1790). In 1791, the year of the Requiem and The Magic Flute, he died of heart failure, at age 35.

PS.–while I was writing the last page, tear after tear fell on the paper. But I must cheer up — catch! — An astonishing number of kisses are flying about — The deuce!– I see a whole crowd of them! Ha! Ha!…I have just caught three– They are delicious!– You can still answer this letter, but you must address your reply to Linz, Poste Restante– That is the safest course. As I do not yet know for certain whether I shall go to Regensburg, I can’t tell you anything definite. Just write on the cover that the letter is to be kept until called for.

Adieu–Dearest, most beloved little wife– Take care of your health– and don’t think of walking into town. Do write and tell me how you like our new quarters– Adieu. I kiss you millions of times.

Ronald Reagan to his Wife

My Darling Wife

This note is to warn you of a diabolical plot entered into by some of our so called friends — (ha!) calendar makers and even our own children. These and others would have you believe we’ve been married 20 years.

20 minutes maybe — but never 20 years. In the first place it is a known fact that a human cannot sustain the high level of happiness I feel for more than a few minutes — and my happiness keeps increasing.

I will confess to one puzzlement but I’m sure it is just some trick perpetrated by our friends — (Ha again!) I can’t remember ever being without you and I know I was born more than 20 mins ago.

Oh well — that isn’t important. The important thing is I don’t want to be without you for the next 20 years, or 40, or however many there are. I’ve gotten very used to being happy and I love you very much indeed.

Your Husband of 20 something or other.

Remember, writing down your feelings toward a loved one doesn’t have to be a long letter sent via a postal service, it could be a cute note waiting for your partner in their lunch box or a message waiting in the condensation of a glass surface in the bathroom. A great opportunity to write to your loved one is in a gift card, creating a more personal exchange on a Birthday, for Valentines Day or for Christmas.

If you have a favourite handwritten love letter, we’d love you to share it in the comments below.

It is never easy to find that special someone the perfect gift. Finding that perfect gift for Christmas, Birthdays or Special Occasions can often be time consuming and demanding. Here are some tips and advice on how to choose the perfect pen as a gift for someone.

When selecting the perfect pen, you must keep the individuals specification in mind (Age, Gender, and Hobbies) as there are a number of different types of pens. For example, the stereotypical colours, blue being for boys and pink for girls. The table below displays the similarities and differences that both males and females have when picking their favourite colour. Surprisingly the table says that that the colour blue is the most popular colour for both genders. This can help determine what colour you select when buying your pen. The safer option would to be to purchase a pen that both male and female find attractive, colour such as: Black, Red or Blue. Although your gift isn’t as personal as it could be, this could be a safer option to take if you’re unfamiliar with the gift receiver’s preference.

Courtesy Of : Kissmetrics/ Visit the Blog here.

You should think about what the individual interests are. For example: Sports, Music or Art. Consider what colour clothes they wear, as some people like wearing bright and bold colours so a bright coloured pen would suit a more extravagant character. On the other hand, some people may wear suits and dark coloured clothes and would prefer a darker colour pen for a more professional look.

You should also assess which situation they will use the pen (Signatures, note taking or even education). This is the most significant part of purchasing a pen for another person. For example, if you’re getting a pen for someone that needs it for educational purposes, you’d be better off purchasing a cheaper yet comfortable pen. If you’re getting a pen for someone knowing that they are using it for signatures or professional reasons, you would look to purchase a more high-end prestigious pen (Fountain Pen). By considering when and where the pen will be used you are purchasing a gift that will get used, not just sit in a drawer somewhere.

When someone gives you a thoughtful gift, you immediately know what and how the person feels about you. The perfect pen should resemble the individual’s personality. The recipient should know that the person thought about them. A gift that says something about who they are, what they do with their time and what they think or believe, leaves both the gift giver and gift receiver feeling good about the whole experience. By considering personality and thinking about the gift receiver you are buying a gift that will both bring a smile on the special day and be used for years to come.

You could take the individuals culture into consideration, for example, it is a known fact that the Chinese take pride in their “Hanzi” writing technique. Hanzi is an ancient traditional method of writing religious scripts. Another example would be the Weston culture where pens have become more of a fashion statement rather than being owned for function.

It has been said that pens have become the world’s most collected item. This is due to the simplicity of the product or the natural passion for pens the individual has. For collectors, limited edition pens and timeless pens would be ideal!

I recently received a Parker pen on my birthday which I was extremely thankful for, and now I use it on a daily basis for things like jotting down notes to drawing and sketching in my free time. I have a functional gift that I constantly use that reminds me that someone cares about me.

Have you got any personal tips on buying the perfect pen as a gift? Please share your thoughts below…

For a great range of pen gifts for him or her visit Pens Etc here.