Facts and Figures-5: "Fountain Pens and Ballpens"

Man yearned to express himself even before he learned to talk. Initially he used sharp objects to etch on cave walls or boulders and then infused them with colour extracts from flowers and vegetables.

The first pen was invented more than 2500 years ago by the Greeks. It was made out of a reed. During the middle ages, the quill pen was introduced and for more than a thousand years it prevailed. Feathers of the goose were most commonly used but swan feathers would be used for premium grade pens. Each quill pen lasted only a week.

In the 18th and 19th century, several designs of pens were patented in Europe and America. The idea was to create a pen which would carry more ink than quills in its own reservoir. While this hurdle was easily crossed, it was many more years before problems like ink spills, hardening and thinning of inks could be tackled. The first self ink-filling pen was patented in 1831 by John Parker. Fifty years later, Lewis Waterman patented his creation on which the modern fountain pens are based.

The smallest fountain pen in the world has a tip which is so tiny that the lines drawn by it cannot be seen with the naked eye. The lines are just a few molecules wide - thinner than even the red blood cells in our body! This pen is attached to a microscope and used by scientists while drawing or marking on minuscule objects.

The most expensive pen priced at US $ 265,000 (more than Rupees One Crore) was sold in Harrods. Made of silver with an 18-carat gold nib, this glittering wonder was studded with more than 5000 diamonds and 96 rubies. Not far behind is the pen used by Prince Shamsher of Bangladesh. Costing US $ 260,000 it was made of solid 24-carat gold and embedded with diamonds.

Angelika Unverhau of Germany has the largest collection of ballpoint pens in the world - approximately 220,000 different types. On an average, she adds 30,000 pens to her collection every year.

In 2005, BIC sold its hundred billionth ballpoint pen!

A special pen, which can be used in space, has been invented by Fisher. This pen can write under any condition - zero gravity, under water, at any angle - even upside down. Its ink is not affected under extreme temperatures. This pen is used by American as well as Russian astronauts.

BIC reports sales of 14,000,000 pens daily.

Former US President Thomas Jefferson bred a flock of geese to ensure a steady supply of quill pens!

Courtesy: School Magazine, Supplement to The New Indian Express, Madurai, October 3, 2007.

Grateful thanks to The New Indian Express.