Collectibles - Pens and Writing Instruments

In addition to pens (of which there are three types) writing implements include autonomous writing implements with inherent pigment (e.g., chalk, crayons) and without (e.g., styli), capillary-action (dip) pens, fountain pens, disposable (e.g., ballpoint) pens, mechanical pencils, and brushes (Chinese characters are traditionally written with a brush).

While a dip pen requires the user requires the user to dip the nib into the writing fluid (usually ink) and then apply the nib to the writing surface, the fountain contains an internal reservoir of water-based liquid ink. The ink is drawn through a feed to the nib and then to the paper via a combination of gravity and capillary action.

The earliest fountain pens required filling the ink chamber by manually using an eyedropper or syringe. While the production of fountain pens accelerated beginning in the 1850s, three inventions were required before use of the technology really spread. These inventions were the iridium-tipped gold nib, hard rubber, and free-flowing ink.

On October 30, 1888, a patent was issued to John J. Loud for a writing implements that could write on leather, something the fountain per did not do well. The pen had a rotating small steel ball, held in place by a socket. While it worked well on rough surfaces, it was too coarse for writing on paper. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball rotated, picking up ink from the ink cartridge and leaving it on the paper. On June 15, 1938, László Bíró filed a British patent for pen with a tiny ball in its tip. The ball rotated as the pen moved along the paper, picked up ink from the ink chamber and left it on the paper. In May 1945 Eberhard-Faber licensed the manufacture the design for sales in the United States.

Fountain pens and reusable ball point and roller ball pens are often prized as works of are. They are sometimes made of precious metals and jewels with cloisonné designs while others are inlaid with lacquer designs. Pen collectors also collect ink bottles and inkwells.

Some of the more famous manufacturers of collectible pens include Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell, Michel Perchin, DuPont, Montegrappa, Stipula, Pelikan, Waterman, Montblanc, Monteverde, Sigma, Delta, Rotring, Bexley, Retro51, Tombow, Acura, Parker, Lamy, Sheaffer, Cross, Sailor, Platinum, Namiki, Aurora, Hero, Duke, Uranus, Waterman, and Pelikan.