Long before the ballpoint pen and the fountain pen, letters were
written by dip pens or nib pens. Early pens were simple. They were just
a holder and a point. There was no ink reservoir. Geese or swan
feathers were favored because the quills were hollow and held a bit of
ink above the sharpened point.
The steel pen was developed in 1803 in Birmingham, England. Soon,
more than half of the pens in the world came from this city. Each pen
held a point that was dipped into an inkwell for use. But these dip
pens dripped, so pen wipes were necessary. The wipe was made of a
"sandwich" of fabric stitched together so the point could be wiped
quickly on both sides.
Dip pens are still used for calligraphy and some types of
illustrations, because the India ink favored by artists clogs fountain
pens. The nib or point on a dip pen also can be easily changed to make
a wider or thinner line.
By Ralph and Terry Kovel
The Myrtle Beach Sun News
[Thanks Chris]
Image: Pendemonium
Nice historical trip… Things change so quickly that our children probably won’t know which pens WE were using!